Debate: US Healthcare Reform!

Unknown Neo · Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2010 5:58 pm Post subject:

As I said, Now we can get something done around here. But they say that the opposite of progress is congress.

Netto Azure · Net Battler Joined: 22 Jun 2009 Posts: 58

Unknown Neo · Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 5:30 pm Post subject:

Tea baggers are an awful name for a group. Don't they know what that means?

Netto Azure · Net Battler Joined: 22 Jun 2009 Posts: 58

Mona Risa · Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 8:36 am Post subject:

Okay, I might be burning my fingers here since I am A: not really good at discussing politics and B: not American. But this is what I've picked up and thought about. Most of this stuff is what I understood from talking to mom who is medically trained.

I've heard some of my American friends talk about this and one of them (a young woman who lives on her own and is not very wealthy) had the gripe that she has to get an insurrance or else she is fined 300 dollars. That does sound very disheartening, specially with people not able to afford things in this hectic time. I'm a diabetic and I need both medication and hardware equipment every week to sustain my health. If I didn't have an insurrance, I'd have to pay a lot of money every month for medicine just to stay healthy, so that does not yet include hospital or doctor check ups.

Now in Holland, general health insurrances is available to everyone and everybody, despite income, has at least a basic health care insurrance which is (according to mom since I asked her) around 80-90 Euros a month. I believe that is about 160-180 dollars a month give or take. This is a basic insurrance and can be expanded depending on a client's specific needs, but this basic at least covers things like doctor's visits and (some) medication.

Personally, I think the advantage of this Health Care Reform is that people now have easier access to medical attention, should they need it. People with long stretching diseases are no longer obliged to stall a doctor's visit or a hospital check and are so saved unneccessary suffering. I know someone who is an artist and had to forcefully go on an unwanted hiatus because her wrist had developed carpal tunnel and she couldn't afford treatment or check-ups. She loved to draw but couldn't do it for many months or when she tried, it was a very painful procedure just to doodle something. And if people can afford an initial doctor's visit (say when a disease is in an early stage) it can be prevented by treatment rather than wait until it deterriorates and a longer (thus more expensive) treatment is required.
In Holland, we have a strong prevention policy nowadays and it seems to have a positive effect on the health of the general public.

Plus people don't need to worry about jobs NOT having benefits anymore since employers are now obliged to have insurrances too. My girlfriend had to pass SO many job opportunities because they did not have benefits and her mom insisted they have benefits or else she was not allowed to take the job.

So in my opinion, yeah, this reform can mean trouble for people who have a minimal income, but in the long run it can save money, not to mention lives by providing help and care for those who need it.
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Warning! Charlie Airstar and Dingo fangirl. All helicopter pilots and Native Americans WILL be glomped!

Unknown Neo · Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 10:48 am Post subject:

Oh. Ok. Right. Well it figures they wouldn't it.
And Thank You Mona. That's what the point was.