The Messiah Asks For Tech Help To Fix Broken Obamacare Site

[dontworrybehappy]

[Professor]

[Indy]

[Professor]

Indy, for the most part, we agree on PPACA. It's not unconstitutional (at least, for that and other common reasons). For instance, the meme about "government can't force you to buy something from a private company" is bunk. The government, through building codes, tells you that you cannot have an unlicensed electrician perform work on your house. In order to comply with the law, you have to buy services from a private company with a proper license. This is but one of thousands of examples.

However, I do take a small bit of issue with the argument that "Republicans created this idea in the 80s, and now oppose it". A lot changes over 30 years. Lest we forget that the Republicans also supported the Civil Rights movement in the 60s, while many Democrats opposed it. Fast forward 30 years later (90s), and suddenly Republicans are the party of "white yuppies" and Democrats are supporters of downtrodden minorities. Yes, it's a flip-flop. But, when you talk about a 30-year time frame, many things in politics do that. It shouldn't be surprising.

[Indy]

It was '89.

And you can be damn sure that if Bush had proposed this it would have SAILED through, and that is my point. For the same reason that people like Newt Gingrich was all ABOUT end-of-life counseling but then when Obama came along jumped on the the "death panel" Sarah Palin hell-bound train. The reason Bush didn't propose it is because neither Bush nor President Cheney nor the GOP give a damn about health care reform. As long as rich people can get health care, they're satisfied. In fact, the only reason that they came up with THIS idea is in reaction to Bill/Hill making HCR their #1 project--and of course the GOP defeated that as well.

They don't oppose this. They oppose Obama. That's the sickness.

Irony part: I don't even like this bill one bit. It IS a giveaway to the insurance companies, and rather than solve this problem once and for all, Obama miscalculated the GOP and their intentions by thinking if he gave them their very own idea, why, of course they'd go along.

Ooops.

So, it's a source of never-ending amusement that certain people here screech about how it is all this tyrannical, socialist devil's plan by the Muslim Obama when--SURPRISE!--guess whose idea it actually was? Best part: he didn't even know that. No idea. Of course, the rage merchants conveniently leave that little detail out.

[Professor]

[Indy]

I knew there was a reason I liked you.

That said, does anybody remember an "alternative" I posted about years ago which, I'm fuzzy here, the idea: if you got sick, you went to the doctor and paid him. Sounds simple, right? They were trying it out in the northwest. You bought insurance to cover ER/catastrophic care, but otherwise, you basically paid the doctor like you'd pay your hair stylist.

I thought it was an intriguing idea and there was a name for it. The point was: you eliminated the middleman--insurance.

[Professor]

[Indy]

See, NOW you are talking!

There are so many potential solutions to this IMO and while I think single-payer would solve most of it, if that's not palatable than fine--can we not mix n' match something like what you're saying?

Love the "membership" idea. The only hole I see in that is--and this is if we're talking a for-profit endeavor here--if we're using the health club model, I think the way they finally make money is to just keep signing and signing new members. Assuming that membership in a local area will max out eventually, I'm thinking the only way to turn a profit would be then to begin raising monthly dues?

[spacemonkey]

You can choose not to buy a car, build a building, start a business,etc and not worry about buying required services for each.No problem. However you CAN'T choose not to be born. That is where the problem is.