My (our) Problem with Obamacare!

[CaptainJohnson Retired ModeratorSenior MemberPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close CaptainJohnson]

The USA is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

On one side, the masses are largely uninsured for healthcare without the government support of ObamaCare.

On another, ObamaCare increases the premiums over insurance plans across the board, and puts a population pressure on a system that is already overstressed enough due to a lack of physicians.

Add this to the fact that ObamaCare's government funding is not enough to support the system and you end up with a huge problem. Well, one option is to take some of the military funding and pour it into healthcare (or I don't know... education?). The USA currently has a military budget that is so bloated, it imitates the eating habits of a 500 pound McDonalds regular customer who has to choose between cheetos and another 15 bags of chips he doesn't need.

Graphs for fun:

http://armscontrolcenter.org/images/USvsNext152012.jpg

While this might take some load off the healthcare plan currently proposed by the government, it doesn't solve all the latent problems. There are still too few doctors, and even with the extra cash, expenditure on healthcare increases almost exponentially long-term, which is why Canada has cut the number of things OHIP (the name of their free healthcare coverage) covers substantially over the last twenty years, and moreso ever since Stephen Harper took office.

At the end of the day, the issue is that healthcare is a commodity, and it is subject to supply and demand. Since healthcare is a necessity, it has demand, but given the lack of medical personel compared with the national population in the USA, the supply is severely limited.

Add all that to the already prevalent American mentality of entitlement, whether it be for a right to pay for what you want, or a right to healthcare, and you have a recipe for disaster.

ObamaCare was a great idea. The idea is doable, but the price to do it would tear the current healthcare system and the insurance companies assunder. Chances are that was Obama's end-goal: break the system, tear down the insurance companies, and then rebuild it as a 100% government-run program without the middle-man. If that happened, it could possibly be sustained, but a lot would be lost on the way.

Speaking as a Canadian, I love my healthcare, but I hate the term free healthcare. It isn't free. We pay for it with taxes. My taxes, my neighbor's taxes, my uncle's taxes, everyone. We all cover someone else's treatments. It is the only way this works. Nonetheless, we still suffer from a supply issue: there are not enough doctors. The hospitals in our cities are overrun with people, with waiting times in the emergency wing running up to 2 hours on a good day, 5 on a bad. There are waiting lists for the rarer forms of treatment and there are waiting lists for overnight beds. The number of things OHIP covers today are far less than they did once upon a time. We have to pay for a lot of stuff we once didn't have to. And the problems are growing. The Canadian government has thrown around the idea of a 2-tier system for a while now, which we used to have before going full-OHIP. If they go back that route, the question is, will it save our healthcare system or kill it?

There is a tonne of Obama-hate flowing through the USA now, and frankly it seems silly to me. You voted him in. Maybe not you personally, but your country did. You can say you love your country, but call the majority of it stupid? What is a country if not its very people? It seems very popular to suddenly hate a president when he makes an err in judgement (not the first time this has happened), and it seems just as popular to defend him, and every one of his platforms.

This issue is not black and white. There are no absolutes. At the end of the day, you need to worry about how the issues at hand affect you, and the people you care about. That should be the basis of your opinions. Recognize how complicated the situation is, and stop making it a generalized political platform to shout from the cliff-face in front of your keyboard.

This is not an "us against them" situation. Politics is not the NFL, but America seems to like to treat it that way.

I might not be American, but I sure as hell like your country. Even love it, at times. Pull up your socks, USA.

[BigRooster Senior Member Member of the Month Apr 2018PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close BigRooster]

Question:

Why is President Obama distancing himself from the term "Obama Care?

Answer; because when it was a concept it sounded great. Now that the light of reality is upon it and people don't think it's all that great it makes political sense to not only not to call it Obamacare but to also to stress the "affordable" in the ACA to make u stupid people think we're either getting something for nothing or something really good really cheap.

No S#$%!

Fast and Furious, Bengazi, IRS and now Obama Care er......... ACA!

OBAMA = EPIC FAIL unless your the Nobel Prize IDIOTS!

When you hire a guy with no experience what did you think you'd get?

He hasn't taken responsibility for anything since he's been in office. Can't blame Bush on this one Barry. Your party voted for it your party and you own it.

PS Hey NSA how you doing?

[CUSP82 Administrator Admin of the Month Dec 2014PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close CUSP82]

Well let's keep this on track. This is not a referendum on Obama but rather the healthcare plan. Yes he started it but he is the president and was elected by this country. Let's not talk about his flaws but the flaw of this bill which will affect us all. There is much misconception about this bill and maybe through a good discussion we will all learn. I have read in these pages about those that do want to do there part in helping make this country great and are in a sense freeloaders. Well in regards to this law there is nothing free for anybody, even those that pay nothing to get insurance and if you want I will tell you why.

[Pegasus AdministratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero ☺ Admin of the Month Mar 2015 Find all posts View Profile Close Pegasus]

Nah I'm not leaving my country. I'll work to change it for the better. If there is a better country out there in the world I haven't yet found it and I don't think I will in my lifetime.

You have not visited Australia.

[CUSP82 Administrator Admin of the Month Dec 2014PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close CUSP82]

You have not visited Australia.

That's because it's too far away and you guys don't play my style of football! Besides you all talk funny!

[islander Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close islander]

Question:

Why is President Obama distancing himself from the term "Obama Care?

Because it is not HIS. IT has been ongoing for over a decade and was derived by many others not HIM. But because he is the President he gets the name. Because (I think) is black and hears more about lack of health care for the minor percent of the population, is prone to actually stick to this. Where none of the other Presidents could or would. Obviously the small percentage of the population who do not have coverage are of all colors. Keep in mind that people on medicare and medicaid HAVE insurance.

I just wish everyone would stop calling the President by his first name or last name. He is the President of MY United States of America and WE the people voted him in TWICE. Hopefully the American that has a problem with this or any other law or bill gets up and actually goes to the meetings/groups and fights for their voice to be heard, others just keep talking and chirping from your computer making no true/real difference for anyone.

Teach your children from birth THEY have a voice and a right to disagree. Politicians are just people. Just as cops and teachers and all others with the fake Authority Titles jobs give them. YOU pay them. They work for YOU. Guess what that entitles you to? Exactly, a voice. (PS I also include parents and relatives in this circle. If anyone tells you what to do without you being able to think and decide get the eff out of here. THINK! You going to follow a parent into bankruptcy? Into steeling? Into obesity because its your parent? Hell no)

"The problem was 30-40 million people without healthcare. Could not have something been done to help those people, roughly 10% of the country, to get insurance without affecting the 90% that had insurance they felt was fine?"

This is the line I agree with here.

Also for the record, we all throw out our OPINIONS here. They are just that. Your OPINION is not fact. It may be your life experience hence your fact but even quoting a comedian or news channel doesn't make it fact. People, just take what we are all posting, especially on a hot topic, as the posters personal experience/opinion.

It is awesome to be able to express what our opinions are. It shows how different our lives are and our experiences. Of course small sampling here but none the less a real picture from real people.

I have a great private insurance. I don't consider myself "oh so lucky" I consider myself smart for having obtained it and kept it by paying my premiums and making sure I did not do anything to lose the insurance. My insurance company requires me to go to the doctor annually, get a physical, get a mammogram, I must follow up after medication if I was sick. If I am overweight they send me information on how to get healthy. I make sure my income first goes towards priority fixed expenses.

I realize there is a middle road/gap. Some people who have their debts/budget in such a way can not "afford" private insurance and earn too much gross income to qualify for government assistance. But you can see where the adjustment here needs to be made.

I am a solution person so I am always positive and work to make the square peg fit in the round hole.

[CUSP82 Administrator Admin of the Month Dec 2014PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close CUSP82]

Ok Landi was it something you ate? What got you all fired up this morning.

[CUSP82 Administrator Admin of the Month Dec 2014PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close CUSP82]

Okay 700 million spent on a website that not only doesn't work but is only 40% done. We have a bit more than 315 million people in the country. So if you do the math instead of building that site the government could have given each American 2 million dollars and still have money left over. I don't know about you guys but I could buy a whole lot of health insurance with2 million bucks!

[NCGUY1972 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close NCGUY1972]

my insurance premium just doubled and my deductables did too??? It was already as much as a house payment each month now its as much as two house payments and almost impossible to ever use unless something catastrophic happens, thanks thats exactly how I hoped it would go. WTF???????? It'll shurely boost someones economy but not mine. I almost work 1 week a month to pay for nothing but my health insurance

[Nachos87 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Nachos87]

Okay 700 million spent on a website that not only doesn't work but is only 40% done. We have a bit more than 315 million people in the country. So if you do the math instead of building that site the government could have given each American 2 million dollars and still have money left over. I don't know about you guys but I could buy a whole lot of health insurance with2 million bucks!

I think your math is off. more like 2$

[Dangler Senior Administrator☼ Wizard ☼ White Tiger Award 2015 Find all posts View Profile Close Dangler]

The to-date cost of the glitchy Obamacare website has topped $1 billion, easily surpassing the $394 million originally estimated by the Government Accountability Office.

[CUSP82 Administrator Admin of the Month Dec 2014PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close CUSP82]

Maybe someone here could fix it????? What a headline; Obamacare website fixed by members of the Penis Enlargement Gym! Gotta love America!

[draggin Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close draggin]

Obamacare is the worst thing that could have happened. obama freaked out the insurance companies. As a result, generally speaking, the insurance companies raised the cost of insurance, yet simultaneously and drastically increasing deductibles, co-pays, and yet reducing benefits. It is genius what they did, from a business standpoint. The insurance companies are basically telling the American citizens that they are going to keep your money and pay (virtually) nothing when you need to see the doctor.

I personally know dentists that are losing sleep and scared. One of my dentist buddies is working over the Christmas holidays (which he has never ever had to do before) in hopes of making ends meet. I personally know chiropractors considering applying for bankruptcy. I personally know medical doctors that are desperate too. As a matter of fact, more and more MD's are going to a cash practise - they won't even take insurance anymore.

At my office, I'm in the same boat. I am now scrabbling to transition of my office into a high volume cash practice. It is the only way to people can afford to get healthy.

obama, in my opinion, hurt America more than the great depression (shit, at least we recovered from the great depression - there has been no recovery from obama's recession that is now 6 years long and counting with no sign of improvement in the near future). And we still have 2 more years of suffering under the current administration. Even worse, the next president, bless his/her soul, will have obama's massive debt and mess to clean-up. What a shame.

I love America. I hope we get a responsible President next time around. I am sick of worrying how to pay bills, I am sick of worrying about my son's future, I am sick of worrying that I will never be able to retire. This is not the American dream. Shit, this is no ones dream - in any country of the world.

[CUSP82 Administrator Admin of the Month Dec 2014PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close CUSP82]

Well draggin it's not thew worst thing; small pox and polio were prettty bad but it's right up there with both of them. The sad thing is that many people do not unerstand what it is. The President said the other day; hey if there any ideas let me hear them. Another lie because there were and are many other ideas but since mostof them have a Republicanlabel on them were never listened to at all. In a two party system you must include ideas from both parties to make it work. They complain of gridlock and it was they themselves that created the gridlock. It cannot be my way or the highway. The lies, the lack of transparency, the stubborness and arrogance is astouding. Yet people are still being fooled. Mandates were pushed back until after the next election because they know millions more will lose their insurance and will be pissed but "they" know it will be better in the long run. How many people will die over they next year because it will be better in the long run. Shame on them!

[NCGUY1972 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close NCGUY1972]

makes me want to scan in the letter I have from my insurance company and post it up, its ridiculous!!