Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Can I ask an honest question: What was wrong with Obamacare?

Not going to comment on Obamacare, but am going to say something about our "universal health care" system we have here in socialist Canada.

My biggest problem here in Canada is that I pay a lot of taxes to pay for health care to look after people who do nothing to look after themselves with no financial accountability whatsoever. The ER is plugged full of people who eat too much, smoke too much, do drugs, drink too much, live dangerous healthstyles, fail to exercise on any level, etc, etc, etc. I don't want my taxes to pay for these people or any others who do nothing to improve their lives. Might as well add welfare and unemployment insurance to the list of wasted money on social programs as well. I once heard the CBC report that here in little NB (pop 750,000) we spend $6000 per minute on healthcare alone and we have the fattest people in the country right here. fat parents have fat kids and we get left on the hook looking after lazy diabetic kids, soon to be adults for life. My oldest daughter was an emergency room nurse for years. You would NOT believe the stories she comes home with which amount to the vast majority of the people she would see every day.

One can only guess that the Obama system would be the same

#3 is absolutely spot on. It was meant to push us to a single payer system, that many don't want in the U.S.

Those here now that cant afford new ins prices and food will not have ins and will only be getting ER care. IOW, lots of people who could afford ins 2 years ago are gonna die, unable to afford meds or dr appoints.

One lady totally disabled hadnt to pay $19/mo. on some disability plan. Starting Jan this year the bill is 465/mo.
She cant afford her diabetic meds or drs visits. I guess when her foot ulcer gets gangrene the er will amputate.

Her yearly deductible went from $500 to $5000.

Shan't?

Good point, though. That's what happens when English principles are applied by fugging Frenchmen.

Having lived in Calgary for just shy of five years and never able to retain a family GP, well call me tarnished. Oh, and that my wife could not get into a procedure for months whilst in pain. I was fortunate that my company paid my Canadian taxes, very fortunate.

If you can pay, you'll pay a bunch!

If you can't pay, you'll be subsidized by taxes on those who already payed too much.

It's such a good idea it was shoved down the citizens throat before Congress knew what they were signing but it doesn't apply to Congress so, Congress doesn't care.

The Insurance companies make more guaranteed money because Everybody is coerced into participating (healthy people pay for the sick for the betterment of all) or are Taxed for not participating.

Problem is, there's going to be a big adjustment as the population ages and there won't be enough healthy young workers to pay into a system to cover the bills of the subsidized older/poorer folks along with paying the cost of the system itself and the rising cost of Prescriptions.

Other than that it makes sense... not!

Too many assumptions and not nearly enough absolutes. Pretty much that simple.

They/He knew it would fail from the start.

This^^^^^^. IOW, Medicaid. Where we would get paid $65 for scheduling appt, workup patient with a trained, certified tech, doc examine and treat pt, put visit in EHR, let pt check out, pay billing to send bill, book keeping, ins, electric, workers comp, rent, equipment at a cost of $80/patient visit.

The more Medicaid pts you see, the quicker you go out of business, which is why almost no one sees medicaid pts.

And no one was without health care before Obama care anyway. If they didn't have insurance, the ER would treat them, "free" if they couldn't pay (Our premiums and bills were used to cover costs - just no profits for the providers to speak of) assuming one went in. and that's how Obama care came about- to provide profit on treating previously uninsured largely at the expense of the already insured, and partially via all taxpayers.

Which is one reason, pre-Obama, why two aspirins in hospital cost $4, a heated lap blanket while one waits in the lobby for car, $60 (you don't get to keep the blanket), etc.

With Obama care, none of these costs went down, and premiums for those already carrying insurance went up. Drastically in most cases. Plus of course Federal "guarantees" of payment (taxpayer money) and forced mandatory insurance (or else a fine) for all.

Fortunately, the wife and I have worked for "self-insured" organizations for most of our lives (BC/BS, Meritain, Aetna, etc were hired as managers only)- so ours did not skyrocket badly for obvious reasons.

Taking into account what may be a little rosy-viewed (propaganda?) by the Costa Rican guide last February, they have a system somewhat like Canada's, only probably better. Very socialist, tho!

To work, one has to have a government work permit. To get said permit, one has to be 18, and graduated from High School. (98% literacy rate in CR) Every salary, regardless of amount or whether one or multiplesalaries in a family, is taxed at a flat 20%. One salary provides medical health care for the entire family. No salary, no family health care. A clinic in every community. Every qualifying family gets a home visit by a health care worker once a month, and every family member is examined. Small communities with less work load may get two/mo visits. For more stuff than the clinic can handle, the patient is sent, transportation provided, to a regional hospital. Patient has no choice which- depends on who has room and can treat the problem. Now that's Big Brother!

Public education is free through the 12th grade, college is subsidized. Every kid has a computer during the school year. They are gradually implementing a system whereby English language instruction will eventually begin in the first grade, and continue thru 12th.

CR has no military - we cover their ass. That frees up a LOT of tax money....

I have to admit, if working as presented, I rather admire it. Somehow I think there may be a few rats in the bedding...

1-because it is socialist, and I am a conservative capitalist.
Socialism has proven over and over that it is mediocre at best, disastrous at its worst. Neither scenario is at all appealing.

2- our government does nothing well, least of all care for anyones health, yours is very similar, you just havent figured that out yet apparently.

3- I find it difficult to believe you even need to ask? Please dont immigrate to the US.

We have as many illegal Mexicans as Canada's entire population.

We've always had our insurance through my wife's employer. since Obamacare started our premiums have increased over $1000 a month and the amount we have to pay out of pocket before the insurance kicks in has increased almost 5 fold. Not to mention the current policy doesn't cover nearly as much. That's why I personally hate it

For what little we go to the dr it would be cheaper to buy a catastrophic coverage policy for large amounts and self insure by paying the premiums into a separate account. But if we do that we pay a large tax penalty for being "uninsured"

I'm self-employed. My insurance comes through my wife's job. If I had to buy insurance, it would be very expensive. If I had to buy 0bamaCare, I'd be insured, but the co-pay would make me unable to afford to go to the doctor.

As to the difference between your Canadian plan and 0bamaCare, you say ...


Under 0bamaCare, we may be insured wherever we find ourselves in our country, but if I decide to drive 5 miles north and cross the state line, my insurance won't pay there because I'll be "out of network." That's one of the big problems 0bamaCare did not fix.

Steve.

First, osamie said we could keep our insurance, if we wanted it--- that was a lie!

Second, osamie said we could keep our doctor, if we wanted to--- that was a lie!

Third, my insurance, on my wife and I went from approx. $325/mth with a $1000 deductible to $1000+ per month with a $5000 deductible!

Fourth, if you are a lazy ass bum, the government will subsidize your insurance and you wont have to pay a dime. You will supposedly have to pay a deductible, but they will even waive that if you claim you can't pay it.

Fifth, if you couldn't afford insurance, before obamacare, there were charity hospitals that you could go to and get free treatment. And, if you had an emergency, any hospital had to take you, stabilize you, and then send you to the charity hospital, if you couldn't pay.

Sixth, before obamacare, everyone had the option to buy insurance. Some did, some didn't. Those that did, had insurance to help pay medical cost, but they had to give up something to pay for the insurance. Those that chose not to buy medical insurance, got to spend all their money on whatever they wanted to. When they get sick or hurt, why should I be forced to pay their medical bills?

Just thought of some other facts...

Under obamacare, there is only 1 hospital in Shreveport, La that you can go to... I know of 6 other hospitals, but they won't take obamacare patients.

Also, where I live, there is a hospital and clinic 7 miles from me. The nearest doctor that will see obamacare patients is 30 miles away and I've heard you will wait all day to see the doctors. I was told it was so bad, the doctors will not make appts., it's first come, first served. Not sure if that's true or not, but I wouldn't doubt it.

The man did ask a polite question.
As I said, it seems Canadians somehow got the false impression that obamacare was the same as OHIP, or what the other provinces have.
I'll blame the CBC?

Sns, if I may ask, at what age are women in Canada given govt paid mamograms and when are all given a routine colonoscopy?

Not really, there were a few left handed comments in his post.

Besides the practical points, Obamacare was designed to secure the votes of the indigent, the unemployed, the unemployable, the illegal immigrants, the lazy, the ghetto rats, the welfare suckers, the stupid, and the liberal, who all have a mentally illness.

For the Democrats, of course.

We do have the first amendment exactly the same as you. The second? Not so much.

I sat at a supper table with a Canadian friend that told me Obama was the best president we have ever had. When I asked where he got that idea, he said, "He got you health care".
At the end of the conversation, I recommended he seek mental heath help.
Somehow some Canadians have been mislead, and how.