No matter where I went this weekend, the discussion eventually led to health care reform. Even if I had gone to the sleaziest sex party, I'm convinced that the two guys next to me would have been discussing the bill between moans, as some hungry bottom boys slobbered on their cocks. Hell, those guys on their knees might have even tried to chime in with their mouths full.
As you may have heard by now, the House approved a major overhaul of the US health system, with a vote of 219-to-212 and unanimous Republican opposition. This has largely been viewed as a victory for President Barack Obama. He said in a speech given yesterday, “Tonight’s vote is not a victory for any one party. I know this wasn’t an easy vote for a lot of people, but it was the right vote.”
Given how many different opinions I've heard over the weekend, I'm curious to hear what you have to say about all of this. Do you think this was the "right vote"?
– Dewitt
Photo credit: Brendan Smialowski – New York Times
It’s about time! Although not perfect, it’s a step in the right direction and once people start to see the benefits and see through the fear tactics of those opposed it will be more embraced. Insurance is ridiculous and often your still left with a huge bill for minor visits. I guess we’ll find out.
We can’t be any worse off than we are now…Obamacare has to be a step in the right direction. Right now, the healthcare industry is too concerned with the bottom line, and individual lives hang in the balance when health problems become too “expensive” to treat…people are dying because they’re being shunted away from coverage. This bill is a step in the right direction, even if Republicans are in lockstep against it.
The Republicans thought their intransigence and obstructionism in the Health Care debate, along with their expensive national ad campaign of fear and misinformation against the bill, would help them at the polls this Fall, but I think it will have the opposite effect. The President has managed to get most of his programs passed, despite the opposition of the Republicans, and American voters will realize that he has delivered on many of his promises, in addition to the economy beginning to turn around, a higher stock market, and employment losses finally about to turn into gains. All of these positive factors will converge by the time the November elections roll around, and instead of gaining seats in the House and Senate to take back the majorities, the Republicans will be lucky to hold the numbers they have. Richard Shelby, Mitch McConnel, Eric Cantor, John Boehner, and the rest of those Republican fear mongers, have played what I think is a losing hand.
As a Canadian I have grown up with universal health care and I do hope for Americans that you get a system better than ours. Yes I can see a Dr. whenever I want but that doesnt mean I can afford the prescription he gives me. Keep in mind abuse is wide spread. Studies in Canada have shown that the majority of people constantly visiting Dr.s are are ones on Social Assistancee (what else do they have to do all day). This increases waiting time in Dr.’s offices, emergency rooms etc. I live in a city of 250,000 people and the MINIMUM waiting time in emergency is never below 4 hours. This also means a sharp rise in taxes as the ones in the majority of cases that use the system are not tax payers. Having a baby is virtually free in this country and welfare $’s increase per child…you do the math. Yes health care is accessable to all which means that rich people die just as often as poor people waiting months or years for Surgery, cancer treatment etc.
Like I said I hope your system is much better…God bless you all!
How can John Boehner be such a racist yet try so hard to fake tan in order to reach Obama’s color?
Racist? Yes I said RACIST!
The old white dinosaurs that make up the Repubs are terrified of a powerful black man. They have hated him since Obama’s first speech at the 2004 Democratic convention. The racist remarks going on behind their closed doors would rock America. The Repubs are bitter hateful people that cannot stand to not have control.
That off my chest, I will say every time someone without insurance goes to the emergency room for treatment it effects health premiums of all people. This program might not be perfect but it is sensible. Amendments will be offered in coming months and it will improve. I am so sick of the Repubs whining about socializing American society. Social security, medicare/medicaid, unemployment insurance, veteran’s benefits, the military, taxation, etc etc are all forms of socialism. I guarantee you that the Repubs are the first people in line with their hands out when they lose their jobs.
Their racist attitude is meant to keep down the little guy, white or black, in order to preserve their elitist status. Totally disgusting and primitive behavior. Com’on people this the 21st century! Let’s move beyond the 18th century!
Okay people, let the attacks begin!
I just want to say wrestletp I hope you are at the bottom so you can move up because every social program hits one group of people the hardest…young single males, followed by the middle class. Every social program helps the people in the bottom sector and every government in the free world has one objective and that is to not touch the elite upper class… where in the world do you think campaign contributions etc. come from?????
Im surprised at the saying people keep dying because they don’t have insurance. Besides being fearmongerings, this IS very misguiding. No hospital has left people to die because they had no insurance. I mean 30million people without insurance and none of them ever visited a hospital? So now we’re going to pay 1trillion dollar to insure 30million people? So 260million people will subsidize 30mil with 1tril dollars? And on top of that no tax hike, and we’ll be saving money? Do you hear me there in Lala land?
gchotty, I agree with you. That was very much the point I was trying to make. The elitist (repubs mostly) in this country are terrified they may have to pay their fair share. They get away with murder! How can the lower class ever be expected to take care of themselves and prosper if they cannot afford health care and therefore stay healthy?
from a european perspective, american resistance to having a basic health care system in place is truly baffling…..or in non-pc speak: barbaric.
Kaw, you need to be better informed. You are totally wrong, wrong and wrong about your assessment. Besides, did the conservatives complain when the Bush administration gave trillions of dollars of tax cuts to the wealthy and we still almost landed in a full blown depression? Remember, tax cuts does not reduce the deficit it increases it. Giving money back to the wealthy without spending cuts as the Bush did did nothing but make the rich richer and the poor poorer.
Just another form of elitism which translates into racism.
Ok sorry wrestlelp I now understand your point…In respond to mark, yes they do have a health care but you realize the cities in Europe are way more expensive to live in that the US or Canada..Wages are not higher (in most cases) I am not saying I disagree with you I guess I am just warning that it is a very very expensive system that from my experience has lots of flaws. I think as Americans the first thing you may notice is how high taxes go and how many big rich corporations will get rid of health care and certainly not give it to new employees. This in turn puts more money in the hands of the rich>>> What I say is certainly open to disagreement of course and can just tell you what I know to be true in Canada…like I said I hope you get a much better system in place than we have>>>>
Lets not forget that THEY allowed drug companies now to hold their new patent meds for 12 years before generics can hit the market. Remember that when new drugs come out to cure illnesses and you are paying way too much. But hey this is part of the great healthcare program that will furth bankrupt our country. No person has even been denied treatment at a hospital it is AGAINST the LAW already.
out of all this on the free health care i want to know who is going to pay for this so called free health care, it comes with a price tag and i want to know who is going to have to pay for it. nothing in this life is free take that to the bank
I don’t want to get into a pissing contest with anyone, but the remark about “no hospital has left people to die because they don’t have insurance…” is in fact incorrect. Patient shuffling happens all the time. One hospital will pass off a patient to another and vice versa. Just because you will be treated in an emergency room when you’ve been in an auto accident, for example, doesn’t mean you get the continuing care required for your well being.
Take it from someone who has cared for sick and dying aids patients from as far back as the 1980’s. The rationing of medications because insurance won’t cover the meds or the co-pay is in the hundreds to thousands of dollars, the fighting with the insurance companies each and every day to keep someone from being dropped or to get authorization to just see a specialist is absolutely horrible! It takes caretakers away from what they should be doing – helping care for the patients. Then, the absolut terror the patients face knowing that the insurance companies have deemed them as “not good for profits,” and try to drop their coverage at every possible chance. That is IF they are fortunate enough to have coverage in the first place.
Yes, there is a HUGE amount of room for improvement but anything is a step in the right direction. Health insurance for profit only ever benefits the insurance companies.
all the general public is seeing is the free health care for everyone, nice thought, but understand this, it is not free your kids and your grandchildren and you will be paying out the wahzoo for this free health care, our goverment has gone down the toilet, they are going to bankrupt the country and noboby cares because it is free, my parents taught me something a long time ago you have to work for what you want and pay for it as you go, if you can’t afford it you don’t need it, all everyone wants nowadays is something for nothing, come on people look at the price.
@kaw I have to say your the one in LaLa Land if you think Hospitals don’t turn people away because they have no insurance. Being turned away is just one step closer to death.
The biggest key issue from this health care reform bill is that it removes the term “preexisting conditions.” As a person that has multiple “preexisting conditions” (remember the include family medical history as well) I have had insurance denied me multiple times. This made things worse for me cause I couldn’t afford the doctor visits and prescriptions.
As it was said… Its a step in the right direction just a lil rusty but that will work out in time.
Well I am a man on Medicare and I tell you that socialized medicine is the Pitts. I have payed in all my life and still pay end and trying to find a MD that excepts it is very difficult. Most MD’s have opted out of the coverage. Your taxes will go up and your medical care will go down!! Get Real, something for nothing does not work!
Never thought I would say this – Man, I miss George Bush.
People need to look beyond the petty issue of partisanship; our government is clearly, and unfortunately, dedicated to the corporations that run our economy. We’ve funneled literally trillions of dollars to the oligarchical banks that caused this mess in the economy, and now we’re handing over health-care, a massive part of our economy, to the insurance industries. Our freedoms and liberties are being stripped with our own consent, and nobody is brave enough to notice it.
i mean this is probably gonna be said a lot and maybe has been said before, but it may not be the right step, but it is at least a step taken in a direction, whether it is right or wrong.
Dctigger and tallviking, just because one doesnot have insurance doesnot mean he will not be treated. If you cant afford it, thats a diff thing. My point is that people are made to believe having no insurance guarantees no treatment so now everyone is forced to buy it.
yea at ryanh you are so right…I always tell my employees “right or wrong just make a fucking decision” good for you ryan the biggest crime is not doing anything….you are a wise man my friend>>>>
From a British guy , why shouldnt everyone one have free health care wlike we do in the UK. You all pay enough taxes. would u rather pay a little extra tax or pay large insurance bills ,,, work it out ,,, come on america catch up with the rest of us
Lubeit, well until this legislation is approved, me who has worked out since hs and have eaten healthy foods would pay my share of the bill, now thanks to catching up to the “englightened” across the pond i have to pay for everyone who decided to eat cheetos all their life.
How bout the fact that the gay friendly provisions offered by Tammy Baldwin were swiped from the final bill.
If you don’t have insurance now and go to a hospital they will treat you, BUT you still have to pay that bill. If you can’t you lose your house. Doctors even agree that this may cut down on emergency room visits for people with no insurance because they will be able to see a primary care sooner because they have insurance. It is also not free healthcare but AFFORDABLE healthcare. Families making up to $75K can get subsidies(tax breaks) to help pay for their healthcare. An insurance company will no longer be able to drop you because you get sick or have a pre-existing condition, and they can no longer charge you more because you are sick. People should not go without insurance or medications because they can not afford them. It is about time the US looses its holier than tho attitude and joins the rest of the world on this issue as well as gay marriage. BTW I am from the US.
1) Social Security – bankrupt.
2) Medicare / Medicaid – nearly bankrupt.
3) Health Care Reform a la Obama/Pelosi/Reid = bankrupt US citizens.
4) Cost to pay physicians and hospitals at least = to their costs from Medicare/Medicaid = $220BILLION. that was left out so it was under the $1TRILLION mark. Ongoing decline of physicians who rightly refuse to accept patients that have insurance that WON’T cover their costs
5) Already a shortage of primary care physicians. Throw 31MM people into the system with no “government” takeover of medical schools? LONG WAITS guys, LONG LONG waits or just non par physicians.
6) “Greedy insurers” profits = wouldn’t cover total health care costs in the US for more than 2 days. Their costs are only 4% of the total healthcare cost. No mention of hospitals demanding from insurers 50% price increases? Why you ask? Because Obamalosireidie would have to admit that GOVERNMENT run Medicare is bankrupt so hospitals shifted the losses to the private insurers. Mayo Clinic, Arizona now will no longer accept Medicare patients!
Healthcare reform needed? You bet. Pre-exsiting condition denial? Disaster. Are we ready for the socialism tax policies this requires? Yes, that means like auto insurance to spread the risk fairly means EVERYONE needs to have medical insurance. Explain that to a 22 yr old out of college with $50,000 in student loans. Oh, that’s right, the government now runs the entire STUDENT LOAN PROGRAM buried in your oh so perfect healthcare reform bill.
Watch the lawsuits emerging already = this is unconstitutional and the states will fight the unfunded Medicaid mandate.
Hopefully round #2 will be bipartisan and include both parties as Social Security & Medicare legislation.
Glad reform also addresses a significant driver of our higher medical costs = OBESITY. “Just supersize it please?”
A sad day for American democracy when a lousy bill gets shoved into our orifice without lube, poppers, or anything. This makes Antonio Biaggi look like a minnow dick.
Er to all the nay sayers regarding health care universality in the United States. Specifically to all the individuals who claim that your “grandchildren” will be paying for this in years to come.
Canada which already has a system in place currently spends less per capita on health care spending then the united states….how does that make sense? It’s clear if you consider that individuals who cant afford regular checkups etc, develop a plethora of health related issues and complications. When these issues have compounded on each other to the point that capability to live is threatened these individuals are treated at hospitals at a MUCH MUCH higher cost then the preventative medicine would have. And who pays the bill…..The governemnt!
And to buddy who claimes to be from Canada and states that emergency room wait times are 4 hours. 1) Many hospitals in the USA still have long emergency room wait times. 2) Its pretty nice that someone who has an anaphylactic allergic reaction can go to the hospital, be seen in 5 minutes, and treated FOR FREE, its also pretty nice that I was able to go the emergency room after breaking my thumb snowboarding, and yes I waited 4 hours. But my treatment was FREE! my followups were free! And yes I waited 2 hours for each follow up appt, but, I saw one of the best surgeons in my city.
Universal health care is about removing disparity. If you want to question costs, and benefits, simply look up statistics from Sweden. The social programs that have been adopted are far more extensive, however; the corresponding statistics speak strongly in their favor.
i love how the word “racist” is being thrown around these days…
It comes down to a matter of priorities: Obama wasted the first year of his presidency on health care while countless Americans lost their jobs under his watch. What good is an affordable health plan IF YOU DON’T HAVE A JOB TO PAY FOR IT, YOU MORONS????????
Hey blah blah –
Republicans are racist. If you are a republican than you are a racist. The truth hurts but the truth is the truth. If it bothers you then disassociate yourself from them.
Yes wrestletp, democrats such as Robert Byrd, Sen. Christopher Dodd, and Harry Reid come to mind as shine examples of democratic colorblindness. Thank god democrats are chocful of people like you, and because of that we already see our future right down the swirling waters of the water closet.
wrestletp … the true racists are the very ones claiming to help the minorities. they hide their racism by shouting down everyone else calling them racists, attempts to defend only make one look guiltier. the great society of Johnson has done more to enslave the minority community in poverty and welfare programs than anything since slavery was abolished. the great clinton urban economic housing stimulus led to the undermining of the few minorities that were on stable economic footing by telling them to remortgage the houses they could afford and remodel to raise values or buy more home than they could afford – this hit minorities particularly hardest. and it was barney frank who could have revealed the mortgage fraud of his partner but kept silent hurting minorities more than any other group … wake up. and I’m not really pro-either party but would love to see a fiscally responsible party period, unfortunately the repubs have the better record than the dems there, just the facts.
Why do you guys even continue trying to respond to this wrestletp dude…typical dogmatic liberal queen, like most of our community…republicans are evil, democrats are on our side, obama is the new jesus…does no good to attempt logical discourse with these people…it’s like the christians…”the bible says it, i believe it, that settles it”…dogma is dogma, and people who spout it aren’t really worth the energy it takes to engage them in conversation.
People We Have Change Now Deal With It, In This World Only Those Who Are Able to Adapt To Change Survive. So Whether You Like It Or Not Adapt or get Left Behind. That Is All!
Racist just hate to admit the truth. Cowardly racist are the worst. I am allowed to have an opinion even though conservatives would argue differently. Sad to be a gay conservative. Seems like such a waste.
Know what’s great about the Internet? People without any real grasp of the facts are allowed to pontificate as if their *feelings* and *opinions* trump the truth. That goes for people of all stripes and on all sides of an issue. Where is reason in any of these debates and discussions? Everyone needs a dose of reality! And if it matters, I think the health care legislation will have many more positive effects than negative.
So, what you’re saying is anyone who opposes Obama is racist? I’m not surprised. I faced this when I said I wasn’t voting for him. Wake up! Not every republican is racist. Its like saying every gay man has a purse falling out of his mouth.
haha blah blah, i think you are my new favorite 😀 same with jimmy. To be completely honest, as far as this goes, wrestlp, it took me quite a while to understand why you were calling republicans racist…which in all actuality kinda disproves your theory and i think in a small way points out that you, in fact are more racist than the majority of people here…thanks for showing the world your true colors.
Being in germany at the moment, I have had many conversations with europeans and canadians on this subject. The whole world thinks that the european system is so great. I do admit, they have an excellent system, but what they fail to realize is that the United states has four times as many people as Europe’s largest country (germany) spread over a land mass that is nearly its own continent. Canada, too sometimes fails to realize that between 80-90% of their population live within 30 miles of the US-Canadian border…meaning America is much more sparsley populated than the rest of the world. In germany, you can build 1 hospital to service 100,000 people or so, but because of the distribution of americans “from sea to shining sea,” it takes upwards of three or more buildings to service the same. Maintanance on these are so much more expensive in the US, its a logistical nightmare. Also, wait times vary no matter where you go, regardless of whether or not you have insurance. The real issue is the hinderence we are putting on hospitals. American healthcare overall is loads better and has a much wider array of treatments than any other place in the world. When a european, canadian, chinese or south african wants a surgery done really well, where do they go? America. Why? because our doctors were very motivated to move forward in their studies and they really know their stuff. I have had two incredibly rare disorders, one an autoimmune and one neurological. Within hours of going to a clinical doctor i was completely diagnosed and on my way to the hospital. Would that have happened other places, sure. The fact of the matter is that in a Universal Healthcare system, the better doctors tend to concentrate in the cities where they will be given more patients, and therefore, more money. In America, a doctor is a doctor. You can work in the hills of tennessee and still have a wealthy lifestyle, comparatively. I dont see the motivation in spending more than $100,000 and a ridiculous amount of time in school if you are not going to be properly compensated. I mean it isnt even as if doctors are the wealthiest members of society. When you see super rich doctors, they probably arent the ones that would be affected by this bill anyway (ie plastic surgeons), or they have a trust fund behind them.
Its an expensive bill, and ithink discussing it at this point is rather moot. From what I’ve heard, the states are going to sue the feds soon, so even if it does pass, the world will be an entirely different place and the bill wont fit our needs anymore anyways. Just saying…
also, congress i think has done too many risque things in the last decade that dont sit well with the american populous and if both parties dont get off their lazy elitist asses, they are going to see a very violent revolution soon…might even be like the french where it goes on forever and never really accomplishes anything but remove the absolute nincompoops from power…but i would even be ok with that
What the fuck are you talking about? What a jackass.
really wrestletp? just…really? are you wasted all the time or are you that stubborn to even admit defeat online. noone knows who you are, so just not responding would be ok. Dont call me a jackass simply because you are projecting your faults onto persons you havent even ever met…and accusing people of things with zero facts. just please…get a clue. normally i wouldnt comment like this, but im kinda sick of arrogance in american culture, such that they are so stuck up about being stupid. all you can say is your a jackass and soandso is racist. Yeah, i may be a little racist…i understand that and know that stereotyping helps to an extent, but i also dont go around like a skinhead, or a pompous ass calling everyone else racist either…just stop please. these blogs can be enjoyed by everyone without the idiocy that tends to follow them. OFten times there are some very intelligent comments on here, but im sure im not the only one it ticks off. simply because your American doesnt mean that your two sense means shit so stop.
and I know that I’m a jackass after this, but if it keeps intelligent discussions on an intelligent platform, than so be it.
sexystud08, you’re making perfect sense, but the europeans are too uppity to even accept your explanation.Btw I do recommend you don’t spend time with pricks like wrestletp…