The Observation Deck

Sharon, do you have the name of the hospital that tossed this person to the curb because they didn't have the insurance to pay for the transplant?

James' information said 14% on the extreme ends of the political spectrum. Let's pad those numbers, just a little...let's say there was a +/- 3% error rate on that survey, that's a potential 6-point swing.
So, let's say 20% of the population is extreme/radical.

My point in asking is that you would not be, by any stretch, considered a majority opinion. You sit in the minority. Dennis sits in the minority.

When did this country become one of Minority Rule (politically)?

Who said it did. I'm a radical, but that by no means includes everyone who is for the bill.

Why would you think I'd say that.

Brett - No hospital will do a transplant without promise of payment. To tell the truth they can't. They are swamped with people in the emergency room with no healthcare with colds and flu and things that should be for a doctors office but because they can't afford that, they come to the ER.

They already do a lot with no compensation, the feds fill in and bottom line it costs everyone in rising costs at hospitals and health care premiums. Why am I explaining this to you, you know more than me right?

I can get one and was going to go on the list, because I'm covered by Medicare, which I paid into for many, many years.

sharon kinsella wrote:I can get one and was going to go on the list, because I'm covered by Medicare, which I paid into for many, many years.

That money's long gone. It went to those people that were on Medicare while you were paying in, just like Social Security. The money that's actually paying your Medicare most likely comes from the loans from China.
There's now $74.8 trillion in unfunded Medicare liabilities. What's that going to mean for my generation and my kids (if I ever have any)?

Well, I did pay for it and that's all I'm saying about it.

just asked for the hospital so that I might explore their particular policies.

I'm sure someone as knowledgable as yourself would want me to do as much research on the topic as possible, right?

I know that there are programs out there for financial assistance in this type of matter, but before I judge for myself how I think the system should be corrected I'd like to try to properly identify the loopholes or cracks your friend slipped through.

Frankly, I firmly believe that the plan that would have done the most to aleviate this problem was the one pitched by Kucinich: immediate extension of medicaid and medicare to all, based not on age, but on need.

That's the one I'm for also Brett.

They live in Iowa and I'm working with the family to get her on Social Secrurity Disability. Unfortunately, Iowa, like every other state, is backed up on reviewing cases.

Roy asks....

There's now $74.8 trillion in unfunded Medicare liabilities. What's that going to mean for my generation and my kids (if I ever have any)?

That's an easy one. You're screwed.

Take the $75 trillion in unfunded Medicare, Social Security and other federal promises. Remember the analysis I did that showed that Ohio state pensions would absorb somewhere between four and 10 years of Ohio state revenues, depending on your assumptions? Let's do the same sort of analysis on the $75 billion in unfunded promises.

The federal government projects its total revenue from all sources in 2010 to be about $2.165 trillion. So if you applied 100% of all federal revenues to actually fund Medicare, Social Security, etc. it would take almost 35 years (!) to fully fund them. Our annual GDP is around $14 trillion, so if you applied our entire GDP to fund these programs, it would take over five years worth.

As a nation we are in complete denial of the astonishing bills that we have run up, at all levels of the public (especially) and private sectors. Debt that can never be repaid and promises that can never be kept.

Roy there is no question in my mind that your generation is headed for a substantially diminished standard of living unless you coalesce and do something about it. It is unfortunate that the children and young adults do not understand the gravity of the problem. Because our older citizenry surely won't do anything about it unless they (we) are forced to.

Us old folks think we earned our Medicare. Well we didn't. At 1.45% you'ld have to earn and pay the Medicare tax on $700,000 in wages just to cover a couple days in the hospital.

As Bill said, our government has completely squandered a legacy that took many generations to acquire.

You're right Tim and I feel that the healthcare billl will be a start to bringing down healthcare costs.

OMG I just said that Tim Liston was right - I'm so embarassed.

and I don't believe that you can legislate costs, just who ends up paying them.

We already do legislate costs, it's called Medicare and Medicaid. Compare what they pay and you pay. It's pretty astounding.

Sharon, if you are referring to the costs paid by Medicare vs private insurance, you are right, there is no comparison. I have had the reason to do this. I'm astounded by how little Medicare pays.

I'm also responsible for my employer's health insurance coverage. I'd love to know what percentage of payments made on my behalf by private insurance goes to make up for the smaller payments (cost control) of Medicare. What, am I supposed to believe that if all services are subject to "cost control" that the service providers will be viable and be able to continue providing services. Dream on. Oh they will survive, because most, not all, will adapt like they have in the past.

I believe reform is needed in this segment of our economy. No doubt. But the last few months have shown, politicans are only out for themselves and their legacy. You can't convince me otherwise. Explain why this "urgent" issue takes years to implement. If it is truly "urgent", shouldn't it be sooner?

I feel as if we are being pushed into an imaginary uptopia where we no longer need to worry, Uncle Sam has us covered, by a cast of cowards who are afraid to actually vote on the bill.

you haven't really changed the price of anything with the legislation, medicare and medicaid just switch the cost from those receiving aid over to those of us paying the taxes to support them.

not saying that is right or wrong, but just wish to point out that the costs don't really go down, the price just gets spread out onto everyone else.

It already is Brett, that's what you refuse to see. Why do you think costs are what they are. And cost will go down because those who have no insurance and no income to speak of will be able to get preventative care so that say, diseases like diabetes can be controlled and don't escalate into amputations and heart attacks, the costs of which then go back to you, the fine upstanding taxpayer. Not to say that many so afflicted were also taxpayers. But you will and do pay. Let's reduce the medical costs and the human costs.