Your study fails to normalize why our numbers are so high so it is flawed at it's core research which is biased toward wanting governmental control of healthcare.
True statement.
Why is our mortality worse than other countries? We are fat, lazy, overeating, and under-exercising our way to the grave. Why is infant mortality is so high? We have single "MOMs" addicted to every type of drug known to man, you expect the fetus to survive that? If you remove those numbers, we are the fittest group of humans on the planet.
2nd part, not so much, first part, absolutely 100% true. Have any of you actually studied what the effect of more than 40 pounds of additional weight on your body does to you? We're talking cutting 20% off your life expectancy, making your body unable to combat basic disease, the list goes on and on.
It takes no supreme governmental power to make a fit and healthy nation, it takes PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY.
Correct, and why it's only going to get worse. Americans, by and large, are fat, lazy, always seeking instant gratification and the media doesn't help that. It's been getting worse for two generations, and shows no signs of slowing...
I'm not an Obama fan by ANY stretch of the imagination, my fiance tells me daily of the additions of Obamacare policies that waste Millions of dollas PER MONTH in unnecessary tests that she has to run, because the law says so and the hospitals are implementing them early in anticipation that they will stay and not wanting to have to change a hundred things at the last second. And that's just HER specialty... other docs complain of the same things, how costs are going up, not down.
However, in defense of the Obamacare plan, there's some good things in there as well. The initiative to educate America on their bad eating habits is one, putting calorie, fat, and sodium content on every menu item in America is another good one, and there's some good legislation in there for cost structure as well... However, it's unconstitutional in the way it was drafted, hence the Justice's debate: do they gut it and keep the "good stuff" or do they just reject it completely and HOPE that the positive changes make it back into new legislation down the road... Hard decisions.
There's no argument that the PAID access to BASIC healthcare is better in other countries than the U.S. We here in the U.S., unfortunately, have to finance the uninsured who come through the door in critical condition and never pay; other countries don't have to do that, it's set up so that everyone is covered for even primary care. That's not a bad thing, necessarily, but the mechanism that Obama chose and the accompanying crap that comes with it is unacceptable.
You also can't argue that Pharma access in other countries is better, in many cases, simply because, as has been mentioned, of cost. My ex-girlfriend got migraines... badly... and had no insurance, and the cost of her Tylenol with Codeine was hundreds of dollars. In Canada (and much of Mexico and the Caribbean) that same medicine can be had over the counter, Extra Strength Parmadol, for about $10 bucks. Pharma is a bigger problem in many cases than people realize, but you will never see legislation aimed their way in this country... too much money in the lobbying system (which is flawed, but that's another argument for another day).
However, the assertion that medical care here is the best in the world from a CARE standpoint is 100% correct. I've had family and friends become ill overseas and you do NOT want to have a problem there. Broken bones have to be re-broken and re-set after being "repaired" in Europe in ways reminiscent of the 1800's. Sometimes you can't even GET care in Europe; one of our regular posters on this board needed a knee replacement at 30, and after half a year of applying for it in England, was REJECTED because "he was too old for it to benefit society" for the repair. Are you F******* KIDDING ME?? At 30???? Here, it gets fixed.
People travel from all over the world to visit OUR Cardio-Vascular, Neurological, and Cancer centers because, quite frankly, they're BETTER than anywhere else in the world. Period. End of story.
Do we need basic healthcare for the country? Undoubtedly. Is Obamacare the way to do it? No. The kind of health-care reform we need will never pass because of special interest lobbying. Period.
Back to the jetBlue issue, it's a shame the TWA ruling came out when it did, or you guys would be negotiating a CBA right now and locking in healthcare issues, like every OTHER carrier out there, including the regionals. I wouldn't count on Obamacare staying in place in a way that protects you... These days, I put healthcare right up there with Scope issues on importance in a CBA. Won't help if you get a 10% pay raise if your health care costs increase from $150 a month to $1,000 a month for your family of 4...
