Medicare For All H.R. 676

Published

Medicare For All

H.R. 676: The Conyers Bill

Brief Summary of Legislation

http://www.healthcare-now.org/printsummarytest.html

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Full text of the bill:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/C?c109:./temp/~c109OvwZwo

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Healthcare-NOW!

http://www.healthcare-now.org/hr676.php?sid=4&subid=16

The United States National Health Insurance Act establishes an American-styled national insurance program.

The bill would create a publicly financed, privately delivered health care program that uses the already existing Medicare program by expanding and improving it to all U.S. residents, and all residents living in U.S. territories. The goal of the legislation is to ensure that all Americans, guaranteed by law, will have access to the highest quality and cost effective health care services regardless of ones employment, income, or health care status.

No one is denied health care right now not even illegal aliens

One question:

WHO SHOULD BE DENIED HEALTHCARE?

No one is denied health care right now not even illegal aliens

Who is paying for the uninsured?

My policy is through Aetna. Originally, I went to a website like insurance.com to find it. Do a google search on "self-employed health insurance".

I suspect that the price will go up with age and/or preexisting conditions.

Our system was the best in the world (and it still may be in spite of the shortcomings) until somebody got the bright idea that "insurance" should pay for every sniffle, ache, and antihistamine. Such lead to the HMO/PPO mess we all despise. THEN, tack on the costs of defensive medicine practiced because of the multi-million $$$$ lawsuit payouts for malpractice, w/ most of the $$$ going to trial lawyers; aided and abbetted by our "elected representatives" that are more interested in campaign contributions than they are about doing what's right for their constituents. :angryfire

Actually there are very few multi-million dollar malpractice awards. And those that are won, are frequently settle for substantially less then the jury award, in exchange for the judgment not being appealed. And it is the bad investments, the insurance companies have made, that have lead to higher costs to physicians. And lets face it. We have all worked with a doctor or two that we know shouldn't be practicing.

Grannynurse

Specializes in Hospice, Med/Surg, ICU, ER.
Who is paying for the uninsured?

We all are; via our tax dollars.

Specializes in Hospice, Med/Surg, ICU, ER.
Actually there are very few multi-million dollar malpractice awards. And those that are won, are frequently settle for substantially less then the jury award, in exchange for the judgment not being appealed. And it is the bad investments, the insurance companies have made, that have lead to higher costs to physicians. And lets face it. We have all worked with a doctor or two that we know shouldn't be practicing.

Grannynurse

Very valid points, Granny.

I know more than a few MDs that should never have been given a licence, and many more that should have packed it in decades ago.

Let's face it folks; the whole shebang is all about $$$$. Doctors, lawyers, insurance companies, HCF administrators and CEOs, and politicians - they all want their slice of the pie, regardless of who else gets screwed in the end.

Originally Posted by spacenurse

Who is paying for the uninsured?

We all are; via our tax dollars.

If we are already paying for universal healthcare why not discuss a more organized simplified way to do so?

Specializes in Hospice, Med/Surg, ICU, ER.
If we are already paying for universal healthcare why not discuss a more organized simplified way to do so?

Oh, but it is NOT universal healthcare; it is indigent care.

While I am generally politically conservative, I have no real issue with my tax dollars supporting emergency or acute care for people without insurance or the means to pay for care. Our society is wealthy enough to see that the truely needy do not fall through the cracks, so to speak.

However, abuse of the system is rampant: ambulance rides to the ER for minor issues, frequent flyers seeking a warm meal and a bed - with nothing else wrong with them.... etc. ad nauseam. Sorry to say it but illegal aliens deserve nothing but a bologna sandwich and transport to the border; not thousands of dollars of healthcare on MY dime.

Socialized medicine would be a disaster. Ask the UK, Canada or the Scandanavian nations about it. Our already outrageous taxes would double or more to pay for it all. MY family needs the money I can earn - your healthcare is your problem.

What about the young person who thinks he is healthy so chooses not to buy insurance?

Say he has a good job but lives paycheck to paycheck.

Should taxpayers pay for his care if he is in a bad accident or develops cancer?

With Medicare for everyone everyone pays, everyone is insured. I also think a single high standard of care is needed. No waiting until it is an emergency.

Whatever happened to the preventative care the HMOs promised twenty years ago?

As Quentin Young MD says, "Everybody in. Nobody out"

Specializes in Hospice, Med/Surg, ICU, ER.
What about the young person who thinks he is healthy so chooses not to buy insurance?

Say he has a good job but lives paycheck to paycheck.

Should taxpayers pay for his care if he is in a bad accident or develops cancer?

Nope. This person made a poor choice. He/she should pay their bill out of their paycheck, and I give less than a darn if they have to do without restuarant meals, satellight TV, or DSL internet to pay for it.

With Medicare for everyone everyone pays, everyone is insured. I also think a single high standard of care is needed. No waiting until it is an emergency.

That is the fallicy in your logic - everyone PAYS now; if they work. The only way it pays for your bills is if you are retired, disabled, or indigent. This is more Karl Marx "from each according to their gifts; to each according to their needs" bullsqueeze. And, it is WAY past time for this to stop. What incentive do I have to be productive, if all I get for being productive is the "privilege" to pay the healthcare bills of the unproductive?

Whatever happened to the preventative care the HMOs promised twenty years ago?

That was sacrificed on the altar of outrageous executive pay, stockholder dividends, etc. Call your congresscritter.

As Quentin Young MD says, "Everybody in. Nobody out"

Then let Quinten Young MD pay for it. I'll take care of me and mine, thank you very much. :rolleyes:

Consider this: do you REALLY want a government that cannot seal our borders effectively, manage health and safety projects (NOLA levees), public works (sewers, water systems, schools, highways) nationwide, to manage YOUR healthcare???? Not me, friend... not me! :eek:

Problem is the hypothetical person is now disabled and unable to work.

Who pays the bill after the accident?

Or the cancer treatment?

Consider this: do you REALLY want a government that cannot seal our borders effectively, manage health and safety projects (NOLA levees), public works (sewers, water systems, schools, highways) nationwide, to manage YOUR healthcare???? Not me, friend... not me! :eek:

So is our country hopeless?

Anyplace better?

Specializes in Hospice, Med/Surg, ICU, ER.
So is our country hopeless?

Even though it is beyond the scope of this thread, and even this board, I'll say that, IMHO, the answer is "yes". I see another Civil War (or Revolution)coming in the medium-term future. Too many people want the gooberment to be everything to everyone, from cradle to grave; and too many others would rather die fighting the total loss of their cherished and hard-won freedoms. It is the irresistable force meeting the immoveable object: and something has to give, sooner or later.

Anyplace better?

None that I have ever seen or heard of, God help us all.

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