No Republicans backed the bill and it passed with just 219 votes to 212.
The fact that these reforms have faced so much opposition astounds my sensibilities and judging from the online reactions of others greatly astounds them too. We are lucky to be living through Nye Bevan’s dream of ‘cradle to grave’ health care and therefore the prospect of having to pay for basic healthcare seems fairly shocking to many of us. I remember my astonishment when I lived in Ireland for a short period and listened to my housemates discussing how much it cost to see a GP and how they avoided it if possible. I think my reaction was, “What, you have to PAY?!” It seemed unthinkable to me at the time that in a civilized society you would pay for something so basic as seeing a GP, a luxury I had taken for granted all my life.
What, after all, is so wrong about extending free healthcare to more citizens? It is the right thing to do. It is the civilized, socially responsible thing to do. Many disagree, both in the US and on our own shores – there are still those who object to the NHS. The Republicans are convinced that the majority of Americans do not want healthcare reform and see this as a rallying point for election support come the mid-terms in November. The arguments against this reform are that it is unaffordable and represents a government takeover of the health industry. The latter point shows just how some people view healthcare in the US – as an industry, a business, not as a public service as it should be. As for the unaffordable argument, well the UK, Germany, Brazil, Greenland, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, India and many more countries – some much poorer than the US – manage their universal healthcare systems. It is also an interesting point that 62 per cent of personal bankruptcy in the US is a direct consequence of medical debt and current US spending on healthcare is at a higher rate of GDP than countries such as the UK and Japan who have public healthcare, surely these facts would suggest that reform is definitely needed. I highly suspect the majority of objection comes from the simple, selfish fact that US healthcare reform means higher taxation and the fact that most Americans with conservative viewpoints do not see healthcare as a ‘right’ – which means they must see it as a privilege, a privilege only afforded to those who can pay – like themselves.
It is saddening that these attitudes still exist, especially in such large numbers, and I fear that unless these attitudes can be dramatically changed we will never see the great changes in healthcare that the people of America really need. This passing of the reform bill is a historic step, but it is a baby-step with watered-down measures to enable its passing. For real progress to take place in US healthcare in future attitudes need to change, both public and political. Healthcare should be a right, afforded to all, not a privilege and I hope Obama will continue his crusade and that others will follow him until Americans have a real cradle to grave, universal healthcare service.
“The collective principle asserts that… no society can legitimately call itself civilised if a sick person is denied medical aid because of lack of means.”
-Aneurin Bevan, In Place of Fear
You obviously have NOT read the Bill and what it actually will do to the economy and the Healthcare Industry. That’s right I said industry. Healthcare is a choice NOT a right. Show me in the Constitution where health care is a right. You wouldn’t be so excited to know your choices have been stripped from you and you will be paying for healthcare for those who will not be contributing. How great do you think this healthcare will be? It has to be rationed in order for it to be practical. Please explain how a insurance company can keep it’s priceslow when it is forced to insure a person with a pre-existing condition? You buy insurance in case you need it. You pay for some years, not using it right away then when you need it there you go. If your draining money from the insurance company when you have put very little into it, HOW is the insurance company supposed to keep in business? Now put that on a grander scale how about 5 million people doing the same thing? Insurance companies have to raise thier prices in order just to keep up let alone keep a profit margin. Yes, lets be realistic it’s a business just like any other. Their intent is to make money. That is called free market capitolism. How would you like to have the government come in and tell you exactly what to right in your comlumn or how your web page will be set up? What RIGHT does the federal government have to determine my healthcare? What gives them the right to punish me by taxing me if I choose NOT to participate? What right does it give them to sic the IRS on the people. The IRS will be the offical watchdog for this bill. Our freedoms are being stripped and all you can do pat the back of the idiots doing it. You won’t be so happy in four years. But what does it matter? Our kids have to pay for it so why do you care?
All you socialist idiots need to form your own country then you can give away all your own money and run it the way you want too as long as it last. You all want the working people of America to pay for the lazy irresponsible people who just want a free ride.
This is the unfortunate attitude I was talking about.
SavageMind – I wasn’t talking about ‘constitutional rights’ this is a case of human/moral/social rights. We don’t have a constitution here but we have a right to healthcare and many other things. It’s a right given by law.
I pay tax in the UK for schools, healthcare, unemployment etc. I have no problem with it. I don’t complain that I have no children but my money goes to pay for others to have them (child tax credits) I believe it is the best system. The US is sorely behind the rest of the developed world when it comes to healthcare for its citizens. Would you really rather see people suffering and dying because they cannot afford care than pay a little more tax? You seem to assume that because people can’t afford healthcare they must be lazy an irresponsible and not in work. This is such a wrong and appauling opinion. Many jobs do not provide comprehensive health insurance and salaries don’t always cover treatment – no matter how hard or how many hours people work.
As I have pointed out governments in many other countries manage to privide universal healthcare, the US can find a way to do so. A healthier nation, with more cash to spend (rather than high bankruptcy due to healthcare costs) is surely a more productive nation and better for the economy.
The people who oppose Obama care are the WEALTHY upper class who can afford a PORSCHE health care policy and those well employed folks WHO HAVEN”T GOTTEN SICK YET. Oh I forgot – also those who WORK FOR INSURANCE COMPANIES.
Who in is SANE mind would like to put a price tag on health care; in short COMMODITIZE health care ? No money – no health. That’s supposedly what the CONSTITUTION says !
Pay a bit more taxes so you are protected – not only you, but others as well. This is the MORAL responsiblity not only of the government buy every American.
Your not understanding it’s NOT a little more tax. You haven’t read any of the Bill so you have NO idea what your talking about. No government has the RIGHT to ram their healthcare down it’s citizens throats. As for Lazy citizens? Yes, we have MANY. There are jobs out there. I have no pity for those who cannot find a job. I went from living in my car and smoking used cigarettes from bus station ashtrays to having a 3 bedroom house and two new automobiles. My wife and I worked hard to get were we are at. I already pay taxes for healthcare it’s called Medicare. I pay social security wich is supposed to be for my retirement but however the beurocrats are spending it elsewhere to include people who are physically unable to work. You managed to point out how governments provide healthcare but you fail to point out the quality of health care. The United States is a Leader in healthcare sciences and provides alot of healthcare for free. You state “pay a little more tax”. It’s not just the tax. It’s the economic impact. Let me break down. 1. A business has 100 workers that it has to provide insurance for. This is regardless wether they are part time or not. 2. The insurance company in order to afford to pay out. They have to raise rates because they will literally pay out more then they are getting in, because they are no longer allowed to protect themselves financially ie, pe-exhisting condition clauses and others. 3. The business is unable to afford to pay the increased rates and if they don’t provide insurance they will be charged 1000s of dollars in penalties for every month and employee not insured. Now inorder to stay in compliance and afford insurance they now have to cut thier workforce. 4. Now we have unemployed people who will then add the non-contributing factor of the new health care reform I encourage you to check this website out. Your universal healthcare went 52 million pounds over budget in 1948 their first year! In 1989 your country allowed some market based insurance in order to help support the already lousy health care system. Lets not forget Mr Burnham ignoring over 230,000 citizens on a 18 week hold for hospitol treatment while stating there was no waiting lists. How about kidney patients being denied life saving drugs by the NHS inorder to save 24,000 pounds. Shall I go on how great your government healthcare system works? It’s a wreck. Healthcare needs to be worked on in the U.S. NOT Nationalized. BTW the NHS was a major contributing factor why my family left Britain to come to the US.
I understand perfectly and I think it is rather presumptuous of you to suggest I haven’t read the Bill and don’t know the details. You don’t know what I have and have not read.
Again you are just propagating the attitude I have discussed. You bring everything back to money, above the needs and health of people. You maintain the superior view that because somebody cannot afford adequate cover they must be lazy. You mention healthcare quality – The World Health Organization ranks US Health Care at just 37 by current system, below many countries with a universal system. The UK is at 18.
I’m not going to continue arguing every point – I have already outlined my position in the article, which you have basically backed up with your views.
One question, you state that people who are too lazy etc shouldn’t get free healthcare because they don’t deserve it – what about their children? Should they be denied too?
Your family left Britain because of the NHS? Sorry I find that very hard to believe. If they had that much of a problem with the NHS, goodness knows why, they could have gone private.
I, too, get quasi-sexual pleasure from voting against my own interests. only when mashing a combination of keys that vaguely resemble “NO SOCIALEST”, dressed in a home-made ayn rand costume and dreaming of the day – surely just round the corner – that I finally step up and become the captain of industry I was born to be can my horrible cock reach its full unimpressive length. I will literally give internet warrior and rational actor ‘savage mind’ £200 if he comes and visits me wearing only boots with oversized straps. cheers.
It’s sad that we have such hatred in this country, such as the one above calling the unemployed “lazy.” Do you ever get out of your comfort zone and try to connect with people who may not be as fortunate as you? There are many reasons why people are unemployed. Why are you so angry? I should feel sorry for you, but you make it hard for anyone to feel sorry for you because you are spreading such hatred. You sound so stressed out, like your whole world is shattering. Is this really your whole world? Please seek some mental health and figure out what is going on because you will hurt a lot of people in the process. Hatred is that way. Also, if not resolved you deeply damage yourself, if you have not already. Chronic disease is linked to a bad emotional state and this is probably building within you.
I wipe my arse with the US constitution, you muppets over there talk about like it was the combined effort of God, Ghandi and Socrates when it in fact was written by a group of corrupt slave owners with nothing but their own interests at heart.