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Oh I hope so. This is an excerpt from a blog I wrote on this exact issue. It was on Myspace which I don't expect anyone to want to log into to so I have just c

Oh I hope so. This is an excerpt from a blog I wrote on this exact issue. It was on Myspace which I don't expect anyone to want to log into to so I have just copied and pasted. " As an immigrant to the US, it took me years to realize that many Americans stayed in shitty jobs because they were afraid to lose their health care. Well, it's almost 20 years later and I have had health care for about two of them, none recently, and I still won't keep a shitty job over health care. In fact I have owned my own business for the other 18 years and … wait for it…..STILL DON'T have health care. Why? Because it's a bad deal. A sucker deal, because it's not really health care, it's insurance and insurance companies are money grubbing, fear mongering scumbags. I used to have affordable product liability insurance, and then they tripled the price post 9/11, because…….terrorists were gonna, what, ummm, file frivolous lawsuits? Please, that was the last straw. Insurance sucks. It costs a fortune, health, auto, liability, property, it's all a bad deal, if you self insured on most of them or just absorbed your losses. On an actuarial basis 99 percent of people would come out ahead, vs. paying premiums their whole lives. That one percent? Well in my world, we have benefits and it seems to work out. But, that's too scary if you grew up with "The Fear" that every American gets indoctrinated with. I'll probably die of untreated cancer which is just a guess at this point, but the freedom I have now by not having to pay for all that insurance is worth it. Don't misunderstand, some I legally have to have, auto, workers comp, but the rest I let lie. In exchange for taking this risk, I have been able to pursue my not so lucrative dreams. I would love to see nationalized health care, not so much for myself, but just to see my friends be able to leave "The Fear" behind and be able to follow their dreams. I love America. Here's to better times. Soon."

biohacker42 17y ago
As an immigrant to the US, it took me years to realize that many Americans stayed in shitty jobs because they were afraid to lose their health care. I second this personal anecdote. I bet other can say the same. I vague recall a study about this, but google fails me.
profquail 17y ago
As much as I disagree with the unbridled spending that has been going on in Washington recently (but is just continuing a trend from the past several administrations), I just don't see any non-selfish reasons why someone would argue against having universal healthcare. I mean, it's the 21st century! We were supposed to have flying cars and such already, but there's still tens of millions of people in our country that can't get treatment for even minor illnesses (which, untreated, can worsen and bring on deadly complications). The only thing that I'm afraid of in this case (other than the cost) is that the system becomes too bureaucratic, where most people continue to use private doctors simply because there's too much "red tape" to get treated in a public facility.
- DanielBMarkham 17y ago
  I just don't see any non-selfish reasons why someone would argue against having universal healthcare. How about "my kids can't afford it" Or "increasing demand while keeping supply constant will NOT lower costs" Or "I should have the freedom to come up with a million-dollar-per-ill cure for cancer and not have the government take it" None of these are selfish. I've got others, if you'd like to hear them.
  - profquail 17y ago
    I never said the costs would be lower. In fact, the cost issue is the only real argument I see against it. Why not offer incentives (tax breaks, for example) to coerce the system into the right state? For example, if you go to medical school or nursing school and graduate in the top 50% of your class (from any accredited school), you would be automatically reimbursed for the entirety of your tuition by the government. This would create an incentive for more students to become doctors and nurses, which is sorely needed today; at the same time, it reduces the barrier to entry (the cost), creates motivation to do well, and also keeps the price of service (what the doctor charges you) down as well (since they're not having to pay back $200k in student loans). At the same time, the system should require everyone to get certain tests on a regular basis (e.g. a yearly physical). If you don't take care of yourself at some kind of baseline level (the doctor should be able to tell from your charts), then you will be charged a "surplus" fee since you will be requiring more medical care down the road (e.g. heart disease due to lack of exercise). This would motivate people to get in shape, or at least they'd be paying for the extra costs of their own care. So, essentially, it's free as long as you play your own little part in the system. On another note, all the people that I've heard argue against UH have all said that they don't want to pay for someone else's healthcare. While I understand where they're coming from (I hold mostly libertarian political views), you have to remember that the 'healthier' our society becomes (due to UH, or simply lifestyle changes, etc.), the "cost" per person is reduced. This is because healthier people are more able to contribute to society, rather than unhealthy people who must survive on the contributions of others.
roc 17y ago
You sound like a good guy. I hope you never get sick while uninsured in America. I too have spent a majority of my life without health insurance. I just haven't been as lucky. The Fear is truly unfortunate, but there's a reason people have it and it's not blind indoctrination.
- dan_the_welder 17y ago
  Me too, and I am sorry for whatever you have had to deal with. It is an embarrassment that you have had to deal with potentially huge financial repercussions in one of the richest and most technologically advanced countries in the world. I agree that there are reasons to have the fear. Don't get me wrong, I have Alzheimer's and some interesting cancers in my family history, so I have some of the fear. I don't exactly know how to phrase this, but did you actually have a choice, either financially or in terms of being true to your desires? Do you have regrets?
mattchew 17y ago
Not to be rude, but it doesn't look like you have been paying much attention to what Universal Health Care in the U.S. will actually mean. I legally have to have, auto, workers comp [...] And now you will legally have to have health insurance. Insurance sucks. It costs a fortune, health, auto, liability, property, it's all a bad deal [...] You have a bad attitude, but the health insurance companies won't have to worry about it much longer. You'll be paying up with the rest of the citizen-units. Well, you thought you wanted Universal Coverage. You got it. Go America! Land of the free!
- dan_the_welder 17y ago
  Yes, I am going to be pissed if we end up with the Massachusetts solution. Just curious, are you working a job or are you making a go of it with your software biz?
  - mattchew 17y ago
    There was never any doubt about what "Universal Coverage" would mean, not to me. The popular view is that health care reform was about taking care of the American People. My view, health care reform was always about taking care of the health care interest groups (insurance at the top of the list). I don't have a job, but I pay the bills from contracting, not from Homeschool Day Book. (So far I have not marketed it very well and don't have many sales.)
crux_ 17y ago
I'm not advocating getting health insurance, exactly, but your life as you know it will end if you get seriously sick or injured. (Exception: if you have millions in the bank you're probably just fine.) Personally I'm paying for health insurance, but only the bare minimum (rather high deductible). I consider it my rock climbing tax: insurance can give you some freedoms (the freedom to take a bit of extra risk, in this case) as well as take them away.

biohacker42 17y ago

As an immigrant to the US, it took me years to realize that many Americans stayed in shitty jobs because they were afraid to lose their health care. I second this personal anecdote. I bet other can say the same. I vague recall a study about this, but google fails me.

profquail 17y ago

As much as I disagree with the unbridled spending that has been going on in Washington recently (but is just continuing a trend from the past several administrations), I just don't see any non-selfish reasons why someone would argue against having universal healthcare. I mean, it's the 21st century! We were supposed to have flying cars and such already, but there's still tens of millions of people in our country that can't get treatment for even minor illnesses (which, untreated, can worsen and bring on deadly complications). The only thing that I'm afraid of in this case (other than the cost) is that the system becomes too bureaucratic, where most people continue to use private doctors simply because there's too much "red tape" to get treated in a public facility.

DanielBMarkham 17y ago
I just don't see any non-selfish reasons why someone would argue against having universal healthcare. How about "my kids can't afford it" Or "increasing demand while keeping supply constant will NOT lower costs" Or "I should have the freedom to come up with a million-dollar-per-ill cure for cancer and not have the government take it" None of these are selfish. I've got others, if you'd like to hear them.
- profquail 17y ago
  I never said the costs would be lower. In fact, the cost issue is the only real argument I see against it. Why not offer incentives (tax breaks, for example) to coerce the system into the right state? For example, if you go to medical school or nursing school and graduate in the top 50% of your class (from any accredited school), you would be automatically reimbursed for the entirety of your tuition by the government. This would create an incentive for more students to become doctors and nurses, which is sorely needed today; at the same time, it reduces the barrier to entry (the cost), creates motivation to do well, and also keeps the price of service (what the doctor charges you) down as well (since they're not having to pay back $200k in student loans). At the same time, the system should require everyone to get certain tests on a regular basis (e.g. a yearly physical). If you don't take care of yourself at some kind of baseline level (the doctor should be able to tell from your charts), then you will be charged a "surplus" fee since you will be requiring more medical care down the road (e.g. heart disease due to lack of exercise). This would motivate people to get in shape, or at least they'd be paying for the extra costs of their own care. So, essentially, it's free as long as you play your own little part in the system. On another note, all the people that I've heard argue against UH have all said that they don't want to pay for someone else's healthcare. While I understand where they're coming from (I hold mostly libertarian political views), you have to remember that the 'healthier' our society becomes (due to UH, or simply lifestyle changes, etc.), the "cost" per person is reduced. This is because healthier people are more able to contribute to society, rather than unhealthy people who must survive on the contributions of others.

roc 17y ago

You sound like a good guy. I hope you never get sick while uninsured in America. I too have spent a majority of my life without health insurance. I just haven't been as lucky. The Fear is truly unfortunate, but there's a reason people have it and it's not blind indoctrination.

dan_the_welder 17y ago
Me too, and I am sorry for whatever you have had to deal with. It is an embarrassment that you have had to deal with potentially huge financial repercussions in one of the richest and most technologically advanced countries in the world. I agree that there are reasons to have the fear. Don't get me wrong, I have Alzheimer's and some interesting cancers in my family history, so I have some of the fear. I don't exactly know how to phrase this, but did you actually have a choice, either financially or in terms of being true to your desires? Do you have regrets?

mattchew 17y ago

Not to be rude, but it doesn't look like you have been paying much attention to what Universal Health Care in the U.S. will actually mean. I legally have to have, auto, workers comp [...] And now you will legally have to have health insurance. Insurance sucks. It costs a fortune, health, auto, liability, property, it's all a bad deal [...] You have a bad attitude, but the health insurance companies won't have to worry about it much longer. You'll be paying up with the rest of the citizen-units. Well, you thought you wanted Universal Coverage. You got it. Go America! Land of the free!

dan_the_welder 17y ago
Yes, I am going to be pissed if we end up with the Massachusetts solution. Just curious, are you working a job or are you making a go of it with your software biz?
- mattchew 17y ago
  There was never any doubt about what "Universal Coverage" would mean, not to me. The popular view is that health care reform was about taking care of the American People. My view, health care reform was always about taking care of the health care interest groups (insurance at the top of the list). I don't have a job, but I pay the bills from contracting, not from Homeschool Day Book. (So far I have not marketed it very well and don't have many sales.)

crux_ 17y ago

I'm not advocating getting health insurance, exactly, but your life as you know it will end if you get seriously sick or injured. (Exception: if you have millions in the bank you're probably just fine.) Personally I'm paying for health insurance, but only the bare minimum (rather high deductible). I consider it my rock climbing tax: insurance can give you some freedoms (the freedom to take a bit of extra risk, in this case) as well as take them away.