tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974457164933924643.post5607708696903918308..comments2010-03-29T14:24:36.600-05:00Lipstickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04346441046070223404noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974457164933924643.post-26907624049000733072010-03-29T02:32:48.795-05:002010-03-29T02:32:48.795-05:00Here is a view from outside America:<br />The U.S. is the only major nation left in the world that doesn&#39;t provide health care to its people.<br /><br />Everywhere my husband or I have lived -- Hong Kong, Britain, Canada, France -- the sick can go to a hospital and be treated for free or nearly free. Same for childbirth and post-natal care. <br /><br />You may have to wait, you may be in a huge ward, but you will have basic access to doctors, nurses and medicine. <br /><br />If you have the money to afford better private care -- all power to you. (Disclosure: Most professional Hong Kongers, like us, use private. State care is mostly limited to those who really need it).<br /><br />It makes me sad that America, one of the richest nations on earth, has gotten itself into this mess. <br /><br />U.S. news coverage has been 90% he-said-she-said nasty partisan infighting, and 10% about health care.<br /><br />Many politicians seem more interested in fighting Obama (or plotting for upcoming elections) than caring for the poor and ill. (U.S. politicians, by the way, have good health care themselves).<br /><br />As much as I read, I can&#39;t get my head around the details. I&#39;m not on the ground, like Lipstick here is. So it&#39;s hard for me to judge the legislation. All I can say is that other countries have worked out the details -- why can&#39;t the U.S.?<br /><br />I give credit to Obama for getting something -- anything -- through as a first step. It&#39;s an uphill battle.<br /><br />Not a week after he signed the bill, insurance companies complained that they&#39;ll have to cover children with pre-existing conditions. <br /><br />Imagine that. You might actually have to care for sick kids who don&#39;t happen to have rich parents. <br /><br />The U.S. has huge profit-making corporations and huge, expensive wars. So why are working class parents skipping their meds?<br /><br />P.S. Before anyone goes around with the &#39;ol &quot;socialist&quot; tag, Hong Kong is one of the freest economy in the world. <br /><br />P.P.S. I hope Elmo feels better. Have you tried giving him a pre-bedtime hot chocolate spiked with rum or whisky? That usually helps me.Joyce Lauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18078504968737757085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974457164933924643.post-22188068239284936132010-03-24T23:47:34.113-05:002010-03-24T23:47:34.113-05:00@Mommy Lipstick...LOL, so terrible to hear that Elmo&#39;s prior auth has been denied!Lipstickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04346441046070223404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974457164933924643.post-61363239934831192122010-03-24T22:02:44.798-05:002010-03-24T22:02:44.798-05:00Hey Sweetie,<br /><br />Good post. Hope Elmo just gets better on bed rest b/c I don&#39;t think Dr. Pretty Girl will be able to get the PA for the expensive drugs she really needs to use on him anyway even with the new health care plan. Since the present government health care plans that my patients have do not provide much but a limited standard of care and they are always trying to provide less, the future looks rather bleak to me. Elmo will not get the latest and greatest drug on the market unless he runs for Senate and wins.<br /><br />Mommy LipstickAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974457164933924643.post-16711797828461331132010-03-24T21:05:05.070-05:002010-03-24T21:05:05.070-05:00Tagged you darlin&#39;! xoxoPreppy 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/06173303399522862906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974457164933924643.post-46128437044758220852010-03-24T03:11:48.910-05:002010-03-24T03:11:48.910-05:00you know<a href="http://nh-pta.sub.jp/" rel="nofollow">マンベアピグ</a>?<br />it&#39;s manbearpig!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974457164933924643.post-53679815313159130612010-03-23T22:18:49.317-05:002010-03-23T22:18:49.317-05:00@Slamdunk...totally agree with the &quot;start seeing the benefits&quot; arguement.<br /><br />@JDB...oooh, I know. I really wonder how this will shape what JBB and Pretty Girl will want to do for a profession.<br /><br />@Surburban Princess...Thank you for your perspective. I think your example is why so many Americans are so hesitant-the math. I will keep paying the same for my own insurance and my taxes will likely go up to pay for other people&#39;s insurance. <br />I think government is terrible at...well, sorting stuff out. I hope dear reader, that your comment turns out to be the prophecy that comes true. <br /><br />@Bathwater...insurance companies can be bizarrely selective, can&#39;t they?<br /><br />@Mrs. Lynch...I am so happy to see you again! Miscarriage...so sad. In our state it is illegal for pregnancy to be considered a pre-ex condition. I didn&#39;t know a m/c could be. Very sad (and sneaky). On a lighter note...I cackled *out loud* about putting your sick dolls in a box!<br /><br />@Scientific Housewife <br />@LPC<br />@MaryBeth<br />thank you all for your kind comments. I am curious about those 2000 pages too...now I want to ask Mr. Lipstick if that is short or long for that sort of document... LOL<br /><br />@Jennifer...ah, dear friend. How wonderful it is to see those &quot;two sense.&quot; Thunderous applause from me regarding the Plavix...same kind of deal with organ transplants. <br /><br />I hope, I hope. I feel like somebody riding on one of those twin engine airplanes and you don&#39;t know if the ride will be really cool, really bumpy, or you&#39;re just going to die.Lipstickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04346441046070223404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974457164933924643.post-50256515883325888472010-03-23T04:23:32.016-05:002010-03-23T04:23:32.016-05:00you know<a href="http://nh-pta.sub.jp/" rel="nofollow">マンベアピグ</a>?<br />it&#39;s manbearpig!!ハリソンhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05047290210188670059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974457164933924643.post-9738600868146124622010-03-22T21:24:57.180-05:002010-03-22T21:24:57.180-05:00I agree...it&#39;s a tough issue - and one that is even hard for governments to really take proper control of...<br /><a href="http://www.nottooseriousihope.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow"><br /><br />not too serious i hope</a>SBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00776958716300701782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974457164933924643.post-69588424487473212862010-03-22T21:15:57.444-05:002010-03-22T21:15:57.444-05:00Uuugggg... I understand your distruntled pain. This is such a controversial subject. However, I think it could have been done in a more proficient manner in which the majority of working America would not have been as negatively impacted as they are going to be. <br /><br />Will it affect our pocket books? Absolutely! Do WE work our tail off for what we have? Absolutley! Does this make me want to have a &quot;Falling Down&quot; moment? You better believe it. <br /><br />And, then, someone come in to the cath lab, into their second heart attack; we have to re-open the &quot;less than a year old&quot; stent all because the poor soul couldn&#39;t afford their Plavix. <br /><br />Reform? Yes. But, I don&#39;t think the American people have any idea what they&#39;re praising.<br /><br />All I have left to say is this: <br /><br />&quot;and this is how Liberty dies... with a thunderous applause...&quot;<br /><br />Putting her two sense in... FGjenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06419607149077584329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974457164933924643.post-42661943214574220752010-03-22T13:25:53.151-05:002010-03-22T13:25:53.151-05:00I can not agree or disagree on this because I just don&#39;t understand the complexity of the issue, yet. Yes, I would hope everybody gets health care but some people just don&#39;t deserve it (think hard I am sure you can figure out who I am talking about). I know for certain health insurance companies will not be lowering my premiums, ever. They might not go up as much but they will never give back what they are already getting.<br />I can only hope this will be a good thing for everybody but when it ends up being 2000 pages who will ever know what we are really paying for.MaryBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15547321109503148189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974457164933924643.post-81544306305728138962010-03-22T11:47:29.119-05:002010-03-22T11:47:29.119-05:00Lipstick you are an intelligent woman, and my guess is that you understand the ins and outs, and the extent to which nothing is black or white in something this complex and this important.LPChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18209861350905135093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974457164933924643.post-42862958483658120322010-03-22T10:21:43.276-05:002010-03-22T10:21:43.276-05:00I think the health care reform is a good thing but I am not as knowledgeable about it as other people are. I just like the fact more people will be getting insured and they aren&#39;t turning people away for pre-existing conditions.Scientific Housewifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00754220929357960700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974457164933924643.post-34076922531207852932010-03-22T09:23:10.930-05:002010-03-22T09:23:10.930-05:00P.P.S Dr. Pretty Girl is a good doctor. Over here we just put them in a box and wait until they get better. Or we wrap them in a sheet and just &quot;hope for the best&quot;.Mrs. Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18401258238101667154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974457164933924643.post-15566391227827240192010-03-22T09:18:10.691-05:002010-03-22T09:18:10.691-05:00Good post. I personally want this to benefit those who are sick. i read in the paper about a woman who had a miscarriage and no one wants to cover her because they see miscarriage as a pre existing condition. But we can only wait and see what will be. <br /><br />P.S. I&#39;m glad elmo can get some insurance too!Mrs. Lynchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18401258238101667154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974457164933924643.post-24863881334763195352010-03-22T08:59:59.701-05:002010-03-22T08:59:59.701-05:00It really is a big issue my medication which costs me a lot a month $100 yet the doctor gives it away like candy as samples to me on the side.<br /><br />I&#39;m ready to look at changes. It seems like the insurance companies want to cover everything that is wrong with you but what IS wrong with you.Bathwaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18286545216706532921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974457164933924643.post-65801076166838626482010-03-22T07:23:22.866-05:002010-03-22T07:23:22.866-05:00I am always curious why Americans think they will end up with less money in the end with universal health care.<br /><br />If you pay 300.00 more a month in taxes...but 700.00 less in insurance...doesn&#39;t that actually put you ahead of the game? <br /><br />We dont have poverty like I have seen in the US, no one here has to worry about being turned away at the door of the hospital. No one here has to choose between heat and health care. In the long run, when it is all sorted out and everything has settled, it will be very good for the country.Suburban Princesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08229769705478339351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974457164933924643.post-668414701536336842010-03-22T07:16:12.755-05:002010-03-22T07:16:12.755-05:00I will sing your praises sister! <br /><br />What a crock all of this is, no? And you know better than most of us, as you are in the industry. What truly concerns me is what our children will have (or won&#39;t) when they are our age with children of their own.<br /><br />P.S. You are a bigger person than I am. I can&#39;t respect Obama for anything.JDBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05225023509475017128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974457164933924643.post-84843819850795279352010-03-22T07:11:31.779-05:002010-03-22T07:11:31.779-05:00Good post and it is interesting to hear from someone in the trenches on this issue. <br /><br />The argument that &quot;the people will like this once they start seeing the benefits&quot; really bothers me since the legislators voting on the measure have little understanding of it and have no idea what the future brings for the consumer.<br /><br />From my perspective, more government intervention results in more poor decision-making.Slamdunkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13087161268629251860noreply@blogger.com