[BITList] more - lose job - lose health care

[CT's]

hugh

I really don't understand the general publics apparent reluctance to embrace with open arms a national health service for all Americans. as I mentioned before, I think Obama and the democratic party has not done a good job of selling a NHS to us. I estimate it would cost about $50/week per worker - stopped out of wage cheques for all to have a reasonable health service. if one wanted superior health care, one could pay for additional private insurance - this has never been mentioned.
it is claimed that there are about 45 million Americans without health insurance [about 1 in 5], one would have thought they had some clout - but little is heard from them. this is probably because they don't have millions of dollars to put their case forward. needles to say the insurance companies could be fighting for their very existence [highly unlikely], and are paying out millions to politicians and lobbyists to protect their interests and avoid any competition - quite a cartel.
so we have a situation where singles pay on average $400/ month and a family will pay about $1200/month for health insurance. 
as you know, there are many strings attached to any insurance policy - and health insurance probably leads the field.
so I don't understand why the insured want to pay $400 with strings attached when they could pay half or much less for better coverage. again, a poor job done by fans of a NHS.
common sense doesn't seem to play any part in this conflict. many are quite prepared to accept the horror stories trotted out by opponents of a NHS. The amazing part is that health insurers continue to raise premiums and threaten that if there is a government option [read - competition], they will have to increase premiums even more!
Note - the idea of a single-payer national health service a la UK, canada, ozz, france, etc. etc. had no traction what so ever and was off the table in seconds.......................................................!
it's doing my head in - I have given up following it.
que sera, sera

ct



From: HUGH 
Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 2009 4:15 AM
To: bitlist at lists.bcn.mythic-beasts.com 
Subject: Re: [BITList] lose job - lose health care


Colin,

The whole problem with the cost of staying healthy is that the providers of what is now called "health care" do not add value to anything, so they can charge what they want for a "service".  People who make things add value to the component materiel, and their renumeration is geared to that - these people have to somewhow get enough cash to pay the others who live on a different financial planet.  Typically, so-called professionals are banded together in associations, institutions, and so forth, which nowadays are often no more than cartels, so we get lawyers who won't get off their arses for less than £10,000, etc - a cheap one will charge £200 an hour for listening to you.  Health care in the USA is totally at the mercy of the need for profit and big rewards - I can't see them ever letting go of a goose that lays such golden eggs for them.  They are indifferent to the consequences of such a system.  At one time US films were full of people wearing hats and people smoking - both features were there because of pressure from the respective industries, though neither one was thought "a bad thing".  But when did you ever see a US film where someone is asked for money in a hospital?

Hugh.


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