Nurses General Nursing
Published Dec 9, 2006
h.r.6420 title: to amend the internal revenue code of 1986 to impose an excise tax on certain medical care providers that fail to provide a minimum level of charity medical care, and for other purposes. sponsor: rep thomas, william m. [ca-22] (introduced 12/8/2006) cosponsors (none) latest major action: 12/8/2006 referred to house committee. status: referred to the house committee on ways and means.
title: to amend the internal revenue code of 1986 to impose an excise tax on certain medical care providers that fail to provide a minimum level of charity medical care, and for other purposes.
sponsor: rep thomas, william m. [ca-22] (introduced 12/8/2006) cosponsors (none)
latest major action: 12/8/2006 referred to house committee. status: referred to the house committee on ways and means.
search results - thomas (library of congress)::
the text of the bill has not been published yet, but this looks like one more step towards universal health care. what do you think?
blueyesue
566 Posts
Of course, I forgot, we are the greatest, we are the best, we shock and awe the world with our superiority!
Should leaders lead or follow? As the leader of the free world we must display some strength. If we just roll over to the worlds demands then we will be taken over. (I am not advocating being the police of the world. I am advocating self defense, a little show and tell, and of course protecting our freedoms.) We are superior in many aspects. That is fact. We do make some bad decisions and mistakes, but we try to rectify them. (That is part of being great.) IMO, we live in the greatest country in the world. Of course if someone doesn't like what America is all about, then one can always move. There are other great countries out there.
fiestynurse
921 Posts
EJM - "Of course if someone doesn't like what America is all about, then one can always move." Yes, I suppose that is true. If we need health care that we can't afford in the US, we could go to another country to get it and many do.
Or, we could commit a crime and go to jail. The incarcerated are the only US citizens with a constitutional right to health care through the 8th amendment. Many people with life threatening illnesses have purposely committed crimes, so they can go to jail for full health care coverage. That is fact! Is that the America you want to live in?
Simplepleasures
1,355 Posts
I am one of those unfortunate people who find themselves uninsured.I was a nurse for 27 years, excellent record, but I had a concience. I was fired for reporting illegal/unethical practice of my LTC employer, am lucky to have found protection under a state law, have a lawsuit in the court system. I am now blackballed from ever working in healthcare again, plus I have multilevel DDD, DJD of spine and DJD of bilat. knees.I need knee replacement surgery and 3 level fusion.After I was fired I was offered Cobra , which the employer must do.I could not use that Cobra because the cost was extremely prohibitive. I have now emptied my savings account, moved to tiny apartment,use the local free clinic(thank God for them) and my family is supporting me financially 100%.
I have relatives in Germany and Canada and Australia, every one of my relatives I have spoken to about my situation is horrified that I no longer have any health care except through a free clinic and I would not be eligible for this free care IF I had any money left . Not one of my relatives resents having a tax taken out of their paychecks for their healthcare system.They all think it is worth it, cant understand that a country like ours can be so "backwards".
So after working hard in the dungeons of LTC for all those years and taking care of folks, I now find myself in the position I am in.Something is REALLY wrong here.
Oh I guess there might be some out there who are going to say if you dont like it here, move to either Canada, Australia, or Germany.I want to let those folks know that I deserve to live here and I deserve to critisize what I feel is wrong in our country, BECAUSE this is one of the freedoms in our constitution.My brother served in the military during Vietnam, my daughter is a Navy nurse, my nephew is in Iraq.My family has done their fair share, I hope our lawmakers will see fit to do theirs and quit being influenced by the powerful lobby of insurance companies .
First off, until we get to heaven, we will NEVER live in an ideal or perfect place. We will always have crime, stupidity, evil etc. Currently we are living in the easiest, cushiest time in history. Mankind has never lived in such luxury, and we have the highest chances of survival. We citizens can make the healthcare system work even better without relying on the government. If you don't like the way something works, then your freedom allows you to be a force for change.
pickledpepperRN
4,491 Posts
I think we citizens are the government.
VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN
22 Articles; 9,987 Posts
I cannot, for the life of me, understand the objections to "universal" health care. What could possibly be wrong with having basic health care for EVERYONE?? The use of ERs for non-emergent conditions would virtually cease; people could see their doctors BEFORE they become so ill that expensive treatments and surgeries are necessary; and there would be no 'uninsured' patients whose care costs all of us so dearly.
Best of all, getting the multi-billion-dollar insurance industry OUT of the picture would eliminate enormous amounts of overhead........do you have any idea what their CEOs earn in a year, that could instead go toward actual health care? And what healthcare professional wouldn't like to see the reams of paperwork and the utter confusion of our patchwork 'system' reduced or eliminated entirely?
Finding the cash for universal healthcare is relatively easy: All the money that government, business, and private individuals now pay to health insurance companies could instead go into a larger pool of funds that would give every American citizen access to basic health services. Yes, it does amount to rationing, but what could be worse than the rationing we already have in this country by denying millions of people medical care because of health problems and/or lack of money? And I would not oppose allowing those with the resources to pay for additional services to do so on a fee-for-service basis; only the most necessary services, such as physical exams, immunizations, maternity care, medications and surgeries would be covered. (If you want Viagra or Botox, you're on your own.)
I would also advocate for health services to be administered at the state, rather than federal level, by entities made up of healthcare professionals, financial planners, and educated laypersons. All 50 states would be required by the federal government to have a universal health system, but they would manage it according to the specific needs of their populations; for example, the health needs of rural Alaskans differ considerably from those of urban New Yorkers. Also, the emphasis should be on preventive care and education, which would save billions of dollars over the next several generations as serious illnesses related to obesity, smoking, STIs and other major health concerns would be reduced.
That's my take on things, anyway.........There is absolutely no excuse for a supposedly 'moral' nation such as ours not to have basic health care for all its citizens. We are the world's only remaining superpower, yet some 40 million American men, women, and children lack access to medical care. And please don't give me that old argument about "socialized medicine".........this is nothing more than the fear of certain political factions that someone, somewhere, might receive a service for which they didn't have to pay through the nose.
Universal health care is not socialized medicine---it's CIVILIZED medicine.
And that's all I have to say about THAT.
Fuzzy
370 Posts
Personally, I think that if we took the government, lawyers, insurance companies, and the big drug ads out of healthcare, it would be more affordable and available to everyone. Not to mention there would be alot less paperwork and hassle.
Fuzzy, who cannot get insurance or affordable healthcare because she choses to be a taxpayer and not a taxtaker.
JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP
1 Article; 1,863 Posts
It's all very well and good to be the one living in luxury but when you're the one who can't afford to have your broken ankle set and still eat 3 squares for the next 6 months, things don't look all that cushy.
To mjlrn: :yelclap: You said it all.
Why is there no outcry about socialized education, socialized libraries, socialized highways, socialized mail delivery, socialized fire and police departments, etc.? When it comes to a basic service that everyone needs and benefits from, the government can provide that service more efficiently than the private market can.
SillyLilly
209 Posts
My father had always been against universal health care. That is until I broke my ankle and racked up a 40,000+ medical bill. I was had just graduated nursing school so had no insurance/job yet. I was already kicked out of my parent's insurance. I did not qualify for IL medicaid bc I did not have children.
After that, my father has been *somewhat* more open minded about universal health care.
I think that those who have had insurance their whole lives, have not lost their jobs, or have been critically ill, or basically have never experienced the terrors of having no health care, can more easily say they are against universal health care.
But once you are in that situation you may become more sympathetic to the millions out there who do not have adequate or any health care coverage.
To mjlrn: :yelclap: You said it all.Why is there no outcry about socialized education, socialized libraries, socialized highways, socialized mail delivery, socialized fire and police departments, etc.? When it comes to a basic service that everyone needs and benefits from, the government can provide that service more efficiently than the private market can.
There is plenty of outcry against socialized education. The homeschooling and private school parents believe that they can provide a better education for their child with no costs to the taxpayer, and research proves they are right. They also have private libraries. As for the highways and police, that is part of the governments job description.
What do you think of this bill?
Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress)
It includes aNATIONAL BOARD OF UNIVERSAL QUALITY AND ACCESS:
