What other options do you have this election? Is it even that big of a deal to the average American? I just see it EVERYWHERE in the media from here in Canada... so many people with horror stories... that I assume it's a major issue for the elections. Is it something that the average healthy American cares about?
while I can only speak for what I personally care about, I can say that the entire healthcare system here is fucked up. Drug prices are way too high, navigating what insurance will cover and won’t and which doctor you can go to is a royal pain in the ass, insurance costs a mortgage payment to get a good plan, and everyone likes to blame Obama for it all. I would be happy with ANYTHING other than what we have right now. As a general rule, I want the government out of everything. Smallest government possible, fewest laws, let the individuals decide what is best for them. However, if government-run healthcare will un-fuck what we have right now, then I’m all for it. I think a lot of people see that though, and think of what the media reports as long wait times in Canada and the like. What they don’t realize is that it’s a priority-based system where you’re getting that MRI real quick if they think you have a brain tumor but Jane’s nose surgery get’s pushed a little further back if it’s not as important. I would be shocked if you polled 1000 Americans and more than a third of them could explain the difference between socialism and communism. Granted, I don’t think socialism is a good idea (fuck free college), but I do think that in some places and under some circumstances, elements of it are certainly much better than what we currently have.
I’m actually not opposed to free college. Simply because it doesn’t mean that you get automatic acceptance. I think having tuition covered for undergrad would actually make getting in more challenging. Therefore, in theory, getting a better education. The more accessible schools are, the more people qualify to get in, the more competitive you have to be.
These are also the same hypocritical people clamoring the US should abolish the electoral college for a popular vote.
The problem is he doesn't and he isn't. Bernie's positive comments about oppressive communist regimes will likely turn into his own "fine people on both sides" moment. When pressed by Cooper, he shows he doesn't have a coherent plan to pay for all of his promises, other than by taxing the shit out of anyone above the poverty line. 60 Minutes Interview Interview with Andersen Cooper
He's released an outline of his tax plan because of the interview. A bunch of super rosie best case scenarios as far as new tax schemes go. Peppered with tax the rich feel good proposals he ignores what the average cost of proposed government programs have ended up costing in reality (to the order of 7 times the proposed cost) and none of it would be able to cover everything he's suggesting without eventual squeezing it out of people in the middle class. One money making scheme is just litigate and sue the energy sectors he doesn't like. Not that that won't hit lower class people hard in the pocket books when the price of energy necessarily skyrockets.
In what way do you expect them to be to worse off? It seems to me that a lot of Americans underestimate how shitty a lot of these so called 'good' middle class insurance plans are until they actually have to lean on them. My dad had about as good of an insurance plan as someone in the upper middle class can afford and still shelled 500k out of pocket over the course of a year until his cancer killed him. Bear in mind, most medical bankruptcies occur with people who already have insurance.
Yeah, I don't get how you all are so brainwashed into thinking that what you have is so special... it's still stupidly expensive, and so restrictive.
I think it comes down more to people voting in their own self-interest vs. what's better for the nation at large. If Sanders does get the nod, as much as I like him, his positions could potentially seriously impact me in a negative manner, so I have to take that into consideration. The main consideration. I know that at a certain point, if he wins the nomination, I am going to put pen to paper and figure out if this healthcare for all with higher tax rate is going to save me money. What impact a potential increased min. wage would have on me. I am toward the upper end of the tax bracket that sanders is talking about taxing the shit out of, and to be honest it is frightening. Never mind his insane stance on guns. I don't think there's a snowball's chance in hell that any serious gun restrictions are going to pass (I find it laughable that the bump stock ban did), but if it starts to look like it's more than just pandering to his base like trump did with his wall, then I will absolutely either not vote that way, or abstain at the top of the ballot.
A lot of the sanders supporters in Congress and through punditry are painting this picture of basically keeping the care you’re currently getting but without copays, premiums, or deductibles. Eliminating that portion of my paycheck contribution but upping the Medicare portion an unknown sum could be rough. It’s gonna cost big time.
And that's what scares me. Until I know what it costs, I can't say if I'm for or against it. If I get basically the same healthcare but at a greater cost? No way in hell. I know it's selfish, but it has to be better for me first. If it's good for me and good for everyone else, then that's a bonus. But my responsibility is to myself and my family, not to everyone else. And I don't fault everyone for having this same approach. Whatever expendable income I have, I feel that I know a lot better than the government where it should go. They don't have the right to take my money and use it as they see fit.
I just don’t think it’s possible to transfer to an entirely different payor system but still allow people to keep the same exact care they had before. It’s not possible. In order to keep costs down, they will probably have to go to a gatekeeper system. Where you have to go to your pcp for everything to obtain a referral and then you get scheduled based on need. It works, but it stinks. They just can’t keep promising the world to people because it will ultimately lead to disappointment.
I'm with you. Look at Europe, where socialized care of the citizenry is common. 45% tax rates, 20% VAT (equivalent to sales taxes in US) and taxes on many other goods/services. That is a hard sell for me, I don't care that it sounds selfish.
I pay $1,600 a month for health insurance for my family with a $10k deductible. Insurance has never kicked in. I have friends that pay out of pocket and admit that their total health care costs for a YEAR don’t add up to one month’s premium. That’s very, very enticing.
Holy dem debate!! Bloomberg seriously needs to bow out before he says something illegal and gets arrested. Sanders looks like the first sign of a stroke. Warren is just mad at the world.
Imagine paying for something you never use. Oh and in a few years, God forbid, you need the coverage to kick in and the only way to get what you paid for is to sue them.
We pay over $2000 a month with a $5k deductible. We need good insurance, because two young kids and also I am me. This isn't a government thing. Our healthcare system is absolutely incredible. It's the insurance companies, drug companies and doctors that are fucking lunatics. The system works just fine, they just gotta get the lobbyists out of the way and stop letting insurance companies commit statutory rape.
I paid $82 a month in BC, nothing per month in Ontario (other than my yearly taxes), with zero deductible. My work benefits plan covers things like glasses, dentist, drugs, etc. My worst accident was a very badly dislocated knee playing rugby (3 of the 4 ligaments in the knee separated from the bone, and the major nerve was severed at the knee). 2 weeks in hospital on major drugs with a few different surgeries, including nerve reparation, and 3 years of physio and it didn't cost me any more than $82/month. (Happened when I was living in BC).