Stupid Questions, unclear answers: Health Care in America

Ever listen to a three choice answer that's really only a two choice answer. Like, what are the two main political parties in America a) Democratic and Republican b) Independent and Democratic c) Elks Club and YMCA or What issues do you think are on Americans' minds? a) the economy b) health care c)where the next Survivor show will take place? Well, that's what was done at the last debate. Read Brokaw's question:

"BROKAW: Quick discussion. Is health care in America a privilege, a right, or a responsibility?"

A privilege, clear enough, health care is something earned by individuals and that can be taken away for breaking the rules (as imposed by the insurance industry, eg you're too fat and it's your fault so we will not cover you).
A right, also clear. Every US citizen regardless of habit, genetics, or situation is entitled to receive health care services when he/she is sick.
A responsibility? What is that? Health care is a responsibility? You are obliged to take care of your health or the country is responsible for the health of its citizens or health services providers must give health care to the sick....It's a nonsensical choice. Clearly a throw away, it makes no sense. And of course, it was the choice McCain made because McCain shied away from speaking what he really meant, that health care is a privilege.

Obama answered the way we knew he would, health care is a right. But McCain said more by choosing the nonsensical choice than we know.

Here's McCain's answer: I think it's a responsiblity....we should have available and affordable health care to every American citizen.....Cool, sounds like McCain views the availability of available and affordable health is a priority for government. That it is GOVERNMENT's responsibility to make sure its citizen have access to available and affordable health care. Ah, but how far could McCain carry that lie? Not very far, not even into another paragraph.

McCain continues: But government mandates I -- I'm always a little nervous about. Oh no! Governmental mandates are the laws that states have that require mammograms and check ups to be included in insurance plans. They're the pesky regulation that tell insurance companies that for your premium dollars you actually have to cover specific medical expenses. Without them we leave the coverage of health insurance plans to the conscience of the insurance companies...how's that working out for us. McCain, tell us it ain't so. And then of course, McCain switched the conversation to Obama's "fines."

Read McCain's response below, his real answer is that health care is a privilege reserved for those who can pay for it and while he keeps spouting $5000 as a really big dollar amount for a credit for families to pay for health insurance to get that health care, he leaves WHAT that $5,000 will buy in the way of insurance coverage for a family up to the insurance companies, without any rules for what they must cover (no mandates). This is a non-plan. Don't kid yourselves.

(Full text of McCain's answer:

MCCAIN: I think it's a responsibility, in this respect, in that we should have available and affordable health care to every American citizen, to every family member. And with the plan that -- that I have, that will do that.

But government mandates I -- I'm always a little nervous about. But it is certainly my responsibility. It is certainly small-business people and others, and they understand that responsibility. American citizens understand that. Employers understand that.

But they certainly are a little nervous when Senator Obama says, if you don't get the health care policy that I think you should have, then you're going to get fined. And, by the way, Senator Obama has never mentioned how much that fine might be. Perhaps we might find that out tonight.)

And Obama's plan leaves out some important info as well. Health care is a right. But instead of answering the key question about Obama's plan that I have which is that he promises citizens access to the plan used by the largest single group in our nation, federal employees, but he doesn't assure us we'll get it at the price available to those workers whose continued entitlement not only gives governmental workers superior coverage to the rest of us, but gives it at a cheaper price than the rest of us pay for lousy insurance. The question for Obama is, will you assure us that citizens who now have access to the governmental insurance plans will have access to the same affordable rate or is it at the higher rate such as those charged by COBRA that make it a non-choice for most people? Of course, no answer to this one.

On the other hand, Obama was up front. His view that health care is a right is important. Our nation has neglected the health and welfare of its citizens because of some misguided idea of the free market. Republicans...if the free market is the best way to go, why does any Republican take advantage of the governmental insurance plans? Are you so insecure about your candidates that you can't ask them WHY they aren't in the insurance shopping pit left to you?

Obama's full response is below: (BROKAW: Privilege, right or responsibility. Let's start with that.

OBAMA: Well, I think it should be a right for every American. In a country as wealthy as ours, for us to have people who are going bankrupt because they can't pay their medical bills -- for my mother to die of cancer at the age of 53 and have to spend the last months of her life in the hospital room arguing with insurance companies because they're saying that this may be a pre-existing condition and they don't have to pay her treatment, there's something fundamentally wrong about that.

So let me -- let me just talk about this fundamental difference. And, Tom, I know that we're under time constraints, but Senator McCain through a lot of stuff out there.

Number one, let me just repeat, if you've got a health care plan that you like, you can keep it. All I'm going to do is help you to lower the premiums on it. You'll still have choice of doctor. There's no mandate involved.

Small businesses are not going to have a mandate. What we're going to give you is a 50 percent tax credit to help provide health care for those that you need.

Now, it's true that I say that you are going to have to make sure that your child has health care, because children are relatively cheap to insure and we don't want them going to the emergency room for treatable illnesses like asthma.

And when Senator McCain says that he wants to provide children health care, what he doesn't mention is he voted against the expansion of the Children's Health Insurance Program that is responsible for making sure that so many children who didn't have previously health insurance have it now.

Now, the final point I'll make on this whole issue of government intrusion and mandates -- it is absolutely true that I think it is important for government to crack down on insurance companies that are cheating their customers, that don't give you the fine print, so you end up thinking that you're paying for something and, when you finally get sick and you need it, you're not getting it.

And the reason that it's a problem to go shopping state by state, you know what insurance companies will do? They will find a state -- maybe Arizona, maybe another state -- where there are no requirements for you to get cancer screenings, where there are no requirements for you to have to get pre-existing conditions, and they will all set up shop there.

That's how in banking it works. Everybody goes to Delaware, because they've got very -- pretty loose laws when it comes to things like credit cards.

And in that situation, what happens is, is that the protections you have, the consumer protections that you need, you're not going to have available to you.

That is a fundamental difference that I have with Senator McCain. He believes in deregulation in every circumstance. That's what we've been going through for the last eight years. It hasn't worked, and we need fundamental change.)