Very funny. I would not have expected that from a conservative. Although, you’re more of a libertarian so that makes more sense.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He82NBjJqf8

(*WINK*)

BILL

Down, boy, down!!! Who let the barking dogs out this morning?

“barker13: We’re all “gamblers,” at the Game of Life.”

Sinz… (*SNORT*)

‘Nuf said.

“And I did *NOT* “game the system,” as you call it.”

(*ROLLING MY EYES*)

Keep telling yourself that.

“I made a mistake by purchasing a high-deductible plan. Should I be sentenced to death by kidney failure for that mistake?”

No… you should be sentenced to death for that “game of life” crack.

(*SNORT*)

BILL

Many of us try our best to live a long, healthy life, and we try our best to do the same for our children. But stuff happens. It could happen to you someday.

And I did *NOT* “game the system,” as you call it.

In Massachusetts, insurance companies, who own the casino and try to maximize the house take, agreed to accept guaranteed issue–accept anyone regardless of pre-existing condition. They did that in exchange for the Commonwealth mandating universal coverage. With millions more young healthy policyholders, the insurance companies come out ahead despite policyholders like me.

That is the “system”: In Massachusetts, all the healthy people pay the claims of all the sick people. And there’s no revolt against this, because most folks in Massachusetts recognize that stuff happens, and “there but for the grace of God go I.” That’s a sensible ethical policy for any society. Not “To hell with losers.”

I made a mistake by purchasing a high-deductible plan. Should I be sentenced to death by kidney failure for that mistake?

Sinz. You’re delusional. I just don’t know what else to tell you.

(*SHRUG*)

BILL

“The poor and the less fortunate (those who fall ill through no fault of their own, like me)…”

Sinz. Seriously. Doesn’t being full of shit leave a bad taste in your mouth?

YOU WEREN’T POOR!!!

YOU WERE A GAMBLER!!!

YOU GAMED THE SYSTEM!!!

As to being “unfortunate…”

Yeah. I feel your pain and sympathize that you have kidney disease. But in terms of the health INSURANCE debate we’re having… the health CARE debate we’re engaging in… YOU WERE EXTREMELY FORTUNATE…!!!

YOU WERE ABLE TO GAME THE SYSTEM!

YOU WERE ABLE TO AVOID PAYING “YOUR FAIR SHARE” IN TERMS OF PREMIUMS while BEING ALLOWED TO SHARE EQUALLY IN THE BENEFITS OF THOSE WHO SUBSIDIZED THEIR OWN PLANS PLUS SUBSIDIZED YOUR GREED!!!

My God… sorry for all the “shouting”… but this is ridiculous. You’re a frigg’n leech, Sinz.

“But if you want your society to be humane…”

Sinz. You confuse “humane” with a society which allows itself to be EXPLOITED by people like you. You confuse “humane” for you gaming the system and the rest of us paying the freight.

Now I don’t know if anyone else will have the balls to call it like it is… but your self-serving actual personal history in contrast with your high minded talk makes me gag.

BILL

“Eventually, I think doctors and patients will deal directly and cut out insurance except for catastrophic coverage.”

From your keyboard to God’s (Obama’s?) eyes and ears! That’s what I keep on calling for… CATASTROPHIC COVERAGE!

Re: Chekote // Jul 23, 2009 at 9:13 am –

“I pay about $400/month. I have a $3,000/year deductible. No copays except for ER. So I am paying basically out of pocket for routine/preventive care and pay premiums. That is what happening to most people. No wonder there is a lot of frustration out there.”

We can’t get such a plan in New York State. (*SHRUG*)

See, this is the problem – it’s not that there’s not ENOUGH government “regulation” and “oversight,” it’s that there’s too much! 50 states… all with their own rules and regulation… no ability for a consumer such as myself to “shop around” out of state and as we all realize, “shopping around” within a state is a joke because each insurance company is straightjacketed by state regs to basically offer only slight variations on the same basic plans.

BILL

Funny thing, Sinz… I just received an issue of “National Journal” yesterday; the cover story is “Lessons of Massachusetts.”

Allow me to provide a few excerpts…

“…in MA, healthcare costs are about 25% higher than the U.S. average…”

Oh, wait… there’s a “boxed” statement! Here…

“MA has the lowest uninsured rate in the nation. Per capita costs for personal health care were higher there than in any other state in 2004, the most recent year for which data are available.”

Hmm… more numbers…

Government spending on Commonwealth Care was six hundred million in 2007. In 2008 it went to $1.1 billion. 2009…? Budgeted for $1.3 billion.

So… six hundred million to $1.3 billion in two years… great… just great.

More quotes? Sure!

“The price of the four insurance plans offered under Commonwealth Care rose 9.4% in 2009…”

More? Why not!

“…more than half of the residents newly enrolled in health coverage in MA are in free or heavily subsidized plans.”

(Nah… no “trend towards socialism” here, right…?) (*SNORT*) (Oh… sorry… we don’t use the “S” word. It’s… er… “social justice.”) (*SMIRK*)

Oh… and get this…

There’s a chart marked “Boston Medical Center Costs and Payments from Medicaid and Commonwealth Care.” For the year 2009: Costs – $600,000; Payments – $300,000.

(Hmm… I think next time I go food shopping if the bill comes to $60 I’ll just hand the cashier $30 and say “close enough.”) (*SMIRK*)

Hey… Sinz… “In the state budget for fiscal 2010, the Legislature voted to eliminate health care coverage for 30,000 LEGAL immigrants. Lawmakers are considering halting dental care for people on Medicaid.”

(But, hey, Sinz… as long as YOU are getting YOUR “fair share” of the Peoples’ tax subsidies all is well in the World of Sinz.) (*SHRUG*)

Oh… oh… oh…! Read this…

“…one in five adults in 2008 was turned away from a doctor’s office or clinic because it was not accepting new patients or their type of insurance. The problem was worse for low-income people: 29% reported problems.”

Hey… did you know that in Massachusetts “two thirds of (MA Hospital Assoc.) member hospitals say their community has two few primary care clinicians. The trouble has become severe, according to the MA Medical society. A 2008 report found 12 of the 18 physician supported specialties had critical or severe shortages?”

(Perhaps government will simply “mandate” the creation of more doctors… say just grab a few thousand folks from the stands at Fenway during the next home game and “pronounce” them “By the Grace of Government… thou art physicians!”)

Hey… Sinz… in MA…

“The percentage of family-medicine physicians who no longer accept new patients rose from 25% in 2006 to 35% in 2008.”

Furthermore…

“Existing patients had to wait an average of 18 days for a routine doctor’s appointment or regular office visit in 2008, up from 15 days a year earlier.”

(Oh, what a year can do…) (*SMIRK*)

Anyway, Sinz… just a timely bit of added perspective.

BILL