Merrill's attempt to hijack a thread from the Political forum

[Ernie S.]

Which mod am I supposed to thank for slicing this off to another thread?

 

[Ernie S.]

Improved Medicare Single Payer Insurance for All is one substantial part of the solution.

- Easy to Implement: Medicare has been in existence since 1966, it provides
healthcare to those 65 and older, and satisfaction levels are high. The
structure is already in place and can be easily expanded to cover everyone.

- Simple: One entity – established by the government – would handle billing
and payment at a cost significantly lower than private insurance companies.
Private insurance companies spend about 31% of every healthcare dollar on
administration. Medicare now spends about 3%.

- Real Choice: An expanded and improved Medicare for All would provide
personal choice of doctors and other healthcare providers. While financing
would be public, providers would remain private. As with Medicare, you choose
your doctor, your hospital, and other healthcare providers.

- State and Local Tax Relief: Medicare for All would assume the costs of
healthcare delivery, thus relieving the states and local governments of the
cost of healthcare, including Medicaid, and as a result reduce State and
local tax burdens.

- Expanded coverage: Would cover all medically necessary healthcare
services – no more rationing by private insurance companies. There would be
no limits on coverage, no co-pays or deductibles, and services would include
not only primary and specialized care but also prescription drugs, dental,
vision, mental health services, and long-term care.

- Everyone In, Nobody Out: Everyone would be eligible and covered. No
longer would doctors ask what insurance you have before they treat you.

- No More Overpriced Private Health Insurance: Medicare for All would
eliminate the need for private health insurance companies who put profit
before healthcare, unfairly limit choice, restrict who gets coverage, and
force people into bankruptcy.

- Lower Costs: Most people will pay significantly less for healthcare.
Savings will be achieved in reduced administrative costs and in negotiated
prices for prescription drugs.
Healthcare-NOW! - Register for the Healthcare-NOW! Annual Strategy Conference

 

[Ernie S.]

I am for IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Insurance for ALL absolutely!!!

Make IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Insurance for ALL available to all taxpayers as one of our choices.

Leave existing insurance on the table for those who enjoy spending large sums of money
for medical insurance. What could possibly be more American?

I want my tax dollars spent on a useful endeavor not on insurance over charges or obscene CEO salaries or golden parachutes or shareholders or special interest campaign funding!!!

It is time for my tax dollars to support this fiscally prudent insurance program. Allow me to sign up!

The single payer should be the one receiving the service. Your health care is not my responsibility.
I too want my tax dollars spent on useful endeavors, like what is enumerated in the Constitution.

 

[California Girl]

Improved Medicare Single Payer Insurance for All is one substantial part of the solution.

- Easy to Implement: Medicare has been in existence since 1966, it provides
healthcare to those 65 and older, and satisfaction levels are high. The
structure is already in place and can be easily expanded to cover everyone.

- Simple: One entity – established by the government – would handle billing
and payment at a cost significantly lower than private insurance companies.
Private insurance companies spend about 31% of every healthcare dollar on
administration. Medicare now spends about 3%.

- Real Choice: An expanded and improved Medicare for All would provide
personal choice of doctors and other healthcare providers. While financing
would be public, providers would remain private. As with Medicare, you choose
your doctor, your hospital, and other healthcare providers.

- State and Local Tax Relief: Medicare for All would assume the costs of
healthcare delivery, thus relieving the states and local governments of the
cost of healthcare, including Medicaid, and as a result reduce State and
local tax burdens.

- Expanded coverage: Would cover all medically necessary healthcare
services – no more rationing by private insurance companies. There would be
no limits on coverage, no co-pays or deductibles, and services would include
not only primary and specialized care but also prescription drugs, dental,
vision, mental health services, and long-term care.

- Everyone In, Nobody Out: Everyone would be eligible and covered. No
longer would doctors ask what insurance you have before they treat you.

- No More Overpriced Private Health Insurance: Medicare for All would
eliminate the need for private health insurance companies who put profit
before healthcare, unfairly limit choice, restrict who gets coverage, and
force people into bankruptcy.

- Lower Costs: Most people will pay significantly less for healthcare.
Savings will be achieved in reduced administrative costs and in negotiated
prices for prescription drugs.
Healthcare-NOW! - Register for the Healthcare-NOW! Annual Strategy Conference

And when their 'single payer' costs soar because of the health of those who opt for it, they'll be screaming for those of us who 'opt out' to be forced to pay for them.

And, naturally, medical advances will all but cease - no development of new drugs, treatments, therapies, or technologies - because there will be no profit in those.

And, naturally, this 'health care' will require someone to build the hospitals, employ the doctors, etc.... there won't be enough money for that either.

All looks real good on paper - but in practice... it's your basic clusterfuck.

 

[merrill]

Medical insurance cannot get any better than this:

IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Insurance for ALL would cover every person for all necessary medical care 24/7 to include:

* Wellness
* prescription drugs
* hospital
* surgical
* outpatient services
* primary and preventive care
* emergency services
* dental
* mental health
* home health
* physical therapy
* rehabilitation (including for substance abuse)
* vision care
* hearing services including hearing aids
* chiropractic
* durable
* medical equipment
* palliative care
* long term care

No deductibles No Co-pays

Heres where we fuck you up.


WHO PAYS?

Everybody which is about 100% different than the way it is set up at the moment. About $2700 a year for a family of four is not too bad.

 

[California Girl]

Medical insurance cannot get any better than this:

IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Insurance for ALL would cover every person for all necessary medical care 24/7 to include:

* Wellness
* prescription drugs
* hospital
* surgical
* outpatient services
* primary and preventive care
* emergency services
* dental
* mental health
* home health
* physical therapy
* rehabilitation (including for substance abuse)
* vision care
* hearing services including hearing aids
* chiropractic
* durable
* medical equipment
* palliative care
* long term care

No deductibles No Co-pays

Heres where we fuck you up.


WHO PAYS?

Everybody which is about 100% different than the way it is set up at the moment. About $2700 a year for a family of four is not too bad.

Everybody? How is that an 'option' if I am forced to pay?

 

[merrill]

Improved Medicare Single Payer Insurance for All is one substantial part of the solution.

- Easy to Implement: Medicare has been in existence since 1966, it provides
healthcare to those 65 and older, and satisfaction levels are high. The
structure is already in place and can be easily expanded to cover everyone.

- Simple: One entity – established by the government – would handle billing
and payment at a cost significantly lower than private insurance companies.
Private insurance companies spend about 31% of every healthcare dollar on
administration. Medicare now spends about 3%.

- Real Choice: An expanded and improved Medicare for All would provide
personal choice of doctors and other healthcare providers. While financing
would be public, providers would remain private. As with Medicare, you choose
your doctor, your hospital, and other healthcare providers.

- State and Local Tax Relief: Medicare for All would assume the costs of
healthcare delivery, thus relieving the states and local governments of the
cost of healthcare, including Medicaid, and as a result reduce State and
local tax burdens.

- Expanded coverage: Would cover all medically necessary healthcare
services – no more rationing by private insurance companies. There would be
no limits on coverage, no co-pays or deductibles, and services would include
not only primary and specialized care but also prescription drugs, dental,
vision, mental health services, and long-term care.

- Everyone In, Nobody Out: Everyone would be eligible and covered. No
longer would doctors ask what insurance you have before they treat you.

- No More Overpriced Private Health Insurance: Medicare for All would
eliminate the need for private health insurance companies who put profit
before healthcare, unfairly limit choice, restrict who gets coverage, and
force people into bankruptcy.

- Lower Costs: Most people will pay significantly less for healthcare.
Savings will be achieved in reduced administrative costs and in negotiated
prices for prescription drugs.
Healthcare-NOW! - Register for the Healthcare-NOW! Annual Strategy Conference

And when their 'single payer' costs soar because of the health of those who opt for it, they'll be screaming for those of us who 'opt out' to be forced to pay for them.

And, naturally, medical advances will all but cease - no development of new drugs, treatments, therapies, or technologies - because there will be no profit in those.

And, naturally, this 'health care' will require someone to build the hospitals, employ the doctors, etc.... there won't be enough money for that either.

All looks real good on paper - but in practice... it's your basic clusterfuck.

When one thinks about 70 million signing on to this insurance coverage almost immediately I'd say we would could say "self sustaining".

 

[merrill]

I am for IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Insurance for ALL absolutely!!!

Make IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Insurance for ALL available to all taxpayers as one of our choices.

Leave existing insurance on the table for those who enjoy spending large sums of money
for medical insurance. What could possibly be more American?

I want my tax dollars spent on a useful endeavor not on insurance over charges or obscene CEO salaries or golden parachutes or shareholders or special interest campaign funding!!!

It is time for my tax dollars to support this fiscally prudent insurance program. Allow me to sign up!

The single payer should be the one receiving the service. Your health care is not my responsibility.
I too want my tax dollars spent on useful endeavors, like what is enumerated in the Constitution.

Is fraud written into the constitution?

Why continue supporting this crap?

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Health insurers have forced consumers to pay billions of dollars in medical bills that the insurers themselves should have paid, according to a report released yesterday by the staff of the Senate Commerce Committee.

At a committee hearing yesterday, three health-care specialists testified that insurers go to great lengths to avoid responsibility for sick people, use deliberately incomprehensible documents to mislead consumers about their benefits, and sell "junk" policies that do not cover needed care. Rockefeller said he was exploring "why consumers get such a raw deal from their insurance companies."

The star witness at the hearing was a former public relations executive for major health insurers whose testimony boiled down to this: Don't trust the insurers.

"The industry and its backers are using fear tactics, as they did in 1994, to tar a transparent and accountable -- publicly accountable -- health-care option," said Wendell Potter, who until early last year was vice president for corporate communications at the big insurer Cigna.

Insurers make paperwork confusing because "they realize that people will just simply give up and not pursue it" if they think they have been shortchanged, Potter said.

More on this story:
Senate Panel Hears of ‘Raw Deal' Consumers Get From Health Insurers
Washington Post

 

[California Girl]

And when their 'single payer' costs soar because of the health of those who opt for it, they'll be screaming for those of us who 'opt out' to be forced to pay for them.

And, naturally, medical advances will all but cease - no development of new drugs, treatments, therapies, or technologies - because there will be no profit in those.

And, naturally, this 'health care' will require someone to build the hospitals, employ the doctors, etc.... there won't be enough money for that either.

All looks real good on paper - but in practice... it's your basic clusterfuck.

When one thinks about 70 million signing on to this insurance coverage almost immediately I'd say we would could say "self sustaining".

In theory, yea... but given the problems like obesity, drugs, smoking, alcohol, etc, etc, etc.... that 70 million will be the least healthy and therefore the most likely to drain your collective pot. There will not be enough money to provide the list of services that you state you will provide.

Crunch the numbers - they don't add up. And then what? Who will pay? Given that most subscribers will be those who cannot afford vast sums.... where will the shortfall come from?

 

[merrill]

Let this be a matter of choice.

What should be a matter of choice is IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Insurance. Allow we IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Insurance consumers the right to bring OUR tax dollars home to our respective communities.

There are close to 70 million uninsured as we speak. Open up IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer insurance and bring them on. Their tax dollars alone would support a Medicare single payer system. Plus senior citizens would participate. Now there are plenty of tax dollars to support Improved Medicare Single Payer Insurance.

The 70 million or more uninsured are not with any medical insurance company and the industry is raking in profits. The industry does not want the uninsured or the senior citizen population. This is where Improved Medicare Single Payer Insurance steps up to the plate.

Moreover, tax dollars pay for critical elements of the health care system apart from direct care. Medicare Insurance funds much of the expensive equipment hospitals use along with all medical residencies.

Open the IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Insurance door wide to all who want to switch.

Senior citizens are paying monthly as we speak.

Bringing seniors,the uninsured and all federal government employees under this umbrella could potentially reduce the cost of conventional medical insurance. The health care industry would no longer be eating the cost of treating the uninsured thus those expenses would no longer be passed on.

 

[California Girl]

Let this be a matter of choice.

What should be a matter of choice is IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Insurance. Allow we IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Insurance consumers the right to bring OUR tax dollars home to our respective communities.

There are close to 70 million uninsured as we speak. Open up IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer insurance and bring them on. Their tax dollars alone would support a Medicare single payer system. Plus senior citizens would participate. Now there are plenty of tax dollars to support Improved Medicare Single Payer Insurance.

The 70 million or more uninsured are not with any medical insurance company and the industry is raking in profits. The industry does not want the uninsured or the senior citizen population. This is where Improved Medicare Single Payer Insurance steps up to the plate.

Moreover, tax dollars pay for critical elements of the health care system apart from direct care. Medicare Insurance funds much of the expensive equipment hospitals use along with all medical residencies.

Open the IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Insurance door wide to all who want to switch.

Senior citizens are paying monthly as we speak.

Bringing seniors,the uninsured and all federal government employees under this umbrella could potentially reduce the cost of conventional medical insurance. The health care industry would no longer be eating the cost of treating the uninsured thus those expenses would no longer be passed on.

The figures do not add up.

Who will pay the shortfall?

 

[merrill]

Let this be a matter of choice.

What should be a matter of choice is IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Insurance. Allow we IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Insurance consumers the right to bring OUR tax dollars home to our respective communities.

There are close to 70 million uninsured as we speak. Open up IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer insurance and bring them on. Their tax dollars alone would support a Medicare single payer system. Plus senior citizens would participate. Now there are plenty of tax dollars to support Improved Medicare Single Payer Insurance.

The 70 million or more uninsured are not with any medical insurance company and the industry is raking in profits. The industry does not want the uninsured or the senior citizen population. This is where Improved Medicare Single Payer Insurance steps up to the plate.

Moreover, tax dollars pay for critical elements of the health care system apart from direct care. Medicare Insurance funds much of the expensive equipment hospitals use along with all medical residencies.

Open the IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Insurance door wide to all who want to switch.

Senior citizens are paying monthly as we speak.

Bringing seniors,the uninsured and all federal government employees under this umbrella could potentially reduce the cost of conventional medical insurance. The health care industry would no longer be eating the cost of treating the uninsured thus those expenses would no longer be passed on.

The figures do not add up.

Who will pay the shortfall?

Which figures do not add up?

What shortfall?

Where are you getting this information?

Why would there be a shortfall?

 

[California Girl]

Let this be a matter of choice.

What should be a matter of choice is IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Insurance. Allow we IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Insurance consumers the right to bring OUR tax dollars home to our respective communities.

There are close to 70 million uninsured as we speak. Open up IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer insurance and bring them on. Their tax dollars alone would support a Medicare single payer system. Plus senior citizens would participate. Now there are plenty of tax dollars to support Improved Medicare Single Payer Insurance.

The 70 million or more uninsured are not with any medical insurance company and the industry is raking in profits. The industry does not want the uninsured or the senior citizen population. This is where Improved Medicare Single Payer Insurance steps up to the plate.

Moreover, tax dollars pay for critical elements of the health care system apart from direct care. Medicare Insurance funds much of the expensive equipment hospitals use along with all medical residencies.

Open the IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Insurance door wide to all who want to switch.

Senior citizens are paying monthly as we speak.

Bringing seniors,the uninsured and all federal government employees under this umbrella could potentially reduce the cost of conventional medical insurance. The health care industry would no longer be eating the cost of treating the uninsured thus those expenses would no longer be passed on.

The figures do not add up.

Who will pay the shortfall?

Which figures do not add up?

What shortfall?

Where are you getting this information?

Why would there be a shortfall?

Do the damned math. Research the damned topic - which clearly you have not, otherwise you would know the answers to your questions. Why have you not investigated the concept thoroughly before supporting it?

That 70 million will be those who cost the most. Do the damned math.

 

[merrill]

The figures do not add up.

Who will pay the shortfall?

Which figures do not add up?

What shortfall?

Where are you getting this information?

Why would there be a shortfall?

"That 70 million will be those who cost the most. Do the damned math."


__________________
Do the damned math. Research the damned topic - which clearly you have not, otherwise you would know the answers to your questions. Why have you not investigated the concept thoroughly before supporting it?

That 70 million will be those who cost the most. Do the damned math.

Says who? You don't know this.

IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Insurance will create an estimated 2.4 million jobs in the health care industry. Health Care may well be the fastest growing industry on the planet.

 

[California Girl]

Which figures do not add up?

What shortfall?

Where are you getting this information?

Why would there be a shortfall?

"That 70 million will be those who cost the most. Do the damned math."


__________________
Do the damned math. Research the damned topic - which clearly you have not, otherwise you would know the answers to your questions. Why have you not investigated the concept thoroughly before supporting it?

That 70 million will be those who cost the most. Do the damned math.

Says who? You don't know this.

IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Insurance will create an estimated 2.4 million jobs in the health care industry. Health Care may well be the fastest growing industry on the planet.

Says logic.

You clearly have not given this much rational thought.

There will not be enough money for the list of services that you claim will be provided. Who will pay the shortfall? What about those who cannot afford to pay even the $2,700?

Who will pay for these 2.4million jobs?

 

[merrill]

"That 70 million will be those who cost the most. Do the damned math."


__________________
Do the damned math. Research the damned topic - which clearly you have not, otherwise you would know the answers to your questions. Why have you not investigated the concept thoroughly before supporting it?

That 70 million will be those who cost the most. Do the damned math.

Says who? You don't know this.

IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Insurance will create an estimated 2.4 million jobs in the health care industry. Health Care may well be the fastest growing industry on the planet.

Says logic.

You clearly have not given this much rational thought.

There will not be enough money for the list of services that you claim will be provided. Who will pay the shortfall? What about those who cannot afford to pay even the $2,700?

Who will pay for these 2.4million jobs?

Who is paying for those who cannot afford them now? YOU are!

Logic is not good enough for this discussion.

2.4 million new employees comes as the demand increases in the health care industry
so can we cay private industry will be paying the new health care employees.

Is there something wrong with millions of new jobs in a country that lost 11 million jobs?

 

[California Girl]

Says who? You don't know this.

IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Insurance will create an estimated 2.4 million jobs in the health care industry. Health Care may well be the fastest growing industry on the planet.

Says logic.

You clearly have not given this much rational thought.

There will not be enough money for the list of services that you claim will be provided. Who will pay the shortfall? What about those who cannot afford to pay even the $2,700?

Who will pay for these 2.4million jobs?

Who is paying for those who cannot afford them now? YOU are!

Logic is not good enough for this discussion.

2.4 million new employees comes as the demand increases in the health care industry
so can we cay private industry will be paying the new health care employees.

Is there something wrong with millions of new jobs in a country that lost 11 million jobs?

You don't know enough about the topic to know whether you should support or not support it. You have made an emotion based decision instead of using critical thought.

I've asked you perfectly reasonable questions on your topic. You refuse to answer those questions and deflect with irrelevant questions.

Who will pay for these 2.4m employees?

If I am right (and I'm quite confident that I am), where is the shortfall in funding going to come from?

Who is going to pay for those who cannot afford it?

This is supposed to be a solution - so a 'who's paying for them now' reply is not relevant. You started the topic, I have asked you perfectly rational questions - who knows, you may be able to sway me to support it... if you can give me rational answers.

 

[merrill]

"That 70 million will be those who cost the most. Do the damned math."


__________________
Do the damned math. Research the damned topic - which clearly you have not, otherwise you would know the answers to your questions. Why have you not investigated the concept thoroughly before supporting it?

That 70 million will be those who cost the most. Do the damned math.

Says who? You don't know this.

IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Insurance will create an estimated 2.4 million jobs in the health care industry. Health Care may well be the fastest growing industry on the planet.

Says logic.

You clearly have not given this much rational thought.

There will not be enough money for the list of services that you claim will be provided. Who will pay the shortfall? What about those who cannot afford to pay even the $2,700?

Who will pay for these 2.4million jobs?

Consider that IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Inusrance does not come loaded with:

1. 30% admin costs associated with the medical insurance industry

2. Obscene CEO pay packages (there are more than 2000 insurance providers = more than 2000 CEO's)

3. shareholders

4. golden parachutes (CIGNA CEO recently walked away with a $73 million retirement bonus = medical insurance coverage for 4,867 families for one year at $15,000 )

5. Special interest political campaign contributions

6. expensive campaigns to keep single payer insurance off the table at a cost of $1.4 million a day by way of the US Chamber of Commerce

Just to mention a few ways to save billions of dollars...

 

[Meister]

Says who? You don't know this.

IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Insurance will create an estimated 2.4 million jobs in the health care industry. Health Care may well be the fastest growing industry on the planet.

Says logic.

You clearly have not given this much rational thought.

There will not be enough money for the list of services that you claim will be provided. Who will pay the shortfall? What about those who cannot afford to pay even the $2,700?

Who will pay for these 2.4million jobs?

Consider that IMPROVED Medicare Single Payer Inusrance does not come loaded with:

1. 30% admin costs associated with the medical insurance industry

2. Obscene CEO pay packages (there are more than 2000 insurance providers = more than 2000 CEO's)

3. shareholders

4. golden parachutes (CIGNA CEO recently walked away with a $73 million retirement bonus = medical insurance coverage for 4,867 families for one year at $15,000 )

5. Special interest political campaign contributions

6. expensive campaigns to keep single payer insurance off the table at a cost of $1.4 million a day by way of the US Chamber of Commerce

Just to mention a few ways to save billions of dollars...

Dude, our government can't get it right as it is, they have never shown to be frugal, just wasteful. Your "improved" bs is pie in the sky.
If you think they are going to change, then you are naive.

 

[merrill]

34,000 people can be insured at the cost of the United Health Group CEO who makes $122.7 million a year.

$350 - $400 billion could be saved in the first year of Single Payer implementation by way of

* reducing admin waste
* global budgeting with hospitals and other providers
* bulk purchasing of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies

Choice:
* Patients have their choice of doctors,providers,hospitals,clinics,and other practices
* All medical decisions made only by the patient and his/her chosen professional = no more booklets of suggested providers that will accept your insurance provider.

It is simple economical and humane