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TomCopeland 05:30 PM 12-20-2017
Originally Posted by Michael:
Yes, that is why I have insurance. I don't go cheap on my car premiums either but I pay far less than my health insurance. One of my cars alone was covered in 2 accident for over $140k. I only pay $2000 a year on that car and my insurance company has not dropped me. Health insurance in this country is broken, even with the ACA.



I understand the concept but it doesn't and hasn't worked, just ask the people that can't pay the high premiums for their $10k deductible insurance.

There are many things "Americans" can do to make our health better. When I was younger, I use to be on food stamps and welfare. It was embarrassing when, at the checkout counter, they had to tear off the food stamps in front of everyone. These days those stamps are replaced by a subsidized EBT card. Many of the people that I see using these cards are buying the most destructive foods for their bodies. Not only will it make them less healthy, but they are going to be worse off as they get older unless they change their lifestyle. The expense for bad personal health management only compounds over time. This is another part of our failed health-care system. If people can't manage their health, there is not enough money in the world to take care of them. Likewise, the unhealthy will be less likely to contribute to paying those costs.



Medical and pharmaceutical costs are out of control. One of the things I actually liked about paying my medical costs myself, was being able to negotiate that cost with different doctors. They wanted my cash and would charge me less in order to get immediately paid. That is empowering but in essence I only have catastrophic insurance covering me while my insurance premium is paying for someone else's insurance.

There should be cross-state competition, cross-country medication competition. There could be many ways to manage the costs better. Likewise, with over $20 trillion in debt, we can't afford to insure everyone totally, but we should totally insure everyone with preventative care. Whereas everyone gets basic care along with health/food/lifestyle education and management. Preconditions must be covered, but if younger citizens don't want full coverage or no coverage, that should be their choice with the consequences. Catastrophic insurance should be a stand-alone plan and not predicated on high deductibles and as a secondary insurance.



Being benevolent is the American way, but as Americans, we get to try new policies to see if they work or not. Currently, I think those Americans that have their preconditions covered and that had never had health insurance and now do, are very happy. But we can't kill the economy over it. Then everyone loses. My hope is that the US can raise its GDP to 4% or more per year and in turn, create more tax revenue for the government. That will allow for universal health care and free college for all that want it. It comes down to money, which may seem insensitive but is the reality.
Our health care system is in much better shape than it was before the ACA. You fail to acknowledge all the positives of the ACA. Insurance premiums have risen at a slower rate than before the law. Health outcomes are better. People are using preventative care. Bankruptcies because of medical costs are a thing of the past. However, things can and should be improved. But, our country was worse off health wise before the ACA. Surely we can agree on that. For some people they do pay much more for health insurance now, than before, but is the exception, not the rule.

However, to focus on the lifestyles of some poor people is scapegoating. That's not what is driving up health care costs or raising insurance premiums. We certainly can afford to insure everyone if we change our nation's priorities. Dismantling the ACA will increase health care costs even more. To say that people should have the choice of whether or not to get health insurance and then suffer the consequences if they can't pay for their medical expenses is a terrible moral position to take. A twenty-one year old gets cancer and we tell her you're on your own? How about the one month old child who needs hundreds of thousands of dollars of medical treatments? Do we tell her parent she is out of luck because he parents didn't get insurance? The ACA is not bankrupting our economy.

There are ways to improve our health care system - for sure. Let's not leave people behind when we improve it.
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