Originally posted by: vi_edit
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: vi_edit
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>Originally posted by: WhipperSnapper
Did Moore mention that we're spending gobs of money to provide health care for illegal aliens and their families? I bet he didn't.
Did Moore mention that one of the problems is the increasing percentage of Americans who live near or below the poverty line and that, thus, the nation's overall economic malaise is a big contributor to the problem (regardless of whether you have free market or socialized medicine)? I doubt it; I don't think he's that smart.
We can enact socialized medicine, but if the nation's economy falters, it won't do that much good because even socialized medicine is not free. I'm in favor of semi-socialized medicine, but at the same time I recognize that the ability to provide health care is dependent on the rest of the economy. If global labor arbitrage transforms the United States into a third world country, then even an ideal health care system would provide poor care and poor coverage.</end quote></div>
Is that better or worse than no care and no coverage? Do we want a society that only covers those who can afford it? Because that's what we have now and the numbers of those who cannot afford it just keep growing.</end quote></div>
What percent of children do you think are uninsured either by Medicaid, private or some combination of both? Without googling, just make a guess.</end quote></div>
I have no idea. I do remember seeing stats that indicate the number of uninsured people in this country at around 12-15% though so I'd imagine the number of children who are uninsured would be about the same.</end quote></div>
It's a touch under 12%. Throw in the upper crust that pay out of pocket and don't need insurance for their kids and the other group of people that *could* afford it but would rather have a new SUV instead for the premium and you are probably looking at single digit % of children that are actually left uncovered. Or around 90% of people who still are covered.
Now do the math on your insurance premiums that you currently pay. As a household I take in about $150k net. Our premiums only cost us around $1800 a year for my wife and I. That's only about 1.2% of our gross income, not counting what we pay into Medicaid/Medicare.
Given that your family owns a Lexus and you are considering buying a $40k sports car, I'd assume that you are doing pretty well too. What percentage are your premiums to your household income?
Now riddle me this - would you go to the voting booth and actively vote away 8% of your income ($12,000) in my case for worse service if it was only helping out a single digit percentage of kids (purposely leaving out adult %)? I couldn't. And just about anyone else out there wouldn't either.
And it's not like that 12% of kids have absolutely no help. My employer alone (a hospital system) wrote off over $50,000,000 in services for those without insurance. And that's just one hospital. There are thousands of other hospitals, clinics, and support groups that provide support to the uninsured that isn't included in many statistics. St. Judes and the many other affiliates of the Children's Network provide care to anyone child regardless of ability to pay. Those don't fall under insurance coverage either, but they are available.
I'm not saying the system is perfect. Far from it. Drug costs and the accountability of clinicians(Dr.s & otherwise) are in dire need of some reform. But why not address what isn't working for that small percent instead of punishing the overwhelming majority of the rest of us?
Seriously, if we are having troubles making Medicaid work well for the 40 million that are on it and the 40 some million that aren't, how can we ever expect a national system to support 300+ million?
Fix the leaks in the damn. Don't knock it down and try to build a new one.