Sick and Tired of Health Care (Just In Time For The Good Part)

Thousands are declaring they have heard enough of the healthcare debate. I'm sticking with it until we get something done.

Here is my growing list of the motivations for healthcare reform.

rising cost of employee plans
35,000,000 uninsured
high deductibles
lifetime limit on patient coverage
conditions not covered
medicines not covered
treatments not covered
pre-existing condition used to deny enrollment
patient dumping of high-liability patients, like those with cancer, AIDS, Lupus, diabetes
pre-existing conditions denied coverage (for me it's asthma and allergies)
denial of coverage (decision made on the spot not to cover a treatment - bills bounce to the patient, who usually cannot afford to pay it)
skyrocketing cost of pharmaceuticals
skyrocketing cost of hospital stays
administrative costs too high
doctors' offices overwhelmed by paperwork
doctors and hospitals gouging insurance companies
unnecessary or excessive testing
unnecessary or excessive surgeries
avoiding diagnoses because they trigger cut-off of insurance money (patient is a cash cow and cannot be lost due to a diagnosis!)
16% of GDP in United States spent on healthcare - unsustainable cost
8% of GDP in countries with nationalized health care spent on health care - sustainable and everyone is covered from cradle to grave!
medicare cannot control the cost of the services it provides to seniors -- lobbyists made sure of that

Here is my growing list of the components of healthcare reform currently under consideration.

1. Public Option
2. Payment caps
3. Patient dumping, ban of
4. Pre-existing conditions, ban of
5. Medicare subsidies to private insurance companies, cut or eliminate
6. Health insurance co-op, a public option-like plan that is run by private companies

Here is my growing list of styles of universal health care, all of which are currently off the table (not being considered for implementation).

1. Single Payer (Canada Style)
2. Single Payer (Medicare Style)
3. Single Payer (Military Style)
4. National Health (UK Style)
5. National Health (French Style)
6. National Health (Cuba Style)
7. National Health (Japan Style)
8. National Health (Taiwan Style)
9. National Health (Germany Style)
10. National Health (Switzerland Style)

Stay thirsty for change, my friends!