Letters: Keep an open mind on health care

Anyone who has an interest in our health-care system (and that should be all of us) should read Stephen Winham’s letter, “Health care future beats present,” in The Advocate of Monday, July 16. He puts forth a very valid argument for the Affordable Care Act.

I would just like to add a couple thoughts. American medicine is the costliest in the world, and we do not get the best results. It appears that the medical profession is influenced to bolster profits for the giant pharmaceutical industry. We should keep an open mind about the Affordable Care Act’ as it is not without merit.

Jeanette Blaize

retired state employee

Port Allen

Comments

1) Comment by Whatnow - 25/07/2012

@brhope, you just proved my point with another typical bleeding heart liberal comment. Fox making me worried? Heck no? Why does it scare libs so much? I also read the Wall Street Journal and Brietbart, The Telegraph UK, the Daily Caller, and Drudge, Politico, ABC, Yahoo, The Chosunilbo, The Korean Times, etc. Actually I'm a conservative independent. I like to think for myself and not follow a party off a cliff if I don't agree with them and I don't want my life long, hard earned tax dollars being spent on people who demand that they be taken care of when they are able to take care of themselves. And I don't like my President and his cronies to lie to me day after day. I don't like being used and bled dry. My own well being? If more people would take care of their own well being, we wouldn't be having this conversation or Obamacare, now would we? Nimby? thanks again!

2) Comment by GoldenSage - 25/07/2012

Open Mind - term used when telling everyone else they are wrong and I am right, so just keep quiet.

3) Comment by GoldenSage - 25/07/2012

Where does this person live? America has the greatest healthcare in the world, but it isn't cheap and, like most things in life, isn't perfect. And, it isn't for everyone. We can't give healthcare to the rest of the world, even though, progressives do try. Obamacare will increase cost and "will not" cover everyone since the mandate is now deemed a tax. And the thought of the IRS enforcing Obamacare is scary. Also, healthcare will get worse. Just common sense: more people in the system; more for the doctors that remain in the system, the more they will have to treat, the less they will treat; and the waiting will be terrible. If I am a doctor who is getting paid less for treating people, I am not going to work my but* off for some utophia idea. It ain't a perfect world and Obamacare does not make it any better in the long run...it will simply shift the pain and stuffering to all. A pie can be split many ways, but it is the same pie; no more, no less. With doctors leaving the system, the pie will shift from healthcare to somewhere else. Look at the other countries having social medicine. It will get worse, for everyone.

4) Comment by nimby? - 25/07/2012

brhope , I'm not your "typical conservos" , am an independent , consider myself a realist . sorry but the compassion thing (guilt trip) doesn't fly anymore . if someone has no desire to care for them self or their offspring don't look at me , put criticism where it belongs . and the reference of the "fox news" boogey-man is getting old ....

5) Comment by brhope - 25/07/2012

@Whatnow, "typical liberal argument. I would have argued this bill even if.. The only people who say "typical liberal" are usually "typical conservos who only worried about their own well being" Fox news has got you worried?

6) Comment by The_Host - 25/07/2012

Jeanette I would suggest you take the savings you claim you will get in another country and use that money to FLY THERE and get your medical treatment which you just told us all will be much better to boot. Sounds like a win for all of us. That would be called Freedom. As in you are free to go someplace else. Just think you would get a nice vacation out of the deal while you are gone as a bonus.

7) Comment by ABayouBoy - 25/07/2012

Things are just getting too complicated. And the bureaucracy is no exception. The technology exists to let the public decide on the health care package, so let them spell it out in laymen s terms so that you don't have to have a degree in political science or the law to figure it out. I know that my vote couldn't be any worse than any member of Congress. We might even cut back on the federal deficit...

8) Comment by Whatnow - 25/07/2012

DMJ, No, I'm not going to take it easy. Spin is spin and justifying foolishness only make one a bigger fool. @MBW, Sure, it's because we hate Obama. I guess you also believe that we don't like him because we are racists, too. Typical liberal argument. I would have argued this bill even if it were presented by George Washington himself. It is wrought with lies and understated costs galore. I guess you buy everything without reading the fine print. Just don't scream when that fine print bites you in the rear as we are finding out everyday. If the Republicans had shoved this mess of a bill down your throats, you would be screaming just as loudly.

9) Comment by DMJ - 25/07/2012

Whatnow, I guess people hear things how they want to, eh? Take it easy, bro.

10) Comment by MBW - 25/07/2012

The ACA is, at it's core a Republican/Heritage Fdn. idea. Republicans have been FOR this type of plan for decades. Those opposed are doing so out of hatred for Obama. Period.

11) Comment by Whatnow - 24/07/2012

@DMJ, I guess you are telling me that when someone says something quite plainly for all the world to hear, and it's recorded for all time, you hear it differently? People in England and South Korea, whose papers I read, even heard it the way I did. Gee, how do you do that? I mean, I have heard "Read between the lines" but I never heard "Hear between the lines". Also, I can give you the site for her ridiculous quote, so you are saying that that's not what came out of her mouth? What??????? Are you now a mind reader, too? You fool no one with your spin. What it really is, is that most of the crud that Dems foolishly say, you Dembots run around in circles to justify and wheezle it around to what they shouldn't have said or patch it up. You are the absurd one. Are you sure you're not Jay Carney?

12) Comment by Whatnow - 24/07/2012

Lies, lies and just more lies..... http://washingtonexaminer.com/cbo-to-employers-obamacare-has-4b-more-in-taxes-than-expected/article/2503013 It's bull like this that this monster of a bill is hiding. And every day we find out more. There are too many people who will not benefit from this at all, DMJ. We were shoved not sold into a fake bill of goods. And it's keeps coming....

13) Comment by nimby? - 24/07/2012

no absurdity in a name . this was a sly move by the courts , calling it as such . told the people what it is , where it came from . this could be an albatross come November ...

14) Comment by DMJ - 24/07/2012

Conservatives have been calling taxes penalties for decades. All of a sudden, when it doesn't suit their purposes, they feign outrage over a conservative justice who agrees with them? Absurd.

15) Comment by nimby? - 24/07/2012

nor can you be "taxed' , makes perfect sense ....

16) Comment by DMJ - 24/07/2012

You can't benefit from a bill that never becomes a law, can you? Starting to make sense?

17) Comment by Springer98 - 24/07/2012

Unless I'm mistaken, the Democrats had the majority of both houses of Congress & the Office of the President of the United States, all at the same time, for a while. I guess the Republicans DO really deserve all of the blame.....

18) Comment by nimby? - 24/07/2012

spin doctor/damage control ; once again the public is confusing what was said with what was actually meant , thanks for the explanation . guessing we'll see a lot of "splaining" between now and the election

19) Comment by chem - 24/07/2012

So this past legislative session in Louisiana must be completely "misspoken" with all of the bill that were passed with essentially no debate, voting on bills that were introduced late at night without giving anyone a chance to read, debate and amend it. That was all Republicans that "misspoke." I wouldn't pick on Pelosi for being a politician. THey all do it. As far as the ACA is concerned, once all of the benefits start to kick in, people will like the bill. Can it be made better? Most assuredly. But in order to do so, there has to be a willingness to compromise, to meet in the middle. The Republicans have shown time and again they are unwilling to do that. It is their way or the highway. That is why nothing is getting in congress.

20) Comment by DMJ - 24/07/2012

"pass it so we can see what's in it." This meant that once it was passed and people realized they would benefit from it, they would like it. Everything makes a little more sense with proper context, no?

21) Comment by nimby? - 24/07/2012

there are parts worth keeping . "a work in progress" ; still too much smoke and mirrors , wait and see . will "public health" follow the same route of public schools ?

22) Comment by Whatnow - 24/07/2012

Sure, I'm open minded, Jeannette. And my open mind told me a long time ago that this was pure politics and would not bring down prices of anything and just add to the deficit that we already have. When the government threatens the elderly about not being able to get their Medicare checks and the military their paychecks, someone is trying to play politics. It's to get what they want anyway they can. It was a threat. When a bunch of stupid politicians vote on something before they even know what's in it makes me want to puke. That last point of Pelosi's was enough to turn most Americans against Obamacare. When the government thinks we are stupid and that they are taking care of us, it makes me want to puke. I don't buy anything from crooks and liars. Oh, excuse me...the new word for lying is "misspoke" and passing the buck by blaming someone else.

23) Comment by phil - 24/07/2012

I think there are without doubt a few sentences in the healthcare bill that are worth keeping and everyone should keep an open mind when it comes to keeping those few sentences in a new bill. There is also no doubt that SOMETHING needs to be done about the rising costs of health care and health insurance in this nation before we ALL go broke.

24) Comment by DMJ - 24/07/2012

An open mind? What a novel idea. Unfortunately, some are too emotionally invested in hating the ACA to have an open mind. Comments proving my point to follow...