Last March, I realized everyone’s worst nightmare when a doctor diagnosed my 44-year-old husband, Ben, with a 10-centimeter colo-rectal tumor. Ben had low risk factors. We were stunned and heartbroken. Within two weeks of treatment, we had met our $10,000/year insurance deductible.
This could happen to anyone.
What if we didn’t have insurance? Ben is self-employed, and I work for a nonprofit. We pay our monthly insurance premium out-of-pocket, and we struggle to cover it. What will the insurance company do to our already exorbitant insurance rates? The last question keeps us both awake at night.
The Republicans are a heartless bunch when it comes to giving Americans access to universal healthcare. As they fall over themselves giving tax breaks to the very wealthy, the middle-class and poor are putting off health care, sometimes until it’s too late. Yet, our incumbent Congressman, Heath Shuler, so-called Democrat, voted against the health-care bill too. He also extended tax cuts to the rich. I’ve held my nose and voted for him in the past — but no more.
We’re the richest nation on earth. It’s shameful that health care is a luxury for so many Americans. I’m so very thankful that the Obama administration had the decency, compassion and will to promote health care reform. Too bad Shuler has completely failed us all in that quarter. I wish he could put himself in others’ shoes and see how terrifying it is to be faced with financial ruin in the face of a health crisis.
Cecil Bothwell is running against Heath Shuler, and he supports single-payer, universal health insurance, via extension of the Medicare system. He’s good people and will do everything it takes to make sure that we can all afford quality health care.
— Heather Rayburn
Asheville
If you have a $10,000 deductible, you do not have exorbitant insurance rates. You have a catastrophic coverage plan and those plans are far more affordable than comprehensive plans with low deductibles. They are excellent for young and relatively healthy individuals.
Mr. Bothwell cannot deliver on any promise of a single payer universal extension of Medicare or anything similar to it. Most people in this country were quite able to afford quality health care before ObamaCare became the postponed rule of law. The problem is clearly to provide coverage to those who cannot afford it. The solution is not to destroy what most already have.
“Most people in this country were quite able to afford quality health”.
Take out the ‘quality’ and you will be right.
Quality only goes to those with top-tier coverage.
Can you explain how the “entire health care system in this country” was “torn down”?
You have to read the bill in order to know what is in it.
But folks like Trav have to still slam it like it was a Communist takeover of the entire healthcare system, because they have nowhere else to go.
No, it was a progressive statist takeover of the healthcare system in this country to be implemented over a few years.
“Most people in this country were quite able to afford quality health care before ObamaCare became the postponed rule of law.”
That’s both factually and logically inaccurate, which is to be expected from traveblah.
Based on US Census reports for 2009, most (86.6%) of the American citizens in this country were covered by medical insurance through either private or public providers. Of that number only half were unable to afford purchasing insurance. The rest could afford to but didn’t for whatever reason.
The entire health care system in this country did not need to be torn down to accommodate the needs of 6% of the citizenry. What is needed instead is a redress of the medical system to assist those who truly cannot afford health care. Those who opt out of coverage because they think they don’t need it (mostly young people)need to re-evaluate their thought process.
@trav.
Can you explain how the “entire health care system in this country” was “torn down”?
Can you explain how the “entire health care system in this country” was “torn down”?
My guess is that, no, he can’t explain that. The sad truth is that aside from a few side benefits like allowing twenty-somethings to stay on their parents policies, or eliminating pre-condition rejection, Obamacare was largely a sweetheart deal for many of the big players like the pharmacutical companies. Many aspects like the mandated coverage, were things that Republicans had been pushing for years. But folks like Trav have to still slam it like it was a Communist takeover of the entire healthcare system, because they have nowhere else to go. If it becomes clear that Obama is the second-greatest Republican President ever (after Bill Clinton), all the steam will dribble out of the TeaPot.
The only sane and moral thing to do now is demand Medicare Part E (for Everyone).
Added to which, while we “enjoy” the highest health care costs in the world, we don’t have the best results.
If we are going to accept second-tier care, we should have second-tier expenses.
I’d prefer we join the best, and the best care in the world is delivered through single payer systems (which also permit Cadillac coverage for those who want to pay more.)
An easy first step would be for Congress to permit Medicare to negotiate drug prices with the big pharmaceutical suppliers. The differential in prices between the U.S. and Canada alone offers strong evidence that we are being ripped off.
Even Cecil knows this is a fake 2012 issue as there is precisely zero chance that the democrats will revisit the health care issue, before the many of the major provisions are in effect.
Cecil, you should venture out a bit more. Go to the Mayo in Minnesota for example. More Canadians than Americans and two Arab TV channels on the hotel cable. Seems odd that a second tier health system would attract so many foreigners.
“Seems odd that a second tier health system would attract so many foreigners”
Why would that seem odd? The American “system” works well for those who can afford it.
If you can’t, tho…
Got a source on that ‘more Canadians than Americans’ claim?
Around 85 percent of Americans have health care. I believe that qualifies as “Most people…”
Look it up for yourself if you don’t believe it.
…but your claim was: “Most people in this country were quite able to afford quality health care before ObamaCare became the postponed rule of law.”
Most people in the country were NOT able to afford ‘quality’ health care. Some were, others pay into a system that they get very little value from.
In addition, you claim that (inappropriately-titled) “ObamaCare has prevented people from be able to afford health care. That is also nonsense.
You could power a small town with all that spin!
Bill, I believe you’re responding to travelah’s post, not mine, n’est ce pas?
Around 85 percent of Americans have health care. I believe that qualifies as “Most people…”
Yeah, what the heck. It’s just 45 million people. You’ll proudly stand by that grotesque statement until only 50.00001% can afford health care? Hey, it’s still “most people”.
We are the laughing stock of the world when it comes to our embarrassingly bad health care system. We cut billion dollar checks to hugely profitable corporations, yet can’t care for the sick and vulnerable.
At least Cecil is pointing out a real solution. Your solution seems to be to deny that there is a problem.
“You have to read the bill in order to know what is in it.”
Like the Patriot Act that effectively eviscerated many of the rights contained in the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution?
Okay, it’s understood that travelah and his fellow plutocrats fall in line behind whatever the reich-wingers at Fox tell him to, but a quick look at reality is in order.
The derisively-termed ‘Obamacare’ was in fact a product of the conservative Heritage Foundation, embraced by the then Republican Congress and championed by Newt Gingrich when he was Speaker of the House and his toadies. They saw it as a private-sector response to a perceived ‘national health care plan’, and they liked the fact that in the good ole’ American way, it forced individual accountability vs. government action.
“The concept of the individual health insurance mandate originated in 1989 at the conservative Heritage Foundation. In 1993, Republicans twice introduced health care bills that contained an individual health insurance mandate. Advocates for those bills included prominent Republicans who today oppose the mandate including Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Charles Grassley (R-IA), Robert Bennett (R-UT), and Christopher Bond (R-MO). In 2007, Democrats and Republicans introduced a bi-partisan bill containing the mandate…”
By 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (HR 3590), sometimes referred to as “Obamacare,” had passed in both the House and the Senate with no Republican votes. On Mar. 23, 2010 President Obama signed the act containing an individual mandate into law. On Jan. 5, 2011, Republicans in the US House of Representatives introduced The Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act (HR 2) to repeal the PPACA.”
http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/topic/264550-origins-obamacare.html
“No, it was a progressive statist takeover of the healthcare system in this country to be implemented over a few years.”
There is only one response this drivel deserves…bwaha haha haha.
Obama has fully embraced and expanded the reach of the “Patriot Act” when he had the opportunity to kill it. It is his baby now.
Obamacare is on a sure path to oblivion and rightfully so.
Got anything else?
Oh, and in addition…
“The fact that the health insurance industry supported Obamacare from the very beginning was entirely missed by the mainstream press. This is perhaps understandable, since a) the mainstream press does not understand the dynamics of the healthcare system, and b) during the Obamacare drama, the health insurance companies had been assigned, and had graciously accepted, their vital role as the Forces of Evil. To the famously credulous members of the mainstream press, it was easy to imagine that the insurers were actually among the opposition.
But the insurance industry supported Obamacare from the start – and even before the start. During the Presidential race of 2008, for instance, managed care companies donated far more money to both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton than to any Republican candidate, even though both of these Democratic candidates publicly castigated the insurance companies for producing most of the problems in American healthcare, and promised to institute reforms that would drastically cramp their style and reduce their profits.”
http://covertrationingblog.com/weird-fact-about-insurance-companies/why-the-health-insurance-industry-supported-obamacare
So, travelah, why do you suppose the private insurance companies materially supported a communist takeover of the health care system?
Pssst…here’s a clue….it’s because it’s NOT!
The insurance companies stand to make a lot of money through the statist control of the healthcare system in this country via mandated coverages.
Your point is?
At least Cecil is pointing out a real solution. Your solution seems to be to deny that there is a problem.
Cecil has not pointed to a workable and affordable solution.
“Obama has fully embraced and expanded the reach of the “Patriot Act” when he had the opportunity to kill it. It is his baby now.”
Did anyone claim otherwise? If so, point it out.
“Obamacare is on a sure path to oblivion and rightfully so.”
Ha ha ha ha ha. So sayeth you. As if that means anything.
“Got anything else?”
Don’t need anything else to counter your drivel.
“The insurance companies stand to make a lot of money through the statist control of the healthcare system in this country via mandated coverages.”
Did you support the individual mandate when it was a Republican darling de jour? Or is your umbrage only directed at Obama for usurping appropriating the Republican scheme?
“Your point is?”
Do you speak Spanish? The point is…llena usted de caca.
Greek to you … ??? ??????? ?????
You raised the issue of the Patriot Act. Your President embraced and expanded it.
Obamacare has already taken the first plunge with the suspension of the long term care financing ponzi scheme. When mandated purchases fall through the floor, it should become obvious even to you.
I do not believe I have supported any form of an individual mandate.
Since this board doesn’t support Greek fonts, phonetically it is Sas gem