A Political

I appreciate everyones desire to change our current system.  When and how is another story but at least people are talking about it and recognize a change is needed.  

Moore's movie "Sicko" about the health care industry was on again today.  I caught part of it and the so called "socialized" health care  looked pretty good from where my family sits.  

No out of pocket costs to see the MD.  I'm all for it.  No phone calls for preauthorization, count me in.  Okay, so taxes are a bit higher.  I will gladly pay a higher tax if my children can recieve health care any where in the U.S. (or world) and not have to pre-authorize the visit and worry if they are in or out of network.  

As I said the current system doesn't work for a family like mine, and it needs to be changed.  

OK, well, I didn't mean to imply that I'm ready for the NHS...what we need is regulation of a system that is jerking around the public.  

My comment about free enterprise was to insinuate that it's important that the government stay OUT of our health care decisions, but do they need to regulate the ABUSE that is going on by the private insurance industry...obviously.  We have the government get involved when gas stations or oil companies are charging us too much, why not health insurance.  I know of no other industry where you can be told you will get X amount of coverage (or service), only to be told in the long run, that it was a mistake and they can get away with it....

Jason, first, thanks for sharing such a personal experience. It does seem like you're caught between a rock and a hard place. I think Christie has a point. We don't need an insurance system, we need a health care system. Insurance is a business that has a responsibility to turn a profit, can't blame them for playing by the current rule system. Unfortunately for every dollar that goes to the profit margins of these companies, is a dollar taken away from patient care.

Do I know what the answer is? No way. But I'm sure looking forward to experiencing the British system first hand and seeing for myself whether it is as dismal as people say or whether the tales we hear are propaganda or some combination of the two.

The big question is: If health care is an industry, then is the mission to provide care for people or to turn profits for insurance, pharmaceutical, and Medical Equipment companies?

My heart goes out to you and your family.  

This issue here isn't that we have a health care crisis...it's that we have a health INSURANCE crisis.  Consumers are paying more and getting less, providers are doing more and getting paid less.  Who is taking home the buck at the end of the day?  The dems announced today that they are demanding to see the financial records of the top health care insurance companies.

...now I'm all for free enterprise, but these are people's lives...in the end, is it killing us that those who really hold our lives are a bunch of shareholders?