Obama '08?

Obama's nomination for the supreme court, Sotomayor, said something eight years ago, and the conservatives attack her on that rather than looking at her judicial record. Conservatives are a bunch of losers; they will do everything in their power to bitch about non-issues that shouldn't even be part of the committee hearings.

I just wonder how many statements the same people who are questioning Sotomayor have made statements in their past that have not had any bearing on their election that can be labeled stupid or misguided?

The "no party" can't see the forest for the trees.

They haven't even voted yet, ci. They are questioning her, thats all. You have a problem?

So you are saying that the present health care system is broken?
Currently a person with insurance does NOT pay directly for his service. He pays the insurance company.
Your second principle would mean that the insurance company has primary control over what the person receives in medical care.

Sounds like we currently have a system that violates your first 2 principles okie.

The current system needs tweaked alot. It is not broken. What you say about insurance paying for services is not accurate. Many people pay for routine services, but carry insurance for catastrophic health care. So you are inaccurate when you say the insurance company pays for medical care. Yes, they do for some, but not all.

I think the way we process the claims could be tweaked. I don't know exactly how this needs to be done, but I have in fact been frustrated by the process of doctors and hospitals sending claims to insurance companies without me first reviewing the claims to see the mistakes and errors. I know from experience that errors and overcharging is common place. If the government becomes involved besides insurance companies, I think the problem becomes worse. We have all read the news stories about this, doctors and hospitals bilking medicare and medicaid.

Going to your system only goes further off the scale in the wrong direction, Parados. What I want to do is at least maintain the sytem at the point on the scale as it is, and tweak it to adjust the scale somewhat more. Insurance will be necessary, but as I said, insurance is appropriate for catastrophic care, like a house catching on fire, not like painting a house or routinely cleaning house or fixing a hinge on a door.

I find it funny how conservatives use the word "many" and "much" when they mean "a small percentage."

Most people get their insurance through work. It is only in the last few years that businesses have even had the option to do high deductible plans in conjunction with HSAs.

Insurance companies are involved because they negotiate rates for services.

They will always be sent bills under the system you are saying you want to tweak because they have departments that reprice based on their negotiations. Different insurance companies even pay different rates for the same procedures. It is far from efficient.

okie, It may not be broken to you, but almost 50 million Americans are without health insurance, and the cost increases every year has impacted what companies and individuals are able to afford.

Your myopia is a disease; get your head checked.

Bullshit cice girl!

The actual number of Americans without any kind of health insurance is about 8 million.
You need to get your facts right before spouting off and spewing Obama talking points.

I can cite a source for 47 million. Can you source 8 million?

I realize that, but the patient should also review the charges. For example, I have demanded a review of charges a couple of different times, and have found the hospitals charging for stuff that was never provided. The insurance company would not have known that, did not know that, but I did because I was the person receiving the medical care.

In one experience of mine many years ago, not only was an ambulance ride charged that never occurred, but various dressings, etc. in the surgery were charged bu were never provided. We sat down with the billing office of the hospital and requested a full accounting of the coded items and services. Interestingly, they were a bit offended at the intital request, but after I told them that an auto mechanic at least will tell you what he did to my car, and since my deductible was high and therefore I would be personally paying for the medical bill, perhaps it is not too much to ask them what they did to me and what the codes on the bill actually were, and the costs. They then became cooperative and apologetic. The end result was a reducion of almost 20% of the bill, or several hundred dollars at that time. From my experience, observation, talking to others, and plus my brother is a doctor, many hospitals have institutionalized overcharging, padding the bill, and have found ways around the contracted costs and agreements with insurance companies. If insurance companies deem something is worth only an amount, but if the hospital finds that it costs them more, they simply add other things to recoup their costs. This is only one example of the countless examples of abuse in the system, I am very sure.

I read one time that there were companies that had as their business to review medical bills to filter out errors and overcharges. I do not know the current status of those businesses. I am sure insurance companies concentrate very hard to hold costs, review costs, limit and throw out some charges, but the fact is still very clear that they do not personally know what the doctors or hospitals provided or performed on patients. Thus, the person that gets hit in the pocket with charges should be able to review, compare, and choose their services and charges. There is no denial that it keeps the system more honest and efficient.

What if we turned over buying our groceries and meals in our own homes to the government, or to insurance companies? What would our meals look like, and what would it cost us. Let your imagination wander. The sky is the limit, but the abuse and waste would probably be monumental.

Now, go do the research and find out how many of your purported 50 million are not even citizens, how many are on medicaid or could be, and how many can afford insurance but do not. Also go do the research and tell us how many will still be uninsured under Obamacare. Okay. Then come back here and tell us something meaningful, if you are capable.

Go do the research yourself; you're missing the important issues by diverting the discussion to less important ones. I've already outlined why our country needs a universal health care plan. My position is backed by most of the professionals in the health care industry. Your's is backed by yourself.

You've outlined your reasons for a health plan, including the purported 50 million uninsured, but you can't or won't back up your figure with details. And you like Obama want to ram a health bill down our throats in a matter of a week or weeks, without even giving us sound reasons.

Your position is backed by your chosen big government pundits, and mine are backed by freedom loving people that believe in self government, something that has treated us well for over 200 years.

My answer to you and Obama with his emergency health care, is no, no, no, and no again.

okie continue to make assurtions not in any of my statements. You wrote:

Please provide proof I said such a thing? You can't, because you are not only a liar, but an ignoramus who's position on many things you state are without basis in fact or reality.

No you can't... or you would have.

That made me laugh okie..

As you argue against a public option for health care you use the fact that people are eligible for a public option for health care, called medicaid, as evidence we don't need a public option.

google in Americans without health insurance. Have you ever done a google search?

Well, my (health) insurance company - like any other of [today still] two hundred independent health insurers within the mandatory health insurance system - has a parliament, with delegates that are elected by the members.
So I've direct (or indirect) influence on what my insurer does.

If I have complaints about any of my doctors, hospitals, pharmacies - I either tell it directly (with seems to be the best) or my insurance or the related 'ombudsman' or the regional Medical/Pharmacy Association.


I think, no pharmacy, no doctor, no hospital likes investigations/complaints of any kind - we are those who make them getting the butter on their bread.

And there's no difference if they get the money from a private or a mandatory insurance (though doctors can get more money from rivate companies by "doing" "more".)

What do you guys get for Dental coverage over there?

If he says he can, he can.