USA Healthcare

[lem0nhead]

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20100322/twl-obama-wins-historic-health-reforms-b-3fd0ae9.html

I read this today. Can an american (or someone who is in the know) explain what it means for the USA. Please leave aside opinions/rants etc I would just like to know what it affects.

As far as i know healthcare in the USA costs unless you buy health insurance as opposed to the UK where healthcare is free under the NHS funded by taxpayers.

What does Obamas legislation do???

As precise and summarised as possible if you can!

Thanks

[sharkey]

I'm not an expert by any means, but from what I understand, it will make all Americans buy healthcare, whether government provided or private plan. Beyond that, I'm ignorant.

[Jerba]

Indeed, the bill has been so mangled and has grown so long (over 2800 pages!) that not a single person really knows what it does. President Obama himself admitted in an interview with Bret Bair on Thursday (maybe Weds) that even he wasn't exactly sure what will happen.

The claim is that it will make a mandate effectivley forcing those who are uninsured to purchase insurance. I myself don't really know how that will pan out. There has been a lot of talk against insurance companies that leads many people to worry about the vitality of their existing coverage. The plan that was passed is NOT a single-payer government controlled health care system. Yet. Many critics argue that this plan is nothing more than an effort to move the government into the health care system and that as the govt. fails to solve the problem they will claim more power until there is a single payer system.

The plan will not provide any benefits until 2014 or so. However, I've heard taxes for the plan are scheduled to immediately start.

Well over 50% of the American public are against the bill. It was passed exclusively by Democrats who actually lost 34 of their own members who voted with the Republicans.

I tried to do that without opinion... Hope it helps. The fact is no one really knows what this legislation will do. And by the way NHS healthcare is not free and neither will this new US healthcare. Someone has to pay for it, taxpayers and probably their grand children.

[lem0nhead]

I tried to do that without opinion... Hope it helps. The fact is no one really knows what this legislation will do.

Thanks very much.

And by the way NHS healthcare is not free and neither will this new US healthcare. Someone has to pay for it, taxpayers and probably their grand children.

Thats why i said above, "funded by the taxpayer", but you can still go for healthcare without needing insurance or cash in your pocket is my point, but thats irrelevant.

How do you make hundreds of millions of people buy insurance?

[HawkeyeSPF]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z_RVl-ph3s (Health Care Overhaul Summarized Via MASSIVE PIG)

[lem0nhead]

I.T. Nazi's have YouTube banned at work so cant catch that right now but thanks Hawks.

[Gate Troll]

Basically this bill is going to use taxpayer dollars to federally insure all uninsured people across America. That's the gist, interpret it as you will.

I tried to do that without opinion... Hope it helps. The fact is no one really knows what this legislation will do.

Thanks very much.

And by the way NHS healthcare is not free and neither will this new US healthcare. Someone has to pay for it, taxpayers and probably their grand children.

Thats why i said above, "funded by the taxpayer", but you can still go for healthcare without needing insurance or cash in your pocket is my point, but thats irrelevant.

How do you make hundreds of millions of people buy insurance?

Easy. Fine them.

[SomeRandomDude]

Its may get repealed before it can do anything.

America's on the edge of a political revolution such that we haven't seen since the Populist revolt of the late 1800s. The Tea Party movement has the impetus to affect both major parties to such a huge extreme that statists will be reeling decades to come. This could put the New Deal and the Great Society to shame.

The healthcare bill is an insanely stupid idea, but it might finally be enough to get enough American people involved in politics to actually make a difference, instead of the less-than-half-of-the-country-votes BS that we've got now.

[Gate Troll]

Its may get repealed before it can do anything.

America's on the edge of a political revolution such that we haven't seen since the Populist revolt of the late 1800s. The Tea Party movement has the impetus to affect both major parties to such a huge extreme that statists will be reeling decades to come. This could put the New Deal and the Great Society to shame.

The healthcare bill is an insanely stupid idea, but it might finally be enough to get enough American people involved in politics to actually make a difference, instead of the less-than-half-of-the-country-votes BS that we've got now.

Amen.

[Gwaihir]

Well there is already medicare to help people who are too poor to pay for healthcare or insurance.  Almost everyone else can afford to pay for insurance or for healthcare.  So basically a very small percentage of the population can't pay, and rather than working for a limited adjustment to the system to help that small percentage, they decided to mess around with the entire system.

Sort of like if you get a flat tire, and decide to replace the engine, transmition and brake system rather than just fixing the flat.

[putridbreath]

Its may get repealed before it can do anything.

America's on the edge of a political revolution such that we haven't seen since the Populist revolt of the late 1800s. The Tea Party movement has the impetus to affect both major parties to such a huge extreme that statists will be reeling decades to come. This could put the New Deal and the Great Society to shame.

The healthcare bill is an insanely stupid idea, but it might finally be enough to get enough American people involved in politics to actually make a difference, instead of the less-than-half-of-the-country-votes BS that we've got now.

About 90% of the "tea party" people are merely products of mob mentality inspired anger with no clue about how the country works. This is all a response to losing the elections last year--common fear mongering.

[Jerba]

Its may get repealed before it can do anything.

America's on the edge of a political revolution such that we haven't seen since the Populist revolt of the late 1800s. The Tea Party movement has the impetus to affect both major parties to such a huge extreme that statists will be reeling decades to come. This could put the New Deal and the Great Society to shame.

The healthcare bill is an insanely stupid idea, but it might finally be enough to get enough American people involved in politics to actually make a difference, instead of the less-than-half-of-the-country-votes BS that we've got now.

About 90% of the "tea party" people are merely products of mob mentality inspired anger with no clue about how the country works. This is all a response to losing the elections last year--common fear mongering.

Though many people are not extremely knowledgable about how everything works I'm sure you'd actually be surprised at what they do know. The fact is that tea partiers, or anyone else, don't need to know how everything works. No one knows how it all works but we do know when our interests are being threatened. Its fair to say that this legislation is indeed directly threatening their interests. And the fact is they don't feel like anyone is listening to them, so of course they get nervous. Some are indeed nutjobs (9/11 Truthers, anyone?), but most are normal folks who would rather be doing something else.  I think you'd also be surprised that the fact that most of these people are just as mad as the Republicans as they are at the Democrats. I mean the Republicans started on the deficit road a long time ago too.  They are upset not about the 'change' but about business as usual.

[jdizzy001]

one of the major concerns people have about the whole issue is the legality of forcing someone to buy anything.  This bill forces, and i mean that in every sense of the word, to buy insurance.  Not only insurance but a certain amount of insurance, costing an individual around 7500 u.s. dollars a year.  (personally, that is 1/2 my yearly income.  i'm a college student.)  Secondly, the amount of insurance the individual shall buy covers things such as ambulance rides, maternity, prescriptions, rehabilitation, substance abuse, and a few other things i can't recall at the moment.  This all sounds good, but what if I don't need substance abuse insurance because i don't drink?  What if i was a woman who couldn't nor didn't want to have children?  it wouldn't matter.  the language of the bill is such that the individual has no choice and shall buy a minimum amount of insurance.  It raises the question, is it morally right to obligate an individual to purchase something even if they don't need/want it.

[ghhhk]

I'm not sure how this applies but I live in Massachusetts where buying health insurance is already mandated.  The way that this is enforced is that when you submit your state taxes you have to provide proof that you had insurance throughout the year.  If you did not, you get penalized in your taxes (i. e. have an additional tax to pay). 

I haven't figured out how this really helps at this point as it seems that all who are truly needy are covered by medicaid and the elderly/disabled by medicare.  What it seems to do is force everyone to purchase insurance if you can afford it at all which can be difficult for small companies and the lower end of the middle class spectrum. 

I have to admit that I haven't been following the debate too closely but am scared to death of the government taking on a monstrosity like health care. 

[Gil-Estel]

I do not know the system that well, since I live in the Netherlands where we all have to be insured, risking a fine when we are not. The whole debate is somewhat strange to me, both sides of the debate calling upon the constitution and the Decleration of Independence. I can not value this, but I do know this: that insurance companies can exclude someone from insurance because a known healthrisk is criminal behaviour. If you are born with a heartfailure and they reject insurance, well that is beyond me. That is what I absolutely like about the proposed plan. Of course it is arguable, that when people eat chocolate covered bacon (thanks for the link Hawk) that they maybe face a higher own risk.