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[Zironic]

I vote no healthcare. Instead, there is a huge flat fee. It's called an opt out. You're opting out of evolution. Only 5% of people in the country can get in. None of them can be over 10. They will be given the best healthcare known to man. Getting a congressional medal also gives you this privilege. Not even congress gets the opt out. Once set, it can only be changed every 10 years by a vote of current members.

[Sergius]

Barbarossa rolls his detect sarcasm check - Critical Miss!

Level Up! Sergius gains +1 Reputation! Serguis gains Title - Deadpan Snarker!

Alright, I'm done.

Your post has been appropriated by the Party, for use in signature for the Common Good of the Motherland.

[JoshuaFH]

I'm a terribly daft and ignorant person on the subject, so I probably don't know much, but if America were to adopt socialized medicine, wouldn't it also have to adopt very high taxes, like those in other countries?

[sneakey pete]

I'm a terribly daft and ignorant person on the subject, so I probably don't know much, but if America were to adopt socialized medicine, wouldn't it also have to adopt very high taxes, like those in other countries?

Actually most of "those other counties" pay less taxes than you do.

[Aqizzar]

Not exactly.  In Sweden for instance, the average tax rate is about 50%, as opposed to America's 30%ish average.  They do have a lot more robust social services though.

For you economy nerds, Sweden is about the only place in the world that the Laffer Curve theory has actually been proven.  (And if you know what I'm talking about, you know why it's relevant.)  Turns out, if you provide government guaranteed housing, staples, medical care, transportation, and all other essentials, once you start taking 65% of people's income in taxes, then they consider it a better payoff to just stay home.  So that's the real welfare/ethic bar.

Back to the point though, I suppose it would be trite at this point to remind everyone that if the money spent fighting the Iraq War had instead been spent on a government-provided universal health care, we'd all be rolling around in gold plated gurneys.

[Ai Shizuka]

Iraq

124th reply. I was expecting this much earlier.

[Jude]

For example, the idea that insurance companies just want to "fuck you" is a lie. If it was true, then they'd be out of business in a heartbeat.

I'll assume you don't know a whole lot about how the health insurance industry, or capitalism in general, works.

Others have explained this as well. But the idea that companies have to play nice and do their best for their customers or they'll be eliminated by competition, is pure fantasy.

[Zironic]

For example, the idea that insurance companies just want to "fuck you" is a lie. If it was true, then they'd be out of business in a heartbeat.

I'll assume you don't know a whole lot about how the health insurance industry, or capitalism in general, works.

Others have explained this as well. But the idea that companies have to play nice and do their best for their customers or they'll be eliminated by competition, is pure fantasy.

Reinforcing Jude;
Here is the insurance logic:
You want to live.
So yes, I think the fuck you theory is pretty accurate. Look at hospitals, they charge exuberant rates, especially for the emergency room - because 1. You're there not by choice and 2. You want to live. Do surgeons and doctors really need huge amounts of cash each year? Look at cuba, they have some of the best healthcare in the world. They are underpaid, understaffed, and socialist. Yet, they have a higher life expectancy.

Also, Believing congress is going to pass a good socialized healthcare that re-balances things, is wrong. Currently, the major congressmen in congress pushing the healthcare bill are in fact in the pockets of big health. Why? Because the healthcare company that is chosen to become part of the national healthcare plan gets garunteed customers and government money. I say: Instant closure of all Health Insurance firms - all people working under them are evaluated. If they are deemed productive, they become part of the nationalized healthcare. Then, the NatHealth is run like a nonprofit. They charge low rates, but also make sure to charge enough to cost us the least amount of money. Here is the problem. Congress is a corrupt and scheming group, directly aimed at gaining votes and money. You don't get votes for closing down companies.

[Neonivek]

Heck America already has started making laws (or have already) against Credit Card Companies that are ripping off their customers in numberous ways.

They arn't going out of buisness mostly because, well, there is no "Better" company that people will use.

[Jude]

It would be a completely horrible idea to have the government just go in and shut down insurance companies. What we need is regulation and restrictions on how freely companies can operate. It's big government, sure, but all you need to do is look at the history of the past 130 or so years to see that letting huge corporations run unchecked has far more destructive results than does allowing the government to regulate them.

[Zironic]

We can't stop capitalists from wanting make money.

[Zangi]

We can't stop (insert generic group of people here) from wanting make money.

Fixed

capitalists
poor people
middle class people
people that work
rich people
union workers
nonunion workers
government employees

and the list goes on...

[Armok]

We can't stop everyone except nuns and communists from wanting make money.

Fixed better

[Zangi]

We can't stop everyone except nuns and communists from wanting make money.

Fixed better

I approve.

I say: Instant closure of all Health Insurance firms - all people working under them are evaluated. If they are deemed productive, they become part of the nationalized healthcare. Then, the NatHealth is run like a nonprofit. They charge low rates, but also make sure to charge enough to cost us the least amount of money. Here is the problem. Congress is a corrupt and scheming group, directly aimed at gaining votes and money. You don't get votes for closing down companies.

Hah... close down all 'non-compliant' health insurance firms and integrate the rest into the government healthcare thing? Do you expect things to be ok with the type of people we have at top running things?  Even if closing down those health insurance firms doesn't affect the politician's votes and money...  Do you expect them to do it right?  Alone?  Yea, they'll cover you, but...

They arn't going out of buisness mostly because, well, there is no "Better" company that people will use.

  Hilarious...  just hilarious...

[Enzo]

We can't stop capitalists from wanting make money.

That reminds me of the Frank Zappa quote,

"Communism doesn't work because people like to own stuff."