A Continuation of the Facebook Debate

So, after my last comment, here is more of the continued thread:

Offensive Person: The drug repository idea has been talked about for a couple years. Ive heard a few local politicians discussing it on the Lars Larson show, though Ive never heard how its supposed to be funded. From what Im seeing you seem to be lumping health care and health insurance together, and thats just not right, they are two seperate things. One of the big problems I see is that people are treating health insurance like buying a car. They know they want to get 25 mpg, pay under 25,000 and have an automatic transmission. They also know they have 4 children. They buy a Prius because it meets most of their needs, and is great 5 days a week, but on the weekend they cuss the car because they cant fit themselves and all 4 kids in it. Most people have no idea what of insurance they are buying, then complain when it doesnt meet their needs. The system isnt broken, but it does need some help. Stop the mandates, you dont need prostate exams, and I dont need sex change coverage.

[I tried to post a response but Facebook was acting up.]

Offensive Person: Tort reform, most doctors have to work 100 days just to pay for malpractice insurance, thats insane! Allow more competition, there are over 1300 health insurance compaines in the United States, California can only use 6. Yes its a monopoly set up by the us government, health insurance companies are exempt from anti trust laws, so I guess we need to get these jackasses out of office. Im sorry your liberal, I hope your insurance covers rehab for that, lol. Health insurance shouldnt be a right or left issue, but when someone says I have to pay for their health care or insurance Im going to get very vocal very quickly, especially when I COMPLETELY pay for mine and that of my son.

Person who was not initially offensive but now is: Wow H, you seem to attract long threads of vigorous debate ;) Though I agree with your position Todd, I think "Tootsie" was al little disrespectful. I find the debate to be convoluted, as you say T, between health care and health insurance. This is primarily, due to Obama shifting the focus and is purely political. I pay for my own health insurance as well. I pay $513 per month for a $3K deductable plan that has copay, dental, and drug coverage. I researched it and understand what I'm paying for. I could have bought a major medical policy for around $200 a month with a $1500 deductable that would cover any major medical expenses less deductable 100%. Both my wife and I have pre-existing conditions. So... for less than a car payment, I could be covered in the event of an illness that would render me insolvent. What appears to be happening to me is that the government is pushing for the higher priced coverage for everyone so that every runny nose is covered.

Not initially offensive but now is: The sad facts are that every runny nose will not be covered. Boards of beaurocratic experts will decide what will be covered and how much will be paid to cover it. I wouldn't go so far as to call them death panels, but they are what they are. Based on my daily experience with government divied money, wait times for payment will be months. Payments will be denied for the smallest of gliches on billings. The cost of administration will drive costs up not down and tax payer money will be spent not only for health care but to employ vast numbers of people in positions to "oversee and administrate" the program. Layer upon layer upon layer of new government employees. I don't want my tax dollars, going to pay for another such program that we will not be able to shed ourselves of in the future, ever.

Deanna: L (not initially offensive, but now is), I was not being disrespectful. Calling a grown, professional woman "Tootsie" is disrespectful. The fact that you have now, too, is disrespectful. I just laid out the experiences of myself and my family as examples of how the system doesn't work. Todd made some very uninformed statements about both me and my family for which he had NO knowledge. I did not go spouting off about things for which I had no knowledge. I'm sorry that both of you have to pay for your healthcare coverage . . . but be thankful that you can at least (seemingly) afford to do so. My partner, after he lost his job in this economy (he worked for an HVAC warehousing company), discovered that his COBRA insurance would cost $800/month! His take-home pay was $1500/month and that's with 30 YEARS of experience working as a warehouseman. He also did not have any opportunities to further his education. His rent on his apartment? $650. How is he and his daughter supposed to eat on $50 a month?

Deanna: And, yes, I understand that I combined a discussion of health care with health insurance, however, both need to be fixed to some extent. Our health care system tries to fix the problem AFTER it happens rather than encouraging people to avoid the problem before it starts. Companies make more money, after all, trying to fix it than they do trying to prevent it. That's our HEALTH CARE. But health insurance, as I noted in my previous comment, is also out of reach for many folks. Say my partner gets major medical for $200/month - now that he's on unemployment (which he or his employer paid into for years), he gets $1400/month. Rent is $650; car payment is $300; insurance is $55 - total with insurance $1005. $400/month for food and miscellaneous expenses.

So, do ya think I was being disrespectful to the first person? I don't. That was a case of attacking the person - not the argument.