I read all 1018 pages and the thing that stood out to me was that most of it 'amended' some other already existing agency... ie. Medicare, -cade, SS Act etc. Why not fix what we have? Why reinvent the wheel and throw the good stuff already in place away? I'm curious what other people think on this. I know we are a country of 'throw away the old' and buy it new mentality but this isn't last years model car or TV. These are HUGE amounts of money we talking about.
No reasonable person will dispute the fact that people get bad care, or that they fall thru the cracks. But there are ALOT of plans. programs, both state and fed, that do help alot of people. I have close personal knowledge of folks who have had no insurance but had babies in rooms right next to my other friend who worked for the hospital. Ones baby got no less quality of care than the other... only one had fancy insurance and the other was on public assistance. I have a relative that has mental health issues and is constantly in and out of JHU psych ward.. For weeks with expensive drugs and treatments. She has no insurance and the hospital treated her and found her programs to assist with prescriptions and docts. We have a public health system.
I see the problem as you can't make people drink once you get them to the water... so to speak. If someone isn't currently seeking medical care they prob don't care that they don't have insurance. Some people take their chances b/c of expense or laziness. Some of the folks who don't have insurance currently, don't care. Why are we forcing it onto them and paying for them?
Just my humble opinion.
PS No one has mentioned the last 400 pages of the bill that includes the National Corps of doctors. To be trained and education paid by the government... with financial consequences if they don't follow the mandates stated by the government on care given once they are finished their education including government placement (they can be forced to move to other parts of the country as the govern sees fit) for the term of repayment. Anyone thoughts on that?