Universal Coverage: One Man’s Story
By HHR | August 24th, 2009 | Category: Featured |
The New Majority has a piece out by Dennis Sanders on his battle with health coverage as a Republican.
The articles starts this way: Tens of millions of Americans lack health insurance. Extending coverage to them has been a core goal of health reform proposals since the 1960s. President Richard Nixon offered a universal health plan in his first administration, but since then Republicans have hesitated to commit the nation to so costly an undertaking.
Is it time to rethink?
Should Republicans accept universal coverage as a goal?
Bradley Smith notes that the United States already has a universal health care system called “show up at the emergency room” which he thinks works pretty well and that it makes no sense for Republicans to push for universal healthcare since it messes with freedom. Frankly his idea of universal healthcare is probably the most expensive kind of healthcare, tackling problems when they are more serious and therefore more costly.
Continued Here: http://www.newmajority.com/universal-coverage-one-mans-story
He states quite clearly that he doesn’t consider health care a “right”. Therefore, ER seems like a good way to handle it.
Until everyone (and I mean [b]everyone[/b]) is willing to sit down, explain thoroughly their positions, and be [i]willing[/i] to compromise, we won’t have a meaningful discussion on Health Care. In this area, the Republicans Senators are losing the advantage the extreme right fearmongering has given them. With over 100 Republican amendments (compared to 30 Democrat amendments), and even the possibility of dropping the public option, the Republicans remain strongly opposed to any health care reform instead compromising.
In the end, I was able to get on to Medicaid which paid for a good chunk of what turned out to be a two week hospital stay.
I don’t favor single payer, or Obama’s public option. I also don’t think healthcare is a “right.”
just a thought…isn’t it hypocritical to be against single payer although you benefited from a single payer plan when you were sick? so although a single payer plan was available for you, you want to take that option from the next sick person that needs assistance as well.
also saying healthcare isn’t a right is like saying education isn’t a right either. just like education, healthcare shouldn’t be only available to people that can afford it. poor people don’t chose to get sick just like you didn’t chose to get pneumonia. what if someone had said since you couldn’t afford a diagnosis or treatment too bad…no treatment for you.
lala, I think that’s the central issue here: whether or not health care is essential to people. If you don’t see health care as something essential, like Mr. Sanders, then the current system works just fine. On the other hand, if you see it as something essential, then you might be displeased with the current system.
As whether Mr. Sanders is a hypocrite, it’s debatable, but I’d reluctantly agree.
if you ae a person, you will get sick during your lifetime therefore health care is essential if you plan on living. now that’s a death panel for you…people who are against universal coverage.