MovieChat Forums > Sicko (2007) Discussion > Why is EVERYONE so dumb about this issu...

Why is EVERYONE so dumb about this issue

posted 7 years ago by lazarillo
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Yes, it is true that healthcare isn't "free". European countries pay a lot of taxes to be able to afford "free" healthcare.

However, NO system can possibly work if people don't pay anything into it when they're young and healthy yet they expect it to be there when they get sick and old. I've never met one older conservative (including my wealthy father) who ever refused Medicare when they turned 65. They CAN'T because no private insurer will cover an older person at ant reasonable premium. But you can't just wait until you get in accident to buy car insurance and then expect the "evil" insurance company to cover the accident. Health insurance works the same way.

It would seem to make sense to let young people join Medicare, except that they should PAY, not only the taxes they already pay, but also the premiums they pay right now to the insurance companies. That would be single-payer.

However, there are advantages to the market and employer-based insurance, so I can see why everyone doesn't want to be reduced to Medicare. "Obamacare", which is well to the RIGHT of single payer could simply be an option for people who can't get employer insurance and are too young for Medicare. Conservatives hate it though simply because it's called "Obamacare" (even though it was THEY who called it that). Nothing is going to work though if people have the option of going around insured and then EXPECTING coverage when something happens (I suppose you could just shoot them. . .)

"Let be be finale of seem/ The only emperor is the Emperor of Ice Cream"

[–] lazarillo 7 years ago

Then there are the POLITICS. I live in a "blue" state. So since I'm between jobs this year I went on "Obamacare". After awhile I balked at the $300 monthly premium, but the only way to reduce it is to go on Medicaid (for poor people). which I can do because I'm technically unemployed, but certainly not poor. So I had the choice of paying $300/month or nothing! I'd already paid $300 a month for six months, so I chose nothing. I hate being on Medicaid, but since I plan on being unemployed for only a few more months, it works out I guess.

It doesn't surprise me people in "blue" states probably aren't that unhappy, but my brother processes Medicaid enrollments in Kansas, an especially benighted "red" state. There, ACTUAL poor people have difficulty getting on Medicaid because the state government has refused the federal money on their behalf! So if these people can't afford the $300 premium for "Obamacare" and if they can't get employer insurance, they go without health insurance--and then get fined for being uninsured! OF COURSE, the hate "Obamacare", but a lot of it is their own damn fault for living in Kansas where the right-wing govt. is actively TRYING to destroy "Obamacare".

Both parties probably could create something that works if they COOPERATED, but . . . sorry, I had to stop laughing uncontrollably. Trump is not going to fix sh*t because 1. it's politically risky for the GOP to offer an alternative to "Obamacare" (even it is better) and they'll get NO support from Democrats, and 2. they're content to destroy "Obamacare" as long as they can blame it on Obama when 20 million people lose coverage. The problem there though is that people WILL blame TRUMP. George W. Bush shares a large amount of the blame for the 2009 recession, the deficit, and the rise of ISIS, but people largely blamed Obama because HE WAS PRESIDENT AT THE TIME.

So basically we're all just screwed (but at least I don't live in Kansas).

"Let be be finale of seem/ The only emperor is the Emperor of Ice Cream"