The underground economy is a huge drain on the working stiffs. Lots of "welfare" people work in this economy too. No records....all cash. -Had some clown up here last year trying to tell me he would only take cash for firewood. I went off on the guy over the phone. Should have reported his *** to the IRS. Really...pisses me off. Too many of them out there, including waitresses and hairdressers and the whole cash crowd. They claim they can't afford to report their income?

 

I noticed today that Congress and the Senate are making deals with the unions to exempt them from the "luxury tax" that will be on employer provided health insurance over $8500, so the unions will support the bill. Isn't it nice that Nebraska, and Louisiana, and now the unions are getting sweetheart deals behind closed doors. Gee, I wonder what's in store for us??? I'm sure we'll get the best sweetheart deals that will give us the best healthcare for no cost at all. I can hardly wait. Barf...

 

Obama talks about "health insurance reform." but he seems to be talking about the same old insurance that is at the root of the health care cost problem. I read an article a few years ago about the cost of Radial Keratotomy, a procedure that corrects nearsightedness. It's not covered by any medical insurance or government program, and in about five years, the cost has dropped from around $8,000 to an average in the range of $1,000 to $1,500 as more and more doctors offered the procedure. Maybe health care reform would be more successful with a program that stimulates market forces instead of depending entirely on the government. It just seems that every government program, though well intentioned, always gets screwed up by special interests getting what they want to the detriment of the rest of us.

 

That's what all the poor people think too......until they end up in a head-on collision and then crying at the emergency room doors with their brains on the floor looking for somebody to pay the bill. -That would be you and me in the form of increased rates. We all pay for those who decide to have their "choice" because they'd rather pay for the bass boat, than buy insurance. It's BS. If you decide to not get insurance you should have your SS number listed with all hospitals and rejected at the door, regardless of where you brains are splattered. You got cancer....sorry. You cut your wrist at work, best be gettin' some rags and some fishing line to pull the meat together. You're not going to get a prescription for antibiotics either. You are on your OWN. Enjoy it.

 

In my state( Illinois) what is bankrupting the system is the government itself. Everytime our local ambulance system goes out to pick up a medicare patient it costs them more than they are paid. If they get paid, which usually takes 6months to a year. Nothing the government runs is efficient enough to lower costs. Something as simple as the postal system cannot be done efficiently. The reason we pay is because of the abuse of health care. The medicare system. I lived in Indiana a few years back and the state run health care would pay for a taxi to the clinic if you needed to go. So many just called a taxi, got dropped off at the clinic. Walked over to walmart and the grocery story. ANd got picked up again. This is what we pay for. I was at the stores friday night and saw all the people who work very little in unskilled labob, spending their thousands of earned income credit on laptops, deisgner clothes, and flat screens. This is what we pay for. I could go on but you get my point. In my state schools are laying off, Governments are laying off, Business are running for their lives, Why, Because Nothing done by government is efficient. Sorry to ramble but I work hard and have to pay my taxes, my self employment taxes, and wish the government would just quit trying to overtake every facet of life. We simply do not have enough money to make everything free for those with their hand out.

 

Deep....Makes sense from a business perspective, but health care isn't really "business" when you're the one on the operating table. Everybody's got a great plan for how to fix it, or who needs to pay more, or be denied, until it's their father, or their son that's sick. Their story and their needs seem to change a bit when the issue is theirs. Problem is with the "business model", that people who need health care are sick. -One day a guy is apparently perfectly healthy, then he drops at 55 from a massive heart attack and the attitudes suddenly change, especially if they don't have enough coverage. Kid gets sick and they need big time help.....suddenly the attitude changes. Your example is not really realistic when comparing somebody with kidney cancer or broken femur, neck to corrective eye surgery.

 

Been there and done that. I was without insurance as I was starting a new job. I had a major burst appendix that almost killed me. I was still living with my parents at the time. It took about 4 months to recover. I had bills for the anesthesiologist, surgeon, and hospital stay. I paid them off a little at a time. What's happened to personal responsibility? Those that are healthy enough to work should be working instead of whining to the government and living off our collective backs. We shouldn't be paying for irresponsible people or the healthy that are living off of government subsidies. The more you give them the more they take. It creates a dependent class. But, you know that the bunch in DC right now want votes more than common sense. So, they won't cut off the people you mentioned.

 

Been years ago, but I seem to remember the government looking into the high cost of prescriptions. The prescriptions the wife and I take have gone from 10 bucks a piece to 45 each. 60 bucks a month is now 270. Getting to the point I can afford the insurance, but can't afford the meds they say we need to stay healthy.

 

I agree but, they don't. My wifes grandparents who barely make it by but, do make it by and live happily had HELL trying to find insurance. They have 3 grown boys who, don't want to work. One son moved in with them bringing his wife and his 3 daughters. So, I guess what I'm saying is it's nice to have parents to get you buy if they are financially capable but, in this his parents were stressed and suffering as well as his 3 daughters because of his incompetence. The way I look at it is. The money from our "collective backs" is helping the kids and elderly out. Not him.

 

I hope you're right Koopa. I live in Massachusetts where you see welfare abuse all the time. It's unfortunate, what's happened to the family as it used to be. People took care of their elderly parents, mom and dad stayed together, kids got brought up right. Welfare (so-called government handouts) pays people to stay in the situation they're in and make them reliant on the government. The government does not have the money to pay for all these programs but they keep thinking up new ones. Then when they can't afford things they shouldn't have started in the first place, they cry "we need more money". Taxes go up more and the economy loses.