Health care poll

[anvi]

Please declare your preference.  I've set up the poll to allow people to change their vote and the poll will track results over the next month.  As the creator of the poll, I will not cast a vote.

To briefly describe the options (options 2 and 5 only have longer description because of the restrictions or specific expansions involved in them):

Option number 1 is self-explanatory, you want the current system of health care access to continue in its present form, and you believe the health care costs under the current system are reasonable.

Option number 2 is for those who believe that legislation that bars insurance companies from excluding coverage for people with pre-existing conditions and that ensures coverage for catastrophic care is called for.  The law created by this option would contain corrective measures for the existing insurance industry (and may perhaps also provide measures for the automization of heath records) only, and would create no further government subsidization of heath care.

Option number 3 would enable states to invite competitors in the health insurance industry to participate in state cooperatives, which would increase competition for consumers in an increasingly consolidated industry.

Option number 4 would create a policy that enables the federal government to create a public option for consumers.  This public option would allow consumers to sign up for federally subsidized and administered health insurance.

Option number 5 would enable the United States to create a single-payer health insurance system reflecting some set of practices that exist in Canada, Great Briton, continental Europe and parts of East Asia.  Such a system would enable the federal government to negotiate costs with industry providers, including hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and insurers. 

If you do not find any of these options satisfactory, please respond with "none of the above" and write something about what sort of alternative remedy to current health care issues might look like.

Thanks for participating.

[opebo]

#5 obviously.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Single payer is the best option, and everyone supports it. So why are the Democrats still being DLCists by not supporting it too?

[Lief 🗽]

Obviously anyone really paying attention should realize that single-player is the best plan to achieve universal coverage, hold down costs, and improve the lives of Americans.

On the other hand, we're obviously not getting single-payer right now. So a strong public option, as well as other reforms put forward by Obama and the Congress are a good step towards solving the situation. We should remember than in the 30s, when Social Security was enacted, it only covered about half of American seniors. Only over time was social security expanded to cover all seniors as it does today. Progressive change in America has always been incremental, owing to the anti-democratic system our founders devised.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Single payer would be the best option, but failing that, a strong public option is the only sensible alternative.

[Хahar 🤔]

Single-payer, like other developed nations.

[Nym90]

Single payer is my preference.

[Frodo]

Option 4 (fed-run public insurance plan) is the furthest I am willing to go, for now. 

[Person Man]

Option 4 (fed-run public insurance plan) is the furthest I am willing to go, for now. 

Pretty much, I am very scared of the withdraws of going cold-turkey. Heck, I would settle for 3 at this point.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Option 4.  Create a public option that is subsidized with premiums and copays dependent on income for the poor and available at market rates to everyone else.  The government can use its size to negotiate lower drug prices and medical costs in general.

Create a Medicaid type program for children and disabled/people not able to work.

With a competitive government option in place, we could relax some of the regulations on private insurance.  Also, we should allow small businesses to create 'health co-ops' that allow them to purchase health insurance in bulk for their employees and use their collective weight to negotiate better rates.

As far as mandated coverage is concerned... I am generally supportive of some mandated coverage, but would be willing to allow private insurers to offer coverage on more basic things to reduce costs and premiums to people.  

I'd support a catastrophic coverage claus, however.  Each insurance company would have a fund set up to cover patients that may not have purchased coverage for a certain medical condition in the event of extenuating circumstances.  (A woman doesn't have coverage for child birth... and agrees to pay out of pocket, but then has unexpected complications with the pregnancy that rack up medical bills... she could be covered by this fund)

[??????????]

Option 2, with heavy tort reform. I will not be participate or be forced to participate in any public plan.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Option 2, with heavy tort reform. I will not be participate or be forced to participate in any public plan.

Lucky for you, you won't be anyway!

[??????????]

Option 2, with heavy tort reform. I will not be participate or be forced to participate in any public plan.

Lucky for you, you won't be anyway!

Since Obama is a liar I'd hardly believe one word he says.

[pogo stick]

There should be health insurance reform, correcting bad practices

[DownWithTheLeft]

Option 2, with heavy tort reform. I will not be participate or be forced to participate in any public plan.

^^

Like the average American (and considering I can't find anyone who says that greater than 50% of Americans don't have health insurance no matter how much you want to fudge numbers) I have health insurance and don't want to put tax dollars into a system that is going to fail.  You can't throw money at the problems that we have like it is some kind of bandage, the first step toward health care reform is tort reform and brining down malpractice costs which in turn bring down doctor's costs.  From there, we can work towards allowing individuals to buy health insurance at big company discount rates.  And in time, hard-work and private industry, and people looking for real solutions can solve this problem.  The quick fix is always the wrong fix.

[JohnnyLongtorso]

Option 2, with heavy tort reform. I will not be participate or be forced to participate in any public plan.

^^

Like the average American (and considering I can't find anyone who says that greater than 50% of Americans don't have health insurance no matter how much you want to fudge numbers) I have health insurance and don't want to put tax dollars into a system that is going to fail.  You can't throw money at the problems that we have like it is some kind of bandage, the first step toward health care reform is tort reform and brining down malpractice costs which in turn bring down doctor's costs. From there, we can work towards allowing individuals to buy health insurance at big company discount rates.  And in time, hard-work and private industry, and people looking for real solutions can solve this problem.  The quick fix is always the wrong fix.

Do you understand how insurance underwriting works?

[DownWithTheLeft]

Yes, but I don't see how it would apply here.  Obviously it would have to worked out in some fashion, but it is definitely do able.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Option 2, with heavy tort reform. I will not be participate or be forced to participate in any public plan.

^^

Like the average American (and considering I can't find anyone who says that greater than 50% of Americans don't have health insurance no matter how much you want to fudge numbers) I have health insurance and don't want to put tax dollars into a system that is going to fail.  You can't throw money at the problems that we have like it is some kind of bandage, the first step toward health care reform is tort reform and brining down malpractice costs which in turn bring down doctor's costs.  From there, we can work towards allowing individuals to buy health insurance at big company discount rates.  And in time, hard-work and private industry, and people looking for real solutions can solve this problem.  The quick fix is always the wrong fix.

You clearly know absolutely nothing about the current proposals and what they accomplish.

As for "average american" I think we've already established that you're an upper-class snob.

[DownWithTheLeft]

Just because my family isn't a bunch of poors who mooch off the government does not make me an upper-class snob.  My family and now myself worked hard for every dollar we earned and we deserve it wholeheartedly.  We don't want our money to go to pay for people who don't have money just because they didn't work hard enough to earn it in their lives or made poor decision that cost them money.

It isn't my job (and by my I mean all people who have had any level of success in their life and don't mooch off the gov't) to provide health care for those who made poor choices to put themselves in a situation where they do not have health care.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Probably a combo of options 2 and 3.

[Lief 🗽]

lol, DWTL playing the "I'm an average American" card again.

[War on Want]

lol, DWTL playing the "I'm an average American" card again.

lol, this is even better than his "I'm a religious" card.

[??????????]

lol, DWTL playing the "I'm an average American" card again.

Yes, because as we know under Obama success is to be punished.

[War on Want]

lol, DWTL playing the "I'm an average American" card again.

Yes, because as we know under Obama success is to be punished.

I never got conservatives beliefs that the left wing believes in punishing success. That is borderline idiotic, the reason why the left believes in taxing the rich is because they can afford a bigger burden of tax dollars and wouldn't be lowered at all from their position in the world. You couldn't afford social programs by having a flat tax system because the social programs would have next to no affect on the working class and poor if their taxes were raised.

Besides I think everyone knows that being rich is not something that is purely based on skill, intelligence and hard work. It isn't even close. Just like how being poor is not something purley based on idiocy, laziness and immorality. I don't get how some people look at money and determine someone's value to society based on that.

[fezzyfestoon]

I can't stand how much of a right wing echo chamber this forum is.  There are no liberals here!

I support a national mandate for states to strive towards universal coverage.  Of course now is not the time for that though.