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USA - #37 In Healthcare

By Jonelle Simons

Real Estate Agent with Windermere Real Estate

September 15, 2009 08:41 AM

The USA is currently ranked #37 in the world in health care by the WHO (World Health Organization). THAT is pathetic. We currently spend 40% more than France, who is ranked at #1 by the WHO. Yet we get so much LESS! Here's a great article I found on the NY Times. CLICK HERE. This is pretty right on... please take a few minutes to read it. I am still so blown away that some people don't think Americans should have access to BASIC, AFFORDABLE, health care... and I can't understand why everyone is so afraid of the public option. Without the public option, there will be no real reform. As long as companies are motivated by their bottom line to DECLINE people and DENY procedures, it's not going to work. There must be a public option available to people. Those who like their 'employer based' coverage can keep it. Those who don't have the OPTION of 'employer based' coverage -- and who are DECLINED by private companies, like me, can have a good, affordable public option. Sorry - but #37 just is NOT good enough. Here's a funny video :)

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Team Honeycutt

Allen Tate - Concord, NC

Every American has a right to have adequate health coverage. Let's hope that cool heads and open minds will prevail to get a health system that will benefit all people.

Sep 15, 2009 08:47 AM

John Rakoci

Eagle Realty - North Myrtle Beach, SC

North Myrtle Beach Coastal Carolinas

A little research with an open mind and you will understand why the government (not public) option is a nightmare. No one has a problem with providing affordable basic coverage to all but obama-care is not a plan that will benefit anyone in the long run. If obama were honest he would be identifying those in need and deserving and not looking to take over the health care industry as he has banking, insurance, and autos.

Sep 15, 2009 08:55 AM

Charlie Ragonesi

AllMountainRealty.com - Big Canoe, GA

Homes - Big Canoe, Jasper, North Georgia Pros

When the numbers and the facts are not with you then shouting and calling people liars is the only recourse you have. Good post. Lets not confuse folks with the facts

Sep 15, 2009 08:56 AM

Bob Jakowinicz

National Realty Centers Livonia--Bob Jakowinicz - Livonia, MI

Michigan Real Estate Agent-- MI Real Adventures

#37 is on the low side for us, we do need to do something to bring that up

Sep 15, 2009 09:21 AM

James Bath

Gulf Shores Realty - Venice, FL

REALTOR® , AHWD® , SRES® ,e-PRO®

Jonelle, See my 1st Part of a discourse to suggest a REAL Reform to our "Sick Care System" I plan to suggest some of the obvious ideas that Congress can never bring forth (like regulation of SUGAR)! My Post follows your close by on the REALTOR Channel. Help me flesh out some ideas that would really make a difference. Preventative steps are crucial, if this Gov. is to keep from going Health Care BROKE> See Yah and thanks for also bringing up the subject. If you can't find mine, comment back! Cheers!

Jim-In-Paradise (www.ParadisejIm.com)

Sep 15, 2009 01:26 PM

Brian Griffis

Realty Choice - Springfield, MO

Great post Jonelle. It would be nice if people dealt with facts, but this issue just gets a lot of spin in every direction. Obama is not wanting to "take over" health care. The public option is this simple, if you want to join Medicare before you are 65, you will have the OPTION, not the mandate. You can keep your private insurance if you want. What really needs to change are costs, and the public option is the only way to do that. Private insurance companies spend 20% or more on "administrative" costs like a new jet for the CEO, while Medicare spends three percent, yes 3%. Which would you rather pay? Costs also have to be decreased on the service side. Japan, France, Germany, and the top of the league tables in the WHO survey all regulate their health systems and have a public option, and guess what? They are ranked at the top, and we are down near Somalia somewhere. What does that tell you?

Sep 18, 2009 07:05 AM

Chris Ann Cleland

Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA

Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Jonelle: I would like to know the affordable health care that we all have access too. My husband and I pay through the nose for a crappy plan. The public option is the whole point to this healthcare reform. Without, we are catering to insurance companies and just creating a new base of folks that will HAVE to have insurance. My very best friend in the world could desperately use the public option. She and her husband are underemployed and had to drop their health coverage to make their mortgage payemnts. But just like every other staunchly right wing person I've run into, is adamantly against the public option. She's shooting herself in the foot. I think that's the evidence that our political system does brainwash. It's sad.

Oct 01, 2009 02:10 PM

Jane Peters

Home Jane Realty - Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles real estate concierge services

Great post, Jonelle. Of course there should be a public option. I am not going to get into all the nonsense that people who don't have a clue are spouting about government takeover, loss of freedom, etc. etc. Let them live in a country like the U.K. where I grew up and never had to worry about healthcare. The National Health is no longer the same, and I honestly would not like to rely on it if I were really sick, but it is there for people who have absolutely no other choice. And there is private insurance for those who can afford it. I think that is a no-brainer. Again, people who have absolutely no choice have public healthcare. People who have a choice have private insurance AND public healthcare.

BTW, your "click here" link does not go to the article.

Oct 09, 2009 06:42 AM

Mark Lebkuchner / Home Loan Specialist

Warwick, RI

Hi Jonelle. Do you think President Obama is putting us on the right path with health care? Times are quite scary these days.

Jul 19, 2010 02:08 PM

Jonelle Simons

Windermere Real Estate - Park City, UT

Mark-

Wow - This post was a long time ago...

No, In fact, I'm very disappointed with the way things have gone. I used to have faith that President Obama would really be a great advocate for health care. But he sold out the American People by cutting a back room deal with lobbyists for a private hospital group to EXCLUDE the public option from the bill (August 2009) THAT is why he suddenly stopped fighting for a public option. A public option in this bill would have been SO great for self-employed people everywhere.. It would have created REAL competition for the greedy shark private health insurance companies. As it stands - I'm STILL uninsured (and this isn't about me, it's about millions of uninsured self-employed americanse with pre-existing conditions). I'm hoping and praying that the "High Risk Pool" will be an OK option for me... that I can get AFFORDABLE COVERAGE without WAITING PERIODS. If not, then I guess I'll wait till 2014 and hope the new 'exchange' will give me more affordable options when companies are forced to not discriminate based on pre-existing conditions.

To answer your question directly - I think Obama's bill is better than nothing, but leaves MUCH to be desired. The one thing that could've saved it was a public option. He tried to 'play nice' with republicans for too long. He should have just passed a STRONG bill WITH a public option BY RECONCILIATION from the very beginning instead of trying to work with Republicans. They were NEVER going to support ANY kind of health care bill... that was obvious from the beginning.

Jul 19, 2010 02:23 PM

Ervin Smith

Good day, people! As for the topic of health, I had a very interesting question not so long ago. Why does no one ever talk about the usefulness of CBD products? I tried CBD Gummies not so long ago and realized that this is really a very cool thing that could help many people cope with many problems. Why won't this topic be brought to the masses?

Dec 25, 2021 03:35 AM