Here
is why I don’t think Trump’s healthcare plan is excellent.
First
let me start off by providing a little information so you can understand why I
feel the way I do. I hate to break this to you guys, but America the Beautiful,
is not so beautiful. I’m going to say something that’s going to ruffle a lot of
feathers. But if you research what I say, you will find that I’m only stating
facts. America, being the “greatest country on Earth,” just like a lot of other
pseudofacts, is something that is fed to us in order to breed patriotism. Bottom line. Its a lie.
Let’s
start with health. Did you know America is the unhealthiest of all the rich
countries in the world? We spend more money than the rest of the world combined
on healthcare, yet we are the sickest. (Don’t start with that lie that we have
the best doctors and best technology in the world, that’s another one of those
pseudofacts). Yearly, America spends about $3 trillion on healthcare (fact
check me because I’m going by memory on that number)!!!! So any country
spending that amount of money on healthcare would be pretty healthy right? One
big issue. Every single rich country in the world, except the United States,
has universal healthcare. Taxes less than U.S. insurance premiums are deducted
from payroll and employers pay a payroll tax that is less than group insurance
so that each and every citizen can have health insurance. In other countries,
health is a right, not a privilege. In America, health is a business. This is
not the case anywhere else. Nowhere else is the pharmaceutical industry
controlling the government. The government should be controlling Big Pharma,
not the other way around. There is much much more to this story that you all should
hear. Especially the part about how the richer you are, the healthier you will
be and the poorer you are… well you know the rest. And before you ask “Why
should I pay for someone else to have insurance,” maybe you should be asking
why are you, a minion compared to anyone in the top 1%, even paying taxes, when
most of them get away without paying a dime. But instead of holding the wealthy
accountable, you want to point your finger at the poor and disenfranchised. Oh
I get it.
But
let’s get to this Trump healthcare plan.
Trump
#1
“Completely repeal Obamacare. Our elected representatives must
eliminate the individual mandate. No person should be required to buy insurance
unless he or she wants to.”
My opinion:
Ok. Let’s repeal and go with Bernie’s plan. Medicare for all.
But in reality, repealing Obamacare will cause millions of
people who gained health insurance to now be uninsured. Obamacare expanded Medicaid,
which gave the working poor an opportunity to have health insurance. What about
the pre-existing conditions? What about your college students? What about…
nevermind.
Trump #2.
“Modify existing law that inhibits the sale of health insurance
across state lines. As long as the plan purchased complies with state
requirements, any vendor ought to be able to offer insurance in any state. By
allowing full competition in this market, insurance costs will go down and
consumer satisfaction will go up.”
My opinion:
So there we go treating human life and health like it’s all part
of business as usual. If this doesn’t change, it can only get worse. Government
is controlling how much a medical provider charges for their services but fail
to control insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies who are having
their way with Americans in the worst way (with no Vaseline, might I add). Let’s move on.
Trump #3.
“Allow individuals to fully deduct health insurance premium
payments from their tax returns under the current tax system.”
My opinion:
Ok, if you want to go with this Trump plan, this could work.
Trump #4
“Allow individuals to use Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).
Contributions into HSAs should be tax-free and should be allowed to accumulate.
These accounts would become part of the estate of the individual and could be
passed on to heirs without fear of any death penalty. These plans should be
particularly attractive to young people who are healthy and can afford
high-deductible insurance plans. These funds can be used by any member of a
family without penalty. The flexibility and security provided by HSAs will be
of great benefit to all who participate.”
My opinion:
So here we’re saying these ridiculously high deductible plans
are ok? You pay a monthly premium only to get sick and have to pay more because
you didn’t reach your $5K deductible. Ummm…yeah. That’s great. I’ll keep paying
you and use my own money to pay my doctor’s bill. Why have insurance again? Oh
yeah!! That’s what kinda led us to this point huh? No point in having insurance
so I’ll just go sit in the ER for my earache and let the hospital eat the cost.
Trump #5
“Require price transparency from all healthcare providers,
especially doctors and healthcare organizations like clinics and hospitals.
Individuals should be able to shop to find the best prices for procedures,
exams or any other medical-related procedure.”
My opinion:
Here is the problem with #5. Doctor’s offices don’t actually
make what you think they do. They have to count every penny and every dime. You
know why? Because Medicare and Medicaid
also take delight in that no Vaseline idea. Most provider offices base their
fees off of what Medicare will pay. Problem with that is that the number seems
to get smaller every year. And Medicaid, pays half of half, which adds up to
nothing. So you want to know what your doctor’s office charges? Look at a Medicare fee schedule. Its all
transparent.
Here is what Dan Calabrese had to say about #5 and I will tell
how it makes no sense what-so-effing-ever.
“Another excellent feature is price transparency. Today, if you
walk into a doctor's office and try to self-pay, they look at you like you're
from another planet, and half the time they don't even know what things cost
because everyone just figures insurance covers it, so who cares? If people
don't understand how that drives up the cost of health care, they really need a
crash course in basic economics.”
Back to me. You know why they seem like they don’t know? Its
because they are trying to mentally calculate a lower price to a number that
they think is affordable to you but still allows them to pay their staff. This
effing guy should shut the eff up if he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
How about he take a crash course in
shut the …. Wait Wait!!! I almost went there. Back to Trump.
Trump #6
“Block-grant Medicaid to the
states. Nearly every state already offers benefits beyond what is required in
the current Medicaid structure. The state governments know their people best
and can manage the administration of Medicaid far better without federal
overhead. States will have the incentives to seek out and eliminate fraud,
waste and abuse to preserve our precious resources.”
My Opinion
Now this is some “Bobby Jindal come eff my state with no Vaseline ” BS right here!
Let me give a short little lesson here. The federal government provides
funds to states through grants. The two grant types are Block and Categorical.
Categorical grant, which Medicaid is under now, allows the federal government
to say what the money goes to when they give it to the state. Block grants,
however, is like your parents giving your 21 yr-old self a large sum of money
and saying “I would like you to spend this in the area of entertainment for the
month.” You may either be a good kid and spread your money equally throughout
the month on wholesome activities, or you can Bobby Jindal it away at the strip
club and realize mid month you have to close major hospitals (oops I mean you
have to play Candy Crush). Hmmm…So lets leave Medicaid in the hands of crooked
or even worse, clueless state politicians. How about…NO!
Trump #7
Remove barriers to entry into free markets for drug providers
that offer safe, reliable and cheaper products. Congress will need the courage
to step away from the special interests and do what is right for America.
Though the pharmaceutical industry is in the private sector, drug companies
provide a public service. Allowing consumers access to imported, safe and
dependable drugs from overseas will bring more options to consumers.
My Opinion
LMBO, No ROTFL, Wait! KMSL
Big Pharma controls the government who controls the FDA who all
would rather watch people spend years in jail for selling something that heals
and treats many diseases because they haven’t yet figured out how to control
the market (that might just be run-on sentence, but who cares). Congress doesn’t
have the balls to step away from special interests. That ish is laughable.
Though, it is a good thought.
Is Trump plan excellent? Far from it. But many of us will never
know, because we have been taught that we live in the best country in the
world. We have been conditioned to believe that freedom means capitalism,
happiness comes in dollars, patriotism requires idolatry, and health… is a
luxury; something that we can sacrifice if we have to pay our rent; something
we can save our money to get; something we can show off to our friends;
something we can get the most of…but only if we can afford to.
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