Health Care/Economy!?!?!?

[rainemc]

What does Obama's health care plan entail? Try to be as unbiased as you can please.

What is going on with the economy? Is Obama fixing it? Once again try to be unbiased.

I hear people talking all the time and i have a view but it's completely unfounded on fact and heavily influenced by my ultra-liberal mom.

I want a relatively unbiased source so i can form my own opinion.

Links would be great because i realize that these topics would require a novel. Maybe you can have a short statement on these issues and a couple of good relatively unbiased links. If you don't feel like writing a statement just post links please. I'm sure that i wouldn't be the only person on here you'd be helping.

Thank you so much in advance!

From my understanding on everything thats going on...he's not a us citizen, he wants to bring down the US and he kills babies personally.... other that that I really dont know know whats going on...lmao.

[rainemc]

EXACTLY! that's why i want an unbiased opinion! The media is too extreme! I know you were joking though.

[Shevanel]

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/

This website seems to be pretty unbiased. It's VERY Interesting. I hope that helps answer any questions.

[rainemc]

Thanks for that site! I'm definitely going to explore it and bookmark it but other links are still welcome.

[GhostDog]

Perhaps these links are a good start?

http://www.recovery.gov/

http://www.healthreform.gov/

My basic understanding of the health care reform is to provide a government-operated alternative to private health care companies, as well as establishing some sort of limits for how much private health care companies can charge you. The idea is that, even if you lose your job, you will have access to health insurance that you can actually afford. Buying health care plans for the average family is, usually, prohibitively expensive, thus why there are so many uninsured families in the United States. Health care premiums are rising at a faster rate than wages. (A site I found here looks as if it has verifiable sources, and a glance at the board of directors doesn't appear to have many (any?) members who would have a conflict of interest by working in the insurance/pharmaceutical industry. But I haven't googled every name.)

I also believe part of the idea is that, if presented with competition from a government-based option, private insurance companies would have to find a way to lower consumer costs in order to compete. Therefore, more families could actually afford to buy their plans. But this is from listening to politicians talk, so I don't have any sources for this.

Now, where the funding is intended to come from? I haven't done much research there, and so many politicians are saying so many different things so, ah, I have no idea. But health care costs are a huge drain on most families. It's bankrupting a lot of people. (The main page seems to have a lot of information on the impact of high health costs on the uninsured, also.)

Aaand, I will just say again, Obama doesn't want to kill old people. There is a provision to reimburse people for seeking end of life counseling sessions, where you may get information on how to properly write a living will. These are voluntary. And what's more, they put more control in your hands, seeing as it is the patient who decides what to do in case of terminal illness. This is something that the government has been endorsing for... 20 years, if I remember correctly? It's not new. It's a good idea, too, in my opinion.

That site that Joey linked too is a really good one, too! I checked the ones I linked for apparent conflicts of interest, but if I missed an obvious one, please point it out! (... I don't know if that can be argued about the official .gov websites, but I'm assuming they're more credible than some sources out there, I'm tired, feel free to fact check me)

ALSO: Here is a PDF of H.R. 3200. It's huge, but searchable.

[George]

I think for Health Care we just need to watch the documentry "Sicko" and we'll get a pretty good idea of why Obama's going to fix up your health care system.

[ccdd]

I can't really comment on what Obama's proposing, but in the interests of giving you information I CAN say that in the last few days I've come across an awful lot of downright LIES about what universal healthcare means in the UK.... Everyone I know is really, really angry that the NHS and the UK is basically being dragged through the mud and downright lied about by certain people in the US order to back up their anti-healthcare plan arguments.

Fair enough, look at us to see how it works, but don't LIE and SLANDER and MISLEAD.

As far as I'm concerned, I wish people in the US would have this debate without lying about my country and lying about what life is actually like under such a system!!! I'd be scared to live in my country if it was in fact anything like I've seen spoken about by some American politicians/in American blogs/on American adverts....!!!! Terrified, even!

So, when you're trying to make up your mind about what you think about it all, please take everything they say about the UK and how things work here with a pinch of salt - because we're all sitting here feeling slandered and going "whhaat?". We're all pretty angry and none of us recognise what the hell any of these people are talking about when they're talking about what is supposedly our experience of the NHS. It's the only thing people have been talking about on facebook for the last day or two, and the only thing that's being discussed amongst my family and friends.

Our politicians and representatives in the US are having a hard time at the moment, because they're trying to stay out of your debate whilst also wanting to correct false information and lies that are being circulated about the NHS and how things work in the UK and under a universal system.

Also, like, even the UK it's not either/or - we have private healthcare here too if you want it! It's just that no one I know (even my really, really old relatives would you believe it!! /sarcarstic) feels the need for it.

So yeah - I don't know the specifics about Obama's proposals, but in the interests of information I'd just say that YES whilst the NHS DOES have a lot of problems, as far as I or anyone else can see, 99.9% of what is said about our healthcare system in the last couple of days is just lies and scaremongering!

[Shevanel]

Originally Posted by George

I think for Health Care we just need to watch the documentry "Sicko" and we'll get a pretty good idea of why Obama's going to fix up your health care system.

No Georgeeeeeeee! Not Michael Moore!!!!!!! xD

[Swamp56]

Originally Posted by SurferDude420

No Georgeeeeeeee! Not Michael Moore!!!!!!! xD

I watched Sicko, and it was one of the most biased and horrible documentaries I've ever seen. I can't stand Michael Moore since he can't look at things in a bipartisan way.

[Ben]

Originally Posted by ccdd

So yeah - I don't know the specifics about Obama's proposals, but in the interests of information I'd just say that YES whilst the NHS DOES have a lot of problems, as far as I or anyone else can see, 99.9% of what is said about our healthcare system in the last couple of days is just lies and scaremongering!

All of what you said is exactly what I think.

I adore the NHS. The NHS is the best thing about this country and I hate that its name is being tainted in America by people who don't like it.

There is private healthcare. I've had to use the NHS a lot in the past and I've never needed to go private. They may not be perfect but the service I've had from them has been pretty much perfect for me and extremely helpful.
I had a teacher who had major illnesses and needed a lot of care and medication. He said that the only place he could have gotten the treatment was in the UK under the NHS, because he wouldn't be able to afford it anywhere else and because the NHS is so efficient.
Actually everyone in the UK I've spoken to about the NHS thinks that it is a great service and really something that the government has done well.

Whether you want it in America isn't an issue here, but I think it's unfair that a bad name is being given to an efficient and popular system to justify not having a similar one in the US.

[Kenko]

Originally Posted by Swamp56

I watched Sicko, and it was one of the most biased and horrible documentaries I've ever seen. I can't stand Michael Moore since he can't look at things in a bipartisan way.

Michael Moore does not make documentaries. Never has, never will. They are opinion pieces: Roger & Me, Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11. He emphasizes certain points that support his position, and quietly ignores ones that contradict it.

Anyways, back on topic. Some people are "afraid" that if the United States implemented a system similar to the UK's NHS, the elderly and crippled would be killed.

A July 31 Investor's Business Daily editorial titled "How House Bill Runs Over Grandma" warned about President Obama's health care plan, saying:

People such as scientist Stephen Hawking wouldn't have a chance in the UK, where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless.

Except, oh. Ooops, what's that? He's British?

"I wouldn't be here today if it were not for the NHS. I have received a large amount of high-quality treatment without which I would not have survived."

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/b...ervatives.aspx

In other news 40+ million Americans have no health insurance and would have no way of paying for health coverage.

Many can only afford a catastrophic coverage policy.

Right now, with the economy in the crapper, and people switching jobs. Some people who work for a different company, or their company changes health insurance company, or renegotiate with the heath insurance company get dropped from coverage for having a pre-existing condition.

Many of the lobbyists against any form of governmental health care system are big companies with financial interests in the continuation of a privatized system. And I'd say there's a lot of scaremongering going on.

Many people who are not covered by insurance end up with huge unpayable debts that can lead to bankruptcy.

Per capita the United States has one of the most expensive healthcare systems in the world.

Payment of Punitive damages from malpractice suits drives up the cost of physician malpractice insurance, and thus the cost of healthcare.

I've heard those arguments elsewhere before, and Wikipedia isn't king of "unbiased", but there are references to some of the above points:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_..._United_States

[GhostDog]

Originally Posted by Kenko

Many of the lobbyists against any form of governmental health care system are big companies with financial interests in the continuation of a privatized system. And I'd say there's a lot of scaremongering going on.

There is definitely a lot of scaremongering going on.

I know, I know, me linking to videos off of MSNBC, especially with how I carry on about Rachel Maddow, is probably making me look like a huge liberal. (Which I am, I won't deny.) And, yes, her own views on the subject are pretty apparent. However, I've been impressed by her fact-checking.

Here are some clips examining the health care fight.

A piece looking at the nature of some of these town hall disruptions
Looking at some of the fear-baiting.
Looking at who is funding/heading these "grassroots" groups opposing reform.
An interview with a head of one of said "grassroots" groups.

Whether or not you wish to watch them, as far as I can gather, those who oppose health care only seem to be interested in opposing it. To my knowledge, republicans have not proposed an alternative. Some people in these town hall meetings seem to be under the impression that our health care system is fine as it is. It isn't. And it is interesting, to say the least, that some of the people funding the groups against reform are the ones who stand to profit by the system staying the way it is.

... Also, I totally love that people are so dead-set against government-run health care plans, when MEDICARE AND MEDICAID ARE GOVERNMENT-RUN. Congressman Weiner, to make exactly that point, proposed a bill that would end Medicare. Nobody voted for it. The same people going on about how government-run health care would be a disaster, didn't dare vote to end Medicare. So apparently, their dislike for socialized medicine doesn't apply to what we already have.

[djt820]

Obama = more govt control.
Its propaganda.

[GhostDog]

Originally Posted by GhostDog

To my knowledge, republicans have not proposed an alternative.

I will amend this. Some searching on the internet has turned up republican proposals, but I hadn't seen this reported on before. I'd have edited my post but it's been more than 15 minutes.

[beckyg]

Originally Posted by SurferDude420

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/

This website seems to be pretty unbiased. It's VERY Interesting. I hope that helps answer any questions.

Thanks I was going to suggest that very website! This is a very heated topic. The town hall meetings are downright scary!

[George]

Originally Posted by SurferDude420

No Georgeeeeeeee! Not Michael Moore!!!!!!! xD

I don't like Michael Moore that much either, but what's in Sicko is very true.