A health care question...

Easy Money wrote:    Something actually workable

 

"JOE: Well, I paid my money, and I’ve got this funny feeling that somehow--you know--it’s not what I paid my money for. I mean I _paid_ my money and I just don’t think this is what I paid my money--you know--what I paid my money for."...
"JOE: Well, he didn’t know what to do so he just decided to watch the government and see what the government was doing and then kind of scale it down to size--and run his life that way." Laurie Anderson

Edited by Slartibartfast - April 05 2010 at 20:39

Epignosis wrote: Easy Money wrote: Padraic wrote: Easy Money wrote: Padraic wrote: Easy Money wrote: Yes, and our brave new medical world will have needles and thermometers and crazy trick reclining beds and drugs and lots of other neat stuff made by private companies, but calling the shots will be our elected officials headed by our Commander-in-Chief, the same folks who call the shots in the military. Sound great!   What could possibly go wrong? Who do you propose would do a better job and has a proven track record to back it up. No, you're right.  The federal government is the very quintessence of efficiency and excellence. Lets take this further, did anyone else come up with an idea to save us from price gouging at the hands of the insurance industry? Something actually workable that our elected officials felt strongly enough about to vote for? I did.  But nobody listened to me.

The T wrote: Padraic wrote: Easy Money wrote: Padraic wrote: Easy Money wrote: Yes, and our brave new medical world will have needles and thermometers and crazy trick reclining beds and drugs and lots of other neat stuff made by private companies, but calling the shots will be our elected officials headed by our Commander-in-Chief, the same folks who call the shots in the military. Sound great!   What could possibly go wrong? Who do you propose would do a better job and has a proven track record to back it up. No, you're right.  The federal government is the very quintessence of efficiency and excellence. Proven track record of doing what? Yes. The federal government is quite efficient. Obviously, again, not being able to compare one situation to another hurts the perspective.  You have no idea how efficient this government is.

I guess working for this government for 6 years didn't give me any perspective.  But hey, please continue to assert what I do and don't know.

The T wrote: Padraic wrote: Easy Money wrote: Padraic wrote: Easy Money wrote: Padraic wrote: Easy Money wrote: Yes, and our brave new medical world will have needles and thermometers and crazy trick reclining beds and drugs and lots of other neat stuff made by private companies, but calling the shots will be our elected officials headed by our Commander-in-Chief, the same folks who call the shots in the military. Sound great!   What could possibly go wrong? Who do you propose would do a better job and has a proven track record to back it up. No, you're right.  The federal government is the very quintessence of efficiency and excellence. Lets take this further, did anyone else come up with an idea to save us from price gouging at the hands of the insurance industry? You think the current plan is going to accomplish this? Maybe not totally... The question is, where was the OTHER plan?

I don't know - does the absence of another plan free the current one from criticism?

Well duh of course they should. But that's probably not your actual point. 

Epignosis wrote: The T wrote: Padraic wrote: Easy Money wrote: Padraic wrote: Easy Money wrote: Yes, and our brave new medical world will have needles and thermometers and crazy trick reclining beds and drugs and lots of other neat stuff made by private companies, but calling the shots will be our elected officials headed by our Commander-in-Chief, the same folks who call the shots in the military. Sound great!   What could possibly go wrong? Who do you propose would do a better job and has a proven track record to back it up. No, you're right.  The federal government is the very quintessence of efficiency and excellence. Proven track record of doing what? Yes. The federal government is quite efficient. Obviously, again, not being able to compare one situation to another hurts the perspective.  You have no idea how efficient this government is.  It seems people here have been spoiled with having things done their way and right away for too long....  Well, let's see... To turn the spirit of the OP upside-down... I SOLD A PACKAGE OF BULLETIN BOARDS TO A LADY IN CALIFORNIA, AND WHEN WE SENT IT VIA THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE, SHE NEVER GOT IT!  WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THE PACKAGE, THEY WERE NO HELP, AND I WAS TOLD I SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT THE INSURANCE!  ANYWAY, WE HAD TO REFUND THE BUYER'S MONEY.  WE GOT A LETTER AND THE DESTROYED PACKAGE ABOUT FOUR MONTHS LATER TELLING US WE COULD WRITE A LETTER OF COMPLAINT IF WE WANTED.  WE WOULD HAVE DONE THAT, BUT WE HAD LITTLE CONFIDENCE THAT SUCH A COMPLAINT WOULD EVER REACH THE POSTMASTER GENERAL. Now shouldn't private companies run the mail system?

Edited by The T - April 05 2010 at 20:52

Epignosis wrote: Equality 7-2521 wrote: Well duh of course they should. But that's probably not your actual point.  I made 4.129 points in that post.  See if you can count them all.

Epignosis wrote: Easy Money wrote: I have no idea Pat, the scary thing is, there is only one way to find out. Since this is the only chance at an alternative plan we are going to get, I'm willing to take my chances. This didn't have to be the only chance at an alternative plan we would get.  It's just people like the red vs blue sh*t.  It's pretty.  f**kin' makes purple an all.

It didn't have to be, but as it turned out, it did.
It would have been great if people would have proposed brilliant workable ideas from any side of the political spectrum, but nobody did that, at least not in a way that was very visible, believable or agressive.

The T wrote: Epignosis wrote: The T wrote: Padraic wrote: Easy Money wrote: Padraic wrote: Easy Money wrote: Yes, and our brave new medical world will have needles and thermometers and crazy trick reclining beds and drugs and lots of other neat stuff made by private companies, but calling the shots will be our elected officials headed by our Commander-in-Chief, the same folks who call the shots in the military. Sound great!   What could possibly go wrong? Who do you propose would do a better job and has a proven track record to back it up. No, you're right.  The federal government is the very quintessence of efficiency and excellence. Proven track record of doing what? Yes. The federal government is quite efficient. Obviously, again, not being able to compare one situation to another hurts the perspective.  You have no idea how efficient this government is.  It seems people here have been spoiled with having things done their way and right away for too long....  Well, let's see... To turn the spirit of the OP upside-down... I SOLD A PACKAGE OF BULLETIN BOARDS TO A LADY IN CALIFORNIA, AND WHEN WE SENT IT VIA THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE, SHE NEVER GOT IT!  WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THE PACKAGE, THEY WERE NO HELP, AND I WAS TOLD I SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT THE INSURANCE!  ANYWAY, WE HAD TO REFUND THE BUYER'S MONEY.  WE GOT A LETTER AND THE DESTROYED PACKAGE ABOUT FOUR MONTHS LATER TELLING US WE COULD WRITE A LETTER OF COMPLAINT IF WE WANTED.  WE WOULD HAVE DONE THAT, BUT WE HAD LITTLE CONFIDENCE THAT SUCH A COMPLAINT WOULD EVER REACH THE POSTMASTER GENERAL. Now shouldn't private companies run the mail system?  Funny. THE SAME PROBLEM (IN CAPS AND ALL) HAPPENED TO MY SISTER SENDING A PACKAGE FROM GERMANY,.... USING DHL, A GREAT PRIVATE CORPORATION!!! OH, AND IT HAPPENED TO ME WITH A STUPID PACKAGE CONTAINING IRRELEVANT CDS (YES, PROG CDS) WITH THE VERY-PRIVATE FEDEX!!!!!! This doesn't prove anything. CAPS OR NO CAPS.

Yes, it does prove something.  It proves this

The T wrote: Today my mother, a 60 year old woman of normal size and weight, was denied insurance by another insurance company. In the letter explaining the decision, they said it was because she has gastritis and some other relatively minor stomach conditions.

doesn't mean we are necessarily justified in calling for federal intervention.

We might be, but I don't believe we are here.  To be blunt: Anecdotal evidence does not necessarily mean we should make a policy change, no matter how angry or hurt it makes us.


Edited by Epignosis - April 05 2010 at 21:02