New logo for Obamacare. This looks about right to me.

U4prez ^

[rrdog]

This is kind of funny, but true in a very real way.

[FourPeas]

Medical care should be no different from any other service people seek. People should be expected to work-out a payment plan with their medical providers. If these people own a house and two cars, well they have assets. They need to evaluate their situation. Perhaps they should sell their house and move into a less expensive apartment. Perhaps they can get by with just one car. Perhaps there are places in their budget where they need to make cuts. Perhaps the husband needs to take another job, as Dave Ramsey says, “delivering pizzas.”

If, after all of the above, they still can't get the money, there are charities that will help those people who don't have the resources. This is truly where people need to go to seek help. Some churches/temples/synagogues have funds to help in such situations. I've belonged to congregations where the people work to help out, holding fund raisers or donating items. In one circumstance empty-nesters traded houses with a family who was pregnant with multiples, low on funds, and desperately needed space.

People who find themselves in the situation you describe and decide Medicaid is the answer before taking a serious look at how they can take responsibility for their own lives are the problem in this country. Enabling them is not the solution.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Bring costs down... this isn't the government's job, it is the job of the free market to determine price.. it is government intervention that is driving the costs up.... by doing things like MANDATING mental health care in all policies... Personally I don't want Canadian or EU healthcare with the government making the care decisions instead of the doctor who actually went to medical school... get government out of our healthcare ... all healthcare....

[TNCMAXQ]

I saw a bumper sticker this morning that I have a feeling we will see a lot more soon: “Gov’t health care: Public enema #1.” Right on target!

[FourPeas]

These people NEED to call Dave Ramsey.

http://www.daveramsey.com/

If you're not familiar with him, he host a radio show and a show on Fox Business. Stations that carry his radio show can be found on his sight.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

I say simply it is not in the US Constitution.

Forcing someone to pay for something and then punishing them for not paying is depriving them of property without due process.

Secondarily, there is a better, more Constitutionally-principled way of addressing this issue.

Simply, you don’t have to buy insurance if you don’t want to. But if you face catastrophe, YOU pay the bills, no one else. Now, if you want the treatment, that may mean entering a loan agreement with the hospital, and it may well approach the cost of a mortgage when all is said and done.

Facing that possibility, most people would make the intelligent decision to go out and get their own coverage for catastrophic situations.

Another point, many, many people, including young people, would easily be able to afford “catastrophic” insurance if the US government would lift the regulations prohibiting buying insurance in other states. Utah offers a couple of excellent “catastrophic” plans that are very affordable. But you have to live in Utah to purchase them (thank you Federal Regulations for driving up prices).

[Mad Dawgg]

"I understand that. I’m saying it’s something that must be addressed as we try to figure out how to bring down COSTS in our healthcare system."

Free Markets work, Healthcare Insurance destroys the Free Market. Making people pay for Health Insurance to lower costs is like trying to put out a fire by squirting gasoline on the blaze.

[GloriaJane]

That’s about what’s going on. Buy the insurance or be fined or go to jail.

How much is it going to cost us to keep all the people who don’t buy insurance in jail? What a stupid stupid idea! Not to mention communistic!

[Dems_R_Losers]

See my tagline....I have it on a bumper sticker and get LOTS of horn-honks and thumbs-up for it!

[Dems_R_Losers]

See my tagline....I have it on a bumper sticker and get LOTS of horn-honks and thumbs-up for it!

[rrdog]

There is nothing at all wrong with a state doing it. Many states force you to buy auto insurance. It is illegal and unconstitutional for Congress to do it. Madison made this clear not only with the commerce clause, but in his writings as plubius in the Federalist papers.

[GloriaJane]

"What say you?"

I say, God made us free! No one owns us! No one has any right to tell we the people that we "must" buy anything in order to live without being accosted by the law.

[Hildy]

I agree with you.. You just reiterated my original point.

[Brugmansian]

I will not be popular, but I want to ask you this question. What is wrong with making people pay for BASIC , CATASTROPHIC HEALTHCARE?

Making it mandatory is not needed. Let people buy it across state lines. Enact serious tort reform. Put no mandates on what is covered. Make it tax deductable or even allow a tax credit for the policy. It will be so cheap few people won't buy it.

[Hildy]

I totally agree with you. The people who jumped on me didn’t understand what I was trying to say. It’s so easy, that it’ll be impossible for the government to do. Now I must ask another unpopular question, why didn’t the Republicans do that when they were in control?

[Brugmansian]

GOP didn’t have the control needed to do all I suggested. Look at Democrats now. Even with 60 Senators, and over twice the House members the GOP had under Bush, they are having trouble with their health care bill.

[Hildy]

They could have done SOMETHING. Tort reform...etc.