I don't have insurance.

[Mind_your_head]

I pay out-of-pocket every six months to get my teeth cleaned. I go and get a medical check-up every OTHER year. So far, I've been okay. I know that "someday" that won't always be the case, and my time here in this mortal coil will be done.

In the meantime, I pay far less than most people do for their medical/dental care. I'm not happy that I may be FORCED to buy into some STUPID, INEFFICENT, INEFFECTIVE, PREDATORY, RAPE-A-LOOZA INSURANCE RACKET! And let me emphasize that word, "Racket"!


Protection racket is an extortion scheme whereby a criminal group or individual coerces other less powerful entities to pay protection money which allegedly serves to purchase protection services against various external threats, usually violence or property damage - sometimes perpetrated by the racketeers themselves.

In some cases, the "protection" is little more than extortion, with no real service rendered unto the victim. Otherwise, the racketeers will warn other criminals that the client is under their protection and that they will punish anyone who harms the client. Services that the racketeers may offer may include the recovery of stolen property or punishing vandals. The racketeers may even advance the interests of the client, such as muscling out unprotected competitors.<1>

The protection money is typically collected by a "bag man". Although the organization might be particularly coercive in obtaining protection money, it is usually careful to shelter its "mark" from attacks by competitor organizations that similarly attempt to solicit or threaten the targeted individuals or businesses. Disputes between organizations concerning territory consequently arise from two competing organizations attempting to extort from the same "clients".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protection_racket

edit to add the 'insight' that: rape-a-looza is "rape-a-loser".....and all those "looza's" mean the same thing. Are you a 'looza'?

[dave29]

1. Congress normally does not pass laws that are illegal

you may want to revisit your premise.

[Nikki Stone1]

7. Once it's a law, it's not illegal

....

[sabrina 1]

10. All Empires pass laws to legitimize their criminal

activities. They do it to give themselves cover. The British Empire was famous for doing that. Dictators do it too if they're smart, just in case there is a change in government. Rightnow, in South America, a former dictator thought he was protected by the laws he passed when in power. He was, for a while, but those laws are being rescinded now, hopefully clearing the way for prosecution of his war crimes. If only we had evolved as a nation where we could do that.

The Founding Fathers knew this could happen. That's why they created a jury system so that the people were involved in the judicial system. They also gave the jury the power to vote not only on 'guilty' or not 'guilty' but to vote on the law itself, if they felt it was unjust. Jury nullification was for that purpose. They couldn't overturn a bad law, but they could nullify a verdict based on a bad law and over time, the reasoning was, the law would be useless if no one was convicted under it.

This bill is probably unconstitutional and may be challenged as soon as someone is available to do so. I don't think Congress can force citizens to buy a product from a private business. This is very unpopular and rightly so. I agree with the OP, I don't have insurance, I pay if I need any care, and will not be buying any premiums from a corrupt business that I have no trust in or respect for. It is against my conscience to do so. Good luck to them trying to prosecute all the poor people who won't be able to afford their protection money. This is going to be one big mess, maybe even cause for a real boycott, from both the left and the right.

[laughingliberal]

2. It is a completely amoral racket. And we are now at their mercy nt

[pnwmom]

3. And what happens if you get diagnosed with a serious form of cancer?

Or get into a car accident? Do you have enough savings to get the treatment you would need?

Or would you qualify for Medicaid? Otherwise, what would you do? Because, despite what the Rethugs would have you believe, you can't get all your medical needs taken care of in an emergency room and at no cost.

[Missy Vixen]

5. We can't qualify for insurance

We both have pre-existing conditions, and we're over 40.

I'm not sure what will happen if either of us is diagnosed with something we don't already have.

Please know that fact is on my mind every day now.

[pnwmom]

12. We have a close relative who is in his 40's and just diagnosed with a serious cancer.

He has no insurance because a few years ago he was rejected due to a trivial pre-existing condition.

If this bill had been in effect a few years ago he wouldn't be in this position.

[girl gone mad]

16. The uninsured do have options.

Charity, Medicare, negotiate the prices down, find a doctor to work with you knowing you will declare bankruptcy, travel to a foreign country for much more affordable care.

Despite what the health insurance industry would have you believe, it is sometimes possible to get along quite well without them.

[pnwmom]

19. Medicare only works if you're over 65. Medicaid only if you're poor enough.

If you're a person with an average income facing huge medical costs, good luck finding enough charity to cover them, negotiating the prices down, or finding a doctor to work with knowing you will declare bankruptcy.

[girl gone mad]

28. Sorry, I meant Medicaid. Old habit.

I know of a few docs who will treat with the knowledge that a bankruptcy is inevitable. I even know a couple whose offices specialize in helping patients with this.

I have an uninsured uncle who gets health care in Mexico. His regular treatment for chronic kidney disease and diabetes in a very modern facility, travel included, is a small fraction of what his health insurance premiums used to cost, never mind the copays, deductible, and time wasted fighting denials. Of course, I have no doubt that if enough Americans started to follow his example, congress would rush to outlaw this practice, citing "consumer safety" or somesuch bullshit.

Now I fear he will be forced to buy an unaffordable and useless policy, cutting into what small savings he has left, until he reaches 65.

[pnwmom]

31. Most people don't live close enough to the border to make that

a viable option.

[Missy Vixen]

35. So, let's see here

Charities: Almost tapped out. People with kids are usually the first recipients.

Medicare: We don't qualify for Washington Basic Health; I'm fairly sure Medicare's out of our reach, too.

Negotiate the prices down: You've got to be kidding. What leverage do we have? We're not going to the hospital unless it's a life and death situation, and I'm not going to be standing in the admitting area attempting to "negotiate" at that time.

Find a doctor to work with you knowing you will declare bankruptcy: Our doctor has been kind enough to make sure my husband gets the meds he needs from needymeds.org and reduced his office visits fee, but he has bills to pay as well.

Travel to a foreign country for more affordable care: Where's the money coming from?

It's so nice to know you have all the answers. You might want to share them with the 50 million others that don't have medical insurance.

:eyes:

[sandnsea]

4. If you're hit by a semi today...

how will you pay for the hospital bills, physical therapy, nursing home, and any other medical care you might need.

[girl gone mad]

17. Declare bankruptcy, like many insured people are forced to do?

I have a neighbor who just went through that situation. Her supposedly rock solid insurance wouldn't pay her bills.

[Lorien]

21. I was close to that years ago. My rock solid insuance wouldn't pay for

my ER visits or surgery, so I went from having a nice nest egg to being over 26k in debt in no time. That insurance cost me $365.00 a month in 1996 and never paid out a dime in the eight years that I had it.

[pnwmom]

23. Because she had insurance, she was at least able to get the treatment.

Without insurance, many doctors and hospitals won't accept you for treatment in the first place.

[TreasonousBastard]

6. OK, so you want a free ride until you get sick, then you want...

it all paid for.

Sorry, but if you're going to be part of this nation you're going to have to dive into healthcare pool like everyone else.

The analogy is refusing to buy fire insurance until your house is on fire-- it just ain't done that way.

[CreekDog]

8. what happens if you require costly medical care that you cannot afford

who are you asking to pay for that?

i mean, since you don't want to pay into a system that would cover your care, are you saying you will not accept such care or that you will let us pay for it?

i'm happy to pay into a system that pays for you, but i think it's pretty unfair for you to exclude yourself from contributing to a system that pays for my care.

[Mind_your_head]

9. Living my life in servitude to the insurance companies is scarier than

dying (which I will do inevitably).

[CreekDog]

11. you aren't answering the question...are you refusing medical care that you cannot pay for or not?

that's the question.

[Mind_your_head]

13. I wouldn't refuse medical care, if offered.

[pnwmom]

15. Don't go to an emergency room or turn up at a doctor's office and no one

will make such an offer. That is, unless you have the cash to pay for your treatment, of course.

[Mind_your_head]

20. Thank the good Lord that you're not a Doctor!

Only humans need apply.

(and if you're Bill Frist, h*ck I don't know what 'category' you belong in......the sociopath one I guess. Go get your gruel over there ~ on the right ~ :eyes: ---------->>>>>>

[pnwmom]

29. I'm someone who's known people who were denied medical care by doctors

because they didn't have medical insurance. Even though they were willing to pay for the doctor's visit in cash!

My head isn't in the sand.

[CreekDog]

30. how will you contribute to the care of others if you accept their resources to care for yourself?

:shrug:

[Mind_your_head]

33. Wha????

What is the question? Please state it clearly. Thank you.

[CreekDog]

34. it was very clear...other people will be covered by insurance

or medicaid or medicare and will contribute to the insurance pool.

You want coverage (you will accept care you can't pay for) and aren't willing to be part of the pool. Whose care do you help with if you expect others to fund yours?

It's pretty simple but the answer will make you look bad.

[pnwmom]

14. Yeah, right. The truth is that you believe that if you take care of yourself

you'll be fine. It's only other people, the careless or congenitally ill, that get sick or have accidents. Lots of people think this -- and they're all being irrational.

If you're seriously ill or injured, you're not going to crawl off into a corner and die. You're going to seek medical care just like everyone else.

[Mind_your_head]

You and creekdog, et al....are attempting to frame this within the confines of "what IS"

(and currently "what IS" is piss-poor INADEQUATE waaaaaay OVERFUNDED and OVER-RATED)....but, putting all of that outrage aside....sickness management doesn't have to work the way you suggest AT ALL. You're only thinking/talking within the tiny little thought-box that the tiny little insurance companies have told you to work in....and you're doing a GREAT JOB!

Sickness Management. Interesting, eh? Why do I say it? Because LOOK at the responses to *me* to this thread.

NO ONE is talking about PREVENTIVE CARE. It's all "oh, what happens if you get hit by a truck!" *YIKES*

"What happens if you get cancer?" (which 1 in 3 of us will, statiscally, btw).....

-------

I reject your "frame" is the bottome line. eom

g'nite :hi:

[girl gone mad]

18. Lots of uninsured people don't seek treatment.

Haven't you been watching news reports from the free health clinics? Most of the people being treated hadn't been to a doctor in years. You know not of what you speak.

[pnwmom]

24. They do when they think the situation is serious enough. n/t

[cabluedem]

26. Some people dont understand the reality of the "lesser" folks who dont have money. nt

[cabluedem]

22. BS. I got very ill a few weeks after losing my job with no COBRA. I was quite prepared to die in my

bed which I was in for over three weeks. I am not afraid to die and I can't afford healthcare now if I wanted to. Stuff it where the sun don't shine, pal.

[Lorien]

25. I pay for my own insurance. It comes with a 12k deductible

when I've been both seriously ill and injured I HAVE refused medical treatment because I don't have the savings or credit to cover that fucking deductible-or much else, for that matter. I spend hours online self diagnosing and self treating for various illnesses. I even butterfly "stitched" together a wound on my leg that was so deep that it cut through muscle tissue. Seek medical care? Yeah, in my dreams.

[Mind_your_head]

27. I admire your Herculean effort. But what a *dumb* system we live under...

....it REALLY must change ~ Radically.

It might even impact its OWN *health* (oh, but the statis-quo people won't even think about THOSE *possibilities* ;-) )

[pnwmom]

32. Show me any DUer who's supporting the status quo in health care. n/t