Showing posts with label Obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Obama. Show all posts
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
Myth Busters: The Public Option Health Care Plan
Myth #1: The administration is trying to "run" health care by offering a Public Option health care plan.
Fact: Wrong. Taken from the President's own website:
"The American people are too often offered two extremes - government-run health care with higher taxes or letting the insurance companies operate without rules. Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe both of these extremes are wrong, and that’s why they’ve proposed a plan that strengthens employer coverage, makes insurance companies accountable and ensures patient choice of doctor and care without government interference.
Under the plan, if you like your current health insurance, nothing changes..."
Offering a low cost solution (aka, a "Public Option") for people who do not have insurance does not equal "running" the nations health care, nor does it equal a Socialist attempt to control a sector of the economy.
If you like your insurance coverage, then enjoy it, and quit complaining, because you would get to keep it!
Myth #2: The quality of your current health care will decline because of a Public Option health care plan.
Fact: Again, if you have health insurance through your employer, or a privately purchased plan, enjoy it! You get to keep it! Nobody is going to tell you that you have to give it up! Nobody is telling your super great doctors that they have to stop treating you! Your quality of health care will not decline. If anything, it may get better as insurance companies are forced to adjust their prices in order to keep your service.
Myth #3: This administration wants to decrease competition among insurance companies, and interfere with Capitalism, forcing pharmaceutical companies to stop conducting research, thus leading to all our demise.
Fact: Again, a stated goal straight from the President's own website:
"Reform the insurance market to increase competition by taking on anticompetitive activity that drives up prices without improving quality of care."
I believe that when he says he wants to "increase" competition...that means he is supporting Capitalism. "Increase" is the opposite of "decrease".
One major problem with the insurance industry is that it is already very ANTICOMPETITIVE. One way of changing this is by offering a less expensive alternative that will increase competition within the industry, with the goal of bringing everyone's prices down.
As far as drug companies go, let's not glorify them too much. Yes they do a lot of good research. They also keep costs of their drugs insanely high by stifling competition from foreign companies, and from companies who can make the same drugs for less money (ie, generic drugs).
You may say, "well they developed it, so they should get to charge what they want". Right. But in a free market economy, if I can figure out a way to make your widget as good or better, and sell it for cheaper, then I should be able to sell my widget too, and let the market decide which ones they want to buy. That drives prices down. That's capitalism.
What the drug companies currently do is called monopolizing. Monopolies are characterized by a lack of economic competition for the good or service that they provide and a lack of viable substitute goods. Those who have studied American history know that we generally do not like monopolies...so why do we tolerate it from the drug companies?
And uh...as far as Capitalism producing the best research and breakthroughs in technology...the government funds most of the research that goes on all across the nation.
Myth #4: The quality of a Public Option plan would probably suck!
Opinion: Maybe it will! Who knows. But for someone with no insurance at all, it might not be that bad.
And since the stated goal of the President is to offer a plan based on what's offered to members of Congress, it may not be as bad as you think.
As someone who has benefitted from a government provided health care plan for their entire life, I've got no complaints. Any time I've needed to see a doctor, I've been able to. I was born under a government health care plan. Both my children were born under a government health care plan. My family gets medications in a timely manner from a government health care plan. As a kid I was treated for broken bones, lacerations, infections, and viruses under a government health care plan.
At times I and my family have needed to see specialists...I've never had a problem with this.
The plan covers immunizations (and other "well-child" care), vision, dental, prescriptions, pregnancies, mental health issues, and plenty of other medical services.
It may not be as all inclusive as other plans out there, and yes, there is a certain amount of red tape I have to go to in some cases. But to someone who's got nothing, it's an amazing plan. And again, I've never had any problems.
Myth #5: A government-run insurance program would have an unfair advantage and ultimately drive insurers out of business.
Opinion: Maybe. But government options already exist in multiple sectors of the economy, competing with private industry on a daily basis, and private industry does fine. To name a few:
What other myths are out there? Please, let me bust them for you!
Fact: Wrong. Taken from the President's own website:
"The American people are too often offered two extremes - government-run health care with higher taxes or letting the insurance companies operate without rules. Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe both of these extremes are wrong, and that’s why they’ve proposed a plan that strengthens employer coverage, makes insurance companies accountable and ensures patient choice of doctor and care without government interference.
Under the plan, if you like your current health insurance, nothing changes..."
Offering a low cost solution (aka, a "Public Option") for people who do not have insurance does not equal "running" the nations health care, nor does it equal a Socialist attempt to control a sector of the economy.
If you like your insurance coverage, then enjoy it, and quit complaining, because you would get to keep it!
Myth #2: The quality of your current health care will decline because of a Public Option health care plan.
Fact: Again, if you have health insurance through your employer, or a privately purchased plan, enjoy it! You get to keep it! Nobody is going to tell you that you have to give it up! Nobody is telling your super great doctors that they have to stop treating you! Your quality of health care will not decline. If anything, it may get better as insurance companies are forced to adjust their prices in order to keep your service.
Myth #3: This administration wants to decrease competition among insurance companies, and interfere with Capitalism, forcing pharmaceutical companies to stop conducting research, thus leading to all our demise.
Fact: Again, a stated goal straight from the President's own website:
"Reform the insurance market to increase competition by taking on anticompetitive activity that drives up prices without improving quality of care."
I believe that when he says he wants to "increase" competition...that means he is supporting Capitalism. "Increase" is the opposite of "decrease".
One major problem with the insurance industry is that it is already very ANTICOMPETITIVE. One way of changing this is by offering a less expensive alternative that will increase competition within the industry, with the goal of bringing everyone's prices down.
As far as drug companies go, let's not glorify them too much. Yes they do a lot of good research. They also keep costs of their drugs insanely high by stifling competition from foreign companies, and from companies who can make the same drugs for less money (ie, generic drugs).
You may say, "well they developed it, so they should get to charge what they want". Right. But in a free market economy, if I can figure out a way to make your widget as good or better, and sell it for cheaper, then I should be able to sell my widget too, and let the market decide which ones they want to buy. That drives prices down. That's capitalism.
What the drug companies currently do is called monopolizing. Monopolies are characterized by a lack of economic competition for the good or service that they provide and a lack of viable substitute goods. Those who have studied American history know that we generally do not like monopolies...so why do we tolerate it from the drug companies?
And uh...as far as Capitalism producing the best research and breakthroughs in technology...the government funds most of the research that goes on all across the nation.
Myth #4: The quality of a Public Option plan would probably suck!
Opinion: Maybe it will! Who knows. But for someone with no insurance at all, it might not be that bad.
And since the stated goal of the President is to offer a plan based on what's offered to members of Congress, it may not be as bad as you think.
As someone who has benefitted from a government provided health care plan for their entire life, I've got no complaints. Any time I've needed to see a doctor, I've been able to. I was born under a government health care plan. Both my children were born under a government health care plan. My family gets medications in a timely manner from a government health care plan. As a kid I was treated for broken bones, lacerations, infections, and viruses under a government health care plan.
At times I and my family have needed to see specialists...I've never had a problem with this.
The plan covers immunizations (and other "well-child" care), vision, dental, prescriptions, pregnancies, mental health issues, and plenty of other medical services.
It may not be as all inclusive as other plans out there, and yes, there is a certain amount of red tape I have to go to in some cases. But to someone who's got nothing, it's an amazing plan. And again, I've never had any problems.
Myth #5: A government-run insurance program would have an unfair advantage and ultimately drive insurers out of business.
Opinion: Maybe. But government options already exist in multiple sectors of the economy, competing with private industry on a daily basis, and private industry does fine. To name a few:
- Education (public schools vs private/homeschooling)
- Security (police vs private security)
- Shipping (USPS vs UPS/FEDEX, etc...)
- Scientific Research
- Travel (Amtrak, subways vs planes, buses, etc...)
- Recreation (National park service vs Disney, etc...)
- Books (Libraries vs Barnes & Noble, etc...
What other myths are out there? Please, let me bust them for you!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
"Obama Goes Back to School"
What in the world is the problem with having the President of the United States address students around the country?I've been reading about parents who are up in arms, claiming that this is somehow an attempt to brainwash our children, and to force them to learn and embrace his agenda.
In the President's own words:
"I'm going to be making a big speech to young people all across the country about the importance of education; about the importance of staying in school; how we want to improve our education system and why it’s so important for the country. So I hope everybody tunes in."
In response, the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, said the following:
"The address scheduled for September 8, 2009, does not allow for healthy debate on the President's agenda, but rather obligates the youngest children in our public school system to agree with our President's initiatives or be ostracized by their teachers and classmates."
What's sinister or even controversial about a President talking to kids about the importance of education? And what is there to debate about a speech encouraging kids to stay in school???
Are people really that skeptical or suspicious? These have to be the same people who believe that the President is a Socialist.
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