I know there have been other threads about this, but I think this deserves its own. It's an interview Bill Moyers did with a former executive of CIGNA about what's really behind opposition to universal health care.

Everyone should watch this interview with an open mind. Take the time. You'll be much smarter when you're done.

https://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/07102009/watch2.html

 

I saw this Friday night. The insider really knew his stuff. All I can say is if Obama doesn't get a healthcare bill past the Congress he's done and we may be looking at a President Palin in 2013.

 

or, in other words.....

​

 

That would be enough to convince me that I had, indeed, fallen down a rabbit hole.

 

That's quite scary, from one whose government runs a health care for all programme!! Over here, you can't 'opt out' of paying National Insurance (which goes toward paying things like medical/dental/optical care) but you do always have the option of paying extra to 'go private'!!

How does Medicare work though? I always thought this was set up by your government to pay for medical treatment for those who don't have/can't afford insurance? Or do you have to pay something in to this too, privately?

 

The basic Medicare program provides health care for seniors aged 65+. It's paid for out of payroll taxes deducted from your paycheck while you're working.

There is also a program called Medicaid, which provides health care for low-income people.

 

Thanx Kimi that was very enlightening and comprehensive. I will be passing that link on to some people that I know.

 

I hope that you are correct about him being finished and I hope that he DOESN'T get a health care plan passed.



This video is just more liberal propaganda, but I am still listening to it as I type my response.

 

I'll have to look at it later because right now my internet connection is so bad its taking 10 minutes to load a single page.

But I've always respected the work Bill Moyers has done.

 

All anyone needs to know about health care reform is this: If the insurance companies are not frothing at the mouth in anger by any proposals put forth by Congress or the President then the plan won't solve anything. And if they actively endorse the plan you know you're fucked.

-S-

 

ShakeZula I don't think I could have said it better myself. And as an indication that I think we're already fucked I haven't seen a rash of horror story commercials lately making me think they've already got the fix in.

 

I unfortunately think that both of you are right Kimi. I am very worried about a healthcare plan that will cost over 1 trillion dollars, but that doesnt even include the exisiting cost of Medicare and Medicaid which is another cool trillion. I do think that it is optimistic that they beleive they will be able to collect over 34 billion dollars in fines from those who choose to opt out of any type of insurance plan. (a min of 1000 per single and 4000 for a family)

I hate to bring politics into any of these conversations but I just feel like WE THE PEOPLE will be bent over taking it up the ass for years to come because they are just ramming legislation down our throats BECAUSE THEY CAN!!!!

 

I was taken to task yesterday for quoting Krauthammer. I don't think you can get any more leftward than Bill Moyer. And he's using as his interviewed expert a PR flack who, at an advanced age, is mortified to suddenly discover that corporations are in business to turn a profit for their stockholders, and that there are poor people in his native Tennessee.

Meanwhile, to fix the problem, the Obama administration is asking the worst porkbarrel congress in history to develop a comprehensive health plan. So far, it's estimated to cost a trillion dollars, and there's no clue where the money is going to come from. I'd like to see more availability of health insurance too, but I'm very afraid that this will be a case of "Be careful what you ask for - you just might get it."

 

Here's what is constantly overlooked. Our current health care system is going to cost a lot more than that. As a matter of fact its mathematically unsustainable. I don't know why people and politicians can't accept that reality and take the steps necessary to correct the problem. Instead we just keep pussy footing around the problem and putting it off.

If I can do a search tonight I'll post an analysis by Paul Krugman that lays our exactly why our health care system and the way of paying for it that we have now is doomed. But basically it comes down to businesses now footing the bill for the bulk of our health care costs and they will no longer be able to do that.

As far as I know Bill Moyers is an award winning journalist. What's Krauthammer? He may have credentials I'm not aware of so what are they.

In the meantime I'll bet you're one of those people that believes there's such a thing as a "liberal press," and you'd be just as wrong about that as you were about Al Jazeera.

OK prtndr how should we fix the health care problem? What in your opinion should be done? Or are you contending there is no problem with our health care system?

 

Alright instead of a bunch of people just talking out of their ideological asses on this subject why don't you at least invest enough time to read what Paul Krugman has to say about it.

Now you can sit back and scream that Krugman is a liberal. That's fine. But lets see you find fault with his facts, figures and analysis. If you can do that you've got a point but if you can't you don't.

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/18802

 

http://www.denverpost.com/recommended/ci_12523427

 

So the path of true wisdom is to listen to Krugman talk out of his ideological ass? Actually, it would be quite a trick, since his head is firmly parked there, and it's competing for space with your nose.

 

First can you answer two simple questions prtndr?

In there anything wrong with our health care system?

And if so what do YOU think we should to to fix it.

Second if Krugman really has his head in his ass in his analysis of our current health care system you should have no trouble at all pointing out where his analysis is flawed if he's as bad an economist as you say he is.

 

THAT WORKS BETTER BUT THE LEVEL TO GET IN IS LOWER THAN IT SHOULD BE. IT5 IS STATE ADMINISTERED..

 

I have yet to see any government program that actually does what they claim it was to do.