how do we "mandate" a family of four with an annual income of $35K to buy coverage?? can they really afford it?
.
Not sure about other states, but in NJ they can get coverage through NJ Familycare (only adults with children are eligible) - single adults are out of luck.

well, if having coverage if your priority you can
1. try finding employer who provides it (Wal-Mart is still hiring, doing good even now, making profits, and provides good health coverage)
2. you can utilize free healthcare clinics
3. you can buy catastrophic coverage to be covered for expensive medical expenses
what government can do to help those people afford coverage
1. tax-credits
2. allow people buy coverage out of state (this will generate REAL competition among insurance companies)
3. Tort-Reform (should lower healthcare costs and eventually insurance premiums in the future)
4. offer tax credits to doctros/hospitals who offer assistance to the uninsured
Remember having a job for those people is much more important than having coverage right now!

well, if having coverage if your priority you can
1. try finding employer who provides it (Wal-Mart is still hiring, doing good even now, making profits, and provides good health coverage)
2. you can utilize free healthcare clinics
3. you can buy catastrophic coverage to be covered for expensive medical expenses
.
4. You forgot to mention that one can also marry someone who has health insurance, move to Canada,or quit their joband get rid ofall their assets to qualify for medicaid. (tr)
.
Remember having a job for those people is much more important than having coverage right now!
.
For what people and when did they elect you their representative?

" try finding employer who provides it"
so if you are a social worker 9$34k/yr) straight out of college with diabetes , or LPN ( $24k/yr) with lupus, or a technician who can't afford paying $600/mo through an employer offered plan, or works at a business that does not offer insurance, you need to quit your job and become a cashier at Walmart?
And those examples are very real.
Xerox offers insurance family of 4 needs to pay $600/mo for and it has $2500 per person deductible. So if you have two children with asthma, you will have to spend $5K BEFORE your insurance even kicks in.
cont...

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Happy New Year to all! Virtual hugs!

University of Rochester offers Aetna that has such restrictive policiespeople sue it all the time for refusing out of network coverage. Thoselawsuits have nothing to do with tort reform, people are suinginsurance company for NOT paying for care.
We had to fight for a month for them to "allow" liver transplant outof network, and they didn't even want to understand that there isnoone in town who does those surgeries at this age....
The only thing I have to say to those who are happy with status quo and love their insurance companies :
hope none of you or your loved ones encounter one of those situations when you will feel like you are banging your head against the wall (after all the money you paid them) and they are not paying for treatment.
Keep enjoying enriching insurance companies and their executives(v) - it's good for your health!

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Happy New Year to all! Virtual hugs!

what's the point of asking a question if you don't read the answer? Did I say to keep everything the same? All those examples that you gave usually work for healthcare organizations such as hospitals and most of them provide insurance...
whatever...

I read the answer...
in the meanwhile United Healthcare CEO made $750mil - thank you all subscribers for generous contributions:-D
"In the meanwhile we are going to move all your asthma drugs into a 3rd tier so your copayment will be $35 per prescription X4 X 2 familymembers =" HAhaha(hu)
"Oh,btw, we made a nice deal with the manufactures, so we are getting even more money in our pockets through those exclusive deals - aren't we smar"t(hu)
Yes, dear Americans, you all have your choices!
Luchshe but' zdorovum i bogatum chem bednum i bol'nym -
swyataya istina!

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Happy New Year to all! Virtual hugs!

Julia as usual full of "Pravda" so-called facts.
lets do some factchecking.
people sue Aetna it all the time
from Aetna 10k filing: annual litigation costs for Aetna under 20mil
which is less then 0.1% of the total revenue
united healthcare CEO 750mil hmm
********en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_J._Hemsley
Business Week reports his annual salary as $1,300,000[4]. Forbes Magazine ranks him at 296th in its 2009 Special Report on CEO Compensation[5]. His compensation was estimated at $3,241,042 by the FierceHealthcare newsletter[6].
feel like you are banging your head against the wall (after all the money you paid them
customer satisfaction with health insurance industry is 73%

this is just skimming from the top of shit bullshit.

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Человек, который почувствовал ветер перемен, должен построить не щит от ветра, а ветряную мельницу

Svetlana, now about MA ER costs.. they are rising despite the universally mandated coverage..
It takes more then insurance to change some peoples mindset about going to ER with every little problem. It's not about insurance, but about education..
This does not mean MA system of forcing insurance coverage on to everyone failed.

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Человек, который почувствовал ветер перемен, должен построить не щит от ветра, а ветряную мельницу

Mike, you are SOOO cute when you are arguing with me...(lo)...what happened to your libertarian side?? (tr) ... mandating??...:-)
the fact of the matter is MA is broke, the state income tax is the third largest in the nation...their economy оставляет желать лучшего...most of the people do have access ot healthcare, they just don't get care - they don't have healthcare providers (shortage of doctors, nurses, etc.)...
***********.healthbeatblog.org/2008/12/on-health-care-reform-stimulating-the-economy-the-massachusetts-example.html