Surely a health system is intended to maintain the health of the whole community? Don’t you see how that protects everyone and is cheaper in the long run?

You can’t just intend the poor to die – can you?

What a country – call yourselves Christian? There’s a laugh!

“I am, by nature, favorable to capitalism.”

I would question the assumption that having a favorable opinion on capitalism is an inborn trait (that is, “by nature”). I say this not to split hairs, but to suggest that maybe you prefer capitalism because it’s what you’re familiar with and have been taught to believe is best, supplemented by some observations made throughout your life.

I would also like to point out that Aetna is a corporation, and that its main obligation is to its shareholders. It was created to make money.

I have been chauffeuring my elderly mother around for her medical care for years. She is 91 now and recently went into a nursing home.

With GOVERNMENT Medicare and supplemental Medigap insurance, there have been absolutely no problems at all. None. And the nursing home is a state GOVERNMENT owned/run facility with over 700 residents, and the care is excellent. It’s so good that many people choose to go there on a private-pay basis because the care is superior to many private nursing homes.

But there was one problem she had a number of years ago – it involved insurance companies. She had been on Medicaid in addition to Medicare, but when her financial situation improved and she no longer qualified for Medicaid, Blue Cross and others refused to sell her a Medigap policy. Only AARP/United HealthCare would sell her a policy.

I turned 65 last year which means I am now on GOVERNMENT Medicare. There are few things wonderful about getting old, but Medicare is one of them. I’m self-employed and I’m relieved to be finished with the private insurance quagmire. Of course, I do have private Medigap insurance to cover the 20% that Medicare does not, but that is an area that the private companies manage to do well (thanks to GOVERNMENT regulation).

I should note that my mother and I have traditional Medicare (as I believe most people do), not one of the Medicare “Advantage” plans that were created by Republicans during the Bush years. Anyone younger than 65 that likes their private HMO will absolutely love an “Advantage” plan when they turn 65. The “Advantage” plan option turns Medicare coverage over to private companies so you can enjoy all the advertising deception and subsequent intimidation, stonewalling, and exploitation of vulnerable people that you enjoyed with your HMO.

Competing across state lines is what has ruined credit cards, because every state competes for the company’s business by killing taxes and regulations. This would in affect create yet another race to the bottom as all insurance companies move to the state with the least regulations and taxes.

The better question is why is anyone at all concerned with the businesses that got us in this mess? They make money by NOT providing care. It’s a ridiculous business model that should be kept away from essential services such as healthcare. These are blood sucking leeches that are funneling money into the top .1% at the expense of millions of Americans and should be dismantled and scattered in the wind.

As an American moved to Europe, I’m so glad that even though I’m in good health now while I’m young, I never have to worry about healthcare costs for myself or my legally married husband for our entire lives.

After an accident in 2004 that required a titanium plate fastened with ten screws in my arm, I began a period of out-patient rehab three times a week. My Blue Cross plan covered 30 sessions per year with a $40 co-pay for each one.

After about twelve rehab visits I received a written notice from BC stating “The maximum benefit for this type of service has been reached.” I called BC and the person agreed that there was an error and that I was indeed entitled to thirty visits.

Two weeks later I received another notice. I called BC again, and the person again acknowledged the error.

Then after another three weeks – you guessed it. Similar conversation with BC, but this time the phone person made me feel really confident that the matter would be corrected. I felt relieved. But it was not to be.

Then there was a fourth notice and later a fifth notice. I just ignored them, and after that, they never bothered me about it again. And I did utilize 29 of my 30 visits.

I cannot believe that BC could be this incompetent, and thus I believe it is harassment that is actually designed to intimidate, stonewall, and exploit vulnerable people into not using the services to which they are entitled. And I don’t think the phone people are in on the scam – I think they genuinely tried to correct what they knew was an error.

As the anecdotal evidence against the insurance companies continues to mount, it is rapidly becoming a mountain of compelling evidence.

And, no, I neglected to include the ‘self-employment tax (medicare and social security), which topped $7500 last year. (sigh)

Just by rough comparison, the TWO of us — Medicare levy on both our incomes + proportion of taxes to cover the tax gap + our own choice to take out private insurance to remove/reduce co-pays … is roughly even with what your husband pays for himself. Plus he also pays a proportion of taxes to cover your own (distorted) ‘public’ schemes. And he still has co-pays.

(We have no deductions for children etc and get whacked the full amount in tax.)

And a 12%+ increase per year as well, for the privilege of being a captured customer???

Just to rub it in… for our money we not only get get comprehensive cover, and low and limited out-of-pocket costs, but we also get the bizarre pleasure of knowing that all our fellow citizens are covered by a good universal scheme.

Half the price per head for better total lifelong universal health cover…

Let me off at the next stop. I’ve heard enough.

You good people are being raped blind.