According to Reid, we already have British, German, Canadian health care… not to mention the third world version as well.

Not so. While it’s true that there will be SOME that fall under the poverty line, much as they do now, and be subject to such programs as Medicaid (Title XIX) to cover their costs, everyone else will be paying something according to their ability. The one group that I’m really looking forward to being able to cover is the “working poor” — those that make a high enough income to live above the poverty line, and so do not qualify for help, but do not make enough to say, “Oh, $500/month premiums? No problem!” Their choices come down to housing, food, heat, and taking care of the kids, and that’s about it. Those are the ones we’re really leaving in the dust right now.

I was just trying to find what kind of premiums a person would have to pay if they chose the public option. You’ve confirmed what I suspected when I couldn’t find the answer which is: TBD based on income.

Thanks for the great links and discussions over the past few weeks.

The point of the reform is to make it so anybody and everybody can get insurance. Based on the President’s comments, he says that what is being proposed is exactly what Congress gets; a menu of choices and one of those choices is a government option.

Nothing is free. It’s going to have to be rich people who help pay for it.

I’m Canadian, but I’m living in Europe temporarily. And every morning I read several different news sites and every morning I am baffled by the news coming out of the US about healthcare reform—specifically the right wing nuttiness that, as far as I can tell, is pretty baseless. It scares me. I’ve been thinking of applying for work in the States and what scares me most is not being able to find a doctor or health insurance. People should not be scared of that!

Healthcare is a human right. Plain and simple. As citizens of a country you should not have to worry about whether or not you will be turned away from a hospital because you don’t have the “right” coverage. You shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not having a pre-existing condition will mean that you can’t afford (or can’t get) coverage. Futhermore, determining someone’s access to adequate healthcare because of their income is inhumane.

I’ve been fortunate to have a steady income over the past ten years. I’ve also been fortunate enough to obtain two university degrees. During that time I wasn’t able to work as much as I had in the past. Fortunately, what I pay towards my provincial healthcare coverage fluctuated based on what I was earning so I was able to consistently contribute. It also meant that when I had to make a trip to the emergency room I did not have to worry that I would be turned away or denied treatment.

Sure, paying $xx amount of dollars a month can sometimes seem like a pain in the ass when I’m not regularly visiting the doctor. On the other hand, I can’t imagine not having that security and knowing if I need to go that I can. I don’t have to worry or not go and live with an infection or ailment. I also don’t mind paying slightly higher taxes knowing that the people around me also have access to this type of care. In the end, being healthy and not being AFRAID (or financially unable) to access healthcare services makes our society healthier on the whole and in the long-run that also means that we’re able to contribute more and keep the country running.

I know I don’t have to tell you any of this. You know. Most of the people who read your blog know. But I thought a first-hand perspective might be useful. It’s my testimonial. Public healthcare works.

Here’s a link to a post by a friend of mine that I found to be quite indicative of the benefits of public healthcare and, specifically, the Canadian system: http://www.jefferysimpson.net/a_month_of_testing/2009/08/that-demon-canadian-health-care.html

In the meantime, I really hope that the left/Democrats buck up and start speaking out loudly and clearly to drown out all the illogical banter coming from people like Betsy McCaughey.