Edit: I 2nd what Dave says.

Business owners complained about the excessive cost of this insurance, so the State came up with an alternative plan called the State Compensation Fund. I knew it was out there, but I liked my agent and was happy with my insurance. One day, I received a letter that Farmers would no longer be offering workers comp in California. My agent switched me to another insurance company I’d never heard of and all was well. Eventually, they left too. I was unable to find insurance at this point except the State Compensation Fund seemed to be alive and well. That is where my coverage is today.

A quick Google search for “Workers comp California” revealed a page full of attorneys and the State Compensation Fund, but no private insurance companies.

That, my friend, is the “single payer” risk we face.

Will it happen? I don’t honestly know, but it could. Obama’s plan wouldn’t put us there, if he sticks to it, but other presidents are going to follow and who knows what they’ll do? And don’t forget, Pelosi has a lock on her House position as long as she wants it. No one in San Francisco would ever vote her out. They’ve been communists since the 1960s.

we should do the same thing with cap-and-trade, which is nothing more than a bullsh*t global warming bill. if cap-and-trade passes and it wrecks shop on employment in the energy industry, all the energy workers that voted for obama should be the ones to lose their jobs :0)

Alex- you mean the wars like the one in Iraq that the majority of dems voted FOR?

health care and health insurance are 2different things. they need to work on providing care directly and cutting out the middle man (insurance co) the best way to do this is a free market system. remember a few years ago when there was a problem with prescription drugs? walmart introduced a drug plan selling prescriptions for $40. then walgreens introduced a similar plan to compete. now the price is around 11$ thanks to the free market and competition. i can also choose where i want to go to for a prescription.

in 2007 walmart announced it had plans to open health clinics in its stores that would provide basic affordable care. to compete walgreens had plans for a similar program. but thanks to the gov barging in to “fix” everything that may not happen. gov red tape and bureaucracies drive prices up.

what about that doctor in NY that offers unlimited visits for only $79 a month. he can perform 80% of all medical needs without the gov or insurance CO butting in and driving up cost. (the NY government tried shutting him down)

basically there is no need for insurance companies for routing or basic care. insurance is only necessary to insure you against the risk of long term care. it is up to you and you alone to weigh the risks and decide if you need that. but with the burden of basic care taken off the insurance Co. and medical in general easily available the cost of insurance would go down.

Edit:

And I’ll stick by my contention that European’s need to mind their own #*$*@ business. The only time you arrogant snobs need America is when your balls are in a vice from some petty tyrant.

If Fed Ex and UPS were required to offer competing daily 1st class mail route delivery, with the same union guarantees enjoyed by the USPS employees – they would quickly be out of business.

Unless.. they could actually do that job more efficiently than the USPS.. wait a minute – I may be onto something here!

Nah.. Like the Post Office – the Public Option would be shielded from competition by the private sector. They would consistently be able to offer lower prices because they’re not required to post a profit.

But – like Walmart taking out local businesses – once the competition is gone – you’d be stuck with the Public No Option. And from that seed grows the weed of healthcare rationing.

We do need to work for more of a competition between the many MANY insurance companies but not by making the tax payers through many billions into a government run program. If that is needed, the excuse of “competition” is lame. how would you like to compete against someone who doesn’t need to make a profit and has a pretty much endless revenue source outside of the business?