Excellent retort, Ruth! **
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "ruthsimplicity" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Richard J. Williams" > <willytex@> wrote: > > > > Ruth wrote: > > > So, you would rather have 47 million people uninsured? > > > > > No, I would rather have universal employment, so that > > everyone could afford their own medical care. > > Wouldn't that be nice! The problem is that even if you are employed, > you might not be able to afford medical care and might not be able to > purchase health insurance. Which is what I have said several times > already. Every year more small employers drop health insurance. > > > > > > And it isn't the old people that are uninsured, it a > > > mix of people. > > > > > Old people are already insured through Medicare, Medicaid > > and the drug prescription plan passed by Congress. Many old > > people already have a medical plan carried over from the > > previous employer when they retired. > > That is what I said. > > > > > For example, young people with jobs that don't offer > > > insurance or the insurance costs too much. They feel > > > bullet proof and go without. > > > > > That's my point - young people don't need medical care > > because they're not sick and they hardly ever get hurt in > > accidents. My question was, why should the young people > > have to pay for medical care for old people? Are you > > suggesting that the government force the young people to > > pay? If so, that could cause a riot. Hillary Clinton > > suggested that the government garnish the wages of those > > young people who resist paying. Is that fair? > > Of course not all young people need medical care, but you cannot predict > if you will need care. Rather than garnishing wages of those who won't > buy insurance, I prefer either a national plan paid through income taxes > on a progressive basis, or a plan like Senator Wyden's plan, that allows > for insurance companies to stay in the mix, but the bill for your > insurance is paid through your income taxes. Then no garnishing is > necessary. > > I have paid for insurance my whole life. When I was young, I didn't > need it, but it is insurance against the risk of something bad > happening. If my premiums paid for someone else's illness, well that > is the nature of the world we live in. Spread the risk and no one will > have to pay so much that it breaks the bank. It is like people without > children paying costs of education. Even though they do not directly > benefit, the country as a whole benefits. If we all pay for heath care > the country as a whole will benefit. Odds are it will increase > employment because small employers won't have to worry about offering > health insurance to compete. Employers will be less likely to hire > people part time or only on a contract basis in order to save money on > benefits. It is good for the country to have a healthy population. > > Interestingly, young people are more and more worried about having > benefits at their job. They want insurance. They want a 401k. They > are worried about security. A national health plan would remove one > worry that just about everyone has. > > > > > Some will have accidents. Some will get cancer. They > > > are screwed. > > > > > You want to see screwed? A government-run universal > > health care system. The U.S. Goverment can't even secure > > the nation's borders and you want the young people who > > were born here to pay for the medical care of the illegal > > aliens? The U.S. Government could't even prevent an attack > > on the World Trade Center. It has already been established > > that the government got us into a quagmire in Afghanistan > > and Iraq. The U.S. Government can't even take care of it's > > own wounded soldiers! The U.S. Government brought on a > > crises in the present Medicare system; lost a war in > > Vietnam; failed to prevent North Korea, Pakistan, India, > > and Iran from getting nuclear weapons. What makes you > > think the U.S. Goverment could run a medical care system? > > As people on this forum love to say: non sequitur! What does > Afghanistan and Iraq have to do with health care funding? Medicare is > noted as a very good and efficient and most all people on Medicare love > it. The crisis has to do with funding. If we simply had a national > plan that everyone paid into, I have a hard time imagining the cost > would increase. Already our costs are double or more than most > industrialized countries. Ever read about the billions in insurance > company profits? > > I am talking about government for funding, not government run hospitals > or government employed doctors. > > > > > Some will get treated anyway, but because they are > > > judgment proof the health care providers eat the cost > > > and pass it along to everyone else. The problem is > > > that people can't say they don't need health insurance > > > because they are healthy. Health is not something that > > > is a matter of personal control. Sure you can live a > > > healthy life, but you still can get cancer, be born with > > > diabetes or other chronic illness, or have an accident. > > > I personally have seen far too many of those young healthy > > > people who suddenly are not healthy any more and cannot > > > get health insurance at any price. > > > > > Sure, there are going to be some people who need help - > > that's where charity comes in. But you are going to have a > > failed plan if you try to make all the young people pay to > > take care of all the older people, many of whom failed to > > take care of themselves. Yes, there are those who get sick > > and we should not judge them, however there are many > > respondents here who would agree that people don't eat > > right, don't exercise, and refuse to work. Why should I > > be forced to take care of them? > > You mention charity care. Well I am sorry, but charity care isn't > working. Too many people are going without needed medical care > because they can't afford it and charities are not able to care for the > millions in need. You want stories, I can give you stories. > > And when the guy who didn't exercise has a heart attack, I am not going > to judge him and say "no medical care for you, it is your own dang > fault, you should have got your ass off the couch. " And when another > guy gets colon cancer, I am not going to say "no medical care for you, > you didn't eat your vegetables." To separate the deserving from the > undeserving is impossible and heartless. > > > > > > I've got a simple plan for young people: > > > > 1. Finish school and get a degree. > > 2. Get a good job with benefits and save some money. > > 3. Don't get married until at least 22 years old. > > 4. Don't have any children until you're 35 years old. > > 5. Have only 2 children, with at least 5 years between sibs. > > > > Country will grow! > > > And, don't be born to parents that abuse you. And don't be born with a > congenital illness. And don't be born with an IQ less than 100. And, > don't drive, you might have an accident. And don't have children, they > might have health problems. And only work for employers with more than > 100 employees as odds are they will offer health insurance. And don't > work for XXX because you are going to get downsized in 10 years. And > don't work for an airline because odds are they will end up in > bankruptcy. And. . . . . . . . . > > >
