Where do most of the uninsured live?

[HM2VikingRN, RN]

So, here's the big takeaway: The overwhelming majority of uninsured U.S. residents are adult American citizens without children living in the south with moderately good health status. Oh, and one more thing: They're predominantly white. I didn't make a slide for that, but just trust me. The reason behind that is simple: There are many more white people in the U.S. than there are other persons of any other single race. So, the po' white south makes up most of the uninsured. Chew on that for a while. Then ask yourself where the strongest opposition to health reform comes from (hint: it's red states) and contemplate how much sense that makes.

Link embedded.

[SilentMind]

Let me preface by saying I applaud your efforts to introduce race as a factor. It always helps liberals to drive the point home.

So from the part you quoted, it seems to me like you're claiming the "po white" (Clever, really.) are the uninsured and that they're actually the opposition to health care reform. Now, I haven't actually looked into this...but I'm going to assume what you say is true. So basically, the downtrodden, impoverished, and destitute....they're saying they're fine with the way things are, and they don't want change. But you in all your altruistic wisdom know better then they do as to whats best for them. Truly commendable. Any community leader can lend aid to those in need, but actually creating victims and then saving them? If that doesn't qualify you for sainthood, I don't know what does.

It's actually quite amusing...The definition of a republic is that the government knows whats best for the people. The definition of a democracy is that the people know whats best for the government. And yet...in individual practice, it seems to be quite the opposite.

[tewdles, RN]

Let me preface by saying I applaud your efforts to introduce race as a factor. It always helps liberals to drive the point home.

So from the part you quoted, it seems to me like you're claiming the "po white" (Clever, really.) are the uninsured and that they're actually the opposition to health care reform. Now, I haven't actually looked into this...but I'm going to assume what you say is true. So basically, the downtrodden, impoverished, and destitute....they're saying they're fine with the way things are, and they don't want change. But you in all your altruistic wisdom know better then they do as to whats best for them. Truly commendable. Any community leader can lend aid to those in need, but actually creating victims and then saving them? If that doesn't qualify you for sainthood, I don't know what does.

It's actually quite amusing...The definition of a republic is that the government knows whats best for the people. The definition of a democracy is that the people know whats best for the government. And yet...in individual practice, it seems to be quite the opposite.

I am not sure what your point is here...republics and democracies are not polar opposites...in fact, a representative democracy is a type of republic. Perhaps you could clarify your point, unless your point was to polarize contributors to this thread along political lines.

[SilentMind]

I am not sure what your point is here...republics and democracies are not polar opposites...in fact, a representative democracy is a type of republic. Perhaps you could clarify your point, unless your point was to polarize contributors to this thread along political lines.

Better political then racial, I suppose. And yes, they are polar opposites.

"These two forms of government: Democracy and Republic, are not only dissimilar but antithetical, reflecting the sharp contrast between (a) The Majority Unlimited, in a Democracy, lacking any legal safeguard of the rights of The Individual and The Minority, and (b) The Majority Limited, in a Republic under a written Constitution safeguarding the rights of The Individual and The Minority; as we shall now see."

A democracy, by definition, is to see to the will of the people through majority rule. A republic is a nation of laws designed to limit the power of the majority in favor of the individual.

In relation to my point, the OP was expressing dissapointment that the ones needing help are the ones that are unwilling to accept health care reform. So it's not a far stretch to draw a correlation between their individual beliefs, and what everyone else believes on their behalf.

[tewdles, RN]

Or perhaps the OP was expressing that the states with the largest populations of people who would benefit from the reform also happen to be states represented by politicians who do not agree with reform? Perhaps these "po white folk" need to have additional information about how reform might benefit them rather than to be scared spitless that they are going to be disadvantaged in yet another way.

[SilentMind]

Or perhaps the OP was expressing that the states with the largest populations of people who would benefit from the reform also happen to be states represented by politicians who do not agree with reform? Perhaps these "po white folk" need to have additional information about how reform might benefit them rather than to be scared spitless that they are going to be disadvantaged in yet another way.

Are maybe they're not as ignorant as you think, and are actually capable of forming their own thoughts about how they wish to live their lives, and decided they didn't want the government stepping in and fixing what they didn't feel was broken.

[Onekidneynurse]

Or perhaps the OP was expressing that the states with the largest populations of people who would benefit from the reform also happen to be states represented by politicians who do not agree with reform? Perhaps these "po white folk" need to have additional information about how reform might benefit them rather than to be scared spitless that they are going to be disadvantaged in yet another way.

Yes, it would be great to make them purchase healthcare insurance or give them a stipend for health care that they can't even obtain because there are no facilities near them. Yeah that makes great sense. Will this reform build hospitals in rural areas? Will it build a Sloan Kettering in Appalachia? Will those "po white" folks have equal care to a weathly New Yorker or Bostonian? Will they? Will great docs wanna work with the "po folk"?

[Onekidneynurse]

Are maybe they're not as ignorant as you think, and are actually capable of forming their own thoughts about how they wish to live their lives, and decided they didn't want the government stepping in and fixing what they didn't feel was broken.

Yeah the government has done such a great job with the coal miners in WV.............

[tewdles, RN]

I do think that great docs want to work with "po folk". I do think that there are some ignorant people when it comes to our healthcare system, it's shortcomings, and the need for meaningful reform...and the majority are probably not "po white folk". Trust me, whether those people know it or not, whether you want to admit it or not...our system is broken....it is too expensive, the wrong people are in control, and too many people have poor and/or limited access. I do not pretend to have all of the answers. But I am sincere in my desire to see change. People ARE dying because they do not have access to affordable healthcare. People are going bankrupt because of medical expenses. People lose their insurance everyday and cannot afford another option. We cannot sustain this system much longer, it will too soon eat up 20% of our GDP if we continue on our current course.

[tewdles, RN]

I guess that the bottom line is that I am an optimist. I see that our current system is not doing well. There is evidence in my patient's lives, in my family and friend's lives, and in published data. I embrace the opportunity to change this system for the better. I cannot imagine settling for the status quo...I believe that America can do MUCH BETTER.

[Onekidneynurse]

I guess that the bottom line is that I am an optimist. I see that our current system is not doing well. There is evidence in my patient's lives, in my family and friend's lives, and in published data. I embrace the opportunity to change this system for the better. I cannot imagine settling for the status quo...I believe that America can do MUCH BETTER.

America is not the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. We are a group of independent people who can take care of ourselves without help. If that government would only let us.

I see patients every day getting waaaaaaaaaaay too much care. Returning to the hospital within 12 hours with 6 kilograms of fluid on that we spent 3 treatments trying to get rid of. We had a patient in the hospital from Jan to Sept. Because she had a trach. and no NH would take her. She had Medicare of course. Do you really think the hospital didn't take a loss on that? Who do you suppose has to pick up that tab? We do because Medicare doesn't even pay what it costs to take care of a patient.

[tewdles, RN]

America is not the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. We are a group of independent people who can take care of ourselves without help. If that government would only let us.

I see patients every day getting waaaaaaaaaaay too much care. Returning to the hospital within 12 hours with 6 kilograms of fluid on that we spent 3 treatments trying to get rid of. We had a patient in the hospital from Jan to Sept. Because she had a trach. and no NH would take her. She had Medicare of course. Do you really think the hospital didn't take a loss on that? Who do you suppose has to pick up that tab? We do because Medicare doesn't even pay what it costs to take care of a patient.

You may cite examples of people receiving too much care but seem uninterested in cases where people have no or limited access to care. You point out abuses of our current broken system as if that is reason not to change it. The point you make that someone has to "pick up the tab" is directly on point...we the taxed masses pick up the tab and it currently costs us 16% of our GDP to continue to do it this way. So, currently, you have people paying for the healthcare for themselves and for the uninsured and at the same time they may well be at risk for bankrupcy because their insurance does not cover 100% of their own healthcare costs. Indeed, their insurance company could decide to drop them, or deny claims, etc. It might be different to pay 16% IF 95% of our population had good access to care and there was no such thing as bankrupcy for medical expense...BUT we don't have across the board good access and medical bankrupcy is on the rise. Besides, NO OTHER country pays as much for spotty healthcare as the USA does. We need reform. We need it soon. We cannot sustain this system.