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Mandatory Health Insurance
Is Not
Guaranteed Health Care
There is a big difference |
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When I first heard of, and thought about, Universal Health Care I was elated. A system that would allow for Health Care for everyone. Great! I thought of the amount of fraud detection that would be necessary. (cf. MALINGERING) I thought of the "group effort" that would now pay for our Health Care. I thought of the money that would be saved by eliminating the rapacious insurance companies.
I especially enjoyed the thought of eliminating the middle-man insurance companies who are responsible for the current "...high cost of Health Care...". Many greedy doctors are complicit too.
Then I heard the politicians' actual plan for their much-touted Universal Health Care.
What a depressing bait and switch shock that was! They are not talking about Universal
Health Care! They are really talking about enriching the already over-compensated
Insurance Industry even more by requiring everyone to BUY "Health Care" insurance!
Have these twiddle-brained politicians even realized that people are without insurance today because of those insurance companies? And more specifically, because of the HIGH premium rates?
To be continued...
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"Every politician who thinks the answer to our healthcare crisis is more insurance should stop and think about Nataline Sarkisyan"
"Insurance is not care. Paying for insurance coverage is not the same as assuring you will receive appropriate care, even when recommended by a physician as it was for Nataline. " "Insurance corporations profit by denying care to the sick, and that is no way to run a humane healthcare system." "...there's no healthcare system in this country... There's only a healthcare industry that profits off of human suffering." Rose Ann DeMoro California Nurses Association/ National Nurses Organizing Committee "With $3 trillion in yearly revenues, [The Insurance Industry] ...is three times the size of the oil industry" Dave Gilson |
Insurance Companies Profits $40 billion - $60 billion Yearly
Top Unconscionable Practices Insurers' and HMOs' Use To Deny Claims Q1 profits highest in 10 years HMO Profits Jump 21% Sicko Trailer (YouTube) |
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Link >>>> Real People Denied Real HealthCare <<<< Link Link >>>> Nataline Sarkisyan Story <<<< Link Link >>>> Nataline Sarkisyan Dies... <<<< Link Link >>>> Funeral For Nataline Sarkisyan <<<< Link |
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Responses... The following is/are responses I have received. The first one is from my eldest son. Eric writes: Dad, Nice site! I was reading your blog about Universal Health Care. I enjoyed your comment on how there is a bait and switch. Let me elaborate, something which is nuanced and that you may not be aware of, to help add to the discussion. To date (today is 08/31/08), here is my understanding of the "UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE" proposals. First, let me say that obviously, as you have already pointed out, the term UNIVERSAL healthcare is mis-leading! It is akin to way politicans always say they care about the taxpayers. Well, the blue collar worker who knows for DAMN SURE that he pays taxes thinks "I'm a taxpayer", so the politicians must be talking about helping me -- YAAAAY!!! However, in actuality, when politicians say "Taxpayers" that is code for "Millionaires" and those with significant wealth, who would potentially offer financial support to that particular politician. There is a similar "semantic switch" occurring with the term Universal Health Care. Anyone who has watched Michael Moore's "Sicko", has gotten some in-depth, specific perspectives on Universal Health Care as it exists in countries such as the UK, France, Canada, and Cuba. For these countries, Universal Health Care means the people pay higher taxes (roughly 30%, I believe) to support a government regulated health care system that never or almost never costs patients a dime. It is a type of welfare, where everyone pays more to help support the cost of supporting EVERYONE else, but with a significant benefit in that EVERYONE gets sick sometime, and why should one have to worry about filling out paperwork while they are dying from a gunshot wound, sitting in the waiting room? That just seems ridiculous, yet that is the way things work in our current Health Care system in the USA. As you previously alluded to, the idea of UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE as Michael Moore put it, is quite appealing. Hell yeah, I would pay more in income taxes or what have you to ensure that I don't have to quabble with the hospital staff at the moment I need help the most about who my insurance company is and what exactly they will pay for or not! However, politicians, once again, in this election year, have tried to pull a "SEMANTIC SWITCH" (c) Eric Hepperle, 2008, on the good people of America. Some of the politicians who are championing so-called Universal Health Care, are really talking about a HEALTH CARE MANDATE. This is similar to the idea imposed by the government in most states that one must carry Auto insurance, and have proof of insurance, whenever one is operating a motor vehicle. As we all know, a driver can be charged hefty fines and have negative marks made on their permanent (driving) record, simply for failing to provide proof that one has the basic level of insurance required by law. This is what *SOME* politicians want to do with our health system. And those found to be lacking such insurance would face heavy penalties. Watching the early debates, one might learn that Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney both had similar health care reform strategies. They both would require everyone to have health insurance, and those without it would be punished. Ridiculous. Democrat Barack Obama seems to have the greatest understanding of what happens when one is poor, and needs treatment, but cannot afford insurance, and the consequences of insurance companies who do NOT pay up on the the coverage they are required to provide. In my opionion, Barack has the best Health Care reform plan, and if one wants to review his plan here is the link: http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/HealthCareFullPlan.pdf. I look forward to your studied review and response. Thank you and have a great day! Eric Hepperle |
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Nataline Sarkisyan (Link to search ABC7 for stories) December 20th, 2007 10:03 pm Girl dies while awaiting liver transplant (Story was at website ABC7.COM ) WESTWOOD -- A Northridge teenager awaiting a liver transplant died Thursday after she was pulled off of life support. CIGNA Insurance Company initially refused to cover the cost of the transplant for Natalee Sarkisian, saying the surgery was too experimental. On Thursday, friends, family and members of a nurses association held a protest outside CIGNA headquarters in Glendale, urging the insurance company to reconsider. During the protest, Natalee's mother got word CIGNA had changed its mind and would make an exception for Natalee's surgery. But the decision came too late for Natalee. Just after six o'clock tonight, her condition worsened. Natalee's family took her off life support and she passed away. Attorneys for the Sarkisian family may pursue legal action against CIGNA HealthCare. |