Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group What to do about healthcare? Can it be fixed?

I think maybe the foreign aid to which Steve was referring is taxpayer-sponsored government aid. Perhaps 0.33% vs. 0.1% represents private charitable giving?

Also, while not against health care reform, I am against a health care system defined and potentially administered by our government. I, as do many others, want to see them in less and less of our lives and incorrectly spend less and less of our money. I am one without health insurance and am not "taken care of". It is not the responsibility of my fellow citizen to buy me (or anyone else) health insurance. I'm not opposed to helping (via tax credits, subsidies, etc.) those of lesser economic obtain health insurance. However, we also need to get those folks, that are able bodied, into the workforce so they have the means to put food on the table, a roof over their heads, and adequate health insurance. There are too many instances of folks living off the government dole and are content to let the government take care of them for the rest of their lives.

I believe that their are certain mandates or rules which the insurance companies need to follow/must play by. However, I do not wish to see my fellow citizens potentially taxed and/or harassed by an entity like the IRS since they make a choice not to purchase health insurance. My thought is that if you don't buy health insurance and are of economic means, then you potentially face a long time/life time as a debtor if you run into a health emergency. That said, there should also be rules for the consumers (open enrollment periods?) so that they don't game the system by procuring a policy when they are ill and then dropping it once they are well. Health insurance consumers must be greatly protected and afforded many rights, but the folks selling health insurance (as evil and unfair as they can be) must be protected from those that would be inclined to take advantage (per the aformentioned example).

I don't know what the answer is, but from my perspective, our country hasn't arrived at it yet. Just the fact that the partisan legislators want to arrive at a compromise on something as important and far reaching as a health insurance makes me sad and extremely angry simultaneously. Our health insurance policy is not something which should be developed through a partisan compromise. It should be developed with the best interests of the American citizen in mind, regardless of political affiliations and what not.

Sorry, got off on a tangent here, but sometimes it is hard not to deviate.