WIIFM

Excite News - Obama pitching health care plan to the insured

What's in it for me?

I have health insurance thanks to my time in the Navy and my current job. I can always go to the VA, and if I work where I'm at now, I'll have health insurance for the rest of my life.

Here's the deal. Obama states that there's something like 47 million people without insurance. Well, half of those chose not to have health insurance with their job. Typically these are young people who need every bit of party money they can muster, and since they never need to see a doctor then having money taken out for insurance is a waste.

Thank goodness I didn't have that option or I would have been up shit creek without a paddle when I broke the crap out of my elbow. I had to have surgery to screw a chunk of bone back in place, three screws total I think. If I had to pay for all that out of pocket... man, I'd still be paying those bills. And then just a couple of years ago, my dad was trying to change an outdoor light bulb on a 4-foot ladder.

You know how on top of a ladder it says something like, "this is not a step?" Well, my dad was using it as a step, and he had one helluva fall. He couldn't walk, so he had to drag himself to his truck to call for help. He sorta shattered his knee. He was taken to a local hospital and they weren't even going to mess with it, so they sent him to Herman Trauma Center where they did the first surgery to basically brace his leg and get him ready for the second surgery a couple weeks later. The doctors said it was sort of like trying to repair egg shell that had been thrown to the floor. That, and they had to fill a crater that formed from the impact. In total, I think it was something like a $250,000 light bulb.

You know, I used to ride motorcycles. And one thing about riding a bike, is that it's not a matter of if you're going to get into a wreck, it's when. And the same thing probably applies for general health, it's not a matter of if you'll need insurance, it's when. And if you don't have insurance when you need it, that can be one helluva costly situation. If you pay.

And that's the problem. If you pay. People without insurance, rarely pay. I say rarely because at one point while going to school I didn't have insurance and hurt my eye. I went to the emergency room, all that stuff, and eventually got a bill. It took a little while, but I paid that sucker. How could I skip out on a bill for being treated diligently. I got to visit with one of the best ophthalmologists in Austin. I think his name was Wong, the whole Wong family if full of ophthalmologists. All turned out fine, if my eye had been struck (hit by a resilient branch) one more millimeter in, then it would have been a much worse situation.

Anyway, it's the people who don't pay, either on their own or through insurance, that cause the price of healthcare to increase. So... 47 million without insurance. Half chose not to take it with their employment, preferring to risk having to pay out of their pocket. The other half... I don't know, maybe those are the illegal aliens, homeless people, and those in between jobs.

THAT'S the problem. People who have to pay out of pocket are not paying. Does this mean, as Obama propounded, that healthcare is broken? Hell no.

Oh, and then there's the whole HMO requiring all this paperwork and letters and so on and so forth before they'll pay a claim. It's a burden on doctors' time and staff. Does this mean healthcare is broken? Hell no.

Well, all these people from all over the world come here to get treatment for the most serious of injuries and illnesses. Does this mean healthcare is broken? No, you idiot (if you thought yes, hehe).

No, healthcare in the USA is NOT broken. Socializing medicine isn't a cure, it's an affront. It's an affront not only to the USA, but the world.

Can our system be better? Yes, of course. And that's what needs to happen. If we want to force everyone to have health insurance, there has got to be a better way of doing it than by ruining the quality of care people currently enjoy.

Sorry Obama, I don't believe you know what you're talking about when you say your ever-evolving plan will or won't do anything. Things change, and I can't take your promises to a hospital or to my HMO or to anyone or anything and expect results.

Can I expect better healthcare than what's already the best? No.

Can I expect the same quality at a reduced rate? No

Should I get behind a plan that increases my costs, reduces the quality I receive, but helps those who currently/stupidly choose to be without healthcare insurance? Hell No.

Why should I get behind socialized medicine in the USA?

Hello?