Comments for Doctors Debate Universal Health Care: Pros and Cons From the Experts at http://www.familydoctormag.com , comment 1 to 148 out of 20 comments http://www.familydoctormag.com Thu, 09 Sep 2010 18:07:27 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.familydoctormag.com/doctors-office/194-doctors-debate-universal-health-care-pros-and-cons-from-the-experts.html#comment-497 I work for a public owned utility and when I retire after 37 years of service I will have a "blue collar" pension minus healthcare coverage. My wife and I have been in good physical condition throughout my employment and other than a couple of minor surgeries and routine "maintenance visits" we have never abused our insurance coverage.Instead of being rewarded for being an excellent customer my reward will be a payment of over $1200 monthly for mine and my wife's insurance coverage when I retire to maintain the same coverage as I have now,which is not extremely great vs. what I would expect for that kind of money,considering that throughout my employment my bi-weekly insurance premium was near $200. This is where my split starts! On one hand I feel I deserve a reduction in my family insurance costs versus a family who abused cigarettes,alcohol or generally did not take care of themselves while they were employed and a portion of their insurance premiums were paid by their employer. On the other hand, I do not feel that our Federal government has shown through their other systems they oversee that they are responsible enough or disciplined enough to control the way our healthcare is covering us. This is not a political issue,but rather an issue of who really deserves reduced cost government controlled healthcare in this country. Is it the guy who works his entire career as hard as he knows how while raising a family and making a good life for them. Or,is it everyone in the country whether they have held continuous employment or just worked when their lives "forced" them to be employed and basically drained the systems that have already been overseen by our Government(Social Security,Wealfare,etc...) I'm not complaining about the latter,as most people have one or two of them in their family. Neither am I complaining about our country as a whole. This is the greatest country in the world! I just don't know if this great country needs to have it's healthcare ultimately controlled by the government. - Josh Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:16:43 +0100 http://www.familydoctormag.com/doctors-office/194-doctors-debate-universal-health-care-pros-and-cons-from-the-experts.html#comment-491 MA health care reform has been a disaster for my family. My wife and I are fined about $2400 each year by the state of Massachusetts for not buying health insurance. I’m almost 60, been layoff, and jobs are hard to find. We live basically off our savings and investments and always paid our own medical costs; but, since receiving the fines our family budget is now out of balance, I‘ve had to reduced my insulin shots to save money; this will eventually lead to organ failure. The state is literally killing me with there fine. I’m being fined for being responsible and paying my own medical bills. If the fines continue and get bigger we plan on moving out of the state when I retire to save money; my pension will follow me and the state will loose out on our income tax revenue. Being fined for living? Being fined for not buying a financial product? I love the people of MA but hate its insensitive no-it-all politicians. - F L Wed, 25 Aug 2010 02:48:55 +0100 http://www.familydoctormag.com/doctors-office/194-doctors-debate-universal-health-care-pros-and-cons-from-the-experts.html#comment-487 Your seventeen but you can't even spell the word interest right? - Jackson M Mon, 23 Aug 2010 01:50:02 +0100 http://www.familydoctormag.com/doctors-office/194-doctors-debate-universal-health-care-pros-and-cons-from-the-experts.html#comment-467 Your are absolutely corect on one thing, this is a moral issue. So, should the government dictate what is moral, and who should provide these moral services? As it stands, some people will have a larger burden to supply this 'moral' service. And the government is forcing them to do so. So why dont we let the government force people t o do volunteer work? or How about take communion, or follow one denomonation of one religon- --Religon by definition is moral, therefor, your point of view says it is okay for them to mandate such actions. This obviously violates the 1st amendment. Secondly, 'dying in the streets'? Where? I live in an urban area, and I have nbever seen anyone who is medically opn their last leg. In fact, most of the unemployed and 'poor' people in my area are fat. you want ptoor and needy, go to rural China or Africa. you'll notice that they are skinny, desiese ridden, and mishappen. - Joshua Sun, 01 Aug 2010 06:57:40 +0100 http://www.familydoctormag.com/doctors-office/194-doctors-debate-universal-health-care-pros-and-cons-from-the-experts.html#comment-466 I understand everyone's stance that we shouldn't have to pay the way for people who don't take care of themselves, but this is more of a moral dilemma. There are good people out there dying in the streets everyday because they cannot afford decent health care plans. The insurance companies are practically raping us with their insane premiums! And thank goodness there's been some sort of health care reform- now these money-sucking leeches can't turn away people for pre-existing conditions, such as cancer or pregnancy. I would much rather pay a few more tax dollars to know that if my child broke an ankle I could have it fixed without paying hundreds of dollars to some insurance company. If you are against a national health care system then I assume that you or no one on your family has Cause it is just wrong what these insurance companies are getting away with. Where is the limit? When is enough enough? Think about your public library...even your local fire department; all of these fall into the same category. These are services that we pay tax dollars for to be available to everyone. Your house may have never caught on fire, but you'd happily keep paying those taxes for when and if the day ever came. Wouldn't you want to have access to a doctor if you really needed it...without having to worry about how you'd pay for it? With all the crap we are taxed on, I'd much rather know that my money is going towards the greater good-- taking care of my fellow man. - Katie Sat, 31 Jul 2010 09:28:26 +0100 http://www.familydoctormag.com/doctors-office/194-doctors-debate-universal-health-care-pros-and-cons-from-the-experts.html#comment-444 Out spoken by a 7th grader. That's hardcore. Josh Approves =D (don't expect a good discussion here though, nobody seems to respond to direct engagements) - Joshua Tue, 29 Jun 2010 06:14:44 +0100 http://www.familydoctormag.com/doctors-office/194-doctors-debate-universal-health-care-pros-and-cons-from-the-experts.html#comment-443 I'm 13, and I'm taking a speech class to debate the idea of Universal Health Care, I was assigned to oppose it, and so far I am agreeing with it. Health Care should be bought, and owned, for it is a privilege. I believe that super healthy, fit people, should NOT have to pay for the lazy ass couch potatoes, who sit around all day, smoke, get cancer, and expect US to pay for it! People would take riskier actions, knowing that if they do get hurt, then the U.S.A. will pay for it, and the people who really need it, will be subject to longer waits! I believe you should have to purchase health care, an no taxes should go up. - Ellery Mon, 28 Jun 2010 23:46:30 +0100 http://www.familydoctormag.com/doctors-office/194-doctors-debate-universal-health-care-pros-and-cons-from-the-experts.html#comment-399 What is a right anyways? Is it something that HAS to be given to you, or is it something that cannot be legally taken from you? If you look at the rights that Parliament granted to Englishmen, and later the rights that the colonists fought for and wrote for America, most of them were existing practices that the populace did not want the government to be able to use to control people. For example, the Government cannot silence citizens who criticize it. Good, constructive criticism is always welcome. This service that we call health care/insurance is an action between citizens. Classifying it as a right is like saying "you MUST lend your neighbor your tools whenever they want them." The "right to Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" was a line to say that the government couldn’t hold dominion over you by threatening to or take it from you. It has NOTHING to do with prolonging it or with giving it to people. And if you think that slotting this under the right to live is appropriate, then I think you need to re-evaluate how you get to be alive. Your existence is not granted by the government. Plus, if you think about it, any sort of power or ability of the government to do anything is contrary to what the Founding Fathers wanted in America. Everything they did in the constitution was about making rules on how much the government could do, especially at the federal level. Note the Articles of Confederation. They were not supportive of the government having the power to grant rights- the rights in the Constitution are rights the government cannot take away, not ones they give. - Joshua Fri, 21 May 2010 09:10:47 +0100 http://www.familydoctormag.com/doctors-office/194-doctors-debate-universal-health-care-pros-and-cons-from-the-experts.html#comment-398 Why is it that people think that healthcare is a right? TV's are cheap because they are not a right. It is funny how so many people have a long list of luxuries but no money for healthcare expenses. When the constitution was established, food, clothing, shelter and healthcare were not rights, why are they now? Why is the government distorting the value of these comodities? They force these prices up then make them a right once they are not affordable, this does not make any since. - maat Fri, 21 May 2010 05:51:35 +0100 http://www.familydoctormag.com/doctors-office/194-doctors-debate-universal-health-care-pros-and-cons-from-the-experts.html#comment-397 I think healthcare is extremely important. The first right to people should be the right to live. It is more important than the freedom of speech, education, or anything else because dead people cannot excercise those rights. You guys are awesome - andy Fri, 21 May 2010 05:50:15 +0100 http://www.familydoctormag.com/doctors-office/194-doctors-debate-universal-health-care-pros-and-cons-from-the-experts.html#comment-384 Im doing a persausive speech against the univerasal healthcare. I am only seveenteen and I already have a big intreast in it. i feel like the cons out ways the pros. The way i look at it we shouldt throw money away on healthcare when America has the best healthcare plan out there and use this money to get vets of the street or put it towrads peoples education. - Jema Cantrell Wed, 12 May 2010 02:30:02 +0100 http://www.familydoctormag.com/doctors-office/194-doctors-debate-universal-health-care-pros-and-cons-from-the-experts.html#comment-382 If you want universal health care, simply go to europe..... Just giving the role of health care to the government is the dumbest thing the people of the US can do. If you live in America you have your own F***ing right to purchase whatever health plan or amount of insurance you want. I believe that it should be a goal for the US to insure all Americans; however, this just cannot be done by just handing the role of health care over to this soon to be soicalist government.. Until we find a different way to achieve the goal of insuring everyone without involve the government entirely... i say f*** - Sean Allen Mon, 10 May 2010 12:38:32 +0100 http://www.familydoctormag.com/doctors-office/194-doctors-debate-universal-health-care-pros-and-cons-from-the-experts.html#comment-379 man the poor people are just lazy a***s that don't work and they steal money from rich people, think about that b***h. [Editor's note: This comment has been edited for content, per our guidelines: http://familydoctormag.com/comment-policy.html . Thank you for commenting.] - john smith Fri, 07 May 2010 09:12:51 +0100 http://www.familydoctormag.com/doctors-office/194-doctors-debate-universal-health-care-pros-and-cons-from-the-experts.html#comment-371 So, your perspective is the correct perspective? Aren't you a tolerant open-minded person? Unless your prescribing my morality, I can be Ebenezer Scrooge all I want. On the occasion that greed is immoral then God will pass that sentence, just like he did to Scrooge's friend Jacob Marley. If you want to give others health care, you buy it for them. Keep your hands out of my pockets. I will donate my own money thank you. I want to make it cheaper so more people can actually afford it. I want this to happen without the industry dying because of all the people and families that rely on those jobs. There are dozens of ways to lower the expenses of health insurance, and this is not they way to do it. - Joshua Wed, 28 Apr 2010 10:59:10 +0100 http://www.familydoctormag.com/doctors-office/194-doctors-debate-universal-health-care-pros-and-cons-from-the-experts.html#comment-370 I love, my family. I love my friends, but do you love your country? I know that family is important, but as a wise man once told me everyone is your family. That means caring for it, feeding it, bathing it, protecting it and the most important of all. Keeping it alive. How would you feel if your family member died, huh? Not so good? Well guess what every ones dying every second you read this, and if I had a chance to stop it I would, and am. By typing this article I'm bringing new ideas opinions and thoughts about this bill. Hopefully you people will L-O-V-E your family. And your world.... signed, My thoughts - Anonmyus Wed, 28 Apr 2010 03:12:19 +0100 http://www.familydoctormag.com/doctors-office/194-doctors-debate-universal-health-care-pros-and-cons-from-the-experts.html#comment-369 Really everyone? Is it really that hard to think for people other than yourself? People die because of lack of health care and all you can say is "Ohh" it's so much money. Well suck it up people!! Money is a mortal item, when we die hopefully we will be gracias enough to be in a hospital wen it happens! I mean really! We have the power, the money, the influence..all of which we only need to save lives, yet we feel that money needs to be spent on US no not THEM but US. America the land of the rotting flesh. How I love thee now. Really those lives aren't an example of hunger, it's an example of ourselves, and how our future looks. Thanks for reading. - Anonmyus Wed, 28 Apr 2010 03:04:08 +0100 http://www.familydoctormag.com/doctors-office/194-doctors-debate-universal-health-care-pros-and-cons-from-the-experts.html#comment-363 Since when is a government employee motivated by money? Why don't financially successful people run for senator or president and eliminate our debt? Because they make better money easier. Name 1 government function that makes more money than it uses. Just one, I dare you. Military? nope...Post Office? nope... Medicare? nope... taxes! well actually no, we have a HUGE deficit budget. The best leaders are not politicians because money is not there. Power maybe, control maybe, but not money. All insurance is; is a 'buddy' of yours who is willing to pay for your well being-- provided that you and your other mutual 'friends' pay them enough to cover any one of your 'friends' when they get hurt. Its just math! Sure it might be nice to allow everyone to afford some agreement like this. But it's like buying a house, not everyone can pay that loan. Should Uncle Sam DEMAND that your rich 'friend' lend them money when they likely won't get it back? That's stealing last time I checked! Another issue with creating a special probably-can't-make-a-profit insurance bracket/zone is that there are people who quit work right before they cross the minimum tax bracket So giusty, if you want a poor person to have insurance, you pay for them, but let me keep my money. If you think this is immoral, then we'll just have to let God figure it out. - Joshua Tue, 20 Apr 2010 01:43:24 +0100 http://www.familydoctormag.com/doctors-office/194-doctors-debate-universal-health-care-pros-and-cons-from-the-experts.html#comment-361 I don't care how they do it, but I'll tell you something it is a right and not a privilage to have healthcare. I would gladely see my taxes going to healthcare for everyone and any doctors who are in the game and sending thier kids to school to follow their footsteps and all because they want to keep thier families in the upper class range of society or have a few big houses or a garage full of cars, has no buisness being doctors. F**k ya, we don't need ya. Just becase the private sector runs insurance, that isn't what freedom is about. The only difference between the private insurer and gov't insurer is job title, but hey're both motivated by the same means[money], and you are still controled by your pocket book. That's for those who think freedom is choosing who takes care of you, but if you have a lick of sense you'll realize your wallet controls it no matter who you get it from[gov't or otherwise]. Now for the other halve of the pro insurance company f***s, just because you got f****d all your life giving all your money to health insurance companies and think that's just how it needs to be for everybody, well you can't pin everyone else up for your mistakes. They used to put people in prison for insuring folks, they called it extortion. So, you don't care about anyone else but your own ass, and piss on the poor and underpaid, then you need to eat a bullet and go spend that money you love to spend on healthcare to fix that. There are way more hardworking and underpaid folk in this country than there are upperclass s***s and we need to just take up arms and force these folk into playing ball for the working class. That's the only way things will change in this country. [Editor's note: This comment has been edited for content, per our guidelines: http://familydoctormag.com/comment-policy.html . Thank you for commenting.] - giusti Mon, 19 Apr 2010 11:06:47 +0100 http://www.familydoctormag.com/doctors-office/194-doctors-debate-universal-health-care-pros-and-cons-from-the-experts.html#comment-338 Tru dat, Ted, tru dat. (@Teresa) Yes it is a very nice convenience to have health care. paying for doctor visits is difficult without. But why do those big nasty insurance companies charge different prices or deny coverage and stuff? Math. Wait are you sure it isn't discrimination? Nope. It's just math. If your a bad driver, you're more likely to cost them money so you need to pay more so that you are statistically not a financial risk. In health care, a hemophiliac, cancerous, cripple with HIV will cost them much more money than they could possibly make. To force companies to cover such people would bankrupt the company. Now no one has health insurance, Way to go! Wanna know how this issue is often fixed? Charity. there are hundreds of organizations or charities or funds for different medical situations; even multi-billion dollar companies donate money. 'Poor people' get more from others than just about anyone. - Joshua Tue, 13 Apr 2010 00:55:40 +0100 http://www.familydoctormag.com/doctors-office/194-doctors-debate-universal-health-care-pros-and-cons-from-the-experts.html#comment-335 Joke? We know it screws seniors out of "Advantage" , we know it steals half a trillion from seniors who have paid into the system for many years and gives it those who haven't paid a dime and will probably never pay a dime. We know it has no cost controls to reduce the cost of insurance. We know that lawyers will still make a killing on malpractice insurance cases as doctors (patients) really pay for it. We know that congress will continue to tinker with the laws per their special interests demands. We know that those with insurance will pay for those that don't. We know that government will redistribute health care per their "fairness" doctrine. We know that there is not enough doctors, hospitals and health care workers to take care the coming load so it will be rationed. What we don't know is how long it will take for our idiots in DC to bankrupt the country. - Ted Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:30:38 +0100