For the first time in my adult life I have full health care coverage, which means I don’t have to pay a fine because I don’t have something I can’t afford. I honestly thought that Obama was going to socialize medicine and in turn I’d cash in by getting it for free, but it seems that it may be the most complicated thing ever dreamed up by our government. I hear it’s almost as bad as the tax code. I guess the Republicans are happy because I haven’t even met too many dems or libs who support this thing.
Any new law is going to have bumps and hardships along the road to implementation, and the Affordable Care Act is no exception. It was designed to provide health care access for more people in this country. We have done a horrible job in providing what should be a basic human right – other countries have gotten it correct, why not here? I pay a monthly premium that is almost the same as my mortgage payment, and that covers just my spouse and me – and includes an employer contribution! Ridiculous! Are you aware that the individual mandate was a Republican idea, and that a similar program has been established in Massachusetts by former Gov. Romney? Btw, that seems to be working.
This entire government shutdown is stupid and totally avoidable. The law has been passed by Congress, signed by the President, vetted by the Supreme Court, and OK’ed by voters – if you count the 2012 elections for anything. Enough!
Those of us who live in counties with socialized medicine find your system bizarre. Did you know that the Israeli government/taxpayer pays 1/4 per person per year in medical expenses than is spent per person in the US. What is the result of lowering the costs? The life expectancy here is 5 years longer….
Yes, our health professionals don’t get paid very much (I am one of them and earn 1/10 of what I used to earn in the old country) but we are all doing just fine ,thank you very much, and the fact that every person has full health coverage is something we can all be proud of.
This is not the socialized medicine you’re looking for… I had affordable and good socialized medicine in Israel. Now that I’m back in America, I am deeply thankful I don’t need Obama-care because, if I did, I’d be in a world of hurt.
Thanks Heshy and commentators for your opinions but, above all, for maintaining a civil tone. So commendable!
I, too, support Obamacare although I realize it also has imperfections–what government program doesn’t? It would be interesting to have an informed, non-partisan and thought out (emphasis on INFORMED) piece comparing similarities and differences between Obamacare and the Israeli system (beyond obvious things such as the monstrous demographic discrepancies).
Give it time. If things don’t work out, changes will certainly be made. Obama is the first president to do anything about the health care fiasco in this country. I support his efforts 100% and I’m one of the “haves” with excellent health care coverage.
Republicans liked it when it was Dolecare and Romneycare. They should be happy the Democrats are using their 20 year old ideas
It’s not socialised because America (never mind Congress) would never vote for that. Here in the UK where it is socialised, you don’t pay anything for health care you need (as opposed to want, like a religious circumcision or nose job), barring a standard charge for prescription meds. Dentists mostly went private since time ago, but it’s still possible to find those on the NHS. Of course, if the current governments gets its way, as a
It’s socialised in the UK, which is why there is little to no bureaucracy – although the current government is intent on increasing bureaucracy and limiting healthcare.
Its a step in the right direction, but the final goal is to get the insurance companies out of the “health” business. Its moronic, they are there to pay as little as possible, and to hell with the patient… Most of them are as bad as the worst car insurance (“well, we don’t cover trees, its a note embedded in the period on the third line of page 2,347 of the coverage file”) and human health should not be based on such idiocy. When it becomes health CARE and not INSURANCE, that will be the next step..
Health is no different from food, or cars, or shelter. The government is the worst possible solution, and the free market is the best.
We need profound reforms to fix the problem: start by allowing individuals the freedom to make their own decisions and have the consequences. By itself, this could remove the massive legal costs and regulatory burdens that get in the way between doctors and patients and make the US system so bloated.