Obamacare, Opinions?

[Goat Blower]

Originally Posted by tpunx99GSX

Basically its paid for by taking the current system, streamlining a lot of the process through electronic records etc, then imposing various fees and taxes (yes i said taxes) on various items such as elective surgery, and high income earners. (over $250k a year). But I recall reading somewhere (not sure if i read it in the actual bill or somewhere else) but they are closing a error where pharmacies were double billing the gov for medicare claims.

While this is all well and good on paper, there's no way this will actually happen. Show me ONE government program that has gone according to plan without massive overspending, there is no such animal. Medicare, medicaid, welfare, food stamps, the post office and the list goes on and on. This is a spending bill pure and simple and everybody will get taxed, not just "high earners".

While premiums have been increasing, they jumped massively in the last two years. I've been paying for my own healthcare for over 20 years now, I'm pretty good at noticing trends when I'm writing the checks.

[JET]

Originally Posted by Goat Blower

While this is all well and good on paper, there's no way this will actually happen. Show me ONE government program that has gone according to plan without massive overspending, there is no such animal. Medicare, medicaid, welfare, food stamps, the post office and the list goes on and on. This is a spending bill pure and simple and everybody will get taxed, not just "high earners".

While premiums have been increasing, they jumped massively in the last two years. I've been paying for my own healthcare for over 20 years now, I'm pretty good at noticing trends when I'm writing the checks.

That is my take on it too, while it may not look horrible now, what government run program actually works? Look at other countries with healthcare systems similar to this and see what the people think. It isn't as extreme as Canada, but it is a step in that direction and their system is horrible. People pay full costs to come to the U.S. and get treatment, not just rich people either.

I think everyone can agree that the government is too big now, why make it even bigger? I want the government involved in less things in my life, not more. They never run things efficiently. This always take too long to do (10 committees to approve anything) and the costs are way too high ($400 toilet seats for the military anyone?). It is just going to end up being one more tax burden on us, no matter how good the intentions were.

[tpunx99GSX]

Originally Posted by Goat Blower

While this is all well and good on paper, there's no way this will actually happen. Show me ONE government program that has gone according to plan without massive overspending, there is no such animal. Medicare, medicaid, welfare, food stamps, the post office and the list goes on and on. This is a spending bill pure and simple and everybody will get taxed, not just "high earners".

While premiums have been increasing, they jumped massively in the last two years. I've been paying for my own healthcare for over 20 years now, I'm pretty good at noticing trends when I'm writing the checks.

Unfortunately yes, there are a large number of government programs that get out of hand and go over budget. But we not only need to look at how much its costing but how much it is saving in terms of medical costs, pharm costs, and others, as well as how much it will improve quality of life to live in America. For every Canadian you ask that says their healthcare system sucks, you can find another that says its just fine. I have a friend that I went to college with that has had no issues with the healthcare system. For every issue out there, you can find opposing views of it. Its a simple argument of he who yells loudest gets heard. (i.e. people complain when they get bad service, but dont usually make a fuss when the system works)

I would take Welfare and Food Stamps out of the above statement. Those programs have a ROI better than any gov program out there, a study i read about 6 months ago stated that the ROI of the food stamp program was for every dollar spent the return was $1.73. (The argument was what was the best way to stimulate the economy, stimulus vs expansion of the food stamp program)

The problem isnt with the government not being efficient, i think the main problem is that anything this government does affects not only us, but every nation in the world. Certain oversight needs to keep in check, which is why it takes so long to get legislation through. We have seen what no government regulation does in the eyes of a global economic disaster. Would the recession have happened had the proper oversight been in place? who knows? I know this is getting off topic now.