The Generic Problem With Healthcare Reform

It seems we are arguing about a lot of issues related to health care. What I here most is about insurance and illegal’s. What I am worried about is getting cut off from my medications not being able to get adequate care because I can't afford it. I'm afraid I will be dead before you decide what to do about health care. If you force me to get health insurance for $1000 dollars a month or more my family will be living on the street and I won't have a required address to apply for insurance. And if I get the Insurance I will not be able to afford the co pay. For a lot of families like mine it's a loose loose situation. The insurance companies and health care corporations make more money and my family still doesn't get health care. With more and more jobs being exported and unemployment benefits temporary and less than insurance premiums, how does what you are debating work for the majority of people in this country.

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If you want to really approach health care reform you must address the complete problem.

Basically you must look at all three areas that affect health care in total.

First: Health care institutions and health care itself. It doesn’t matter if you have insurance if the institutions keep raising the cost and co pays. Remember that these institutions set prices at what ever level they feel like. They can also discourage you if you cannot afford the procedures they offer. If Health care reform is to work at a private level you must have checks and balances by the government to make sure the public interest is being looked after.

Second: We must find a way that everyone can afford the necessary medications they need to avoid major health problems. What good does it do to have a doctor say you need certain drug and you do not have the means to pay for them? I worked for a company that produced pharmaceuticals and know they are not struggling financially.

Third: Insurance must be accessible to everyone at a rate that will be affordable to everyone with the ability to pay the co pays and the medications prescribed.

If we can do these things a private solution may be possible. But if we can’t a single payer form of health care will be necessary if we are to avoid the immoral premature deaths of innocent people in this country.

I have major concerns about what will happen in the next four years while the government sets up policies to control the healthcare bill. I am 62 years old, have a heart condition and diabetes. I cannot find work, I have no health insurance and the help I have been receiving for med's has been disappearing and I am running out of options. In the last two years the cost of doctor visits has gone up from $163 to $215 and if you include basic blood tests you have a $636 Bill. And if you add in another blood test you are talking over a $1000. In the meantime I was Getting Help with med's that have been cut off since the new health care bill was passed. The last one to get cut was cut off was my short term insulin. When I went to price the insulin I found out that the price had risen from $89 to $119. I could not afford that price so I had to look to Canada. I found a site that I could get it for $39 a vial; I got a prescription and ordered what I needed. I talked to the clinic about getting a sample to tide me over and they told me their policies towards samples ha changed because they were not getting any. For over a week I had to take half doses or less. This was a scary time for me but I had seen worse. When I had my heart attack I really had to think hard about whether I should get it treated or not. The decision I had to make was based on what was in the best interest of the family. It took me 6 hours before I had my son drive me to the hospital. I am coming close to having to make that type of decision again. Based on my own experiences the government must pass new laws immediately to force drug companies to stop acting vindictively and allowing the premature suffering and death. You must have doctors and health care corporations report all of their patients who have died because the had to stop taking their meds. If they do not you must have legal charges such as manslaughter. I have adopted a philosophy that privatization only works when the business segment acts responsibly. It is quite clear that this is not the case at this time. If you want less involvement by the government then you must act responsibly. It is the responsibility of our government to protect the citizens of our country even if it must take a more active roll in regulating business. I do not advocate socialism only in doing what is necessary to protect people from people who think they can allow they can allow innocent people to die for the sake of their bottom lines.