As we all know healthcare does come in handy. You never know when something is going to happen and you or a family member needs medical treatment. That being said, it's not something that should be mandatory. Even with programs like medicaid and CHIP, this is still a priviledge to have healthcare. Obama is trying to make this mandatory and make companies or persons pay a fine for not having it. Usually the reason that someone doesn't have healthcare is because the high cost of it. I know at my old job, it was cheaper to not have any health insurance than to pay some odd $300+ dollars a month for it.
On Monday July 10, 2012 marked the 31st time that the republicans have voted to repeal the Affordable Health Care Act. Democrats on the other hand are fighting diligently against the republicans to get the bill passed. As I have read through some articles pertaining to the healthcare bill, I have noticed some of the pros and cons to it. There is a part in there that states that insurance companies can no longer deny care or charge an individual more due to a pre-existing condition. I see this as a good thing. i don't believe that someone should be denied care when switching insurance providers or because of a lapse in coverage just because they may have had something like cancer or asthma before.
I pay for my health insurance. Being in the military I get great coverage and and it's not that expensive. I don't support programs that supply medical care for people who live off of the taxpayers or the government. If I can manage to find the funds to support my family and provide healthcare for them, these people should too. I am very opinionated when it comes to these issues. Too many people are on medicare or are receiving social security benefits that shouldn't be. It may be blunt and even with the state of the economy and job market but, get a job and pay for your own crap. I can support my family but not yours too. I couldn't tell you whether Obamacare is a good thing or a bad thing. Everything has it's pros and cons, and this is one of them. It has a lot of good benefits and a lot of bad benefits but our government must do something and move on to other issues like the state of our economy, national deficit and increasing jobs for the middle class. These are also important issues that need to be resolved. I feel like these issues are not getting as much attention as the healthcare reform crap is. It may just be me but oh well.
Take it or Leave it!
Nicholas J. Quaschnik
Nicholas Quaschnik brings up an important point in his editorial on healthcare – why should he have to help pay for others insurance when he works hard himself to provide for his family? This truly boils down to an age-old argument about what is better in government, the support of the individual or the community.
ReplyDeleteGovernment that supports the individual is simply smaller government. It supports those who work hard and offers limited assistance. As Nicholas mentioned, he feels that it is unjust for him to be paying for others insurance. The same goes for other government programs; why should the government do something I can do myself? Well the only issue with the individual argument is that many feel, and justly so, that the government has the responsibility to provide for those who are unable to provide for their families. While I believe Nicholas was not attacking those who are handicapped or severely disabled, those who purport they shouldn’t have to pay for Medicaid are taking away from those who need that assistance. While I am a huge supporter of individual rights and the opportunity to work hard and succeed with the American dream, I do believe that a government that leaves any of its people to suffer is wrong.
America has always prided itself on individual freedoms. The ability to achieve ones goal through perseverance and hard work is what makes living in this country amazing, and if nothing else, Nicholas Quaschnik points out his support of individual rights. One thing I think we both can agree with is that too many people, able bodied average Americans, are living off the government. While I believe government needs to support its people, especially in times of economic stress, I also believe we need to prevent the permanence of the welfare state. So, while I agree that Nicholas shouldn’t have to pay for someone lounging off the government, I do believe the government is just in having taxpayers contribute to help those in need.
Nicholas Quaschnik’s take on Obamacare is fitting for an average American. Quaschnik mentions that healthcare is a sort of luxury for many Americans because of the extensive costs that come with treating your health. This is a statement can be met with a nod from many struggling Americans, middle and lower-class alike. I’m fairly in agreement with most of Quaschnik’s points, especially the pros and cons that the new reform bills highlight. I have personally experienced a pre-existing condition from keeping a dangerous issue from being checked on because I could not afford to pay the entire bill from my physician. The lawmakers in Congress seemed to be in agreement with this portion more than many others, specifically for children, being denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. This is definitely a win in health care reform.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do disagree with his stance on the government providing to families in need. During my childhood, my family benefited immensely from government funding for health care and food. My father and stepmother worked extremely hard, went to school and had to drive three hours a day just to go to work. It was in their extreme interest to provide for their family, however, it was a struggle for many years. My mother is a single woman with no high school diploma but she works seven days a week cleaning houses and taking care of elderly- doing things that many Americans would not enjoy doing. She also benefitted immensely from Food Stamps, Medicaid and CHIP programs for her and my brother. I had the luck of living with my father, who after years of hard work, was able to supply us with many great things that we never had before. My mother, who has never made more than $30,000 a year, was told that she made too much money for any assistance. There were weeks where she had to eat bean burritos for every meal. The truth is, it’s expensive to live in America, and we can’t expect everyone to be able to make their own way.
I will agree that there is a lot of dependence on welfare programs, but the abuse comes with the territory. Our book mentions that because of the dependence on government programs, they have set new laws that prevent a lifetime of dependence. I believe that was a necessary step and I do believe that many people are capable of living on their own. However, to say “get a job and pay for your own crap” is insensitive and doesn’t take into consideration the conditional issues that many people face. I was laid off in January because the store I worked at closed. I was putting in at least 40 job applications a month with absolutely no hits. Getting a job for me has not been that simple.
With that being said, I am not a supporter of the Obamacare reforms. I believe that it is going to harm the government even more, as well as bring more issues with states and federal government. However, I believe that the idea of reforming the broken health care system is an idea that doesn't need to be given up. It is an issue that needs to be addressed and criticized so it will increase more ideas for change.