If we supported healtcare because we didnt want to pay for insurance we would simply love the way things are now. It's free now.
The problem effeciency. We pay for healthcare now, but in a way that causes us to pay more when we dont have to.
Lets say John Doe is a 45 yr old cable guy, has no health insurance, and he has a heart attack. When John goes to the emergecy room his bill will be paid for by either the tax payers, or those who have insurance via higher premieums. Lets say John runs up a $20,000 bill. Doctors in ER say this could have been avoided if John had been able to see doctors 5-10 years ago when John reported to doctors he noticed certain things going on with his health.
Imagaine if John was allowed to see the doctor once a year for the 10 years prior to his heart attack. 10 visits at $200 per visit would $2,000. Lets say $200 for meds over 10 years, thats another 2,000. John's $20,000 bill could have been avoided with a 4,000 spread out over 10 years. Now imagine a country with 30-40 million Johns. Then do the math.
What you guys fail to realize is that you're paying a hidden tax for the un-insured. The new healthcare should eliminate or at leat lower this hidden tax.
Real life example:
VALLEJO -- The numbers are staggering by almost anyone's standards.
When Vallejo resident Betty Simmons suffered a massive heart attack on May 25, 2004, emergency crews rushed her first to Sutter Solano Medical Center.
The hospital charge: $20,995.
Because of the seriousness of her condition, she was quickly transferred to John Muir Medical Center in Concord, where she spent 13 days as medical experts labored to save her life.
The bill: $531,000.
Just about every private insurer provides plan with free prevenative care, because it keeps their cost down in the long run. Why wouldnt the biggest insurer (The US government) do the same thing?
Re: not a put down
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