some thoughts on health care reform...

as written by my longtime friend, Jason Wood. what he wrote on his facebook page pretty much sums it up pretty well. here goes...

"Here's what will happen if we leave health insurance alone: Premiums will continue to rise at almost twice the rate of inflation. Many small businesses will be priced out of providing insurance for their employees. Millions will be negligently underinsured when fly-by-night companies enter the game hooking customers with low premiums while ... Read Moredelivering anemic coverage. Medical realted bankruptcies, foreclosures, and repositions will drive billions into the debt everyone fears will be caused by reforming health care.

I got tons more to say. (In the words of Al Pacino ... "I'm just getting WARMED UP ...) I'm also sick of hearing about "communism". Funny thing is, communists aren't especially known as being humanitarian role models. Ask the Afghanis about the Russians being "bleeding heart liberals".

And Family Research Council; if you actually are Christain, shame on you. Go do some research ... on families WITHOUT insurance. Actual Christians care about helping others, not towing the lines of the political action groups and insurance companies.

Maybe I missed in the New Testament where Jesus enters the temple and tells God to stay out of the free market.

I recently went to the doctor and got my toe examined. Later I was poked with a needle. Two blood tests were run. According to the health provider I used, this cost over $500. Insurance covered just over 50% of it. Thank the-previously-mentioned-free-market-living-rightwing-version of Jesus this wasn't a serious procedure. What scares me is what ... Read Morepeople without insurance do when their left toes swell up like Jerry Lewis in the 1980's? Do they fork over five large bills? Or maybe they just limp around until it gets better?

And I don't want to hear about your "tax dollars" anymore. You paid your money, but you've also got a ton of things for that. Roads, schools, hospitals, telephones, law enforcement, water, power, garbage removal, television, radio, military, air travel, tax breaks are just a small part of the millions of things we receive for our tax dollars. I'm sure if Ted Nugent or Glen Beck added up their ledgers, they'd find themselves pretty far into the black on that deal.

And if you've collected Medicaid or Medicare and yet you don't believe in socialist health care reform, pay your money back. That would go a long way to reducing that deficit you're so worried about our kids having. And don't collect Social Security either, because you'd really hate taking that free ride.

So far, we've determined it's okay for government to get involved in the battle over reporoductive rights, securing religious freedoms, and protecting traditional marriage. It's okay to fight a War against Drugs, a War Against Terror, and a war against the War on Christmas ... but leave the health insurance companies alone? Sickening.

Health care providers mark-up their services so high that even the guys selling bottled water at Loolapollza cringe. Isn't gouging a crime? Guess not if it's done while wearing a tie.

And Mr. High Finance Fortune Editor-At-Large, I read your "Five Freedoms You'd Lose in Health Care Reform". Your proctologist called: he found your head.

People who don't have insurance either don't have a Preferred Provider Plans or dreamy tax deductiable Health Savings Accounts.

I saw you on CNN where you talked about the ever escalating premium costs. And your solution is to co-opt McCain's plan for people to drop employer insurance plans and get a $2500 tax rebate to buy their own insurance. So, you want to solve the problem of HIGH PREMIUMS by having Americans take self funded insurance so they can pay HIGH PREMIUMS. Great solution. It's like curing AIDS by going and getting more AIDS. ... Read More

And try qualifying for service coverage when you have a pre-exsisting condition. Would your COBRA styled insurance cover your cranal/rectal problems? I think not.

Honestly, I love America. You could even say I'm gay for it. There are so many freedoms and opportunities here. But the freedom to let others to die, while people protect someone's right to gouge their fellow man, isn't right. Protecting the welfare of all citizens is in the preanmble of the constitution. Your founding fathers found it so important... Read More that they wanted you to see it first.

I'm pretty sure God doesn't want us to play God, so why should insurance companies and hospitals and idealogues determine who lives and who dies?

On second thought, let's not go to Camelot. It is a silly place."