Obama address to Congress

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Gozer

Don't agree with everything, but thanks for the excellent response!

edit: what's tort?

Tort reform would restrict people from being able to sue the hell out of the doctor/hospital if something goes wrong with their health care.

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by Gozer

edit: what's tort?

nvm

[Dion]

The requirement, which would be coupled with subsidies to help those who could not otherwise afford coverage, is likely to result in tens of millions of new customers for the industry. The insurers have also argued that they need to have everyone covered if the industry is going to stop controversial practices like denying policies to people with pre-existing medical conditions or charging sick people much more in premiums than the healthy.

“From the insurers’ standpoint, that was a very positive turn of events,” said Rick Weissenstein, a health care policy analyst in the Washington Research Group at Concept Capital, which follows developments for investors.

Insurers also say they are worried about many of the new fees and taxes being proposed, including Mr. Baucus’s idea of charging the industry $6 billion a year in fees, in addition to taxing the most generous policies.

The industry also points to proposed cuts in payments to private insurers that now cover the elderly under Medicare — cuts that could amount to more than $100 billion over 10 years. “It’s a major issue,” said Ms. Ignagni, adding that health plans might not be able to continue to operate in some areas if the Medicare payments were cut too much.

While there may not be a government-run plan, “there might be something just as bad — regulation and limits of profits,” said Sheryl Skolnick, an analyst for Pali Capital in New York. Mr. Obama’s insistence that insurance companies would no longer be able to limit the amounts they pay out in medical claims but still be forced to keep their premiums low could make it impossible for them to earn profits, she said. “I don’t think they’re out of the woods yet.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/11/he.../11insure.html

[Calgaryborn]

Originally Posted by Azure

Tort reform would restrict people from being able to sue the hell out of the doctor/hospital if something goes wrong with their health care.

I think one of the simplest and best proposals would be allowing the Doctors and Medical institutes to counter sue for the potential harm the initial lawsuit brought. If liability can be attached to the lawyers at the percentage they expect to get paid all the better.

[Cactus Jack]

Originally Posted by The Special One

The real problem are leecher countries like Canada that steal expensive American investement in research and development by making their new prescription drugs available here at a fraction of the real cost. American health care reform is a bad thing for people here in Canada. Remember, they have the best medical care in the world. The issue is cost, not quality.

Either you are being sarcastic or you must wear a helmet on a daily basis just to survive. I can't decide which. Right, the US has created every drug and medical treatment in history. After all, it wasn't a Canadian that invited insulin, was it? No other nation ever contributed to medicine.

The US is somewhere above Equitorial Guinea and Lesotho in terms of quality of health care! First of all, the US system fails on cost because the premiums are so high and that is even if they are not denied coverage. Secondly, the quality is good for few only. Many people don't have any kind of care so that is not quality. Best system in the world for those that like being bent over by it.

If you don't care that 10-25% of your population has no insurance or little access to healthcare, that tells me all I need to know about what kind of person you are.

[Azure]

You're seriously going to dispute that the US doesn't have great quality health care, provided you get it?

Because it does. Which is exactly the problem. Some people are getting awesome health care, others are getting nothing.

Nobody said it was the best system in the world. It just has the best 'quality' of care, and probably the best health care treatment in general, again...provided you can get it.

$50,000 and an appointment at Mayo Clinic will fix your herniated disk within a week. It takes up to 6 months to get treatment like that here in Canada at times.

So again, tell me that the US doesn't have the best doctors, the best equipment and the best medicine when it comes to health care. Because it does.

[Cactus Jack]

Originally Posted by Azure

You're seriously going to dispute that the US doesn't have great quality health care, provided you get it?

Because it does. Which is exactly the problem. Some people are getting awesome health care, others are getting nothing.

Nobody said it was the best system in the world. It just has the best 'quality' of care, and probably the best health care treatment in general, again...provided you can get it.

$50,000 and an appointment at Mayo Clinic will fix your herniated disk within a week. It takes up to 6 months to get treatment like that here in Canada at times.

So again, tell me that the US doesn't have the best doctors, the best equipment and the best medicine when it comes to health care. Because it does.

You did my work for me. There is nothing else I need to say. Carry on.