>>Hi Tracy.
>>
>>Whats caused you to reverse your position ?
>>
>>Nick
>
>
>There is a real issue here in the U.S. of middle-class being forced into bankruptcy when confronted
>with serious medical expenses. Many who thought they had the best health insurance they could get,
>are slapped with a lifetime maximum benefit clause. That is those who paid in and took responsibility
>for their healthcare and costs. If some of them quit their jobs and went on welfare, they would have
>received full benefits under medicaid.
>
>I had to see a neurologist a couple of years ago and when it was considered critical, I saw one immediately.
>However, once it was deemed no longer an emergency, my followup appointment afterwards was 4 months later.
>The doctor put down that he wanted to see me in 2 weeks, but the earliest appointment available was 4 months
>later. Granted, perhaps he was in demand. It seems that long waits occur here as well. However,
>unless someone has been in the situtation and had to wait, they will deny waits exist in this country.
>I'm sure that if I knew a neurologist myself or had the funds to pay cash whatever they wanted to charge,
>I could probably get in to one somewhere in the U.S. without what is considered a life-threatening emergency.
>When it comes to tests, everyone can indeed access it. If a medical doctor deems it necessary,
>then the test is performed and the payment is worried about later. It's the pay later part
>that is stressful for many. I received notice of the claim to my insurance company for 2260.00
>for the MRI. That was the use of the equipment only and not the technicians and the specialist
>reading the results. I was billed 158.00 For the specialist, he billed the insurance company
>578.00 and me 32.05. If I did not have insurance they would pass the bill on to a creditor
>in 90 days. If I was an illegal immigrant than there is no hope or means of collecting from
>me so it would be written off. There are a lot of bankruptcies here due to medical bills...
>
>Add to that my experience of paying 500.00/mth for my mother's healthcare now - it is steadily rising.
>She is covered by Medicare, but cannot find a doctor who will take Medicare in her area. There are
>too many seniors and not enough doctors willing to settle for the reimbursements and paperwork pain
>to take medicare. For those who have a doctor who accepts Medicare and a good pharmacy plan, they don't
>see it. It is much like racism or discrimination. Unless you personally experience it, you don't believe it exists.
>All it takes is one family member or friend who cannot receive care and it changes your perspective.
>That friend could be bankrupt due to healthcare costs even though they had insurance. That person could
>be suffering because Medicaid or Medicare refused their claim or need for treatment. That person could
>be suffering because there is no doctor near them who will accept Medicaid or Medicare or their percentage
>of patients who fall into that category is already too high and they are not accepting new patients.
>That person could fall into the category of perpetually on a waiting list here in this country and perhaps
>that person doesn't have family members who will pay their medical bills while they wait.
>
>Personally, I am all for national health care and that is amazing considering that I am libertarian
>in most of my views. I have sadly come to the conclusion that our government is only going to grow more
>and there is no going back. The majority of our citizens have shifted from the go out and do your best to
>be the best you can be (sadly that is mostly only exhibted by illegal immigrants now) and into the
>state of mind of: what can I get for free. However, I am totally AGAINST mandating the public purchase
>health insurance and then restrict that mandate to an approved list of providers and force that upon the public
>before employment could be secured ( a condition before hiring) and turning around and assisting
>the public with the cost via tax breaks. Show me a poor person in the U.S. and I'll show you someone
>who won't pay for something by force only to be partially reimbursed via a tax break. I'm assuming
>I don't need to point out whose plan that was - she didn't win anyway...I don't see how forcing
>anyone to buy insurance will work. It is just an example of big brother forcing you to do what big
>brother doesn't think you know enough to do yourself. There needs to be change. There are some who
>really are living paycheck to paycheck and forcing them to spend money on insurance will not help them.
>
>Universal healthcare anyway looks pretty good when you are one of those without health insurance
>or for whom an insurance company has refused coverage.
>
>Time to start going through government spending with a fine tooth comb and get rid of the stuff
>that doesn't benefit enough of the public to justify the expenditure. With the amount paid into
>taxes already, there is no reason universal healthcare (not universal health insurance)
>is not available.
>
>Last year I started researching where our tax dollars go. It was absolutely amazing and totally
>inexcusable. For everything my taxes go for, I find it amazing that they don't go for healthcare.

Your rhetorics about govt spending/taxes will change nothing, while your rhetorics about 'universal health care', besides assuring another tax increase, will move everyone needed in healthcare to waiting lists, i.e. they will become equal by the lowest denominator; usual result for equality crusades.