On the local level, there's a lot of zany things out there. The trans fat thing in certain places is one I can think of. I certainly don't agree with all of that stuff. But I also don't believe in throwing the baby out with the bath water, either.
I haven't seen anyone in Obama's camp advocate a Canadian-type health care system. In fact, Obama flat-out rejected such a notion the other day. But the government does have a role to play. Yet we see these outlandish hypotheticals and fearmongering. Hey, newsflash: the CURRENT SYSTEM IS SCARY ENOUGH! No need to look into some crystal ball to predict doom and gloom. Look around you right now!
What "freedoms" do people have now with health care? I have some of the best health insurance around and I need to make damn sure anyone I see is in my network. If I needed surgery (God forbid), I not only have to make sure my surgeon is in the network--but the person knocking me out better be there as well. And you'd be surprised how many times that isn't the case! I have friends who have experienced such nonsense--with "great" insurance!
If I need to see a specialist? I better get a doctor in my network to please pretty please write a referral. Otherwise my "Cadillac" insurance isn't going to cover it (or if they do, I have a hefty out-of-pocket).
A teacher friend of mine (you know, those folks who have it too good and have Cadillac insurance) has an inoperable brain tumor. Guess how many public fundraisers her family has had in the last 2 months to raise money for all the stuff her insurance doesn't cover? Three. And counting. And this is a person who belongs to a group often maligned by the Right as having it cushy and too good.
Enough of the lies and the nonsense. Enough!
Nearly 70 percent of ALL bankruptcies in this country are caused by medical bills. Re-read that.
The government doesn't have to be "the" player but it needs to have a role, a plan, an alternative to the private sector. That should be painfully obvious to anyone!
The stale arguments that the "free market has never really gotten a chance on its own" concerning health care ring hollow and lack any sort of compelling substance. Seriously.
HSAs and other such things are window dressings, shell games designed to put a pine tree air freshner on a carcass that has been dead for years. And they do nothing to address the root causes of our crisis.
