Bush is not stupid.

He's had so much exposure to information, I mean, he went to Yale. I know he may have slept through his classes, but he still had to pick something up. Osmosis, maybe?

Anyway, his asinine health plan, meant to stop 'overuse' of employer-based health insurance and offer incentives for the uninsured to become insured through private insurance.

Because most of the uninsured in America just chose to be uninsured. They could have gotten a plan through work, but no, way, insurance is for suckers!

Yeah.

Right.

Most of the uninsured are that way for two reasons - money and health.

Money? Can't afford private insurance, make too much for Tenncare/Medicare.

Health? Private insurance companies are like credit card companies in the way they like their customers. Credit card companies don't want people who'll pay off the balance each month, there's no insane interest rate they can charge! They can't make scads of money off those people.

Insurance companies don't want sick people. Or people with 'pre-existing conditions' - athlete's foot, in one extreme example. Why? Sick people will pay their premiums (if they don't miss too much work), but those premiums don't cover 2 lithotripsies in one month, there's no way. Sick people bleed those insurance companies dry, the selfish bastards.

There are flaws in the universal health systems in other countries, but, to someone with some pre-existing conditions, they're perfect - nobody's denied care.

The one time I talked about this with a Republican (my dad), he told me nobody would become a doctor because they wouldn't make as much money, and look at Communist Russia! Of course, he's insured through the government - retired military. He's also a government employee - a cop.

There are also people that object to paying for other's care, but not their own - like their taxes would go to help this person, and they never get sick, so they wasted their money!

I can kinda see it, but it strikes me as selfish. A civilized country would have affordable healthcare for all its citizens, but your money is your money, dammit! I want to keep every dollar I make.

I've never worked, obviously, so I'm full of shit. But I think people would be happier about paying taxes if they knew they would go to the right place - not no-bid contracts with companies that bankrolled your politician's campaign. The janitorial work at Shelby Count Schools was outsourced, and the head guy is the brother or cousin (or both, Tennessee here) of the superintendent. And they do worse work than the old county employees.

Bah.

Anyways, Bush is not stupid. He plays stupid.

And what does he know of the cost of healthcare? Just that Medicare/Medicaid is bleeding us dry! Private insurance for everyone who is healthy!!




PS - Thanks to Mark at A Freeway in Hell for the mention.