Healthcare Reform in the USA

[CaveMum]

Last night President Obama's healthcare bill was passed.

Surely I am not the only person to be shocked at the level of vitriol being aimed at Obama and this Bill in the US?

I cannot get my head round the fact that people seem to think that healthcare for everyone is a bad thing!

I know the NHS is far from perfect, but at least everyone gets treatment. I've heard some of the downright lies being spouted in the US about the NHS : "People over 75 don't get treated" and of course the classic "All Brits have bad teeth", and I am appalled.

I'd be interested to hear how other people feel on this topic.

Welcome to the civilized wod America, we've been waiting for you.

I miss the convenience. Shopping centres open later and on Sundays, the space and the restaurants, just the service. My life is, in many ways, much harder here, even more so because this is a semi-rural area.

But life is about trade offs and that is a big 'un.

Lots of people just go to Florida (which is right up there with Houston and HELL for hot, crap weather, IME (my auntie lives there)) or NYC or LA on holiday and think that's what life is really like.

REAL mexican food!

mathanxiety I think you've brought out an interesting point though. Americans do have a knee-jerk reaction to the word "socialism" - so it gets trotted out repeatedly and used against this healthcare bill. Often you will see people who blindly condemn it, because of the reaction of a comparison to socialism by opposing politicians, even though those same people may actually be the ones that benefit from it. Sadly, I think far too many Americans listen to the biased reports and don't look at the actual correct information - and politicians (and insurance companies) know this and rely on this.

One of the so-far unmentioned aspects of American 'healthcare' is the fact that SAHMs are often left completely uncovered as a result of divorce; some are tied to nasty, abusive, but employed and insured men because they have health conditions that would make buying private health insurance impossible after divorce. They are forced to rely on the public system, which they may or may not qualify for based on income, and which may or may not be well-administered in their area.

zazizoma oh god yes - the Mexican food! My BIL (in Arizona) is from Mexico, and in Phoenix he knew ALL the little hole-in-the-wall Mexican food places that had the BEST food!! yummmmmmmm

I moved from hell (S Florida) to hell (Houston) . I don't have real mexican food though- I have TEXmex.

The republicans are Doug a grade A job of making healthcare reform the end of anyone living pat the age of 20. We will all be back I. The middle ages if you take away the power that insurance co have dontcha know. They really are quite talented at scaremongering.

Saw this earlier. Don't know whether to laugh or cry at it.

O

M

G

Reminds me of Nazi propaganda.

it's something else, isn't it? Terrifying mix of visuals and music.

And that creepy, reassuring, yet on-the-edge voice he had. As if he was just barely keeping a lid on righteous rage and working very hard to stop himself from boiling over. And all those placid, gullible (white) women lapping it up.

threats

apparently one dem had a coffin left on his yard, too by the 'tea party'.

Centrifugal forces are going to do a lot of damage to the US. If the healthcare debate showed nothing else, it demonstrated that it's a completely fragmented society. I genuinely wonder if a political breakdown is imminent. The tone and content of the opposition to the Democrats and to the black President goes beyond reason and rationality, and comes from a place in the national psyche that has already taken the US to the brink of disaster once before in its history.