9 things (for now) about health care!

I feel an overwhelming urge to say something. I'm not going to post a bunch of links like I usually do, I'm just going to speak to those of you out there who simply don't know what's going on, and would maybe appreciate a little information without the theatrics, and spoken to you in real life terms. Not in legislation speak, or with pomp and circumstance.

First off - As of this moment, there are 5 bills being proposed. Not one. So when somebody says, "read the bill", ask them which one they're talking about. There are 2 bills in the senate and 3 in the house. They will vote in the house, and come out with one. They will vote in the senate, and come out with one. Both houses will then go to something called a conference committee. In the conference committee, they will negotiate and nitpick both bills until they come up with ONE that they can all agree on, and then they'll take it back to their respective houses and vote on whether or not they think this bill that they came up with (AFTER THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE) is worthy of being voted into law. There is no ONE bill. Currently there is no "it". What seems to be the most commonly argued though, is Obama's proposal... so here we go.

Second - There will be no bureaucrat between you and your doctor. This is malarkey. But lets just apply common sense to this assertion. What is standing between you and your doctor right now? Some insurance claims person, who actually stands to BENEFIT from saying, "no", to whatever it might be that you desire. Even if there WERE a bureaucrat in my way, I'd by far prefer that to some money hungry leech sitting up in their ivory tower, who wouldn't dare talk to me let alone sit next to me on a subway. The only thing standing between you and your doctor WILL BE an insurance exchange. Read On.

Third - As to the socialism claim, this isn't even close. You actually do yourself and your family a great disservice when you embarrass yourself by proposing that what Obama (only one version of 5 proposed bills, mind you) is trying to accomplish, is socialism, or fascism, or communism, or my personal favorite - nazism. This is not even a single-payer solution. Obama is proposing an INSURANCE EXCHANGE. This is something wholly different from any kind of government run/socialized/communist/single-payer system. In single payer, you the patient, pick your doctor, visit your doctor, and the doctor bills the government. In other words... medicare. Yes, we DO have socialized healthcare in this country already. That said, what Obama is proposing is that INSURANCE companies be held to a higher standard. And that there needs to be a public option that is affordable, and portable, and won't drop people for pre-existing conditions, or because they lost their job, or because they forgot to tell you about that acne medication they used to take when they were 12. How is providing options and information considered socialism? Or Nazism? People need to calm the "F" down, and start educating themselves.

Fourth - This "Government Run" concept is just crazy. Do you really think all of our doctors are going to suddenly become militarized or something? They remain their own businesses. They remain private. THE INSURANCE is what is being put into question here. NOT THE SERVICE! If you ask me... government run INSURANCE will be FAR BETTER than what we've got now!

Fifth - Our current system is absolutely bankrupting us! I know people don't talk about this much, but who do you think is paying for all of those millions of people who don't have health care insurance, but break their arms and run to the emergency room (where it costs 10x more to get ANYTHING done)? Or who suddenly contract the swine flu? I mean we could just let it go, they don't have insurance right? Well how about when that person's kid, goes to school with your kid. Sure your kid's got health insurance, because you're upstanding and responsible (implying that the uninsured is a sleaze-ball of course), but maybe your kid also has asthma and a weaker immune system. Now what? We can't just stop providing care to the uninsured. People will always have emergencies. And as a NATION it's time we all started to stick up for EACH OTHER and stop being so damn greedy! I loved the movie "wall street" too, but Gordon Gecko was kind of a monster!

Sixth - When did it become UN-patriotic to want to see your fellow citizens healthy?

Seventh - When did it become patriotic to advocate a health care system that would gladly keep you JUUUUST well enough to bleed you of every nickel you own? Then you can die. When did a FOR-PROFIT health care system, in the richest country in the world become the American way?

Eighth - This "death panel" thing really bothers me. Genuinely think about this. How sick does a person have to be (or maybe just manipulative) to distort the concept of consulting with your doctor in your more advanced years about how you'd like your final arrangements to be handled (on an every 5 year basis) into being placed in front of a "death panel", who will ultimately decide your fate? That is repulsive, and it takes a warped human mind to be able to do such a thing, let alone espouse it to the nation at large!

Ninth - I will never let this die, and anyone who wants to go with me on this, I'm up for it: Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Michael Savage, Bill "PAPA BEAR" O'Reilly, & Rush Limbaugh are tools. Only now, a couple of them have become puppet masters. While some of them are smarter than the others, and some of them even know the news, they just don't report it! They're entertaining commentators. So if you're looking for information they probably aren't the most reliable of sources. They enjoy watching the rise they get out of people. Myself included. They like to watch people adore them. They also like to watch people work themselves into a frenzy over their nonsense. Wouldn't you? I mean if you were cold, and soulless, wouldn't you just LOVE to watch people getting all riled up over some gibberish you spewed forth, which has literally NO effect on you whatsoever. You could just hop into your jet, and watch the peon's below do all your dirty work, while you rake in money hand over fist. It's pretty sick, but it's what's happening.

If this weren't such a serious issue, I'd do my best to just ignore it, but this is pretty serious business we're dealing with here, and I'm really tired of all the disinformation being thrown around.

There's more, and I may add to it as the day goes on, but for now I think I've ranted enough. To be honest, it was kind of cathartic to get this all out. I happen to be a fan of single-payer, but that's not even up for discussion at this point. So really, I would love it... I mean LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT, if all the people who have their proverbial panties suddenly in a bunch (and in the most curious of districts) would just calm down and talk about this. I'm referring to BOTH sides too. I think if people would converse, and not scream and yell over each other, there's a chance we could actually get some positive action out of this.

Really folks, we ARE bankrupting ourselves.