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tomricc
07-15-2009, 04:38 PM
Currently our Government is debating whether they should Reform Health Care to a more Government Backed System or Reform the Private Health Care System to Reduce Costs and Cover more Americans.

Presently as the Film Sicko Points out the USA has 50 Million Citizens with no Health Insurance but what is not discussed in many cases is the fact that the Majority of Americans really only have Partial Coverage and even when they have Insurance in many Cases the Insurance Company does not Cover many Treatments or they Refuse Treatments period.

While IN Europe I became informed about their Healthcare system(Germany) and would like to share.

Germany has a Public/Private Health care System which is Regulated by the Government and the System is very High Quality.

When a German Citizen becomes ill they are 100% covered by their Insurance and their Dental is also Partially Covered while the rest is much less expensive because it is also Regulated by the Government so they decided how much the Dentists can charge.

By the way Doctors and Dentists go to school Tuition Free in Germany so they do not worry about paying massive Tuition Debts like American Doctors and Dentists and also the Liability Insurance in Germany is much less for Doctors then their US counterparts.

ANd they also can get Tax-breaks for investing in certain things like the Containership Funds that German Doctors,Dentists and others invest into for a tax write off.

This is one of the reasons Germany also controls/owns 40% of the World's Container Ships.

And that is power, Americans think having a few hundred Warships is power, how about Germany with Thousands of Merchant Ships.

And Europe still has a Navy too if Necessary.

Anyway one is a Creditor Nation(Germany), One is a Debtor Nation(USA)

Those Germans always thinking ahead and how to make their country more powerful and Prosperous!

In some cases if a Patient is ill and the Doctor believes they need Rest and Relaxation they will send them for a month to the Spa. Train Tickets, Hotel Rooms, the Spa is totally Covered by the Health care System.

Germans also Get Paid Sick Days if needed.

Also in Many cases Doctors still even make House Calls.

The average pay for a German Doctor is about $80,000 Euros or $112,000 US Dollars and again they do not have Tuition Debts or High Malpractice Insurance either.

If the Doctor is a Specialist they make more.

The waiting time in Germany is very short for treatments and if it is an Emergency there is no Waiting the Hospital will Treat the patient immediately.

Germany has the latest Equipment in their Hospitals and well trained Doctors.
Actually they have more Hospital Beds and Doctors per Capita then the USA, over double the beds and Doctors per Capita compared to the states.

German Science and Engineering has won many Nobel Prizes and still have their Fair Share so Germany is on the Cutting Edge of Technology and Science including Life Sciences. Many German Patents also in Life Sciences-World Class Research.

Germany Spends about 11% of GDP on Healthcare while the USA Spends 18% and Climbing.

Why the big difference in Quality and Costs?

In the USA we have many more Middle People(administrative costs,etc) sucking off the system and pocketing the money(stealing) and the Drug Companies, Insurance companies and Hospitals can Charge what they want because there is no Regulations either for Costs and in many cases Quality is Crap.

Preventive Medicine is not very Developed in the States either they would rather you get sick so they can make money.

This is one of the reasons why the Average US Citizen now is ranked 48th in Life-expectency compared to other countries and falling!
It is not the only reason but one of the factors.

The most a person is charged per Prescription in Germany is about $12.00 Euros and if the person cannot afford the drug it is still Prescribed for Free, many of the drugs are the same drugs we use here in the states.

This is another reason why Germany is a Creditor Nation and the largest Exporter on earth. They are Efficient in what they do and try to cut out the Corruption.

Another Reason the Eurodollar is worth more then the US dollar, Stronger Economy/more Efficient System.

Many Countries have Universal Coverage France-Government Run, Germany-Private/Public,the Swiss have Private Insurance mostly, the Brits have Public so there is no one way to do it.

Some are more Efficient then others, the French are ranked number 1 in the world in Quality Healthcare while the Germans are top 10 but still very high Quality along with the Swiss. The Brits have more problems with their system then many other countries in Europe but still it ranks above the US system.

Canada also has Universal Coverage and the highest Quality Insurance system in Canada is in Quebec, each Province runs their system Differently.
One should not Regulate everything into a Box but Regulation is necessary in any system that is chosen either Private, Public or a Combination.

Leaving all the Decision in the hands of people who own the systems creates a conflict of interest in which the wealthy only care about their stock prices, profits and tax breaks at the cost of the American Citizens both Expense wise and Health Wise.

This is something many Americans must come to Grips with, you cannot allow the rich to control everything! If you do then it is no Democracy!
You can have a country with the wealth and power shared- Democracy or you can have a country where the wealth and power is Concentrated at the top which is a Dictatorship. You cannot have the power Concentration and have a Free/Democratic/enlightened country.
You chose one or the other but unless you make over $300,000 a Year I would not want the Elites to have everything so that means the other 97% of Americans should realize what is in their best interest.

And Reform would be in the best Interest of 97% of Americans.

meganmonkey
07-15-2009, 05:36 PM
But how does this:

Those Germans always thinking ahead and how to make their country more powerful and Prosperous!

fit with this?:

you cannot allow the rich to control everything! If you do then it is no Democracy!

You are saying how great it is that Germany can have ownership of the merchant fleet and profit from it, but how the rich shouldn't be in control...

Do people outside of western Europe and the US not deserve Democracy? Doesn't the wealth of Germany and many other nations rely on the exploitation of labor and resources in other parts of the world?

tomricc
07-15-2009, 06:39 PM
People around the world should have Freedom and Prosperity but we are in a Capitalistic winner take all world at the present moment in time and at the moment Germany along with the other Creditor Nations are Kicking the rest of the World's people around.

Western Europe at the moment is on Top Economically-Exporting, Renewable Economy, Creditor Nations, Assets owned around the world, etc.

You asked me if people around the world outside Western Europe and America should have Freedom/Prosperity? America is not a Free place my Friend nor is it very prosperous.

America is not a Creditor, it is the world's largest Debtor and every Creditor Nation around the world along with every Tom, Dick and Harry own a piece of our Government and a Piece of all our A...s.

America Deserves better then what we are getting.

With 40% of the World's Correctional Population we are not a Free Country.

With half the World's debt and 4% of the Population we are not a Free Country.

With the Top 5 % owning most of the remaining non-foreign US Assets along with the Foreign Entities owning so much here we are not a Free People.

Fighting Wars for the Creditor Nations we are not a Free People.

With the Highest Tuition Costs in the World we are not a Free People.

With the Highest Healthcare Costs in the World we are not a Free People.

With our Subsistence Economy we are not a Free People.

With our Elite Media, Mind Control Machine we are not a Free People.

I Keep hearing that all we have to do is pray to God and everything will be fine, leave it to God and do nothing ourselves, this is what beaten, defeated slaves sound like!

The World deserves to be Free, America is one of the least Free of the Bunch.

Americans best get their heads out of their A...s!

tomricc
07-15-2009, 06:41 PM
People around the world should have Freedom and Prosperity but we are in a Capitalistic winner take all world at the present moment in time and at the moment Germany along with the other Creditor Nations are Kicking the rest of the World's people around.

Western Europe at the moment is on Top Economically-Exporting, Renewable Economy, Creditor Nations, Assets owned around the world, etc.

You asked me if people around the world outside Western Europe and America should have Freedom/Prosperity? America is not a Free place my Friend nor is it very prosperous.

America is not a Creditor, it is the world's largest Debtor and every Creditor Nation around the world along with every Tom, Dick and Harry own a piece of our Government and a Piece of all our A...s.

America Deserves better then what we are getting.

With 40% of the World's Correctional Population we are not a Free Country.

With half the World's debt and 4% of the Population we are not a Free Country.

With the Top 5 % owning most of the remaining non-foreign US Assets along with the Foreign Entities owning so much here we are not a Free People.

Fighting Wars for the Creditor Nations we are not a Free People.

With the Highest Tuition Costs in the World we are not a Free People.

With the Highest Healthcare Costs in the World we are not a Free People.

With our Subsistence Economy we are not a Free People.

With our Elite Media, Mind Control Machine we are not a Free People.

I Keep hearing that all we have to do is pray to God and everything will be fine, leave it to God and do nothing ourselves, this is what beaten, defeated slaves sound like!

The World deserves to be Free, America is one of the least Free of the Bunch.

Americans best get their heads out of their A...s!

meganmonkey
07-15-2009, 06:56 PM
Freedom is for everyone. If the US solves its freedom problem by becoming more like western Europe, where does that leave everyone else? So one more country gets to coast off the labor and struggles of other people? Are they less important? Do they not deserve freedom? Or we just ride the wave of competitive capitalism to our advantage? Get back to some of that good-old imperialism?

Man I am just full of questions lately.

Kid of the Black Hole
07-15-2009, 07:10 PM
America is not a Creditor, it is the world's largest Debtor and every Creditor Nation around the world along with every Tom, Dick and Harry own a piece of our Government and a Piece of all our A...s.

they would come calling to collect.

tomricc
07-16-2009, 06:01 AM
The Solution to having a more Egalitarian World?

First the Banking System would have to be dumped, Fractional Backing is the worst scam in human history.

Secondly we would have to move away from Capitalism or move Towards an Enlightened Capitalism based on Renewable Energy,Sustainable Economics and a System with Social Justice.

Third, once we are ready move away from Capitalism towards a new System not based on Money. Most people laugh but if people are really serious about a Progressive world then in the end Capitalism must go.

It will come in stages, we don't just drop one system one day and start a new system the next, it is a progressive Development maybe over several Generations but it must start now if this World is to be saved.

Parts of Europe are at the Early stages of this development with Social Justice, Renewable/Sustainable/Green Economics, etc., but it is mostly for their own people and yes they do help some others outside of their borders but overall it is Imperialistic all the way.

The highest level of Capitalism is Imperialism, this is the last stage when a Civilization has reached it's Capitalistic Peak and uses Economics or Military to Influence(Enslave others)

When the Soviet Union was around it put a brake on Western Empires and many Colonies became Independent but since it's fall this has totally been reversed and Europe and Japan are Going around this planet, buying up assets, Governments and Enslaving these people.

The USA is one of their targets,China is another,India is yet another, we are no longer an Empire, the Empire here died back in the 1980's when we became a debtor Nation, no longer do we have much of a Manufacturing base, the Military is about 1/3rd it's peak size, our Infrastructure is Crumbling, our Schools Graduate Students are the bottom of the International rankings, our life expectancy is 48th, We have 40% of the World's Correctional Population and an Economy that is Subsistence at best.

We are moving towards a Third World Country, some may laugh but let's see-Start off in the USA with nothing, no help from Family or Friends and see how living here is at the present time.

We have become a Colony to these Creditors over the past 25 years or so and this is a fact.

Many people argue this and that but I see where most of the younger people work and the Conditions they live under and it is not First World!

Making $7.00 an hour and no Benefits is not a First World Standard.

I have 6 1/2 years of College and other Training and I'm now applying for a $10.00 an hour Job with little benefits.

One more time- in Germany even the Supposed Unemployed or poor are receiving $1050.00 a month(US) and all Healthcare included-eyes, Dental, Medical Insurance Top Notch. And also they have the Right to attend College Tuition Free or Trade School.

Some do not, they work underneath the table for $7.50 an hour(Euros or $420 US Dollars a week.

With the Welfare($750.00 Euros)/Benefits(Free Tuition, Health, Dental,Eyes) this probably adds up to around $2000.00 a Month in total Benefits or $24,000 yearly.
Say this person works 20 hours a week at $7.50/hour Euros that is another $800 a month or $9600.00 yearly.

So the Unemployed Citizen is working part time and Receive Benefits at the same time on a yearly basis this is person is bringing home in wages/benefits-$33,600(US)and since I've lived in Germany, Spoke with People that have done this and did not read this from some Media source.

This is their Working or Unemployed poor-they are not poor!

Germany also has the Second Highest Wages and Benefits in the World for those who work Offically and this is after Taxes and Cost of living(Mercer, International Placement Services Corporation).

They can do this because they are one of the Empires(Creditor Nations), they own assets all over the planet and If Americans want to be Free then they best Understand what is going on and how the Creditor Nations are operating.

The USA did the same thing when it was a Creditor from 1911 until 1988 when we became Debtors.

Globalization is nothing more then Colonization or a more modern Term would be Neo-Colonization.

America is a Colony of sorts now and it continues it's downward path, the Citizens here do not even realize what is happning-It's the Housing Market, It'a the Democrats, It's the Republicans, it's this and it's that but most do not understand our position.

Either the Situation must be changed in the USA or if one wants to live free get out and go to a Creditor Nation to live(like Millions of Americans have already)

The other Option is be a Slave with no Rights either Economically or Socially.

Kid of the Black Hole
07-16-2009, 06:29 AM
When the Soviet Union was around it put a brake on Western Empires and many Colonies became Independent but since it's fall this has totally been reversed and Europe and Japan are Going around this planet, buying up assets, Governments and Enslaving these people.

The USA is one of their targets,China is another,India is yet another, we are no longer an Empire, the Empire here died back in the 1980's when we became a debtor Nation, no longer do we have much of a Manufacturing base, the Military is about 1/3rd it's peak size, our Infrastructure is Crumbling, our Schools Graduate Students are the bottom of the International rankings, our life expectancy is 48th, We have 40% of the World's Correctional Population and an Economy that is Subsistence at best.

You are saying that center of Empire is shifting. I don't even remotely agree but setting that aside I ask you: So what?

You're *against* Empire, you say. But the above sounds more like nostalgia than opposition..

Whats more, who exactly was the financialization benefiting in the 1980s? Because financialization is what you are talking about here. If the US "used" to be an Empire..how is it that the US NEVER had social programs comparable to those of Western Europe? You are harking back to the time when we were a creditor nation (the 80s according to you) as some kind of "freedom" but then saying that the living standards of Germany imparts a freedom that the United States hasn't known basically ever

The problem is, of the 1000 strands you have running concurrently, no two are consistent with each other. Not least because you keep referring to "our" interests as Americans and it certainly seems as though the interests in question are those of the political and economic ruling class.

Whats the story man? Half of what you write sounds like bad conspiracy theory fodder ("fiat" currency), half sounds like a lament for the days of yore (the 80s ha) and yet another half is some sort of very conservative pangs for Social Democracy. No amount of such halves are gonna make you whole however.

tomricc
07-16-2009, 05:19 PM
Yes we did have a higher standard of living up to the early 1980's!
My Father was making $8.00/hour as a Construction worker back in 1971, pensions,Health Insurance, Dental, Eye Care, Sick Days, Bonus Pay and the like because he did have a European Style System-IT was called a Labor Union and we had things like this when we were a Creditor.
In today's Terms he would have to make over $100,000 a Year in Wages and Benefits to Equal this standard of living.
When America was a Creditor it had a very high standard!
Cheap Tuition
Affordable Healthcare
Low Inflation
8 Times less people in the Correctional System
Etc, Etc
I'm very consistent with what I'm saying we have several paths to take.
One is Empire(Creditor)
One is Colony (debtor)
And of course we could go a new route, make things very Democratic, Non-Imperialistic but that would require a new System and Preditory Capitalism will not take us there.

Currently we are taking the Debtor/Colony route which is never good.

And Yes Europe is a sort of Empire with it's Manufacturing Prowess(3 times more then the USA)Trade Prowess and Financial Prowess and on top of this they do have a very large Military with Nukes.

Hopefully Europe will take it's wealth and start to transform this Imperial System away from Empire Building towards a Sustainable/Renewable/Economy Society there is some indications this maybe happening but only time will tell.

America is out of the game at present and we have been in Decline since the early 1980's

The USA in 1980 was producing 1 dollar of GDP Growth and add $1.79 of new debt.
The USA in 2007 was Producing 1 dollar of GDP Growth and add $7.20 of new debt.
The USA in 2008 Produced 1 dollar of GDP Growth and added $8.00 in new Debts.
IN 2009 the USA is Adding 16 Dollars of Debt and producing negative GDP!

The US Dollar was King in the early 1970's: 1 US dollar was worth 4 Yen, 4 D-marks,4-Swiss Francs and after Our Oil Peaked, Manufacturing Declined, Our overseas assets lost and our asset bought by the new Creditors the US dollars is nolonger king.
Euro- $1.41
Yen- $1.06
Swiss-$ .95

Either their standard came up or our standard declined or maybe both.

We are selling all our assets to the Creditors, indebting ourselves to them and this is Neo-Colonialism.

We HAD A VERY HIGH STANDARD IN THE PAST BECAUSE WE WERE AN EMPIRE!

Empires are Crap-someone, somewhere pays with their lives, Freedoms, Debts!

If it be outside the US Borders or Inside this Sucks!

tomricc
07-17-2009, 05:03 PM
They are Collecting!
At a very high Price for the Native US Citizens.