I have a question regarding the health care debate. I have noticed on several talking

[madmom]

head shows where the antis come back with "why are so many foreigners coming to the US for health care if it's not the best?" The pros usually say something to the affect "prove it" or "I don't believe they are" or something like that. My question is why are they not telling them the health CARE is not the debate, it's the COST of the care and the insurance coverage that is the debate. We are not arguing that the doctors and nurses suck, we are arguing that the insurance providers and the costs of the meds suck. Why are they letting them get away with re-framing the argument?

[Cant trust em]

1. it's a good point. I don't know what to tell you. nt

[Barack_America]

2. Two points: 1). There is a difference between primary care and specialty care.

Our specialty care is top notch because our government invests so much in medical and biomedical research through the NIH, etc. Our primary care? Not so desirable. Long waits and rushed doctors due to "billable time" constraints imposed by insurance companies (i.e. part of the health care "rationing" that we already live with)

2). Yes, this really is more of a debate regarding health care coverage rather than the nature of the care itself.

[lyonn]

3. Example, Kay Bailey was being interviewed by Andria just now

Andria didn't ask Kay where the money would come from when Kay said that people would use their tax crdits, or was it vouchers, anyhoo, to help pay for their insurance. Ya, right, force people to put even more $$ in the corp health insurance companies. These vouchers are a joke and the people go for it. Like it is magical. Why didn't Andria Mitchell ask her how that would bring down prices? It would raise prices, ugh. Check the stock market and the health care stock is rising. Hummm????

[meegbear]

4. You mean like "The Mayo Clinic" and "John Hopkins Hospital"?

People in Luxembourg aren't spraining their ankle and flying over here for treatment. If/when people come here, it's (usually) for treatment for a rare disorder the hospital specializes in.

[sandnsea]

5. That's why they changed it to "Health Insurance Reform"

Although health care has its problems in this country too. If you can't afford it, you don't get well.

[madmom]

6. If every body had the same access to health-care none of the

"problems" stated above would be a problem. Everyone would be treated, everyone would be afforded preventative health-care and the only time we/they would have to pay a premium is when/if they wanted extras which would be available through private insurance. The debate is still the COST not the care itself.

[GodDamLiberal]

7. Here ya go

This has even been on 60 minutes.
Thousands of Americans every year fly to places like India or Thailand to get what
we would consider routine surgeries, like hip and knee replacements. Things that are needed but not life threatening. They can spend the thousands to fly there, get the surgery, stay there during the recovery period, then fly back. All for less than they'll have to pay to get it done at their local hospital. There are hospital and or wings of hospitals that have been built just for this. And the kicker is that a lot of the surgeons there have been trained right here in the old US of A.
That's what you tell them.

[madmom]

8. But why are they letting the repugs get away with re-framing this debate on TV? We all know

this but there are some folks who don't, or don't make the connection. It's the COST of this care not the care itself.

[RaleighNCDUer]

10. Because the talking heads aren't letting them reframe the debate -

they are HELPING them reframe the debate. Just as their corporate sponsors want them to.

[madmom]

11. I mostly agree here, but even Ed on his show yesterday let one get away with it.

[GodDamLiberal]

14. Because people on the left

don't make good followers.
We splinter into different groups and have no strong leader.
Obama was elected with the hope that he would be a leader and a strong one.
He hasn't been a strong leader on healthcare.
If he won't lead we can't follow and chaos reigns.

[Overseas]

9. There aren't that many foreigners coming. Just super-wealthy for super-exclusive care.

We don't see busloads of Canadians coming down here for care. We saw busloads of Americans going up there to get medicine. We see lots of new businesses for healthcare tourism-- Americans going abroad to get treatments they can't afford over here. Surgery plus airfare and hotel stays at far less than they would pay here even with insurance.

I have a few friends who have gone overseas to get their medical and dental care. Just can't afford to do it here.

When we finally get Medicare for All, the private insurers will probably offer Deluxe Upgrade Plans to the super-rich so they can get private rooms, elective surgeries and fancier treatment, like they do in other countries.

We don't see "so many" foreigners coming here for treatment. We see a few very rich foreign leaders coming here for special treatment, and other wealthy individuals who can afford the most expensive of everything coming here.

Those few ultra-rich coming here don't make up for the moral disgrace of our leaving 47,000,000 of our fellow citizens uninsured, living in fear of medical emergencies. And letting millions more go bankrupt from medical bills, even when they have insurance.

LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH & FAMOUS, seeing the world's wealthiest jetting over here for their treatment, doesn't at all make up for the moral disgrace of our rich country leaving so many so desperate without any care at all.

We all know we have great doctors in the USA. We just think healthcare should be a right, open to all, not a special privilege for the fancy few.

[madmom]

12. EXACTLY! which is why we have to keep them from re-framing the argument and say it's NOT the

health-care but COST of the health-care.

[Overseas]

13. I agree. Not the health care but the health insurance that needs changing.

And that's why I've been so sad not to see Medicare for All who choose it as the Democrats' steadfast public option.

It is a MIXTURE of public and private systems--

>>> Medical services PRIVATELY DELIVERED-- between you and your doctors

>>> with payment and cost controls publicly administered, accountable to us all.