You’re also happy with the Obamacare health care bill — even though you don’t agree with many of its provisions.

The other party was screaming at the top of its lungs for other alternatives, but the party in power chose to ignore them (along with two-thirds of Americans who did not want Obamacare). Apparently, you ignored them too: tort reform, portability of insurance across state lines, and reducing government interference in the system were just three of them.

Your faith in a government bureaucracy’s ability to streamline our healthcare system is the oversimplification, LL. Maybe you think a bureaucrat sitting in Washington DC can make better choices regarding your health than you and your doctor, but not me.

And keep this in mind, in the two areas of healthcare where there is virtually zero government meddling — Lasik and plastic surgery — prices have steadily dropped over time.

I wasn’t happy with many provisions of the health care bill. But, I felt very strongly that our systems for coverage and costing are very screwed up. I do believe there are ways that our elected officials could relieve some of those problems. I don’t agree with the choices that they made. But I did notice that I didn’t hear a lot of alternatives or suggestions from one party during the creation of this bill. All I heard was antagonistic remarks. When only half of our leaders are willing to work on serious problems – and by the way, the projected skyrocketing of Medicare costs is one of the main problems they need to address with health care overhaul – then we probably don’t get as good of an outcome as we could have.

To assume that the problems in our health care systems could be addressed with ‘personal responsibility’ is a big oversimplification. And I find it hard to believe that 87% people who have insurance are happy with the system. Everyone I know hates it – even those of us with insurance, savings, youth, and health.

Lastly…since Congress is the entity that crafted the bill, it would be more accurate to call it Congress-care

I just want to make two quick points:

1. Redistribution of Wealth – Your title is correct, in that all of this additional taxayer money is headed to wealthy entities and there were no concessions that will reduce costs. The doctors, lawyers, hospitals and insurance companies are all getting a fat raise at our expense. This is a taxpayer swindle, just like the bailout.

2. Taxation without Representation – Most Americans didn’t want this plan. In fact, most Americans are fiercely opposed to it. And, once again, our politicians completely ignored the will of the people and voted for it (slid it by) anyway. I hope American voters can muster the will to defeat some career politicians. Otherwise, we may lose our democracy.

As someone on Medicare, I’m the first to admit it’s messed up. But no more so than regular insurance which randomly jacks up rates, even when you don’t use the coverage, and decides who can and can’t be insured. Not being insured in this country is essentially a death sentence — either for your body or your finances.

I cannot understand how it is acceptable that people in a first world country die of MRSA. They are dying from staph infections, people! Why? Because they didn’t have insurance, so they didn’t see a doctor when it was curable. By the time they got to the ER, it was expensive and, even if their lives were saved, they’ll never be able to pay the bill. So the hospital eats the cost and passes the expense on to the rest of us.

Face facts: We’re already paying for the uninsured among us. And at a much higher rate.

I’m sorry that you don’t like the bill and don’t think people have a right to health care. I think they do. I think people have a right to receive affordable health care — and I think we’ll see a lot of medical costs go down if people who are being seen have a plan that will actually pay the bill.

It’s far from a perfect bill. The coverage, for example, doesn’t start for four more years, which gives the insurance companies the ability to screw with all of us up until then. But it’s sure as hell better than the system we have.

I’ve yet to meet someone who has been seriously ill — with or without insurance — who thinks otherwise.
.-= Abigail´s last blog ..Tripping ’round the blogosphere =-.

To answer your first question, Abigail, yes – that’s what I am saying. Medicare is a ponzi scheme that will be bankrupt in less than a decade. Today Medicare’s unfunded liability including the prescription drug benefit is $92 trillion – that’s what we would have to be set aside today to ensure the principal and interest would cover the shortfall over the next 75 years. To pay that, the Federal government will have to create dollars out of thin air, which basically steals from all of us by devaluing the dollars that we earned and have in our retirement and savings accounts! People who spent a lifetime of being responsible and building up their a hard-earned savings nest egg will be wiped out by the ensuing high inflation.

I think you said it well: not being insured in this country is a death sentence for either you or your finances if you get a catastrophic medical condition and you are uninsured. But with over 90% of the population either insured or choosing not be insured for valid reasons (e.g., young and/or wealthy) – that statement applies to a very small minority of people. How does that justify changing a system 87% of insured people are very happy with?

In essence, people who believe health care is a right, are actually arguing that it is perfectly acceptable for the Federal Government to forcefully take hard-earned money from those who work to earn a living for their families – just so that they can give free health care to others. That sounds like tyranny to me. The United States of America was founded by those who were fleeing tyranny.

I disagree with your assertion that our previous free-market system was more expensive than what we will soon be getting – unless services are greatly reduced. History provides ample evidence for that. I wish I had as much faith in my elected leaders as you do. These guys couldn’t even craft this bill in the open. Why should anybody believe their promises that this system is going to be better this time around?

In a perfect world I’d love for everybody to have free healthcare. I really do. The problem for me is the only way that can happen is if our Federal Government has the authority to rob the fruits of its own citizens’ hard work.

I believe our individual liberty trumps Government provided health care for all.

Thanks again for your counterpoint. I appreciate the opposing viewpoint.

How do you think our government has worked for decades? How did that road get into place that you drove on today? You paid taxes, probably more than the average Joe and now some guy making $10 an hour gets to drive on a road or freeway that you paid for. Is that fair?

You’ve used the USPS for years and don’t complain one bit that everyone’s chipping in for that.

You, as well as everyone reading this, know that these aren’t the only examples of government assistance that you’re already receiving.

I enjoy reading your finance articles because I like to save money too, but your argument seems to be based on the “The Sky Is Falling” routine here.

You specifically point out that you agree that 82% of people are happy with Medicare but you don’t think the government can run a program, that you’d “love for everybody to have free healthcare”, and that the CBO estimates a reduction in healthcare costs.

The strongest argument you have against this is that you don’t believe the government. In fact, that’s the only argument you have against your very own facts. You simply don’t believe the government can do it.

Well, it’s been signed into law, and Obama and his crew are not trying to screw you over. Just let that sit for a moment and realize that there’s no ulterior motive to harm you.

Instead of blindly stating that “The truth is, our dear leaders are liars”, give them a chance to prove you wrong. You had 8 years of Bush and 1 year of Obama. Who exactly are you referring to when you call the government liars? Obama has been in for 1 year and 1 month.

If you’re convinced the government is lying to you, it’s not because of the last 13 months.

First off, I don’t believe the Federal government is responsible for the roads – the States are. Is that reality? No. But that’s how it should be. The mail should be handled by the free market.

I’m a financial blogger. I demand fiscal responsibility from both myself and my government. I walk the walk and have for over 20 years. My government – well…

You know, the government has been around for 234 years but we’ve only had income taxes for a small portion of that. Spending by the federal government grew from approximately 3 percent of GDP in 1925 to 18 percent today and is projected to be 24 percent by 2050. That growth in government essentially corresponds with the introduction of the income tax.

So you may wonder, how did America manage to function with such a small government in all the years before the introduction of the income tax? I’ll tell you how: It stayed confined within the limits of the Constitution. That began to change around the time of Woodrow Wilson. By the time FDR left office, the era of Big Government was well on its way.

You must have glossed over the part of my article where I explained that Medicare and Social Security – two massive entitlement programs – are currently underfunded to the tune of $107 trillion. Or the part where I tried to put that $107 trillion figure in perspective by mentioning that our GDP is only $14 trillion. That doesn’t look like the gov’t knows how to run things efficiently to me. And the fact that 82% of people are satisfied with Medicare doesn’t mean the underlying business is being run correctly. There will probably be 82% of Medicare patients still happy with their service when Medicare becomes insolvent in 2019.

I think I have conclusively shown that the US government is already over-extended. So with that evidence right there, how can you say the only argument I have is that I don’t believe the government when they say this entitlement is only going to cost $950 billion? THATS why I don’t believe them.

Keep in mind that the CBO is mandated to use assumptions given to them by the bills’ sponsor. Those assumptions have been widely discredited.

I’m sorry Josh, but I know a snow job when I see it. How can I trust “Obama and his crew” when they couldn’t even craft and debate this bill in the open? How can YOU trust them so blindly?

I say the onus is on you to tell me why I should believe them. “Trust them, they’ve only been in office for 1 year and 1 month,” may work for sheeple, but not me.

(Just curious, why do you bring up George Bush? I’m specifically addressing the Obamacare health care bill and all of its champions’ promises.)