-=> Mike Powell wrote to Bill McGarrity on 04-23-17 09:41 <=-

 >  MP> Well, it could mean that "one person (you)" pays for your care, or it
 >  MP> could mean that single people pay for everyone's care, similar to
 >  MP> school tax, etc., but I don't think either one of those is right.
 >
 >  MP> My guess would be that wikipedia could set you straight.
 >
 > Think Medicare....

 MP> So, basically we'd get rid of private health insurance companies?
 MP> Actually, that may not be so bad, except I feel like we'd be taking our
 MP> business from a group (corporate) that does not have our best interests
 MP> in mind and giving it to a group (the government) that also has
 MP> difficulty keeping our best interests in mind.

Just like Glass-Stegall (before Clinton caved) was a checks & balance on Wall
Street, private healthcare could certainly be a part of the process but they
wouldn't have carte blanche to run roughshot over the public.  Same with big
pharma. The excuse pharma gives lowing drug costs would upset the research
applecart.  Little history... I was a contractor taking care of equipment at a
Hoffmann-LaRoche mfg facility in Clifton, NJ. The campus was spread over a good
30 acres of land. There were about 15 large, stand alone research labs (each
being about 300,000 sqft) and on average 3-4 stories. Many of the buildings
were old brick structures that were also used to mfg drugs for consumers once
the FDA approved said drug.  Towards the end of the 80's, research was BIG as a
few newer drugs needed to be developed for cancer reasearch. Next to one of the
facilities I would service, was another 300,000sqft facility but was also made
of brick. The department head running the reseach on this new drug said that
wasn't good enough so the building was torn down and a new facility
constructed, this time a 4 story facility with all the latest conviences. The
grand opening day came, the head looked at the lab and said, I don't like it,
rip the entire guts out and start over. Mind you, this was a multi-million
dollar lab with all the bells & whistles. The officers of Hoffmann-LaRoche gave
their approval.  The cost overrun was in the vicinity of $15 million. Guess who
paid for that? 

Have you ever asked yourself why the same drugs we pay through the nose here
are a tenth of the cost overseas or in Canada? I want that deal.

Private healthcare is a money pit.  I know they suposedly need to satisfy their
shareholders, which is fine. How about the top 5% who's salary is about 500%
higher than the average white collar worker takes a few pennies and pays off
their share holders. I ahve no problem with them making $ but, as Allen has
stated, when it starts costing average people $200/insulin pen when the costs
to mfg are probably 10% of that then something needs to done.  

No matter what Trump and the GOP say, the ACA is not collapsing in on itself. 
It's more popular than ever. Does it have it's issues, sure it does.  Nothing
is perfect but to trash the entire thing because he needs to pump up his ego is
not the solution. Especially the trash the GOP is offering.

I hope you have your 401k in a stable investment because as of May 1st, when
the GOP shut the government down, you'll see about a 20% loss in your account.
We're due for a depression and sorry to say, Trump, like Wilson, won't have a
clue how to handle it and will only make matters worse. 


--

Bill

Telnet: tequilamockingbirdonline.net
Web: bbs.tequilamockingbirdonline.net
FTP: ftp.tequilamockingbirdonline.net:2121
IRC: irc.tequilamockingbirdonline.net Ports: 6661-6670 SSL: +6697
Radio: radio.tequilamockingbirdonline.net:8010/live


... Look Twice... Save a Life!!! Motorcycles are Everywhere!!!
=== MultiMail/Win32 v0.50
--- SBBSecho 3.00-Win32