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As a Canadian, I’ve been staying out of this hot topic debate.
I am very grateful for our health care here in Canada and while it’s not perfect, especially in BC, I cannot imagine living without it.
I know health care reform is a complicated issue in the US, and I admit that I do not know enough about the details to make an argument either way. Also since it doesn’t apply to me, I think it’s best that I don’t voice an opinion.
But, I want to know how you — our readers here at 5 Minutes for Mom — feel about the recent health care reform vote.
Answer this quick poll and leave a comment telling us your opinion of the health care reform legislation that has now passed into law.
(Please be respectful in your comments, we reserve the right to edit or delete inappropriate comments.)
[poll id=”10″]
Thank you for voting!
Here are two videos from the CBS news website.
I have tried to select two videos that do not voice an opinion of the law. One is President Obama’s speech and the other is a summary of events from CBS News.
If you have recommendations of video footage that we should watch, please leave the links in your comments.
kelly7 says
Cs says “at least the gov’t tells you what it is doing”???? Are you kidding me ! This bill is 2700 pages long!!! No one knows everything that is in it. Obama just rammed this down the throats of the American people. In America, the government is supposed to be FOR the people and BY the people. The people DON’T want this.
P.S. Everyone cheered for Robin Hood because he was taking the money BACK from the government who had been overtaxing the people. The gov’t was STEALING from the ‘people!
Amanda Daybyday says
Gosh, this is fascinating. I’m a Canadian and know very little about the bill and this discussion still gets me a little hot under the collar. I’m not going to voice my opinion as it doesn’t matter anyways, but I will say that I now have a very interesting insight into the American point of view that I didn’t have before. It feels very different from mine.
Heather H. says
I had a really long response all typed out here, but I realized I was rambling…a lot. Here’s what I’ll put instead:
1. The bill is against everything on which our country is founded. We live and work in a free enterprise system. Here’s a definition from Answers.com about what exactly free enterprise is:
“An economic system where few restrictions are placed on business activities and ownership. In this system, governments generally have minimal ownership of enterprises in the market place. This system aims for limited restrictions on trade and minimal government intervention.”
Hmmm…that last line doesn’t sound too much like what our leaders are enforcing right now. No, it’s not fair that some people can’t afford health insurance. But does that mean it’s fair for the government to punish the rest of the Americans who can by reducing our current standard of health care? Because that’s what will happen. We don’t need health care reform…we need health INSURANCE reform! But essentially, they are reforming our health care standard…and not for the better.
2. Why can’t this be put to a vote of the people, by state? Everyone who would be affected by this system (minus the children…and illegal aliens, who should…well…that’s a whole other debate) has a vote…why not let the people decide. Clearly the majority of people are not happy with this bill. Maybe if it had been put to a public vote, the current bill would have been rejected and the lawmakers would have been forced to come up with one that was better.
3. The manner in which things were added last-minute to this bill is laughable. The student loan legislation? INFURIATING!!! How can they call themselves “transparent” and making any sort of “change”? Sounds like old-school Washington politics as usual to me.
4. I’m SO sick of this country being ripped apart! The last time we stood united was after 9/11. Does it really take something like that to keep us thinking as one? I pray no! And I’m INSANELY tired of Democrats and Republicans name-calling and bad-mouthing each other! Just because I’m a republican (stop your eye-rolling right now, dems!) doesn’t mean that I’m an ignorant Bible-thumper who just wants to protect my precious bank account! It merely means that I don’t want our government running my life. Am I an anarchist? Absolutely not! Do I think my freedoms might be squashed if the government continues down the path it’s on? Perhaps.
I had more to say, but my little man wants to go the library…so off I go! Thanks for the sounding board!
Norris Hall says
I like the proposal that requires people to buy health insurance!!
For many year people who did not have auto insurance left those who did paying hefty hospital bills and repair when they got involved in an accident. They were irresponsible.
They were gaming the system. If you hit their car …you paid. If they hit you…You paid. For them it was a win win situation. Until they made everyone carry insurance.
The same thing has been happening to health insurance up till now.
People who don’t have health insurance because they choose not to buy it gambled that they were healthy and wouldn’t need medical care. And anyway, if they did need care they could just go to the emergency and get it for FREE.
So when they get hit by a bus and require hundreds of thousands of dollars of expensive medical care..they’d get the expensive operations and treatments…
then…they walk out of the hospital several months later without paying.
And the cost of their care gots passed on to those of us who pay for health insurance in the form of higher hospital costs.
These guys who walk out of the hospital without paying are like shoplifters.
They walk in, take what they want, leave without paying and the cost gets shifted on to the rest of us in the form of higher prices.
They are irresponsible freeloaders.
Well now, after years of paying for freeloaders and hospital cheats, it’s time that we brought this practice of not paying your medical bills to end. Everyone should have insurance.
Whether or not the Civil Liberties Union likes it or not…we need to build a society where not only are people treated fairly BUT WHERE WE TREAT EACH OTHER FAIRLY.
Julie says
Wow – you picked a doozie 😉
I don’t agree with the bill because it is so flawed. They should have started over with a clean slate – no one even knows what is in this bill!
BTW – your poll reflects that over 60% disagree with the passage of this bill. I would dare to say this is an accurate view of how the majority of our country feels right now.
Melissa P. says
PS: I also think that in this society we have too many freeloaders. The folks who work and really need help can’t get it. But those who are lazy and do not want or care to work sit there and collect from the government. I’m tired lazy no good folks trying to take advantage of a free ride. If you choose not to help yourself, and better yourself, then my tax money shouldn’t be helping you.
Angela says
Right on Melissa. Perfectly stated. With this plan their will be more freeloaders. Some of the nurses and doctors I work with have decided to forgo any insurance at all. Doing this we pay a fine imposed by the government but one that is less than any insurance company and less than the price of a government plan. Yes, we will still get coverage because law states that we still have to treat anyone that comes to the E.R. without any insurance. If you can not beat them you might as well join them. (Nancy P., and a couple of other senators were smart enough to write themselves out of this Reform so why can’t we?)
Melissa P. says
I do not agree with this Health Care Reform either. I think it is an absolutely ridiculous. I believe there are much better ways that the government could have handle the issues. This is too much all at one time. I believe that what the government really needs to do is to look at each individual aspect that needs attention and take the proper measures to make them work. This bill is just nonsense that is only going to cost taxpayers more money with very little benefit. Kill the bill.
aj says
The state of Tn has tried something similar to what is being pushed on the US. The state decided it would cover all uninsured people, no questions asked, no co-pays. The state is now having to make cut after cut kicking people off who truly need coverage because of fraud and over use. People are going to the emergency departments for the sniffles. Also, I do not agree with the way the bill was written…behind closed doors with only one side represented. Where is the transparency we were promised during the campaign?
Cs says
Rob the rich to feed the poor! When Robin Hood would steal from the wealthy everyone cheered. Now it happens, and everyone is pissed. The only difference between Robin Hood and the U.S. Government is Robin had to steal. At least the government tells you what they are doing.
Serendipity is Sweet says
I did not support this bill and am very disappointed that it passed and seems to be moving forward. I disagree with the way it was passed. While reform is needed, this is not the way to do it. I don’t agree with Americans being forced to buy any service. I think insurance should be opened across state lines and Capitalism should be allowed to work as it always has.
angie says
I am so glad that there is finally legislation being passed to allow those who need insurance to get it. Yes, there may be imperfections but I must say that there are many great things in history that have happened in the middle of controversy
Forgetfulone says
This health care issues gets me hot! Gattina, for one, doesn’t get it. Here is the US, we are all about CHOICE, free enterprise, privacy, working hard to get what you need and want, getting what you work and pay for. We are NOT about sameness, government-in-ou-private-business, paying for other people’s benefits because they CHOOSE not to work, (I have no problem helping people in need, but I do have a problem funding things for people who don’t work just because they’re lazy or for people who come here illegally).
Our capitalistic society is slowly disappearing, and this is one more notch in the belt for socialists. I am a firm believer in capitalism, free enterprise, and choice.
You know it’s not a good thing when our own congress, who approved the bill, won’t even subject themselves to it.
And what happened to our rights (remember Roe v. Wade) to do with out bodies what we want? That is completely contradictory to this healthcare bill.
It’s not reform, it’s control. The US government can’t manage medicare and medicaid, so what makes us think they can manage this? Those have already cost trillions over what anyone could foresee. This will, too.
We need reform within insurance laws at the state level, not at the federal level. We need to be able to provide insurance for unemployed people who are seeking work, for disabled people, for small business owners and their employees, and we already provide medical care for the lowest wage earners in the form of medicaid. We DO NOT NEED so-called “managed” health care.
gina says
really? because did the men in the big banks work hard and earn a good life here in america , or get rich scamming and ruining millions of lives and then get bailed out of it?
i live in a state with health care reform and as the wife of a hard working self emplowed business man benefit from that reform.
why should neighboring states get any less?
this reform will not solve the problem immediately but it’s better than just sitting around doing nothing about it for ANOTHER 8 years…
Amanda says
Your state is bankrupt because of that reform. The only reason it’s able to stay in business is because of federal bailouts. Who is going to bail you out when the Federal Govt. is bankrupt (and they are heading in that direction) ?
Tammy and Parker says
I’ve been exceptionally concerned about health care reform in the U.S. I think it was too much too fast. Let’s face nobody really knew what was in it when they voted for it. And the loophole where kids could no longer be denied due to pre-existing conditions….instead of this kicking in within 90 days…….now it could be all the way until 2014.
Do you know how many kids could be dead by then?
This and the legislation saying that insurance companies could no longer cap off a person’s life time coverage were the two biggies for us.
But the real kicker is that Utah is now working to ban this federal legislation from taking effect here. This means that Utah would then lose any federal medicaid dollars. If this does indeed happen, I can’t imagine the lives of children with special needs will be lost.
Utah is already one of, if not THE, worst state when it comes to supporting the special needs population.
And with the passing of this bill things could actually become much WORSE for us here in Utah.
I can’t figure out why the feds couldn’t have addressed a few issues at a time with the transparency they are always screaming. They way this was passed makes many Americans wonder what is coming next.
I agree that things need to change, but it sure would be nice to do it with intelligence rather than in a bill that we are just now discovering the realities of.
Ah. I’m a bit stressed right now as we are STILL waiting to hear from Parker’s doctor in regards to the last CBC he had drawn and the doctor’s worry of Leukemia with our Hero.
Cascia says
I am very upset with how this turned out. But I’m glad that as an American I can make a difference and try to change the law by voting in November and voicing my concerns to my representatives.
Because this is a hot button health issue I wrote an editorial on this topic on Healthy Moms.
http://www.thehealthymoms.net/2010/03/why-health-care-reform-bill-will-hurt.html
LJ says
The sham of this whole process was that it was portrayed as being a choice of being for health care reform or against health care reform. That could not have been any further from the truth. The real division is between those of us who think that the government needs to downsize and get out of the details of our lives, and those who think the government needs to take care of all our needs. Socialism has never led to long-term success for any society and will bring down the greatness of the United States.
Many of the good parts of this bill could have been achieved without the creation of a huge, expensive, new entitlement program and more government intrusion into our lives. People who voted for it or support it are missing the forest for the trees. This isn’t just about health care but about the direction of future of the United States of America.
Annie says
I do not agree with this new law. For one thing, and this is my major beef with it, it is blatantly unconstitutional. For another, it’s not reform. It does not really change that much. It requires the coverage of pre-existing conditions, yes, but really from everything I have heard that is the only real CHANGE that is happening. Requiring insurance for everyone does not change anything. I realize that I am fortunate enough to have good insurance coverage through my husbands work, but I do not see universal health care as a right. Should we have affordable health care yes. I believe that it is a part of the pursuit of happiness, and as such we should be able to provide for our families that way. But I do not believe that it is the job of my government to provide health care, but simply to provide an environment in which I can freely pursue and afford to keep my family healthy. As others have pointed out, costs will CONTINUE to rise, care will CONTINUE to be rationed (after a fashion, it will be a different type of rationing), and people will CONTINUE to be frustrated by the system. So I don’t really see how this can be called reform. Just my two cents.
Gattina says
I just don’t understand the Americans. They will finally get what everybody in the western world has since ages ! Everybody is health insured in the Western European countries and for that a certain percentage is taken off your gross salary. It has always been like that.
Heather says
We Americans are frustrated because our country was founded on a core system of individual freedoms. These freedoms are slowly being eroded away by a government that is making up unconstitutional policies/laws. Our individual freedom is one of the things that makes this country different from many other countries.
Just because everyone else is doing it doesn’t make it a good idea. Are there flaws in our current system? Absolutely. Is this new “reform” the answer? No.
We have enough money being taken out of our paychecks for taxes already. Having more money taken out is certainly a concern. I’ll leave it at that since I don’t want to get too hot under the collar about other issues involved in this…
Being forced, by the government, to have health care goes against our core values as a nation built on freedom – freedom that was bought at a very dear price.
Bob says
As someone not from America, I find it fascinating that one of your objections to the health reform is freedom. You state that your country’s core value is freedom, yet if you were truly “free” to do what you wanted then it would be fine to rape, murder, steal or be free to have abortions which is another common objection. Law (even social or cultural expectations) are generally there because they improve life for everyone, in which does access to health service not benefit everyone? To have a healthy society do you not need healthy citizens?
Forgetfulone says
No Gattina, you don’t understand. This particular bill violates our constitutional freedoms. Are you familiar with the contents of the bill? And I also wonder why all of my relatives from the UK want to come to the US for medical treatment.
Angela says
My name is Angela, and I am an R.N. in Texas. I am totally oppossed to this “Reform” because it does not treat the problem. I am tired of paying for every illegal immigrant that comes into our facility. Why should they get everything for free. (they really do). People who have insurance can not get the treatment and tests that are freely handed out to these illegals. Also, doctors who provide unnecessary treatments need to be stopped. Sacral flaps on 90 year old’s who are bedbound and aphasic is totally cruel and inhuman. Most of these patients die within 2-3 months after the surgery. Please fix the problem and not just line somebody
s pocket with money. You want to know how to fix healthcare? ask the nurses, PT’s, RT’s and anyone who works in the business. We can tell you how to cut costs without cutting jobs or denying coverage to legal U.S. citizens. If the government was the answer, then why is Medicare/Medcaid and Social Security in such bad shape. Do you people really think they can do better with this new policy? I have lived over seas in England, Italy and Scotland and now how there systmes work. We have the freedom of choice, whereas they do not. Freedom is what our country was built and founded on. This freedom is slowly being dissovled into a socialism. Just to put it out there, I also do not believe we should have bailed out our banks. If you start a company and make bad decisions then someone else should not have to save you unless you are paying back the money. Especially if you are not required to make the changes that brought about your demise in the first place. Let’s face it folks, we will be back in the same situation in about 10 years. If they really wanted to they could have set this country right by giving every legal U..S. citizen 1 million dollars. They could have used this money to buy new things, pay off their loans and other mortgages. They economy would have been stimulated and the banks would have been out of trouble and our national debt would be about a few trillion less than its current state. Those are just a few of my thoughts.
kelley says
I am fine with this ….while I dont think it is perfect… I had no expectations of it being that way. I have a medical condition so this “system” is not new to me at all.. rates have risen steadily that has not changed and I had no expections of change.
Again, I never expected some magical law to fix all our problems. I think it is crazy to assume that anybody “got their way” here and this is the best compromise they could come up with trying to address everyone’s issues between two groups that seemed almost incapable of bending in either direction.
I think much more got blown out of proprtion by the media to sell papers and air time than what is reality. Another thing is that most of the big changes dont happen until 2014… a hell of a lot can happen in four years.
Kimberly/Mom in the City says
I agree that health care needs to be reformed. I consider it a right, not a privilege. Having said that, there are things that I like, dislike & think are just plain weird about it. I wrote about it on my blog last night.
Eos Mom says
I’m glad Congress and the President are trying to solve the big mess that is health care in this country. I support this legislation, though it’s imperfect in many ways and IMO doesn’t go far enough.
Sarah G says
I do NOT agree with the Health Care bill, mainly because I don’t believe that it will reform health insurance. We were without coverage when my daughter was born (two short years ago) and we had to pay through our nose for care (we’re, in fact, still paying that debt), so I do not speak as an “entitled rich.” 🙂 But, I learned a good lesson – get insurance! 🙂 However, I believe that is a person’s choice…just like, I believe that retirement savings should be left up to a person. Especially, since we’ve seen how well the government has handled social security. 😛
In addition, our current rates continue to skyrocket each year and I’m furious that they will escalate even more rapidly. By refusing companies the ability to deny a person due to health reasons, there will be no incentive for people to take care of their health. Yes, I believe there are some who are born with health issues and don’t have any control over them and they should be helped. But, what about those that smoke? Those that don’t exercise? I believe the majority of health issues these days can be averted by better diet, more exercise, and a healthier lifestyle! Until people start taking responsibility for their actions, we will never have true health care reform. Ok, rant over. 🙂
Jennifer says
“So we just passed a health care plan written by a committee whose chairman said he didn’t understand it, passed by a Congress that exempts themselves from it, signed by a president who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn’t pay his taxes, all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese and financed by a country that’s broke?????
My biggest two problems with the bill are these:
1. The Congress who rammed this down our throat exempts themselves from it
2. My husband who works very hard as a minister holding out the word of LIFE to people will now be forced to pay higher self employment taxes which will fund abortions.
Forgetfulone says
Oh, Jennifer, I am so sorry. I would see that as a major issue! And yes, congress did ram it down our throats!
Shan says
““So we just passed a health care plan written by a committee whose chairman said he didn’t understand it, passed by a Congress that exempts themselves from it, signed by a president who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn’t pay his taxes, all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese and financed by a country that’s broke?????”
MY point. EXACTLY. I would also like to know where all the transparency and change we were promised went? There is no change since Obama has been in office, unless you count the crookedest presidential cabinet in history! This is not a good bill. This is not a good government. And I do not care how you dress it up, socialism is still socialism.
Socialism and a utopian society only work on paper because those theories do not take into account human nature. And show me a country that started off as a socialist society and I will show you a communist country. Democrats want big government because they do not feel that we are capable of following the rules and laws on our own. Under the guise of “helping” the less fortunate, they are really exerting their superior, elitist attitudes because they “know” better than us peons who think for ourselves and like our individual freedoms.
Yes the health care system needs to be reformed. Yes everyone should be able to afford medical care. But this is not the way to go about doing it.
This whole thing just smacks of the novel 1984 come to life. What’s next? The giant screens in each part of our homes watching our every move and trying to regulate our thoughts?
This is bad right now. It’s about to get even worse.
Buffie says
I am so against this so called health care reform. I fail to see how it is going to help make things better. From everything I have seen so far it appears that it is only going to make health care more expensive for the average American.
One Cluttered Brain says
No, I do not agree with this legislation either. I think that it is going to cost a TON of money, money that we do not have in order for the whole of the reform to go through. Yes, it is law now, but there are lots of stuff that goes along in making this law a reality.
Some questions were brought up in the comments–that got my mind thinking.
How are they going to fine an individual for not getting insurance? And what if they truly cannot afford it still?
We have to decide between groceries Or health insurance?
I am afraid we might be starving but hey at least we have heath insurance.
I do agree the US needs heath care reform. But at what cost?
I do NOT think that this reform is the way to go.
I cannot wait until Congress is up for re election. We need to make things a bit more BI-partisan in congress.
Thanks for posting this on your blog. I posted this on my FAcebook account and got a TON of responses. People are VERY interested in this HOT topic!
Debi says
I am categorically against it. My husband is a doctor and this is going to hurt his business and the business of so many other doctors. Through our current gov’t run plans (Medicare and Medicaid) doctors are only paid 70% of their costs. So for every patient they see on these plans, they lose money. Add 30 million more patients wanting to see the same number of doctors, who continue to lose money, and those doctors won’t be able to stay in business. Like it or not, medicine IS A BUSINESS. There are overhead costs of having an office, equipment, staff, etc. It’s no wonder than more than 50% of doctors in practice just said they are going to consider shutting their doors because of this legislation.
And yet some people (even in comments here) say there will be no rationing? Wake up. More patients + less doctors = rationing.
Further, we can’t pay for this. And because we didn’t get the transparency and change that most people voted for, we now have so many extras thrown in that no one was aware of. The student loan debacle is one. But did you know that restaurants are now required to list all calories in food? Might be a good idea but I guarantee the restaurants’ business is going to suffer, just like the tanning salons and Sallie Mae as Amys Blah Blah Blog mentions.
At a time when we are almost bankrupt as a country and so many people are out of work, how can we afford to tax the people who do have money and pump it into the economy even more? How can we afford to hurt businesses to the point that unemployment grows? It’s shameful.
And what I really don’t understand is how people who support freedom and choice when it comes to their bodies (pro-abortion), are quite happy with the government taking that freedom away by mandating you have insurance. That takes away your freedom of choice about your body. Some cities have banned certain fats and mandate how much salt can be in food and I’m pretty sure that if those same sorts of rules aren’t already buried somewhere in the 2700 pages of the bill, there will soon be new laws about it. Pelosi and Reid have both said this is just the beginning. So I need the government to tell me what I can eat but I’m allowed to abort a child?
And for the Republican haters, true, they didn’t do anything when they were in power. They were kinda distracted with things like terrorists attacks, keeping the economy afloat when we should have skid straight into a depression, etc. But they did have plans and ideas during this debate that the Dems completely ignored. And all of the things you wanted, like coverage of pre-existing condition, cost controls, keeping kids on parents’ plans longer…those were all in the Republican proposals.
Repeal and replace. In November.
Amy says
Adamantly, ADAMANTLY against it. One of my biggest “beefs” is that it will be required. Totally and completely unconstitutional. A friend of mine is fortunate enough to have a dentist for a husband. Of course, her family has NO NEED of dental insurance, and now they will be REQUIRED to pay for dental insurance????? That is just wrong. I hope the states sue fast and hard and win. This is completely insane.
Amys blah, blah, blogging says
I completely disagree with this legislation. I really believe that less government is better and this is anything but less government. When 30-40% of our money is already being taken out for taxes and insurance, I have a hard time justifying that more should be just handed over. I believe this government is being fiscally irresponsible with the taxpayers money. We are already in debt to a point of almost never being able to see our way out, yet we are spending trillions of dollars on a system that is wrought with problems.
I also have a problem with student loans now having to all originate from the government, which somehow got tacked on last minute to this health care bill. I have no idea what that has to do with health care reform, but do understand that it is causing Sallie Mae (the student loan company in our country) to lay off thousands off workers in the next couple of years.
Also, it is just causing more freedoms to be taken away, just little by little. While I would not be going to tanning beds because of the health risks and honestly, I don’t want to be cooked from the outside in, I think people have the right to choose that. Part of this bill adds 10% tax for tanning. (Yes, yet another business that will lose in the end. More loss of jobs due to this bill.) They say that it is because it is a health risk. Of course, they don’t care about it being a health risk, they want more money off of it. What is next soda pop and chocolate bars because they are making us fat? I’m sure it’s coming.
Clearly, I am NOT a fan!
Jen says
You know it is bad law when in the law it is written that the ones voting for it do not have to abide by it, need anymore be said!!!
Kate says
What I meant to say is this:
YES, WE NEED REFORM, BUT THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HEALTH CARE REFORM.
IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH SOCIALISM .
IF IT WAS ONLY ABOUT HEALTH CARE, THEN GREAT.
BUT IT’S NOT.
I DO NOT AGREE WITH THE GOVERNMENT TELLING ME TO BUY ANYTHING.
Period.
I’m sick and tired of people expecting handouts.
Work hard and earn it.
gina says
actually this is not a handout. it is forcing people to pay for insurance- much different from the completely free care most states provide now via welfare!
Traci says
I am happy about the passage of the law. What boggles my mind are those who say it’s socialism and unconstitutional. I cannot understand why anyone would NOT want to have health insurance. I think it’s OK that part of the provisions are the requirement that everyone have health insurance coverage – if everyone is covered then we won’t be punished by having to pay for uninsured people. And, those who can’t afford it are getting assistance. The ONLY people who won’t get assistance or tax credits are those who make more than $150,000 a year (ya know, the same people who don’t need assistance).
I voted for President Obama and I am so proud that I did.
KATE says
NOT ONLY NO, BUT HELL NO !
SOCIALISM …HELLO !
YES, WE NEED REFORM, BUT NOT GOVERNMENT MANDATED BY THE GOVERNEMENT.
PLEASE, PLEASE REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER SO WE CAN REVERSE THIS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mom24 says
I am SO excited to finally see this happen! Anyone who says health care will be rationed is blind to the fact it already is. My daughter was prescribed PT for 12 visits, we could only afford 4. My husband was supposed to have a repeat GI scan, we cannot afford it and will not be able to do it. We’re one of the “lucky” ones, we have health insurance, through my husband’s employer, that we pay dearly for. We also have a $6000.00 PER PERSON deductible. It’s overwhelming.
Anyone who says premiums will go up? Guess what? They go up now, every year.
My daughter has had hip issues, I’m so thankful she’ll never be able to be denied coverage as a “pre-existing condition”. Ditto my grandson with asthma.
I also have more news, we’re already paying dearly for the uninsured. When my son had Swine Flu this year and I had to take him to the urgent care? What we had to pay was almost $400, all because of the uninsured. Maybe some of those costs will eventually be evened out.
I’m very excited, very proud of my country, and very, very angry at the republicans, of which I used to proudly be one, who claim to have been for healthcare reform, yet in the past 10 years when they were in a position to do something about it, never did.
gina says
kudos to this well thought out response. i live in Massachusetts a state that passed it’s own healthcare reform several years ago- and as the wife of a self employed man, benefit greatly. we have extremely affordable monthly premiums and low co-payments through insurance deals that the state worked out with several insurance providers! for those concerned with abortion? the way it passed- doctors now have the right to deny performing abortions and insurance has the right not to cover it. i see this as a giant step BACK for pro-choice supporters.
Jenny Leigh says
I do not agree with the passing of the new bill. First of all, I do not understand why our country, which is based on freedom of choice, is now REQUIRING everyone to carry health insurance, whether they can afford it or not. It is further not fair for those who are able to pay to pay for everyone else in the form of higher insurance premiums and taxes. Predictions are that current insurance rates will triple or even quadruple for 2011. It is becoming so that the honest hardworking American is working to support the U.S. Government.
Second, a large contributor to the problem is in our judicial system. In my opinion, frivolous lawsuits need to be stopped and limits placed on damages/awards. Then doctors would not be paying ridiculous malpractice insurance rates and the costs would not be passed down to patients/insurance companies. It is a vicious cycle.
Shan says
PS: I realize that there was an Executive Order signed removing the funding for abortion, however an Executive Order does not supersede a law. So really, it’s not worth the paper it’s written on.
Shan says
I do not agree with this law as it is written, but I do believe we need reform. This bill, now law, will cause far more problems than it will fix. Exorbitant student loan taxes are just one of the ways our government has decided to get the funding needed to pay for this. There will be fines on individuals and companies for not purchasing a plan. While I understand fining a company, how can they fine an individual if they cannot afford to pay for premiums?
There is also no provision to stop insurance companies from raising their rates, which is the main thing that needs to be done to make it affordable for everyone. We pay $800/month for health insurance for a family of 3!! Even though we have coverage, the co-pays are ridiculous. Our daughter was hospitalized last month with pneumonia and RSV and in three days we spent $600 in co-pays for hospitalization & prescriptions. It wiped us out.
My husband and I only go to the doctor if we think we are dying because we feel the only one in the family who should not have to wait is our daughter. I need to go in because I have some sort of lump or cyst in my bicep but I am afraid of the co-pays so I am waiting to see if it goes away on it’s own. If I need even an outpatient surgical procedure, it will cost me at least $250 plus prescriptions. We just can’t afford that right now.
I don’t agree with the bill because of several things. One being where the government is getting the funding…by taxing those of us who cannot afford to be taxed and also because of the Federal funding for abortions. There are no provisions to keep the insurance companies from stopping to fully cover certain procedures and making us pay out of pocket for them. So many problems with this bill…There are many more reasons, but it will bee far too long for a blog comment.