Groups Rally for Single-Payer Health Care in Allentown, PA

[IMPLR1369007]

I wonder how these loons think that the single pay system will cost less? I have insurance coverage through TRICARE and Aetna, Aetna pays my bills & TRICARE pays the co-pays, if single payer happens, the Gov't picks up the entire bill, and shifts all of that cost from commercial insurance to the taxpayer. When I was diagnosed with leukemia Aetna picked up the bulk of the over $500,000.00 cost. Under their system government pays the entire bill.

How does that save the Gov't anything?

[IMPLR1369007]

The aged are really gonna hate Nationalized Healthcare, when the bureaucrats review their cases they will be told that they are too old to be worth treating since they are no longer contributing to the system.

[andreo]

Really? The same way they do with Medicare and Medicaid now right? Because there's no government involvement with those two programs right?

[IMPLR1369007]

If you think that Obamacare is going to be the same as Medicare, you obviously havn't read the Houser Bill.

I have read it, and the media routinely distorts what is in it. For example CNN reports that the counseling for seniors for end of life issues will be provided, but they negelecets to report that it is not only "provided" but that it is MANDATORY. So much for honesty in reporting.

[IMPLR1369007]

A true test of the reality on this, is to make support conditional.

If the Dems are willing to totally eliminate the current healthcare system that they have access to, for the Congress, the President, and their families, and put their healthcare into the hands of the bureaucratic system that they want us to have, it may be a viable option.

Somehow I doubt that the Dems (or Reps) will be willing to put such faith in their own plan,

[kswatcher]

What is your life worth to the government? Are you a useless eater? Is it cost effective to repair your grandmother's broken hip? Is it cost effective to provide lifetime insulin and care to diabetics? Is it cost effective to treat your cancer if the survivial outcome is only 50%? Is this all very similar to Hitler's "era of austerity" program? Is it ok to give trillions to the banksters and corps. for bailouts and then pretend that providing you with healthcare is the problem?

[glassbowls]

why don't you protest the unemployment in allentown pa? what is health care when people cant even get a god damn job?

[johnnorvaisas]

Health care needs to be better and more afordable for people not put on the back of tax payers so we can be taxed more i don't think most common sense people will want to be taxed 61% like in the UK for rationed haelth care.

[teuchter100]

you are talking crap..Our NI contributions are not 61%

[johnnorvaisas]

Some people pay that high!

[teuchter100]

Not for NI contributions. If you earn for example £1300 per month you would pay around £180 in paye tax and around £80 in NI contributions. If i remember corectly the hight tax rate only applies to those earning over £150,000 per year. Im not sure about the USA but in the UK your average pay would be about £20,000 or so for general work and that is generous.

[db1949]

He is a typical misinformation spreader (manure spreader is more like it). He probably never even looked at the costs/funding for a single payer system, and he has no idea of the benefits.

[john51880]

If you think health care cost alot now wait tell it is free!! socialized medicine is a bad idea. Single payer removes buying power from the consumer. Do you want more or less power over your health care. Lets get them out of the way no put them in charge!!!

[db1949]

Where do you get your facts? Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity?

[john51880]

Those are two great ones! But this is a no brainer. We need less goverment. The goverment screws every thing up it touches. Obama see's goverment as the answer when it is the proublem!

[IMPLR1369007]

Very True.

As a retired veteran, I get "free" healthcare through TRICARE. While I do not pay a dime for treatment at the VA hospital,

I broke my arm about a year ago, I got immediate treatment to reset the break, but the soonest I could get a follow up (just to ensure it was healing properly) was 3 months out.

A routine physical takes 8 months to get an appointment.

Luckily I got a job with the corporate health plan, I pay $400 a month, but I get in immediately.

[john51880]

They are bound and determined to rush this through. I can not help but think this is a clear attack on our way of life. Obama wants to entrench as much goverment as deeply into our lives as possible. Sad the change people voted for is bait and switch!

[IMPLR1369007]

I have been calling Congress Critters all over the country today. I made the suggestion that if they feel that this is such a great plan, Congress should abolish all of the health care programs that they currently enjoy and join the general public in this program. If they are not willing to enter the same program as they want us to have, then it must be flawed. If your Congress Critter is not willing to have the same healthcare as they want you to have, WHY NOT?

[john51880]

Great Idea! They have way to meny perks and are not as accessible to the public as they should be! The goverment should fear the people!

[IMPLR1369007]

In my myriad of phone calls, to both Dems and Reps, I got the same response. My idea was already proposed, but voted down by the Dems, with a few Reps joining in. I guess they don't like the idea of inclusiveness.

[john51880]

well like Obama said about corp profits "they will not give them up easy" we will have to work on that! Then things like gerrymandering have to end!

[IMPLR1369007]

I think that gerrymandering will be a whole other fight, Obama seems to like the idea, hence his taking the 2010 Census into the Executive Branch and having ACORN run it for him.

It would appear that in an Obama administration, when ACORN sprouts into the mighty Oak, the nuts don't fall far from the tree.

[andreo]

How many doctors do you have access to with the TRICARE program? How many of those doctors would be able to do the follow up treatment with you? Was your delay in follow up due to the doctor / patient ratio or do they just decide to make you wait to discourage you from seeing a doctor?

[IMPLR1369007]

Under TRICARE, I have the choice to see a civilian Doctor and pay a co-pay or go to a VA treatment facility to see a military contract doctor, there are three in the closest facility, none of which have a very good command of English, and two of the three engage in routine accusations against veterans claiming that we all fake disabilities to get disability pensions. Follow ups depend on the illness. For a case of the flu you go to the ER and they will follow up in 2-3 weeks.

[IMPLR1369007]

I am not privy to the actual reason for the delays, but just by observing the activity in the clinic it appears that the doctors limit themselves to a minimal number of patients and never seem to be working an exceptionally full schedules. As I stated before, I requested a routine physical, actually one mandated by the VA, and the VA treatment facility scheduled me 8 month out.

[IMPLR1369007]

VA healthcare is nearly as ludicrous as the fact that when I retired from the Army, I had a retirement physical and was deemed to have physicial disabilities by the Army doctor, then I had to have a second physical by the VA to verify the Army's findings. The VA, a year later delivered a letter outlining my considered disabilities. The VA then sent me a bill for the physical exam, because by their records I had no disability.

[IMPLR1369007]

When I told them of the VA disability letter, they asked me to send them a copy of that disability letter. Unfortunately for them their incompetence was showing when they asked for the letter, since they are the same offices that had sent the letter to me in the first place.

[BrynMawrYamBag]

I have been stationed in the UK,Germany,and Holland, The socialized health care systems there are a pathetic joke. Wait 4 to 6 months to get needed treatments. The reason why we are going to Hell with our medical insurance is primarily because the dregs,scum,and illegal aliens in our society use the ER for "free" care which is cost shifted to people who have insurance,and as a result people who work for a living get screwed with higher premiums. Let the garbage die in the street.

Cost will drop

[db1949]

That's not what the statistics show. Is this your personal opinion, or can you back it up with facts?

[IMPLR1369007]

It is not ONLY the "dregs" as you put it. Too many people with health insurance go to the ER for a runny nose, in order to try to avoid going to the local Drug Store to buy (out of pocket) a package of Contac, they know that the ER wil treat them and their insurance will cover it. Also, people want "instant gratification", which means that they would rather use the ER tonight, rather than wait 2 days to get an office visit with their General Practitioner for that same head cold.

[420bmxer]

channel 69 sweet lol

[paddedshell]

A bit off topic, BUT...

CIRCULATE!

impeachforpeace. org/ImpeachNow.html

The "Do-It-Yourself Impeachment" IS a legitimate procedure. I called several representatives offices and asked.

Please visit my profile for more information.

"In previous waves, over 500,000 downloads of the document represented over 1.7 million mailings".

Given Bush's DIS-approval rating and the well over 225 million citizens old enough to vote...

WE CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT!

Copy and paste this everywhere.

[Textynn]

The current U.S. medical system is blatant extortion. These insurance companies should have never been allowed to insinuate themselves into this personal and important area of our lives. Now they collect data on us and inform new employers to avoid us if we any health issues. Also this marriage of employer and medical insurer sets us up for age discrimination beyond anything anyone ever imagined. These medical insurers are without exception, parasites. And that's just the job side of the problem

[mediacritic]

FUCK the HMOs!!!! They're leeches.

[HomoGeneyes]

IMPEACH THE BUSH AND HIS DICK!

[SUPERBURRITO]

If health care was free in USA then the citizen's would be paying the difference elsewhere. It's always the case. The FDA needs an enema. Our foods need to be healthier now!

"Natural Flavors" and caffeine/soda numb and stretch the stomach over time. Thus, causing a lack of feeling full. If everyone ate healthier it would help us all.

Since i was a kid i always wondered who was the one who set the prices on medical procedures. I thought the stockmarket had something to do with it. I still do.

[capercara]

I live in Canada and I think the health care system here is excellent from where I live. I think the American govt. should have health care like Canada. Too many people go homeless because of healthcare or cannot afford a simple operation.