Obama Town Hall Meeting

Originally posted by babs10 Originally posted by 6t5frlane Originally posted by babs10 Originally posted by 6t5frlane Anytime I see the word transparency and Obama I cringe. Remember when the liar promised that the Health Care debate would be in the open and on C Span???? Now it's down the Hallway somewhere in the whithouse with only one party attending   same old same old, 6t5.... no change here!!   So you are saying that BHO did not make that promise babs? Same old Babs with her head in the sand   uh. no. 6t5.. I was agreeing with you??  meant same old sh*t in the seat of the presidency..... that'll teach me to do that... agree with you

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Edited by Joie - 25 October 2009 at 3:47pm

Linncn. I guess what I'm taking from this HR 615 is that the public feels the public policy will be inferior to what employers offer. I'm not sure this is true. The public option will ensure competition. I feel that all of congress should be put on the public option. All government workers should be on a public option. If they are against this, then I'm a bit suspicious.

I received it as an email, thought I'd throw it out there to see what people think. I probably should have spent more time looking it up as it was an email. I'll go back and check out the source. I don't post emails ever, big mistake.     Congress and government workers are already on a public option, they have no complaints. I don't think they get other options..maybe they do. I've never heard a government employee complain about their health coverage. A choice is not warranted. But if they want a choice, certainly.   What I'm saying is the public plan should be as good as medicare(as far as coverage goes) and no one should be afraid of being on it and it should not be looked down upon to be on a public plan. Medicaid patients should not be looked down upon either (but they are, there is a stigma, trust me).Medicaid provider choices are more limited every day as many doctors are refusing to take on new medicaid patients.    My question...why are bills being introduced where people are acting afraid to be on a public plan...and why would members of congress not be more than willing to go on a public plan?   You know why congress has a problem with the public option for themselves?   I'll tell you why. I was talking to a primary care physician at work on Friday. I told her that I had heard that her office was no longer taking medicare patients...she said, yes unfortunately, that is true. I asked her why...she stated. We cannot afford medicare patients, we go in the hole everytime we see a medicare patient. She thought the reimbursement rate was around 85 percent, while third party payers are around 135 percent, she was not sure but thought she was close to the figures. So, her office has had to limit medicare patients so they can pay their bills. This is the problem with government insurance plans such as medicare, medicaid, etc. also the patient is limited on his/her choice of providers. Personally Joie, I would not want that. I want to pick my provider. Members of congress know these facts. I am all for a public option, but it must be able to compete with insurance companies. No one should have to go to a doctor that they hate, that does not listen to them, that they just cannot connect to. Part of staying well and getting better is having a provider that you can work with, not one you can work against. Personally, I'm all for single payer. I believe that is the way we are going to cut health care costs.




Edited by lorster - 25 October 2009 at 8:47pm

Emails of questionable origins are generally not reliable sources of information about health care reform.

As far as members of Congress, they purchase "private" health insurance through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, which also covers federal employees, retirees and their families.  They can chose from several private plans from different insurers.   Employees have the option to switch plans during the annual open enrollment period.  There is plenty of competition; FEHP is the largest employer sponsored health plan in the U.S.

I think private insurance companies would object to a requirement that Congress and federal employees go on a public plan -- private insurers would lose 8 million customers.  Members of Congress are however required to go onto a public plan when they turn 65 -- they must sign up for Medicare.  And members of Congress, that are retired military are eligible for lifetime coverage through TRICARE, the government health care program for active and retired military and their families.

Regarding Medicare beneficiaries access to doctors, has been a complaint in some regions.  Whether a region is classified as urban or rural, will determine reimbursement rates.  If a region is designated rural, access could be restricted due to a shortage of doctors because of the  lower Medicare reimbursement rate; physicians would opt to work in higher reimbursed urban areas.

Access, however was not a problem with my parents nor with my siblings and their spouses  -- they were/are able to choose their own doctors.  Since Medicare pays about 80% of some medical costs, my family members also had private Medigap plans that covered costs not covered by Medicare.

I think there is a lot of misinformation about a public plan option.  It would be a government run plan, but individuals would still be able to choose their own doctor.  And it would be "one" option in the insurance exchange that would also include several private insurance plans -- no one would be forced to enroll in the public plan.  And, only the uninsured would be allowed to purchase insurance -- private or public -- in the exchange. 

As far as being able to choose one's doctor, that could be a problem with private health insurance.  One sees a doctor that contracts with the insurance company that contracts with one's employer.  If your employer no longer offers that insurance plan, you might lose your doctor.

We have a fragmented health care system, that is becoming more difficult to navigate and becoming more and more expensive.  A single payer system with private doctors and hospitals seems like a more efficient, equitable and sustainable system -- but that wasn't considered by Congress.
  



   



Edited by Joie - 26 October 2009 at 1:15am