I don’t know what to think. As a conservative, I fear that we are putting too much control in the hands of a bureaucracy. I know that sounds like a cliche or a republican talking point but I really don’t think our voting public fully understands the impact of doing this.
As a middle class wage earner, I feel like the hardest hit. Our income doesn’t have the cushion to absorb more taxation or fees. This is going to suck.
I feared long ago that this bill would pass and it almost didn’t due to the over-reaching lefty ideas of single payer systems. The Democratic leadership could have passed something a long time ago. They had the seats. They had all the power. But instead they tried to grab too much power and alienated the centrists of their party. In the end, they got it done. They got it done with some curious deal and got it done in a partisan way. They now own it.
What will the future hold? I suppose we can only find out. For those of you without coverage because it costs too much, you will now have it. It won’t be free. You WILL be paying something into the system. I hope for your sake you maintain a healthy lifestyle.
For those who could afford it and chose not to, welcome to the club and pay into the system.
For those who are under the poverty line and don’t have coverage or had medicaid, well… you’re welcome. Now the rest of us will have to pay a little bit more to cover you. However, your scooter will be taxed.
I do feel defeated. But I am not as right-wing enough to shout things at politicians or throw things. I am more dignified than that. I really want to talk/listen/analyze this bill based on the policy. These next couple of days will be filled with victory talk by the democrats. I don’t want to watch. I will just read about what the bill actually has in it.
I just hope that the voting public who is truly upset by a bill they didn’t want make themselves heard next fall.
No more sugary drinks for you young man
No more smoking for you... Mr. ... Obama.
Comment By: Tyson
March 23rd, 2010 at 2:30 AM
“I hope for your sake you maintain a healthy lifestyle.” I think this sentence really hit home for me. Considering that obesity accounts for roughly 47 billion dollars a year in health care costs, I too hope that the people that are now getting reduced or free healthcare are at least going to take care of themselves. What upsets me are the people that are overweight and that is the core issue as to why they are in constant need of medical assistance (and scooters). Not that we all shouldn’t be taking better care of ourselves but now that I have to pay for others, its even more important to me.
Comment By: Audra
March 24th, 2010 at 12:56 AM
I often see Craig’s political facebook posts, and I often disagree. For some reason, I feel compelled to write about this one.
I am someone who is very happy health care reform was passed. I will not mind the extra money (if any) I may have to pay for our nation to have it.
To me – this isn’t about the money. Or fiscal responsibility (and after 8 years of throwing the budget deficit to complete shit can conservatives really claim they champion fiscal responsibility? Come on). To me – this is about our nation’s greater good. I believe our country can only be as good as its weakest link. As humans, I feel we have a moral obligation to look out for each other.
Our country FOR YEARS has pandered to corporations almost as if we exist in an oligarchy rather than a democracy. Corporations have the power, money and political authority to weaken individuals. The government should be there to look out for individuals and protect its citizens. As citizens, I do believe we should have some basic rights. And I think reasonable health care should be one of them.
The health care system – I think we can all agree – sucks. And when the health care industry has the power to deny people benefits, strike against patients in their darkest hour, or refuse coverage to the people who need it the most, this is a system that has failed its people and its nation. And our government has allowed this to happen – for years. Decades.
How long do you wait for “perfect” health care reform? Whatever that may be. How many people should die or not afford coverage or go bankrupt because no one has the guts to force some type of change and say enough is enough. I am happy Obama followed through on what he promised in his campaign – to pass health care reform. Am I happy with the bill? Not entirely. But – I think its a good start.
Will many welfare and/or lower class citizens take advantage of the system? Absolutely. There are a lot of lowlifes out there who have no work ethic, no drive, no ambition, no passion to live a respectable life. We can do very little about these people. Unfortunately. They are living among us, committing crimes, getting free health care, whatever it is that those people do. It’s infuriating.
However, we are PAYING FOR THEM already. Whether it is in the form of free health care or not, these people ARE going to hospitals, ARE seeking treatment, ARE contributing to our nation’s overall health status quo…and uninsured patients have resulted in higher premiums for insured health care recipients for YEARS. My insurance has gone up 400% in the last 7 years. When does it stop?
But – no matter how angry people might be about the people living life on their handouts – there are also a lot of people out there who work very hard, make little money, and are financially bankrupt by a system that is taking advantage of them – all for the sake of profit. That is far more disgusting to me than these welfare recipients kicking back and raking it in.
Do all of you have employer based health care? If you do, you are one of the lucky ones. I have been a freelance worker for years and had to try to get reasonable health care (I could never afford it) and paid 550/month for individual health care – and that was BAD COVERAGE. I would have had to pay 1000/month (at least) for great coverage. I didn’t really want to pay that much. Things are different now because I now have union-based health care as I am now covered through the DGA (yay!).
My point is that I make good money and it has been an issue for me. What about the people who make far less money yet have to pay as much (or more) than I do? How can they possibly afford it? I am in good health and don’t have any pre-existing conditions and (thankfully) haven’t been stricken with any auto-immune disorder that can sometimes strike people my age. I exercise daily and am very healthy and active. I am lucky. I wish others cared about their health as much as I do. Growing up with a mother who had MS, I learned at a young age to respect my health because I am very very lucky to have it. We are all.
There are people out there hurting. Lots of people. And – I am happy our country will take steps to ensure their better health in the future because I believe our nation’s health as a whole will improve and that is the greater good.
Are we a nation that feels that entitled that we think everyone else should be as able and as healthy as we happen to be? To have the benefit of making the salaries we make? Do we really not care? How can health care be evil and two expensive wars less so? In our capitalist society, if corporations are left unchecked, should the individual just be left to fend for themselves? Isn’t our government supposed to be there for us?
I will never understand how or why people can be angry or upset that millions more people in this country will now have health insurance. How is that a bad thing? Because your monthly premiums – which would steadily increase ANYWAY – would continue to rise? I do not get it.
Comment By: craighope
March 24th, 2010 at 12:06 PM
Audra, thanks for chiming in. I don’t disagree with your points. The message I am trying to get across is that this bill is NOT about being healthy. It’s about redistributing money.
I hear the argument “we already are paying…”. True, through passing on the losses to those paying into the system. Now EVERYONE is forced to absorb the costs through taxes. If people are happy by paying more and more in taxes, then ok. I am not. Many are not.
The Big Corporation rhetoric is short-sided. The same “big company” that “controls” everything also offers benefits to those who work for them.
This bill will NOT make anyone healthier and I get frustrated every time I hear the supporters use that phrase during their victory tour.
Audra, I applaud you for living healthy lifestyle and you fit into the category that part of this bill is targeted. You are a small business person and will have access to a pool of coverage. Whether or not you see the cost of that coverage go down it yet to be seen. I suspect you won’t see much decrease. Sadly.
10% of our healthcare costs are directly related to behavioral issues (smoking, obesity, etc). If this bill contained items that targeted reducing this aspect of health in this country, we would be talking about something with real change. But we are not, policy makers do not have the guts to do such a thing. Being healthy begins with the individual and the government can’t do anything about it.
Denial of coverage eliminated from this bill is good. Forcing people pay into the system is good. I am curious to see how that actually plays out and how many people are actually insured by 2014. The 32 million claim I am sure is far less than that. People who have access but have to pay something into the system will probably choose to take the penalty rather than buy coverage.
Overall, this bill could be modified to address the real issues.
Comment By: Audra
March 24th, 2010 at 3:46 PM
I do think people will be healthier if they are not denied coverage if something terrible happens to them….
I agree with you. The bill is not perfect, but it is scarier to me that another decade or two could go by with no action – whether it is perfect or not…I don’t understand why people think it is evil. It’s health care. I hope the next step we take as a nation is to try to combat unhealthy lifestyles. The obesity rate in this country is staggering. However, many lower class people (where the largest percentage of obesity rates reside) cannot afford to eat a healthy diet in this country. There, too, I have to put blame on lax government regulations and corporations controlling the food industry to make it financially beneficial to buy unhealthy food. We have created this epidemic. Other countries do not have this obesity issue because their food industry is not designed like ours. Sigh….
And I think there is something to be said for smokers, maybe alcoholics, and others who are compromising the system further by choosing to wreck their own health. At some point, yes, people have to take responsibility for their own health – as best they can. I just think there are a lot of people like me (who make far less than me) who have been truly stifled in our unfortunate health care system. I don’t mind higher taxes to help that cause.
Prior to the signing of the bill – I qualified through the DGA for different insurance entirely so my health insurance has already gone down thousands of dollars (per year) and I have much better insurance. I am lucky, but I remember how it was when I didn’t.
And now I’m done beating a dead horse. Thanks for listening.