Obama Health care Reform

EagleSmack

Hall of Fame Member
Feb 16, 2005
44,168
96
48
USA
Better question would be why didn't they reform health care when they had the chance?

Why reform something that doesn't need reforming?

What the dems are proposing isn't goverment run, they are offering insurance and making it mandatory to have insurance, thus bringing down the cost.

Of course it is government run.

Just curious, since you work for the military (correct me if I am wrong) what sort of coverage do you get?

I don't work for the military. When I was in the Marines we got full health care but when I was discharged from the military that health care stopped.
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
SJP: The doctor shortage is definatly artificially created in the U.S. and Canada. I do not remember reading how anyone was going confront the AMA or CMA about allowing more doctors. We are being flooded with nurse practitioners, but in most cases they are not as qualified as doctors. I personally do not want to have a doctor I have to use a translator to work with to.

Depends upon where the doctor is from, ironsides. Doctors from Indian subcontinent (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh) are very fluent in English, The university education over there is conducted in English (the medium of instruction is English). We know many doctors from that region and they have no problem with English at all.

I expect that would also be true of most Commonwealth countries, where influence of the British is strong. Malaysia, Singapore, Nigeria etc.
 

countryboy

Traditionally Progressive
Nov 30, 2009
3,686
39
48
BC
Because according to your CBO, your premise is incorrect. You can't just stick your head in the sand while costs rise, and your population ages.

Uh, sure you can. We do it in Canada, and the solution to that is simply raise taxes to cover the rising costs.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
548
113
Vernon, B.C.
Surely you are not saying that the Conservatives, the Harper government has raised taxes, are you?

For about 95% of Canadians raising taxes is no longer and option. With this new H.S.T. and paying for the 2010 Charade, we're are already beyond the pale. I suggest 306 M.P.s cut their salary by 25%.
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
For about 95% of Canadians raising taxes is no longer and option. With this new H.S.T. and paying for the 2010 Charade, we're are already beyond the pale. I suggest 306 M.P.s cut their salary by 25%.


Yes well, like it or not, tax increases are coming. I don’t know about Harper, the current Neocon philosophy seems to be to cut taxes and rack up huge, astronomical deficits. So if Canadians reelect Harper, that means that Canadians have decided to drown under a mountain of deficit and debt (but they will get their tax cut, of course).

However, if they elect Liberals and Liberals govern in Chrétien/Martin mold, they will want to reduce the astronomical deficits we currently have. And it won’t be pretty, it will involve spending cuts and tax increases.

Cutting deficit is never a pleasant task, you end up making many people mad (Liberals made plenty of people mad at them when they embarked upon deficit reduction) but it must be done. So any responsible government (perhaps this lets Conservatives out) will cut spending and raise taxes to get rid of the deficit, once we are safely out of the current economic mess.
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
Well, democrats cleared another hurdle, with 60 votes. One more to go (the final vote on the bill itself only needs 51 votes, not 60 votes).
 

countryboy

Traditionally Progressive
Nov 30, 2009
3,686
39
48
BC
Surely you are not saying that the Conservatives, the Harper government has raised taxes, are you?

Nope. In fact, the reason I vote for the Conservatives is that they try and run things pretty much in the opposite direction...the "right" way. But it's a big job cleaning up things that were caused by victims of CIFSS (see last paragraph). That is one nasty disease.

What I am saying is that we face 2 alternatives when it comes to paying for "free" health care. One - already alluded to in my post to which we're referring - is raising taxes, which has been done quite effectively over the years by all governments in many different ways - the Liberals being right up there - and/or 2. Reducing the level and quality of services when the tax ceiling has been reached, if in fact there is a tax ceiling. I suspect extremist left-leaning types have 100% income tax in mind when it comes to that sort of thing - i.e., the sky's the limit.

The provincial governments implement health care and Paul Martin (he was a Liberal, if memory serves) made sure that the federal/provincial health relationship was completely screwed up by "slaying the (debt) dragon." It seemed a bit strange to have a Canada Health Act - somewhat of an intrusion on the provincial responsibility for health care, but then, the Libs were famous for sticking their noses into things like provincial responsiblities, a natural thing when one considers their arrogant and elitist outlook on life in general - and then pulling out the federal financial responsiblity and shoving it back to the provinces. But then, when you consider that many Liberals feel that making things "look good" instead of making things "be" good is just ducky, I guess it's not a shocking revelation. After all, remember the (OK, my) definition of a Conservative: A Liberal with common sense added.

Taxpayers are taxpayers, and they all - with the exception of the Territories - reside in one of the 10 provinces. Even though Paul Martin and some of the diehard Liberals are still patting themselves on the back for such a great strategic maneuver (dumping the money issue on the provinces to make the federal budget look great), somebody still has to pay...the taxpayers, naturally.

Deterioration in the health care systems across the country have been well-publicized since then...all those wait time studies, etc. are being done for a reason, no?

It's rather sad that the diehard Libs who are convinced that Paul Martin is a legendary figure - at least in their own minds - are still suffering from "Cranium Implanted Firmly in Sphincter Syndrome" (CIFSS), and it looks like it's a permanent affliction. If he hadn't pulled the rug out from under the provinces, chances are the health care systems would have been better able to treat that condition. At this point, I see no hope for a cure.
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
Nope. In fact, the reason I vote for the Conservatives is that they try and run things pretty much in the opposite direction...the "right" way. But it's a big job cleaning up things that were caused by victims of CIFSS (see last paragraph). That is one nasty disease.

Yes, then I suppose Conservative party is the right party for you. They only know how to cut taxes (and how to run sky high deficit and astronomical debt), they don't know how to balance the budget.
 

countryboy

Traditionally Progressive
Nov 30, 2009
3,686
39
48
BC
Yes well, like it or not, tax increases are coming. I don’t know about Harper, the current Neocon philosophy seems to be to cut taxes and rack up huge, astronomical deficits. So if Canadians reelect Harper, that means that Canadians have decided to drown under a mountain of deficit and debt (but they will get their tax cut, of course).

However, if they elect Liberals and Liberals govern in Chrétien/Martin mold, they will want to reduce the astronomical deficits we currently have. And it won’t be pretty, it will involve spending cuts and tax increases.

Cutting deficit is never a pleasant task, you end up making many people mad (Liberals made plenty of people mad at them when they embarked upon deficit reduction) but it must be done. So any responsible government (perhaps this lets Conservatives out) will cut spending and raise taxes to get rid of the deficit, once we are safely out of the current economic mess.

Is a short memory mandatory in order to qualify as a bonafide lefty? I believe the Libs, NDP, and the Bloc folks were the ones screaming into microphones with the instensity of a sexually-starved mink in heat when the worldwide recession began a short while ago. And buried somewhere within the foaming spittle flying in all directions (some of the reporters present at these scrums had to duck the flying salvos of saliva) was the very consistent and strongly-worded dictate that the government had to DO SOMETHING IMMEDIATELY ABOUT THIS!!! Of course, that means spending money because we're in a panic, so spend lots of it and spend it now. The families sitting around their kitchen tables were waiting with bated breath for Mr. Harper to DO SOMETHING! NOW!!

The Conservatives couldn't move fast enough to try and respond the needs for economic stimulus cash to satisfy the loud lefties, but they tried. And they succeeded. But at the time, the accusations about "too little, too late" come to mind, were coming from - among others - the people you worship on a daily basis...the Liberals.

But, in spite of their weak, low-spending efforts to help the economy (which is now on its way to a recovery), Mr. Harper and his government are now being accused of sinking the country under a huge debt load due to "foolish" spending.

Jeez, make up your twisted left-wing minds!!! What the hell did you expect? You should be thankful that an honest, capable, and conservative government is in charge of our money at this critical time. They'll do the best job possible for you, even if you're too blinded by the spittle-laced, rhetoric-spewing accusers jumping out at you from the Peter Mansbridge Nightly "Let's Make Noise" show, all the while being goaded on by some very biased "reporters."

Get with the program and please allow yourself a modicum of common sense thinking for a moment so that you might look at the facts, and nothing but the facts. For the good of the country, take a break and just comtemplate reality for a moment. Thank you!
 

Tonington

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 27, 2006
15,441
150
63
Uh, sure you can. We do it in Canada, and the solution to that is simply raise taxes to cover the rising costs.

That's not true. The Feds allocated health transfer funds to the provinces which are directed toward medical treatments which are the most burdened. That is a function of the provinces demographics, and does not involve increasing taxes to cover rising costs. It doesn't actually address rising costs, but Canadian healthcare doesn't have the same problem as the privatized care in the US as far as rising healthcare costs go. We have different systems, with different challenges to meet.
 

countryboy

Traditionally Progressive
Nov 30, 2009
3,686
39
48
BC
That's not true. The Feds allocated health transfer funds to the provinces which are directed toward medical treatments which are the most burdened. That is a function of the provinces demographics, and does not involve increasing taxes to cover rising costs. It doesn't actually address rising costs, but Canadian healthcare doesn't have the same problem as the privatized care in the US as far as rising healthcare costs go. We have different systems, with different challenges to meet.

Torington, I don't disagree with you in terms of the mechanics of it. However, pretty much all government money, no matter which government in which jurisdiction, has to rely on getting the money they spend from the citizen, or the taxpayers. That's just the bottom line, and it applies to the entire spectrum of all government services - health care is not and cannot be exempt from that.

And I am in synch on the different challenges facing the US and Canada. I continue to suspect that more government involvement - whether direct, hands-on or simply an insurance arrangement will bring new and bigger challenges to the US, when and if implemented. No question there will be some serious net benefits to those who currently have no health coverage at all in the US.

I tend to suspect that our own systems could stand a lot of "performance enhancing review" but it is difficult to even consider that as it's such a hot potato...a lot of folks don't want it examined because of the fear of privatization or something. However, if you simply let any system just sit there and grow bigger, there is a huge risk that opportunities for improving the system (provide better service at lower cost) will be overlooked. I am very much in favour of regular and periodic reviews to "fine tune" the system to respond better to constantly changing needs. And that is not happening at this point.
 

Avro

Time Out
Feb 12, 2007
7,815
65
48
55
Oshawa
Why reform something that doesn't need reforming?

So a system which has 50 million uninsured, has skyrocketing costs and contributes to more than half of personal bankruptcies dosen't need reform?


Of course it is government run.

No, the health care you would have recieved in the militay is government run.


I don't work for the military. When I was in the Marines we got full health care but when I was discharged from the military that health care stopped.

So how was the government run health care?
 

EagleSmack

Hall of Fame Member
Feb 16, 2005
44,168
96
48
USA
So a system which has 50 million uninsured, has skyrocketing costs and contributes to more than half of personal bankruptcies dosen't need reform?

And the government which historically screws everything up is going to do better?


No, the health care you would have recieved in the militay is government run



So how was the government run health care?

It was OK but not as good as other private hospitals.
 

Avro

Time Out
Feb 12, 2007
7,815
65
48
55
Oshawa
And the government which historically screws everything up is going to do better?

The military is government run, so are the police and fire fighters.

Are they screwed up?


It was OK but not as good as other private hospitals.

Why wasn't it as good?
 

EagleSmack

Hall of Fame Member
Feb 16, 2005
44,168
96
48
USA
The military is government run, so are the police and fire fighters.

Are they screwed up?

The Military, Police, and Firefighters are run by themselves. The Military answers to the government. Police and fire answer to the mayors, selectmen, etc.

Do you think Congress knows how to "run" the military? :lol:


Why wasn't it as good?

Long story... you wouldnt get it.
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
So a system which has 50 million uninsured, has skyrocketing costs and contributes to more than half of personal bankruptcies dosen't need reform?


That indeed is the problem with US system, Avro, those who say it is the best system in the world, that there are no problems with it, do have truth on their side, in a sense. It is the best system in the world for those who can afford to pay for it, or for those who have a Cadillac health care plan, where everything is paid for by the insurance company or by the government.

EagleSmack probably has a Cadillac plan paid for by the military, so he presumably is not bothered by how many people don’t have any kind of insurance. And indeed, those with Cadillac plan do receive the best health care in the world, so I can understand their ‘I am all right, Jack’ attitude.

But the reality is that there are millions of people who don’t have any kind of insurance and they are pining for some kind of health care reform.