I disagree on this because this rejects large groups of people of access to health care. I think that all basic healthcare should be covered by a basic health insurance service for everyone. And if the private health insurance companies do not offer this, then the government should. Healthcare is a basic human right and as such it is part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Healthcare should be accessible for anyone, including the (chronically) ill and the disabled.
@jnick1980 That is true. That is another factor to the increase in premiums. Most can't afford health care because of these flaws in the system. It has turned into a vicious cycle. The biggest problem that this country has is looking to the govt to fix problems that were CREATED by the govt!
Your whole argument is based on the idea that economic freedom and profit making are absolute ethical maxims. I'm British, and I believe that people have the right to have private healthcare, but to sacrifice the healthcare of the certain people so that others can make money is wrong. American conservatives are pro-life on things like abortion, but they are happy to put profit-making before the lives of their citizens in order to make money it seems.
hmmm, health care should be free, people probably shouldnt be in the business of other peoples health, i feel like we could be beyond those terms by now? It's just that it gets so tricky! I wish business wasn't so big and faceless so we could allow for more complexity, the money spent on advertising seems like an incredible waste of money
The fact is this forced servitude is driving up health care costs! If they force insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions, the insurance companies will have no choice but to jack their premiums way up to cover these things! Also, factor in the amount that health providers are able to up their costs because they know the insurance companies have to cover them. Providers are not being forced to meet household demands and their consumers ability to pay, because of (cont.)
@w6p7a govt intervention and subsidization. THey can charge what they want because they know it will be covered no matter what. Market forces are non-existant in the health care industry. print money, devalue the dollar, pump it into the health care industry, costs go through the roof-not rocket science!
@w6p7a Exactly. Plus there's a total lack of price competition. This is, in part, due to the fact that employment is tied to insurance. The government provides a tax exemption for purchasing insurance through an employer, but no such thing for purchasing insurance individually. How fucked up is that? If you lose your job, you lose your insurance. If you hate your insurance, but want to keep your job, you're stuck with crappy service. It's a no-win situation.
@w6p7a We need to reform the tax code so that more people are capable of purchasing insurance individually (without having to tie it to their job). And we need to get rid of all the mandates and red tape that drive up costs. Another MAJOR step in the right direction (a reform that could be made in the next second) is to allow people to purchase health insurance across state lines. Then insurers will have no choice to compete quality/price-wise.
@w6p7a People should be able to buy whatever packages they want to buy, without the government interfering with their health care choices. The mandates force them to buy packages with items they don't even need, and that's just bullcrap. And you made a good point about inflation, too. The higher costs associated with the devaluation of the dollar only make it harder for the poor (especially those with fixed incomes) to afford insurance. NO MORE SUBSIDIES, which just distort market signals.
@w6p7a And does anybody even think about reforming the system so that make people can pay for more of their medical expenses out-of-pocket? There's a lot of work to be done in this area, to be sure (tax reform, regulatory overhaul, etc.), but one of the first steps in the right direction is health care MSAs. Let people save pre-tax dollars in these accounts. Why not? It wouldn't hurt, would it? Why are people so against this?
The autism spectrum disorder umbrella is very large, depending on the definition. Even if you personally have autism, or your family, you do not represent the rest of the autism population that fought for this legislation for over a decade. Let's also remember that insurance companies have used autism as an excuse to deny all claims, even when unrelated to autism, under "possibly related to autism." this bill closed that loophole of blatant theft. All the responses here have not been persuasive.
@ColeJoplin I realize that the autism "umbrella" is complicated and diverse. But's that's one of the PRIMARY problems with these mandates. For instance, if my state's legislator decided to require insurance companies to cover my disorder, those insurers would have to fulfill my demands no matter how medically necessary the treatments, medications, or therapies were.
@ColeJoplin That would drive up the price of insurance for everybody else, since my insurers would have to raise premiums in order to make up for the losses for the exorbitant expenses it would pile on. But my treatments aren't necessary. I don't need to be "cured." I can do without coverage, as many autistic people (but not all) can. With the mandates, though, insurance companies are compelled against their wills to provide coverage for me, no matter how unnecessary it may be.
@ColeJoplin There's a reason insurance companies don't cover everything. If they did, they'd go bankrupt. Autism mandates do indeed create a "cottage" industry where people can get coverage merely by having symptoms of autism. As long as you can call yourself "autistic," no matter how truly high-functioning you are, the insurance company will be penalized if they don't give you coverage for what the oh-so-enlightened State requires.
@ColeJoplin This cottage industry ends up driving up premiums for everyone, including those with autism (who'll just have the costs added on to other medical expenses by the insurer instead). And why stop at autism? Other disorders are just as prevalent and emotionally damaging. Schizophrenia. Post-partum depression disorder. Bi-polar. Depression. There's literally hundreds of disorders that insurance companies could be required to cover. Why discriminate against these people?
@ColeJoplin Why give us autistic people special privileges? I thought a free society was based on equal protection under the law, not treatment of certain groups of others. Taking that in mind, why not cover everything and everyone? Of course, that would be impossible. It would put insurance companies out of business overnight.
@ColeJoplin Your accusation of theft is bizarre. You're not entitled to insurance. You don't have a right to it. Insurance companies are only your servants only insofar as you are willing to pay and agree to the terms of the contract. The government cannot force them to serve you. When it does that, it takes insurance from being a matter of voluntary servitude to a matter of involuntarily slavery.
@ColeJoplin As Ayn Rand once said, you have a right to your life and property, but there is NO right to enslave – even if it's a dirty, greedy, profit-seeking corporate entity. Kinda reminds of a David Bergland quote. "People engaged in business, commercial, or economic activities, are still human beings. They do not fall into some second class category, with inferior rights, simply because they are working to make a living." Why does this not apply to health insurers?
@ColeJoplin You can call it what you want, but when governments force businesses to SERVE certain people at gunpoint, it's a form of SLAVERY. Whether you want to be associated with that is up to you. I sure as hell don't.
@ColeJoplin On the topic of legislation, I put it this way in a speech I gave to my walk-run attendees: "The only way in which we can change peoples’ apathy and indifference to the obstacles of a social disorder that affects millions of people across the globe, from all walks of life, is through peaceful and voluntary means..."
@ColeJoplin "...education, charity, persuasion, music, art, essays, books, speeches, everyday discussion, and anything that uses peaceful exchange as a method of changing the world we live in. No amount of legislation or social engineering can change peoples’ apathy and indifference toward autism. In fact, transferring responsibility away from the individual is the best possible way to perpetuate its existence."
Should we fix 'the system', of course, but it can not be done as easily or as simply as you imply. But, no, we as a country should seek the advice of a narrow minded naive child, because, hell, what were we thinking? He has a way to fix government when it took literally hundreds of people to break it and even more to mess it up worse, more to cover up the mistakes, and even more to point the finger at who's fault it was, and even more to shrug and say I dunno what to do..
@timnkris You're right, there's lots of things we need to overhaul, and I advocate reform in several areas – not just health care. The difference between the kind of reforms I propose and the kind The Autism Lobby™ proposes is that I favor freedom over coercion – always. I don't think we should use violence or force to achieve our ends. And I don't think the government should be in the business of granting special privileges to any group of people (even those who are disadvantaged).
@timnkris Not once did I claim to know all the answers, as you are implying. I am not posing as an "expert" or some sort of messenger from heaven (as our politicians in Washington tend to do). But the solutions I proposed are supported by a variety of economists and historians. To shrug them off merely because I'm not your age is akin to saying "the debate is over." And the only people who say things like that are the people who know they can't win a debate.
The problems our country faces can not be fixed with overhauling just one piece of the pie, that is where I find you naive. You think, well gee, this would be a much better way to work this system without seeing the entire picture which, in effect, would cause a governmental domino effect.
You're right, I did not go in to a long point by point discussion, this forum does not allow for long posts, nor do I feel obligated to you in any way. Simply put, there are many government agencies and long established broken policies that would need to change prior to instituting what you are implying. Example...see: welfare system.
JUST because you have autism does not make you an expert on government! You are young and naive and have many yrs to educate yourself, mature your ideas and understand. My husband and son both have autism....please do not play the I have autism, so I am an expert on autism card! It is a spectrum disorder, therefore, as far as I'm concerned, there are no EXPERTS on autism. There are just many people still fumbling around trying to understand it!
@timnkris You didn't address any of my actual points. One of your major concerns was how to make insurance/medical costs cheaper, and I listed several of the ways you can do that. You yourself are playing a convenient card of your own (the "you're young, wait a few years" card). You act like only 17-year-olds take my position, but there's plenty of people who share the same view I do well into their 80's and until the day they die. Try again.
Autism exceeds $2000 a month, from age 3 to 18. Is that "catastrophic" enough? Without treatment, autistic adults become wards of the state, so you will pay 100% for the rest of their lives (40+ years). Early treatment means they are independent and they would be paying taxes instead. Parents of autistic kids have sold their homes, their cars, retirement, everything on treatment. You and your commenters have a lot in common with Angle. You have no clue about the real world.
@ColeJoplin No clue about the real world? I HAVE AUTISM. So does my cousin, my uncle, and several other of my loved ones. I hold an annual walk-run through Bridge the Gap every year to raise money for those afflicted with autism. It's hard and difficult and emotionally crippling at times to deal with the disorder, but at the same time, I don't believe you're entitled to other peoples' money, property, or services.
@ColeJoplin I heartily endorse organizations like Bridge the Gap, which provide private assistance to those on the spectrum. A lady (and a friend of mine) from Bridge the Gap told me that they'd cover me financially for pretty much anything I requested. Medical care. Private schooling. Therapy. ANYTHING. But I don't take up the offer. Just imagine, though, how it could help others. And that's why I choose to raise money for that particular group.
@ColeJoplin Violence and aggression ought not to be the way to solve our problems. But that's what insurance mandates amount to. Refuse to abide by them, and you pay a fine. Refuse to pay the fine, and the State throws you behind metal bars. This is coercion. A private citizen can't do this, so why can government officials? Why do they get more rights than we do? What makes them so special that they can get away with things that, if committed by private citizens, would be illegal?
@ColeJoplin Maybe instead of increasing the State apparatus and the police-state, how about we pursue peaceful, alternative solutions? Like cut taxes maybe? Let people keep more of their hard-earned dollars so they can make ends meet for themselves and their families (and perhaps donate more to causes close to home, like Bridge the Gap)? How about we get rid of the mandates and business taxes that drive up the cost of insurance?
@ColeJoplin How 'bout we let people purchase insurance across state lines to encourage price competition between insurance companies? How 'bout we let people save pre-tax dollars in medical savings accounts? How 'bout we get rid of the regulations and red-tape that get between the doctor and their patient and drive up costs? How 'bout we get rid of the regulations that also drive up costs and limit choices?
@ColeJoplin How 'bout we let private charities, hospitals, shelters, churches, and communities provide assistance to those who are disadvantaged and needy? How 'bout we stop all the government meddling in health care that got us into this mess into the first place? Eliminate insurance subsidies. Provide tax breaks for purchasing individual insurance. Let market competition make the rules (like it does with computers, TVs, automobiles, cell phones, and everything else)?
...Self pay entire cost or pay for the plan. That logic is "how to live off the government and it's people and live well". I pd 30k in taxes last yr., while I raised 2 kids w/o child support...I pay more for my x-husband than he does for his kids! THAT is a system that is broke!
@timnkris See my comments to ColeJoplin for some alternatives to today's not-so-capitalistic health care system. I advocate a wide variety of solutions, none of which includes increasing the size and scope of government.
I pay for insurance...therefore I damn well better be covered. Comment Animaniac-seriously? Everyone shouldn't be forced to contribute to a national plan? Well, I am sick of covering those that have been getting a free ride their whole lives. You should have 2 choices.
You don't buy car insurance for oil changes, tire rotations, or small fixes. So why do we have insurance for the sniffles, gas, and sore throats? How bout we go back to having insurance only for things that are big. I would love to have a minimum of 10000 deductable,
@kickndave21 Exactly! That's precisely why I oppose every single one of these coverage mandates. As a bonus, they send insurance prices through the roof. If we demanded that insurance companies cover everything, just imagine what would happen. But we're moving in that direction.
@kickndave21 Also, I think I focus too much focus on the philosophical argument in this vid, which most people aren't too comfortable with. Ayn Rand once referred to today's not-so-capitalistic economic system as a system in which "everybody is enslaved to everybody." True, because citizens will now be enslaved to insurance companies through Obama's health care mandate, which will force everyone to buy insurance at gun point. Many insurance companies (the big ones at least) were complicit.
@AnimaniacsFanatic Yes, again and again the government tricks people into believing that every choice they have is either one way or another and no one thinks about taking a step back. What did we do before insurance? We were fine! Doctors charged less! Doctors can charge more because of insurance. No one cares about how much they pay for a doc visit when they have insurance right? If I pay 200 a month for insurance I dont care if they pay much more for my sore throat.
I disagree on this because this rejects large groups of people of access to health care. I think that all basic healthcare should be covered by a basic health insurance service for everyone. And if the private health insurance companies do not offer this, then the government should. Healthcare is a basic human right and as such it is part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Healthcare should be accessible for anyone, including the (chronically) ill and the disabled.
Hypernl 1 month ago
@jnick1980 We already covered that. Go back and read the prior comments.
w6p7a 7 months ago
@jnick1980 I am not going to cover all of that AGAIN. Go back and read the prior comments.
w6p7a 7 months ago
@jnick1980 That is true. That is another factor to the increase in premiums. Most can't afford health care because of these flaws in the system. It has turned into a vicious cycle. The biggest problem that this country has is looking to the govt to fix problems that were CREATED by the govt!
w6p7a 7 months ago
Your whole argument is based on the idea that economic freedom and profit making are absolute ethical maxims. I'm British, and I believe that people have the right to have private healthcare, but to sacrifice the healthcare of the certain people so that others can make money is wrong. American conservatives are pro-life on things like abortion, but they are happy to put profit-making before the lives of their citizens in order to make money it seems.
apx24 9 months ago
Comment removed
apx24 9 months ago
hmmm, health care should be free, people probably shouldnt be in the business of other peoples health, i feel like we could be beyond those terms by now? It's just that it gets so tricky! I wish business wasn't so big and faceless so we could allow for more complexity, the money spent on advertising seems like an incredible waste of money
clearshquarter 1 year ago
If you have enough money for kill people, you need to have money to protect people. Is very stupid to invest in war before than in health.
Evenor48 1 year ago
The fact is this forced servitude is driving up health care costs! If they force insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions, the insurance companies will have no choice but to jack their premiums way up to cover these things! Also, factor in the amount that health providers are able to up their costs because they know the insurance companies have to cover them. Providers are not being forced to meet household demands and their consumers ability to pay, because of (cont.)
w6p7a 1 year ago
@w6p7a govt intervention and subsidization. THey can charge what they want because they know it will be covered no matter what. Market forces are non-existant in the health care industry. print money, devalue the dollar, pump it into the health care industry, costs go through the roof-not rocket science!
w6p7a 1 year ago
@w6p7a Exactly. Plus there's a total lack of price competition. This is, in part, due to the fact that employment is tied to insurance. The government provides a tax exemption for purchasing insurance through an employer, but no such thing for purchasing insurance individually. How fucked up is that? If you lose your job, you lose your insurance. If you hate your insurance, but want to keep your job, you're stuck with crappy service. It's a no-win situation.
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@w6p7a We need to reform the tax code so that more people are capable of purchasing insurance individually (without having to tie it to their job). And we need to get rid of all the mandates and red tape that drive up costs. Another MAJOR step in the right direction (a reform that could be made in the next second) is to allow people to purchase health insurance across state lines. Then insurers will have no choice to compete quality/price-wise.
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@w6p7a People should be able to buy whatever packages they want to buy, without the government interfering with their health care choices. The mandates force them to buy packages with items they don't even need, and that's just bullcrap. And you made a good point about inflation, too. The higher costs associated with the devaluation of the dollar only make it harder for the poor (especially those with fixed incomes) to afford insurance. NO MORE SUBSIDIES, which just distort market signals.
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@w6p7a And does anybody even think about reforming the system so that make people can pay for more of their medical expenses out-of-pocket? There's a lot of work to be done in this area, to be sure (tax reform, regulatory overhaul, etc.), but one of the first steps in the right direction is health care MSAs. Let people save pre-tax dollars in these accounts. Why not? It wouldn't hurt, would it? Why are people so against this?
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@w6p7a *no choice but to compete
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
The autism spectrum disorder umbrella is very large, depending on the definition. Even if you personally have autism, or your family, you do not represent the rest of the autism population that fought for this legislation for over a decade. Let's also remember that insurance companies have used autism as an excuse to deny all claims, even when unrelated to autism, under "possibly related to autism." this bill closed that loophole of blatant theft. All the responses here have not been persuasive.
ColeJoplin 1 year ago
@ColeJoplin I realize that the autism "umbrella" is complicated and diverse. But's that's one of the PRIMARY problems with these mandates. For instance, if my state's legislator decided to require insurance companies to cover my disorder, those insurers would have to fulfill my demands no matter how medically necessary the treatments, medications, or therapies were.
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@ColeJoplin That would drive up the price of insurance for everybody else, since my insurers would have to raise premiums in order to make up for the losses for the exorbitant expenses it would pile on. But my treatments aren't necessary. I don't need to be "cured." I can do without coverage, as many autistic people (but not all) can. With the mandates, though, insurance companies are compelled against their wills to provide coverage for me, no matter how unnecessary it may be.
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@ColeJoplin There's a reason insurance companies don't cover everything. If they did, they'd go bankrupt. Autism mandates do indeed create a "cottage" industry where people can get coverage merely by having symptoms of autism. As long as you can call yourself "autistic," no matter how truly high-functioning you are, the insurance company will be penalized if they don't give you coverage for what the oh-so-enlightened State requires.
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@ColeJoplin This cottage industry ends up driving up premiums for everyone, including those with autism (who'll just have the costs added on to other medical expenses by the insurer instead). And why stop at autism? Other disorders are just as prevalent and emotionally damaging. Schizophrenia. Post-partum depression disorder. Bi-polar. Depression. There's literally hundreds of disorders that insurance companies could be required to cover. Why discriminate against these people?
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@ColeJoplin Why give us autistic people special privileges? I thought a free society was based on equal protection under the law, not treatment of certain groups of others. Taking that in mind, why not cover everything and everyone? Of course, that would be impossible. It would put insurance companies out of business overnight.
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@ColeJoplin Your accusation of theft is bizarre. You're not entitled to insurance. You don't have a right to it. Insurance companies are only your servants only insofar as you are willing to pay and agree to the terms of the contract. The government cannot force them to serve you. When it does that, it takes insurance from being a matter of voluntary servitude to a matter of involuntarily slavery.
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@ColeJoplin As Ayn Rand once said, you have a right to your life and property, but there is NO right to enslave – even if it's a dirty, greedy, profit-seeking corporate entity. Kinda reminds of a David Bergland quote. "People engaged in business, commercial, or economic activities, are still human beings. They do not fall into some second class category, with inferior rights, simply because they are working to make a living." Why does this not apply to health insurers?
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@ColeJoplin You can call it what you want, but when governments force businesses to SERVE certain people at gunpoint, it's a form of SLAVERY. Whether you want to be associated with that is up to you. I sure as hell don't.
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@ColeJoplin On the topic of legislation, I put it this way in a speech I gave to my walk-run attendees: "The only way in which we can change peoples’ apathy and indifference to the obstacles of a social disorder that affects millions of people across the globe, from all walks of life, is through peaceful and voluntary means..."
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@ColeJoplin "...education, charity, persuasion, music, art, essays, books, speeches, everyday discussion, and anything that uses peaceful exchange as a method of changing the world we live in. No amount of legislation or social engineering can change peoples’ apathy and indifference toward autism. In fact, transferring responsibility away from the individual is the best possible way to perpetuate its existence."
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@ColeJoplin "Charity and enterprise are the best possible means of helping the disadvantaged. We must be the difference we seek in the world."
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@ColeJoplin And that, my friend, is what I stand for: FREEDOM.
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
Should we fix 'the system', of course, but it can not be done as easily or as simply as you imply. But, no, we as a country should seek the advice of a narrow minded naive child, because, hell, what were we thinking? He has a way to fix government when it took literally hundreds of people to break it and even more to mess it up worse, more to cover up the mistakes, and even more to point the finger at who's fault it was, and even more to shrug and say I dunno what to do..
timnkris 1 year ago
@timnkris You're right, there's lots of things we need to overhaul, and I advocate reform in several areas – not just health care. The difference between the kind of reforms I propose and the kind The Autism Lobby™ proposes is that I favor freedom over coercion – always. I don't think we should use violence or force to achieve our ends. And I don't think the government should be in the business of granting special privileges to any group of people (even those who are disadvantaged).
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@timnkris Not once did I claim to know all the answers, as you are implying. I am not posing as an "expert" or some sort of messenger from heaven (as our politicians in Washington tend to do). But the solutions I proposed are supported by a variety of economists and historians. To shrug them off merely because I'm not your age is akin to saying "the debate is over." And the only people who say things like that are the people who know they can't win a debate.
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@timnkris Instead of dismissing the arguments on the basis of my age, take them on their merits. That's what a mature, respectful person would do.
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
The problems our country faces can not be fixed with overhauling just one piece of the pie, that is where I find you naive. You think, well gee, this would be a much better way to work this system without seeing the entire picture which, in effect, would cause a governmental domino effect.
timnkris 1 year ago
You're right, I did not go in to a long point by point discussion, this forum does not allow for long posts, nor do I feel obligated to you in any way. Simply put, there are many government agencies and long established broken policies that would need to change prior to instituting what you are implying. Example...see: welfare system.
timnkris 1 year ago
JUST because you have autism does not make you an expert on government! You are young and naive and have many yrs to educate yourself, mature your ideas and understand. My husband and son both have autism....please do not play the I have autism, so I am an expert on autism card! It is a spectrum disorder, therefore, as far as I'm concerned, there are no EXPERTS on autism. There are just many people still fumbling around trying to understand it!
timnkris 1 year ago
@timnkris You didn't address any of my actual points. One of your major concerns was how to make insurance/medical costs cheaper, and I listed several of the ways you can do that. You yourself are playing a convenient card of your own (the "you're young, wait a few years" card). You act like only 17-year-olds take my position, but there's plenty of people who share the same view I do well into their 80's and until the day they die. Try again.
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
Autism exceeds $2000 a month, from age 3 to 18. Is that "catastrophic" enough? Without treatment, autistic adults become wards of the state, so you will pay 100% for the rest of their lives (40+ years). Early treatment means they are independent and they would be paying taxes instead. Parents of autistic kids have sold their homes, their cars, retirement, everything on treatment. You and your commenters have a lot in common with Angle. You have no clue about the real world.
ColeJoplin 1 year ago
@ColeJoplin No clue about the real world? I HAVE AUTISM. So does my cousin, my uncle, and several other of my loved ones. I hold an annual walk-run through Bridge the Gap every year to raise money for those afflicted with autism. It's hard and difficult and emotionally crippling at times to deal with the disorder, but at the same time, I don't believe you're entitled to other peoples' money, property, or services.
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@ColeJoplin I heartily endorse organizations like Bridge the Gap, which provide private assistance to those on the spectrum. A lady (and a friend of mine) from Bridge the Gap told me that they'd cover me financially for pretty much anything I requested. Medical care. Private schooling. Therapy. ANYTHING. But I don't take up the offer. Just imagine, though, how it could help others. And that's why I choose to raise money for that particular group.
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@ColeJoplin You can visit my website at phillipsrunforautism (...dot...) org.
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@ColeJoplin Violence and aggression ought not to be the way to solve our problems. But that's what insurance mandates amount to. Refuse to abide by them, and you pay a fine. Refuse to pay the fine, and the State throws you behind metal bars. This is coercion. A private citizen can't do this, so why can government officials? Why do they get more rights than we do? What makes them so special that they can get away with things that, if committed by private citizens, would be illegal?
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@ColeJoplin Maybe instead of increasing the State apparatus and the police-state, how about we pursue peaceful, alternative solutions? Like cut taxes maybe? Let people keep more of their hard-earned dollars so they can make ends meet for themselves and their families (and perhaps donate more to causes close to home, like Bridge the Gap)? How about we get rid of the mandates and business taxes that drive up the cost of insurance?
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@ColeJoplin How 'bout we let people purchase insurance across state lines to encourage price competition between insurance companies? How 'bout we let people save pre-tax dollars in medical savings accounts? How 'bout we get rid of the regulations and red-tape that get between the doctor and their patient and drive up costs? How 'bout we get rid of the regulations that also drive up costs and limit choices?
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@ColeJoplin How 'bout we let private charities, hospitals, shelters, churches, and communities provide assistance to those who are disadvantaged and needy? How 'bout we stop all the government meddling in health care that got us into this mess into the first place? Eliminate insurance subsidies. Provide tax breaks for purchasing individual insurance. Let market competition make the rules (like it does with computers, TVs, automobiles, cell phones, and everything else)?
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@ColeJoplin Freedom is the answer to our problems. Not government.
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
...Self pay entire cost or pay for the plan. That logic is "how to live off the government and it's people and live well". I pd 30k in taxes last yr., while I raised 2 kids w/o child support...I pay more for my x-husband than he does for his kids! THAT is a system that is broke!
timnkris 1 year ago
@timnkris See my comments to ColeJoplin for some alternatives to today's not-so-capitalistic health care system. I advocate a wide variety of solutions, none of which includes increasing the size and scope of government.
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
I pay for insurance...therefore I damn well better be covered. Comment Animaniac-seriously? Everyone shouldn't be forced to contribute to a national plan? Well, I am sick of covering those that have been getting a free ride their whole lives. You should have 2 choices.
timnkris 1 year ago
You don't buy car insurance for oil changes, tire rotations, or small fixes. So why do we have insurance for the sniffles, gas, and sore throats? How bout we go back to having insurance only for things that are big. I would love to have a minimum of 10000 deductable,
kickndave21 1 year ago
@kickndave21 Exactly! That's precisely why I oppose every single one of these coverage mandates. As a bonus, they send insurance prices through the roof. If we demanded that insurance companies cover everything, just imagine what would happen. But we're moving in that direction.
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@kickndave21 Also, I think I focus too much focus on the philosophical argument in this vid, which most people aren't too comfortable with. Ayn Rand once referred to today's not-so-capitalistic economic system as a system in which "everybody is enslaved to everybody." True, because citizens will now be enslaved to insurance companies through Obama's health care mandate, which will force everyone to buy insurance at gun point. Many insurance companies (the big ones at least) were complicit.
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
@AnimaniacsFanatic Yes, again and again the government tricks people into believing that every choice they have is either one way or another and no one thinks about taking a step back. What did we do before insurance? We were fine! Doctors charged less! Doctors can charge more because of insurance. No one cares about how much they pay for a doc visit when they have insurance right? If I pay 200 a month for insurance I dont care if they pay much more for my sore throat.
kickndave21 1 year ago
@kickndave21 Next vid's gonna focus on the practical side rather than the philosophical.
AnimaniacsFanatic 1 year ago
There's no health insurance for being a homo.
775marc 1 year ago