Letters to the editor: If other nations can have affordable health care, so can we
Published: August 18, 2009
If other nations can have affordable health care, so can we
One big problem with our health system is the profit motive of health insurance companies.
They are in business to make money, and they do not make money on sick people. They do everything they can to keep them off their policies. The ironic thing is that it is sick people who need health care.
I hear some healthy people say they are paying up to $1,000 per month for health insurance.
Did you know that the insurance companies skim around 33 percent of the cost of insurance to pay for overhead which includes paying their CEOs, advertising, paying their investors and paying people to exclude coverage for everything and everyone they possibly can.
It is distressing to me to hear of proposals that will require everyone to choose policies from these hundreds of insurance companies.
What a boon to them! Some regulations are proposed to require them to accept any applicant. How will that cut costs?
A public choice similar to Medicare would seem prudent.
It is disturbing to me to hear private companies howl against a public option when all of these last few years free market supporters have preached the efficiency of private industry in relation to government programs.
Medicare and VA run at two to four percent overhead and provide good care. I question whether private insurance companies can be the answer to effective health insurance reform.
I am happy to see the support of the AMA to reform health insurance.
They support expanding coverage to all, to eliminate denials for preexisting conditions, to include prevention and wellness initiatives, to address medical liability reform and to fix the broken Medicare physician payment system.
Everyone should be able to have affordable health care.
If other countries can do it, so can we.
Marilyn Garrett
Opelika
Statewide historic preservation conference coming to Auburn
Mark your calendars now! Auburn will host a statewide historic preservation conference titled “Building Partners for Preservation,” Oct. 8-10. Sponsors are the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation, the Alabama Historical Commission, and the Black Heritage Council, with the Auburn Preservation League serving as the local partner.
This is a unique opportunity to learn about historic preservation and area history and for those of us living here, it is a bargain.
In keeping with the theme — Building Partners for Preservation — Auburn Preservation League, headed by Dr. Bobby Dees, is hosting a reception. The Auburn Heritage Association, headed by Mary Norman, is facilitating registration at its wonderful Pine Hill lantern tour that weekend. Dr. Ralph Draughon and Ann Draughon Cousins are sponsoring an event at the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities, named for their mother.
Dwayne Cox, Head of Archives and Collections at the Ralph Brown Draughon Library, is hosting attendees in special collections. Carl Morgan, city liaison to the Historic Planning Commission, is leading a walking tour through the North College Street Historic District, including visits to the Pick Home, the Crenshaw Guest House and Thomas Sparrow’s wonderful adaptive re-use project on Bragg Avenue, Commerce Networks. The War Eagle Girls and Plainsmen are leading a tour of campus.
Main Street Opelika will welcome participants to its “On the Tracks” celebration and its historic districts are featured on a self-guided tour of Auburn, Opelika, west Lee County and east Macon County. Many of the venues open for visitors. There are three conference tracks: Main Street, Green Preservation and Preservation Partnerships.
This is such a special opportunity. Registration is required. Check http://www.alabamatrust.info in the coming weeks or call the Alabama Trust at 205-652-3497.
Sheila Eckman
Auburn
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Reader Reactions
Dear DG—One of the things I’m learning in this debate (really I already knew it, but this debate has just made it so much clearer) is that people are going to pick and choose what they believe. People tend to pick out the facts that support their views and ignore facts that don’t. People will interpret data and evidence differently to support their views as well. We’re going to have to agree to disagree on health-care reform. However, I do believe I am on the winning side on this one!
P.S. I’m glad you are supporting Artur Davis. Better him than the republican candidate.
P.P.S. Huffington Post is a blog. Lots of different people post on there. Some more impressive than others. But as far as Arianna goes, I used to dislike her quite a bit, but have come to really appreciate her these days. And btw, I read lots of different news sources.
we will agree that health care needs reforming, and the between 7-15 million US citizens that do not have it access to good preventable health care because of thier own financial status needs help(no one is denied emergency services- that illegal) the 45-47 million include folks that eleceted not to keep insurance, non US citizens, etc (fact check)
but the present HR3200 in the present form is not what we need, and if the dems push it through (and they do not need any GOP votes)... they will lose much of the baby bummers, and the next election
below is not the cos or huffington..or hannity or limbaugh..but real respected
From Canadian Free Press
“We all agree that the system is imploding, we all agree that things are more precarious than perhaps Canadians realize,“ Dr Anne Doig said in an interview with The Canadian Press about the canadian health care system. ( she is in coming President of Canadian Med Assoc)
“(Canadians) have to understand that the system that we have right now - if it keeps on going without change - is not sustainable,“ said Doig.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jbjzPEY0Y3bvRD335rGu_Z3KXoQw
keep the faith
Marilyn, you are absolutely correct. Many countries do have universal health care, not just Canada and England. What about all the hundreds of others countries that also offer universal health care? Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, and many, many others have stellar care and cover EVERYONE!
There are many different ways we could reform health care, but a public option is the best plan. It can offer low-cost care to those who cannot afford private insurance and people who still would rather pay to support CEO’s can choose to do that. It seems a great compromise to me.
I agree that the government has not been exceptionally clear about how to pay for the system, and they need to start doing that, but I see it paying for itself. Remember that all the uninsured people right now cost us too. They cost us in emergency room bills that they cannot pay. Hospitals must pass those costs onto us. They cost us in all the catastrophic care they need from years of medical care neglect. They cost us in sick time at work. They cost us in the loss of productivity. They cost us in the education of their children who may not be getting the proper nutrition, vaccines, and preventative care to do well in school. They cost us in increased credit card interest rates for defaulting on their debt that builds up from medical bills. They cost our country in many more ways than I can list here. (For a full analysis by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured: http://www.kff.org/uninsured/upload/The-Cost-of-Care-for-the-Uninsured-What-Do-We-Spend-Who-Pays-and-What-Would-Full-Coverage-Add-to-Medical-Spending.pdf)
I know many people who would start their own business if they didn’t have to worry about losing health insurance from their jobs. A public option would allow people to be more mobile and pursue better career and business options, thereby creating more jobs. If we could just get over ourselves and our irrational fears, and do some real research, we’d find that the public option is the only real way to truly reform our broken health care system.
RE: Affordable Healthcare
“They support expanding coverage to all, eliminate denials for preexisting conditions, include prevention and wellness initiatives, address medical liability reform and fix the broken Medicare physician payment system.“
Most everyone agrees with these areas. The issues become with the rest of the intended consequences. Canadian healthcare is threatening to implode - per the head of the CMA. England has a dual system - so you have to pay to get quality care or else wait for second rate. There is NO easy answer to this, except to do what these countries have done and that is ration care and deny it to the elderly.
There are some with legitimate complaints with the issues above. Deal with them and it would fix the vast majority of problems. But, do not rush through poorly thought out ideas as the Obama administration has done already with other huge spending bills. We would only greatly hurt the many to help the very few. And that is just plain foolish - and if it were done by a doctor it would be grounds for malpractice.
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