Job Discussion Forums

[johnslat]

Dear misterkodak,

"Since the US has no state sponsored healthcare, why the heck should the government care about how much and where I smoke or drink as long as I do it in a responsible manner?"

Well, there are Medicare and Medicaid, plus the the veterans medical services. And if someone gets an illness from drinking or smoking, they seldom just drop in the street and die there. They go to emergency rooms or "free clinics", and most get treated (poorly, perhaps, but treated.)
That, if fact, is a big factor in driving health care costs in the States sky high.
Were there universal health care, it would actually cost the government (i.e. the taxpayers) a lot less:

"The United States spends almost twice per capita on health care on average than other countries do. Yet, the American health care system suffers from rampant uninsurance, subpar life expectancy and infant mortality rates, and uneven performance on quality. Americans do not need more money for health care; they need more health care for their money."

"Myth Two: Universal Health Care Would Be Too Expensive
Fact One: The United States spends at least 40% more per capita on health care than any other industrialized country with universal health care

Fact Two: Federal studies by the Congressional Budget Office and the General Accounting office show that single payer universal health care would save 100 to 200 Billion dollars per year despite covering all the uninsured and increasing health care benefits.

Fact Three: State studies by Massachusetts and Connecticut have shown that single payer universal health care would save 1 to 2 Billion dollars per year from the total medical expenses in those states despite covering all the uninsured and increasing health care benefits

Fact Four: The costs of health care in Canada as a % of GNP, which were identical to the United States when Canada changed to a single payer, universal health care system in 1971, have increased at a rate much lower than the United States, despite the US economy being much stronger than Canada�s.

Conclusion: Single payer universal health care costs would be lower than the current US system due to lower administrative costs. The United States spends 50 to 100% more on administration than single payer systems. By lowering these administrative costs the United States would have the ability to provide universal health care, without managed care, increase benefits and still save money."


Regards,
John

[MO39]

Dear johnslat,

From your post to Obama's ear!

Cheers,

MO

[johnslat]

Dear MO39,

I hope - but Barry, who used to call me quite a lot during the pre-election period, has been strangely uncommunicative of late.

Regards,
John

[MO39]

Dear john,

Well, he has been busy lately, a lot busier, I might add, than the current resident of the White House. Maybe we could send your post to his nominee for the Secretary of HHS .

Cheers,

MO

[rusmeister]

[johnnyenglishteacher]

[Serious_Fun]

[Chancellor]

I object to this entire thread on the grounds that it only asks about cigarette smokers. Some of us smoke cigars and/or pipes.

[johnslat]

Dear Chancellor,

Not to mention other smokable substances.

Regards,
John

[yamahuh]

[Carll101]

In the high school I taught in Thailand the boy's toilet was a big cloud of smoke... after a month I found out there was a toilet for teachers only !

[MO39]

[Carll101]

That's how I used to look in there

[Lhenderson]

I smoke.

At home. In front of the dvd machine.

I would never inhale that dirty Tobacco.

[Greg 09]

Yes, but only after sex (I looked once).

On a more substantive note, why should I be disallowed opening a smokers' bar in the land of the free? I'd even post a Nanny General's Warning on the door, and the people-in-charge-of-your-decisions could even get all dramatic and mandate that it should read "Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here". It won't matter, people like to do things and some of them might be bad for you, like driving on a highway. So what? How can you drink coffee or alcohol without a smoke? Its unnatural.

Healtcare costs? A risky door to open. Don't go there unless you really want Door #2, which is menu control. In my state I can't order a medium rare burger in a restaurant, it has to be well done. Phooey.

BTW johnslat, your chest enhancement looks great, but it reminds me of someone I dated, and there wasn't much in the way of substance behind hers either.