Huckabee opposes health insurance for people with pre existing conditions...

[texastorm]

I am not saying we reduce everyone. Read my lips:

Single payer system: everyone gets adequate coverage. You get what you need when you need it. <---- great for most people and all poor people.

For those with money (like for example those who pay more for cadillac plans today): buy supplimental insurance. This allows you to go see a private doctor and get the higher level of care that comes with paying more...

Ok seriously? You are making yet another problem... how long before everyone demands the same coverage as the rich? Thats what we are asking for already, health equality. Right now the ones that can pay for it get better care, and better doctors. The ones that cant pay for it don't pay for it. They are however rejected from certain hospitals for being unable to provide payment or insurance.

So the current "problem" is what? Everyone is covered believe me our university hospital turns away no one. Your costs are already reflecting these non payers. What we want is the assurance that we will have access to the same doctors as the rich, hence everyone gets the same coverage.

If you have better coverage for the rich you again make the system imbalanced. If you have no pre existing conditions coverage you are leaving out that group. Either everyone has to be on the same boat, or we have the same problem we have now.

Oh yeah the problem we have now was placed in your head by the liberal media over many years.

My father had no money and died of lung cancer. He was able to get what I considered better than adequate health care, pain meds, and doctors visits all for free. So dont tell me people are being left behind. No one in this country is dying because they cant get health care.

BUT having said that, people are being turned down by insurance companies. Being denied coverage for existing conditions and overall are fed up with... yep you guessed it... insurance.

I cant find anyone real who cant get basic care. I can only find people who cant afford to see a specialist.

So again if you have supplement plans, you defeat the purpose of everyone having the same measure of health care and we are back to square one.

I dont see how people argue around the problems without looking at there causes. And no I do not know how to "fix" something that isn't broken. No one else does either apparently.

[raptor]

Patents have been shifting away from Europe and happening in the U.S. Why? Because this is where the money is made, basically helping subsidize the R&D for the world. Get rid of the profit, what happens? No private investment so bam, government has to do this to. And then it's all politicized even more. "more aids drugs, etc".

Major pharmaceuticals are scaling down research. Instead it is increasingly being done by risky startups who are then bought out if they succeed. The majors are playing the roles of middle men, and are one of the reasons why drugs are expensive.

Research should not be at the whim of capitalism.

[raptor]

I agree with sgreger too. Single payer with private supplemental insurance makes the most sense. It's too bad that Washington doesn't seem to think so...

My opinions are more towards government control, but I agree with this compromise. Now to get rid of the medical demagoguery...

[Simplysnus]

Major pharmaceuticals are scaling down research. Instead it is increasingly being done by risky startups who are then bought out if they succeed. The majors are playing the roles of middle men, and are one of the reasons why drugs are expensive.

Research should not be at the whim of capitalism.

Who should do it then, the FDA?

[Simplysnus]

You know, states can already do this ala MA, why do the Feds have to do it?

[raptor]

Who should do it then, the FDA?

Government-sponsored private contracts? Government grants for university research? Which is already done through NIH but is poorly funded (thanks to GWB cuts).

If capitalism dictates drug research, profit is the overall driving force rather than demand. This is why there aren't solid drugs for third-world diseases even though they would have the highest demand.

[Simplysnus]

Government-sponsored private contracts? Government grants for university research? Which is already done through NIH but is poorly funded (thanks to GWB cuts).

If capitalism dictates drug research, profit is the overall driving force rather than demand. This is why there aren't solid drugs for third-world diseases even though they would have the highest demand.

So the U.S. government should take over and dictate the research based upon world demand, not U.S. demand..

[raptor]

So the U.S. government should take over and dictate the research based upon world demand, not U.S. demand..

If we have enough resources to create a demand a la drugs for "restless legs syndrome" that shouldn't be a problem. And it can be argued that we should be prepared in the event of outbreaks like in the case of smallpox, a disease supposedly eradicated.

[dreed2]

This is the word of God. Amen, brother.

[CoderGuy]

If we have enough resources to create a demand a la drugs for "restless legs syndrome" that shouldn't be a problem. And it can be argued that we should be prepared in the event of outbreaks like in the case of smallpox, a disease supposedly eradicated.

Hey restless legs syndrome is a serious issue! As is long toenail syndrome, this little piggy went to market disease, and wee wee wee all the way home (actually that one really IS a problem)

[rollinred]

Government-sponsored private contracts? Government grants for university research? Which is already done through NIH but is poorly funded (thanks to GWB cuts).

If capitalism dictates drug research, profit is the overall driving force rather than demand. This is why there aren't solid drugs for third-world diseases even though they would have the highest demand.

LOL...AHAHAH

You are joking right?

How is the social security and medicare stuff working out for us? The governments hand into anything creates far more waste and raises prices MUCH more than capitalism ever has... in any field. You see, what you are missing is that the "evil" pharmacutical industry is regulated so heavily by the government that it is almost impossible for new companies to step in and compete.

This is what is called a government created monopoly and it is such through regulation and taxation. All businesses that are very loosely regulated by the government have fierce competition that keeps prices down because if companies raise prices too high one company either cuts their prices or a new company steps in.

Look at the telephone and internet industries. Wonder why our prices are astronomically higher than a lot of other developed nations? Because in our industries everything has become and oligopoly. Oligopolies are economic situations in which the companies are first regulated so heavily that they must get in bed with the government and walk hand in hand every day. This way the government is getting to regulate products more heavily than before and choose products more than a competitive society and the company does not have as much risk in making mistakes or loosing profits because they can charge whatever they want.

Sure its evil in a certain way because it was all created by the left wing mentality that the government and officials are smarter than the normal person and they know what is best for us.

Don't even get me started on the FDA... another liberal wet-dream division that again went hand-in-hand on regulating everything through the back door and tying the hands of the private market drug companies that use to be able to create good drugs and sell them cheaply.

I know the left wing ideology is about face value and feel good emotions but you must look deeper in to the actual laws that started back in the 30's to know what is really going on. The whole "G. W. Bush caused all the worlds problems" is getting to the point of making people mentally retarded because they keep beating the media's drum, when it is really lack of willingness to research and understand rather pick and choose those feel-good emotions.

[raptor]

Capitalism requires regulation because of wonderful anti-competition constructs such as price leadership. Companies are more than happy to work together to drive uniform price increases and collapse competitors which don't play along. They do that regardless of government regulation.

And good drugs that used to be created? I don't trust companies to do expensive proper testing of future drugs on their own. The FDA requires extensive testing so crap like thalidomide doesn't happen again.

[dreed2]

It doesn't really make much sense for anyone to get worked up over this, it's not like we have any control or any ability to change it. Lots of drama for no return.

No shit. I have to pay a $4,000 annual deductible, along with exorbitant premiums, even though I'm healthy as a horse. Lots of money flushing down the toilet for nothing. But it's insurance and you have to pay it or die...

[dreed2]

Capitalism requires regulation because of wonderful anti-competition constructs such as price leadership. Companies are more than happy to work together to drive uniform price increases and collapse competitors which don't play along. They do that regardless of government regulation.

And good drugs that used to be created? I don't trust companies to do expensive proper testing of future drugs on their own. The FDA requires extensive testing so crap like thalidomide doesn't happen again.

My doctor put me on Hormone Replacement Therapy for menopausal hot flashes, but my hair was falling out by the handfuls and I was having chest pains. I think I'd rather have hot flashes than go bald and have a heart attack, so I stopped taking it. I DO NOT trust drug companies, or doctors. That's sad....

[sgreger1]

Ok seriously? You are making yet another problem... how long before everyone demands the same coverage as the rich? Thats what we are asking for already, health equality. Right now the ones that can pay for it get better care, and better doctors. The ones that cant pay for it don't pay for it. They are however rejected from certain hospitals for being unable to provide payment or insurance.

So the current "problem" is what? Everyone is covered believe me our university hospital turns away no one. Your costs are already reflecting these non payers. What we want is the assurance that we will have access to the same doctors as the rich, hence everyone gets the same coverage.

If you have better coverage for the rich you again make the system imbalanced. If you have no pre existing conditions coverage you are leaving out that group. Either everyone has to be on the same boat, or we have the same problem we have now.

Oh yeah the problem we have now was placed in your head by the liberal media over many years.

My father had no money and died of lung cancer. He was able to get what I considered better than adequate health care, pain meds, and doctors visits all for free. So dont tell me people are being left behind. No one in this country is dying because they cant get health care.

BUT having said that, people are being turned down by insurance companies. Being denied coverage for existing conditions and overall are fed up with... yep you guessed it... insurance.

I cant find anyone real who cant get basic care. I can only find people who cant afford to see a specialist.

So again if you have supplement plans, you defeat the purpose of everyone having the same measure of health care and we are back to square one.

I dont see how people argue around the problems without looking at there causes. And no I do not know how to "fix" something that isn't broken. No one else does either apparently.

Real.****ing.simple: money buys shit. In this example, money buys better coverage. If you want the nations best surgeon, you have to pay for it. We can work it so that everyone is covered for basic shit, but to have the best you must pay for the best. In europe and most of the developed world it works.


Right now no one is denied, but they have to pay more than they can afford. We could make it so basic shit is cheap, but if you want to see some renowned specialist than you have to pay more. Nothing will change the fact that better service=more money. Never anywhere will that change. There is no way to have everyone getting the same coverage. Either we all get mediocre coverage, or you get the coverage you pay for. Equality is a fake lie made up by ignorant assholes who have never known the real world. Why not allow affordable and reasonable treatment for cheap, but for high quality you must pay more. That way its like a house or a car. This is just the way of the world. Deal with it.

End of transmission.