What are friends for!

The Clinton Administration tried to pass a health care system based on an employer mandate. That is centered on the principle that employers are required to provide health INS. for their workers. In response 20 Republican Senators ,supported by the conservative Heritage Foundation ,offered their plan based on the an employee mandate. This required all people to be covered by health INS. The Republicans were able to kill the Clinton plan, therefore denying coverage for all Americans, so they let their own plan die on its own.
As the years passed the cost of medical procedures rose at an alarming rate. The insurance industry passed the costs along to their customers. Congress could never get the votes to regulate the high cost of health care. Here is an example. A CAT scan in England cost $120 while the same test cost almost $2,000 in the US. Drugs made in the US are sent to Canada and Europe and sold for under half the cost that they are selling for in the US. It became clear that controls are needed in this industry.

The AMA fought regulations at every turn. Physicians may complain but they charge whatever they want. They are against a National Health Care plan because costs would be held in check just like Medicare does. In fact almost 40% of Doctors are refusing to cover any new Medicare patients.
The Private INS companies in turn are increasing their premiums and deductibles causing many to forgo medical necessary tests and Dr. Visits. Here is an example. My wife pays $6,000 a month in premiums on an 80-20 plan. She has 1,500 co-pay. She must spend $7,500 out of pocket before the ins co. kicks in one dime. Then she pays 20% of the bills for another $1500.
Many Republican Senators say this will lower costs because the insured has some skin In the game. Bullshit. This only caused people to not seek treatment until they feel too sick to worry about the cost.
Soon costs will rise so high that companies will only offer plans with high deductibles. Families will be forced to forgo health care until the last minute. Insurance companies will just keep increasing their profits.

Soon the military will learn of the Republican budget that cuts 30% of their Tri-Care coverage and retirement benefits. It will be too late because they will be the ones that will help elect the same officials that are going to make their life just a little harder.
Soon seniors will be given vouchers to by Ins. Instead of Medicare. They will receive $5-$6 thousand dollars to buy INS that will cost at least double that. Most will die in pain and in debt. I remember when Medicare was passed. It came about because seniors could not afford their medical bills. How soon we forget. Medicare can be fixed but no one seems to care about a group of old easily fooled old sick people.
I can’t wait for these changes to happen. That way maybe Americans will demand a single payer system. Maybe!
In closing I would like to discuss my feelings on the individual mandate that is soon to be struck down by the High Court. I have a neighbor that lives in a house owned by his mother in law. He has a job, a wife and three children. They make payments on a van, a truck and he owns a work car. He also has a Harley and a beautiful ski boat. They also feel no need to buy health coverage. They seem healthy and do not get it through work. I see their point. If he falls off of that Harley and gets stuck with huge medical bills, so what. They can’t take his house (he does not own it) he has no property that he really owns. Everything has loan payments. All he has to do is to walk away from his bills. As a good Christian I would be glad to pay a higher premium and fees to make up the difference. What are friends for