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i was thinking about how many Christians are on this board, i would like to know what faith you consider yourself? if any, and do you believe in making decent health care available to all Americans
i will go first
i was raised catholic, i consider myself a christian and i believe we need to help our fellow man

I believe that everyone is entitled to equal health care no matter what your station in life.
However, I know nothing about what the proposal entails so I don't want to make a judgement on this yet.
Why do I think this is not going to work the way it should????

Regardless of personal feelings on health care, the issue is logistics.

It is expensive. Our federal govt. is already broke & I am opposed to them asking the people for more money, via taxes, for anything.

It requires doctors. Many people assume 'health insurance' means you receive 'health care.' You can have insurance out the wazoo, but if there are not doctors available, it does you no good. Most doctors don't want to work for the federal govt. Many are already refusing to see patients who are the current govt. plans.

Whatever the government does, they better work with the doctors in America b/c doctors, not politicians, provide health care.

The problem with socialized health care is this: short term, it is great. We all benefit - those of us who are poor, those of us who are illegal, etc. Long term, the quality of the doctors and hospitals diminishes.

If a certain quota of people are made doctors and are forced to treat who the gov wants them to treat (I mean no more specializing based on what you want to specialize in) the allure goes away. The pay always decreaes, and being a doctor no longer carries a prestige. Therfore, the incentive to be a good doctor goes away. Do I think every doctor in socialized health care is bad and doesn't want to help people? Nope. But I know plenty of Europeans, and they will all tell you the same thing - there is a reason Europe is getting out of gov sponsored health care. You can have the best intentions in the world to make healthy all the people in the world, but it will not last. Our history tells us that.
Thw world has always gone through governmental cycles - totalitarian, democrtatic, socialistic, etc. Right now it seems the USA is stepping into the socialistic cycle, whereas Europe is stepping out of it.

So its a "no" for me on gov health care. I have seen what it can do to a society, and personally i will never be confortable having to depend on the gov to choose my doctor for me. I can't see where this would be a "plus" in any instance.

the HMO'S dictate what a doctor can and cannot do, there are meds a doc cannot prescribe because a patient isn't old enough for it to be covered, are you shi!!ing, and i speak from experience, i wasn't old enough to be able to take certain arthritis meds, i was lucky one doc gave me a ton of samples, and one drug i still have to wait 2 more yrs to get
maybe if the HMO"S had some competition,(gov't), the premiums would go down, and who knows the care might be better, wouldn't that be nice

and bottom line, if you call yourself a christian, you should be willing to do your part for those less fortunate, if you are not, you are not doing what god expects

Medicaid and Medicare, with the exception of part D, which is priviatized to a degree are all out of $$$$. I think that perhaps gov't regulation of insurance companies and incentives for healthier living either via lower premiums or tax breaks would be more suitable, given the current economy. Although, I don't know the meat of the plan that's on the table, these are my current feelings.

[quote]Quote alwaysEJ: [quote]Quote cats meow: the HMO'S dictate what a doctor can and cannot do, there are meds a doc cannot prescribe because a patient isn't old enough for it to be covered, are you shi!!ing, and i speak from experience, i wasn't old enough to be able to take certain arthritis meds, i was lucky one doc gave me a ton of samples, and one drug i still have to wait 2 more yrs to get
maybe if the HMO"S had some competition,(gov't), the premiums would go down, and who knows the care might be better, wouldn't that be nice

it is

and bottom line, if you call yourself a christian, you should be willing to do your part for those less fortunate, if you are not, you are not doing what god expects[/quote]


There is a big difference in me helping someone out & the government forcing me to turn over my money so they can spend it as they please. The government is not doing the Lord's work...they are wasting the money of tax payers who work hard for what they earn.

Oh, & a competition between the government & HMOs sounds like the seventh circle of hell to me.[/quote

it is semantics, can't call yourself a christian when the issue suits you, if we all pay a little more in taxes, we help our fellow americans

So do those who don't claim to be Christians not have to pay more in taxes? Sorry - I am not buying the 'pay more in taxes or you're not a Christian' argument.

Ladies from my church regularly take those who cannot take themselves (or pay usually) to the doctor, to buy food, etc. I trust these ladies far more than those in D.C.

just to let you know, i did not post in bold lettering, i have no idea how that happened, i believe any decent human being should be willing to help out your fellow man, i try to do a random act of kindness as often as i can, and if our taxes go up(and i live in nys, the tax capital of the world),so be it, if it will get every american proper health care, i am willing to do it

Having read all your comments I can say this. DH & I have an HMO. I hate it... While our deductables are low & ins. pays for almost everything I will say this..... I think the quality of Doctors is questionable.
My complaints are far to many to list.... I don't see how a govt. ins. can be any better than an HMO. I think it will be worse.
I hope you all keep this thread going.... it is worth the read!!
Thanks Cats for starting it!!