Sunday, November 08, 2009

The House passes the healthcare plan

As everyone probably knows this morning, the democratic house passed their healthcare plan by a narrow victory of 5 votes, 215 to 220. One thing I want to know is why, (excluding illegal aliens), is not every American Citizen covered by this plan? Some people are being left out and another thing that I'd like to know is, will these excluded Americans have to also pay the increased taxes, or pay that fine for something they won't be getting? I also heard that this healthcare plan will be paid for by the richest people making $250,000+ and by Medicare cuts. Medicare recipients are not as a majority rich people or they wouldn't be on Medicare so I see this as talking out of both sides of the democrats mouth. The rich along with the poor old people will be funding this new healthcare reform. Thank goodness it's not a done deal yet. It still has to go to the Senate for approval and a rewrite.

Have any of you wondered how we have remained a country for so long with such Bozos up in Washington running our country and spending like there is no tomorrow? Of course they can spend that way because it's not their money they're spending, but YOURS.

Yesterday I heard praises from democrats about Medicare and how wonderful it is. Well try using it as freely as they think you can. There are many doctors who don't accept Medicare or Medicaid patients because of the low reimbursement rates they receive. Is the new healthcare plan going to fix that problem?

Also the richest are not the only people who will be paying for the new healthcare reform bill. Everyone is forgetting about the fines you will have to pay if you don't carry health insurance coverage. Is this really legal? Can the government force you to buy something that you don't want and then fine you if you don't buy it?

As a new Medicare recipient I'm afraid that I will soon be paying much more per month and getting less coverage under this new bill. I'm also afraid that I will lose my supplemental health insurance policies because the new requirements will change my existing policies making them obsolete and non existent as they were originally contracted and with the affordable price I am now paying for them. As I see it, I will be losing all the way around and paying more for it. Doesn't sound like much of a bargain for me & for my husband, but that's just my opinion.

13 comments:

tomlaureld@yahoo.com said...

The House is only 1/3 of what is going to happen. The senate has a say in what goes into the bill. Then if the President does not like it it is vetoed.
I am sure the President wants Health Care for Everyone, so I think he will push for that. The Republicans want nothing to do with Health Care everything is fine the way it is (except for those who have none).
The compromise will make a mess of the whole thing and provide perfect fodder for the next election.

Sandy Hatcher-Wallace said...

I seriously doubt if the president would veto anything that has to do with spending trillions of dollars. I think he is in there only to destroy this country and eliminate our freedoms. Nothing would please Liberals more than to turn this country into a Marxist/Communistic nation.

Cheyenne said...

You are not alone in your thoughts. This is a very scary thing happening to this country. I just hope that those who voted for B.O. are happy with what they are getting and they only have themselves to blame.

Diane said...

I'll probably regret entering this argument, but I'm getting tired of the self righteous name calling. I am a liberal. I am not a Marxist or a Communist. I am probably as patriotic an American as you are. I differ with you in my politics.
You probably benefit from many of the policies that liberals passed.Do you have Social Security benefits? Do you have Medicare benefits? Before they were passed many older Americans suffered in poverty. These benefits don't make us rich, but they help. Don't want yours? Give them back. What I hear from many is that they say they earned those benefits. We all know that we will probably take out more than we ever put in the pot. And yes, the pot is smaller with so many people out of work, but whose fault is that?
You are entitled to your beliefs that small government is better. I happen to believe that a compassionate America is one I want to live in and if we can help each other, we should. I thought that's what Jesus taught?
By the way, single Americans who make over $500,000 and couples who make over $1,000,000 will pay a small percentage more in taxes. I frankly know one or two of those people. I hope they can afford it.
My hope is that both sides of this and other issues will be discussed with less name calling and accusations of who is the better American.
There will always be two sides of an issue. In this country we vote for the one we support, and then we are supposed to come back together and unite as a country. There is entirely too much divisive rhetoric. I am for health care reform, because I don't think anyone should die for lack of money. Like I said, a compassionate America.

Motherkitty said...

What is so scary about trying to help people who don't have the resources to help themselves????? Frankly, I'm happy that somebody is trying to do something for the neediest people in this country rather than line their own pockets with our tax dollars. Where would all of us be without social programs such as Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, disability benefits, and the VA, to name a few. Do you know of anyone who has benefited from these programs?

If our president was really trying to turn this country into a Marxist/Communistic nation, I think there would be quite a few senators and congressmen ready to impeach him and send him on his merry way back to Chicago!!! Didn't they do that to Nixon for criminal acts and to Clinton for sexual acts which in office???

I'm not going to argue this issue -- I try not to argue politics or religion, especially on the internet -- just trying to put my two-cents into the pot. My feeling is that nobody is going to lose any benefits and you will be able to keep your present insurance if health care reform is passed. For one thing, the elderly lobby is too huge to take anything away from Medicare and Medicaid. For another thing, our elected officials are not going to pass anything that would put them out of office next election.

Finally, I congratulate our president and the Congress for working this issue, and others, out for our benefit. May they succeed in peace.

Cheyenne said...

I have a Medicare Advantage plan that I was perfectly happy with both for my husband any myself (we each have a different plan, same company). This year both plans went up $2/mo. In 2010 they will be $30/mo. higher. Should that health reform plan go through, the Advantage plans as we know them now will no longer be available. The government will phase them out all together. That so-called health care plan will make it very hard for insurance companies. Yes I understand some insurance companies need to be put in their place, but why make it hard for those of us who are happy with what we have now? Why upset the apple cart, which is what they are going to be doing. Why don't they go after the big businesses like drug companies etc. who are the reason health insurance is so damn expensive for those that can't afford it? It's easy to say this new regime is trying to make a better country, but we will just take a wait and see attitude.
Where do you think they will be getting the money to pay for their health reform plan? It will not be falling from heaven, that's for sure.
And why don't some people have the resources to help themselves? Wo stopped them from making a better life for themselves? Why should I be penalized when I worked all my life to get where I am, just because someone else was too lazy to get off their rump and make their life better? Yes, two of you people have pissed me off and I will probably regret hitting the publish button but by damn I will...

Motherkitty said...

Too bad I pissed someone off today. I guess that makes us even for all the people who have pissed me off all year.

Sandy Hatcher-Wallace said...

Dennis, Laurel & Diane...I have nothing against helping the neediest people....I have done that myself with my own money without the help of the U.S. Government. If that's all the government wants to do well fine, let them put more money into the medicaid program and leave everyone else alone. There is no need to make healthcare mandatory for everyone.

I was very happy with the healthcare plan that I had but unfortunately in September I became eligible for Medicare and now the doctor hunt begins. Doctor's are not too fond of Medicare patients because of the low reimbursement rate they receive for their services...It's akin to Medicaid. Believe me I know as I worked for a surgeon for many years. And don't tell me to give up my Medicare,because I can't because of a union contract I have to have it in order to keep my supplemental health insurance plan.

When the government starts forcing choices on me then I feel that I have lost another freedom. Many uninsured people that can afford it just don't want to spend the money on health insurance, but they do have TWO CARS. It's just a matter of choice and they simply choose to spend their money for other things, perhaps cable or satellite TV, cell phones, iPhones, I think you get the picture.

The existing social programs that you mentioned Laurel are already in place are fine but they are NOT MANDATORY and nobody is going to be fined if they don't participate.

Sandy Hatcher-Wallace said...

Laurel...I don't think you pissed anyone off because it's still a free country and we all do still have that right to speak our minds.

This world would be a dull place if we all thought exactly alike.

tomlaureld@yahoo.com said...

Mom you sound rather mild. Our government has placed a health department in every community in the United State. Our government has placed a paved road out in front of my home with tax dollars. If the government wants me to be healthy and tax me for it so be it. I am sure every University has gotten a grant from the government to do research on cell phones for the phone companies using my tax money. I do not see moms and daughters throwing their cell phones in the trash because we used government money to create LCD TV's on government grants.
We have spent a fortune on space travel and the benefits of that would fill ten books.
Taxes work fine.
Our government is large because we are all part of it. In the United States there is no way to make the government smaller than the population, even though the Republicans still think we can and crown a king or a dictator to watch over us.

Sandy Hatcher-Wallace said...

Dennis...What is this statement supposed to mean, I don't understand it?

"I do not see moms and daughters throwing their cell phones in the trash because we used government money to create LCD TV's on government grants."

Sandy Hatcher-Wallace said...

Dennis...You forgot to mention the grants the government pays for someone to find out how long it takes ketchup to flow out of the bottle.

Catzilla and Friends said...

One good thing about this healthcare plan if it makes it to a final passage is that if you can't afford to buy healthcare, and can't pay your fine they'll put you in prison and you'll get it for free, plus you'll also be one of the first to get your H1N1 flu shot.