Posted on 01/08/2007 1:42:34 PM PST by libertarianPA
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday proposed to extend health coverage to nearly all of California's 6.5 million uninsured people, promising to spread the cost among businesses, individuals, hospitals, doctors, insurers and government.
The plan contains elements that are likely to provoke opposition from a wide range of powerful interests, including doctors, hospitals and insurers, as well as employers and unions. But it also contains incentives for each of them.
All children, regardless of their immigration status, would be covered through an expansion of the state and federal Healthy Families program.
"I don't think it is a question or a debate if they ought to be covered. ... The federal courts have made that decision — that no one can be turned away," Schwarzenegger said. "The question really isn't to treat them or not to treat them. The question really is how can you treat them in the most cost-effective way."
Under Schwarzenegger's plan, all Californians would be required to have insurance, although the poorest would be subsidized. Businesses with 10 or more employees would have to offer insurance to their workers or pay 4 percent of their payroll into a state fund. Smaller businesses would be exempt.
Also, insurers would no longer be allowed to deny coverage to people because of their medical problems.
Business groups and Republican legislators are likely to object to the extra costs imposed on businesses.
The state would subsidize the estimated 1.2 million poor people who do not currently qualify for state health coverage. They would be able to buy insurance through a state-run pool and would have to make a small contribution toward their premiums.
Schwarzenegger is betting that his plan will save $10 billion a year by cutting health care costs. He says the savings would offset the new fees he is asking doctors and hospitals to pay — 4 percent of revenue for hospitals and 2 percent for doctors.
The state also would increase what it pays doctors and hospitals through Medi-Cal, the state insurance plan for the poor.
The governor was supposed to give his address in person to a panel of health care officials. Instead, he spoke via video link since he is still recuperating from broken leg suffered in a skiing accident.
I basically agree with you but your analogy is faulty. Anybody can diagnose a broken garage door. Diagnosing health problems requires years of study and practice.
People should educate themselves on what the cost of raising a family is before they have the kids.
Arnie's plan is nothing but another wealth redistribution plan. If you think for one second that your premiums will go DOWN with this plan, you're stark, raving nuts or retarded.
If you're willing to sacrifice, why are you complaining about the premiums you're paying being applied to the non-payers we already have?
Paying medical costs for our servicemen and women is the best deal for taxpayers in the country.
"It would not be that much more of a burden to also require either a payroll tax to cover healthcare or a requirement that they also provide healthcare coverage."
Arte you joking, or are you out of your mind? I don't think you have any idea what this will cost. Not a clue.
A lot of those 41m uninsured are young adults with no health issues. When I was in my twenties and thirties, I doubt if I saw a doctor ten times in those twenty years.
Well said. :>
It's a commodity, just like anything else you PAY for. The fact that I PAY for it each month tells me it's a commodity, not a "RIGHT", and any commodity should be subject to an ordinary economic market system.
People who can afford it and are paying for it also die.
Just what California deserves for electing a pseudo-conservative comic book character for governor.
Not only all that, but when the government manages health care in a wealth redistribution scheme, and people don't have to pay directly out of their pocket each month, they will burden the system more. That will lead to rationing in the form of the government refusing to treat certain illnesses and injuries caused by life-styles and behaviors. Then it's a very short step to refusing to treat anybody who ever took a drink, smoked a cigarette, drove a little too fast, ate fatty foods or crossed on a red light and got hit by a car. A simple cholesterol screening could cause you to be refused treatment for heart disease, for instance. "Oops! Been eating those steaks and eggs again, I see! Guess you'll just have to figure out how to fix your heart yourself. See ya!"
No husband around to pick up the slack?
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday proposed to extend health coverage to nearly all of California's 6.5 million uninsured people, promising to spread the cost among businesses, individuals, hospitals, doctors, insurers and government.
That's just ridiculous! Like we can all afford to pay for all these illegals! There will be a BIG swarm to move to CA with all these sickies. Time to move outta here! Or vote him outta here! I think he's had too much morphine with that accident."
This will be what makes me leave for good. We're already too far in debt, we cannot afford this, and it will kill hospitals outright. Every 3rd-worlder will immediately head for CA when this looks like it will pass - and it will.
The day this passes is the day I start making my plans to get the hell out of this state. It's done. I've got my eye on a few places to go, I'm already looking into job possibilities in those places. I may take a huge pay cut, but I don't care anymore.
No. You make sure you have good credit, take the kid to the doctor, sign an agreement to pay in thirty days or put it on a credit card, and pay the $100 come payday.
Just like going out to dinner.
The Catholic Church has a lot of hospitals with charity programs. I think the Jewish faith also does.
I don't know about the Protestants.
I doubt the muzzies do.
The Catholic Church has a lot of hospitals with charity programs. I think the Jewish faith also does.
I don't know about the Protestants.
I doubt the muzzies do.
Sure. It's another method the left uses to dismantle religion in America - usurp charitable acts performed by religious bodies, and pick everyone's pocket so they have less to give to the churches for their charitable works.
Tell you what. You and all your ilk who feel the same way can get together and each of you adopt one of these non-payers. You pay for your ward, each of the others pays for his or her ward.......in perpetuity, because once you start paying for their needs, they aren't going to step up to the plate to provide for themselves. They never have, they never will.
Then everybody will be happy.
By the way, the guy working in the restaurant kitchen probably doesn't have sick leave, or he gets one or two days a year. If he's sick, he's not going to stay home unless he's dying, so having health insurance isn't going to keep your food any safer.
"The boast that America has the world's best health care is only true if you believe that a system that costs more than any other, covers a lower percentage of people and produces a life-expectancy that is the lowest among comparable countries constitutes "the best"."
We do have better quality care than other western countries. People aren't flying to Germany or Russia to see specialists. They come here when they want or need the best.
Anyway, prove that a fact is a "boast".
Or maybe we ask them what it's worth to THEM to protect themselves or have their own protection. I can just about guarantee you that every one of these "needy" cases own a car, at least one nice TV and stereo, and a computer.
One of the reasons why poor people are poor is because they will not save one dime and have absolutely ZERO money management skills.
I see people in stores whom I recognize as being poor or borderline by certain behaviors and dress, and their carts are loaded with junk food, for instance. Many of them are overweight in the first place, but they keep buying that crap, they keep calling out for pizza delivery while they sit in their well-heated or air-conditioned homes and watch movies from the video rental store. Some of these people spend enough money on crap food, little toys and trinkets, entertainment and cheap jewelry each month to pay their own medical premiums, at least in part, but they don't want to because there is already a system in place that allows them to spend their discretionary income on useless crap.
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