low-browed, ranty fools.

posted by [identity profile] gillyp.livejournal.com at 06:43pm on 13/08/2009
I was referring specifically to the great majority of the commenters on that specific piece I linked on the Fox News website. I invite you to go and have a look yourself and form your own opinion but I doubt very much if any of these people are watching CNN for a balanced opinion and I stand by my opinion on that. I doubt very much if they'd be any more complimentary to me if they found this post.

It seems to be perfectly acceptable for the left wing to rant, snark and name call but when the shoe is on the other foot and the right wing rants too?
My specific interest is - as per my header - a specific UK based campaign to correct lies on US TV about our Health service. I don't know anything about left vs right ranting. The NHS is supported by the vast majority of UK politicians left and right, it's not seen as a 'leftist' matter here.

"all the clever people are left wing
Is a quote, Stephen Fry - hence the icon. An attempt at humour. Maybe I should have filtered this for UK eyes only?

I don't pretend to understand the intricacies of this debate. I can't discuss the details because I'm not watching the townhall meetings or following it as a news item at all, really, except where it touches on this Twitter-based campaign. Americans are responsible for their Government and its decisions on their health services, that's not what this post is about, it's about the fact that I, like the majority of people in this country, don't happen to like what Americans are saying about an institution very dear too our hearts. We do not take kindly to bald-faced lies being told about our healthcare for nefarious reasons by rather stupid people (since every lie told is and has been easily refuted). That's what I was talking about. I'm sorry if you were offended by my words but I stand by my opinions.
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Re: low-browed, ranty fools.

posted by [identity profile] aerianya.livejournal.com at 07:18pm on 13/08/2009
I'm not offended just commenting. Making conversation and evidently not very well.*g*
There is a whole lot of misunderstanding here(much deliberate)about Nationalized Health Care. People only hear horror stories and the President isn't helping much by being uninformed about his own bill and who supports it.
Different can be scary to some people and buzz words are part and parcel of political scare mongering (on both sides).
What I'm saying is don't be offended by a few people who are freaking out.
And We'll try to do the same. America bashing seems to be a way of life and perfectly acceptable past time worldwide.

I try to avoid the comments on any news article, that's where things start to get a little disturbing. Well unless you just want someone to make fun of.

I don't pretend to understand the intricacies of this debate Evidently neither do most people, only 98 of the 535 members of Congress have signed a pledge to actually read this before voting.
Now that is scary and the reason I am posting this bill in smaller parts so maybe it will be more easily digested.Although, it's so big the voting may well be over before I get it all up.*snerk

Don't start filtering, where would be the fun in that?
*edited for atrocious spelling
Edited Date: 2009-08-13 07:20 pm (UTC)
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Re: low-browed, ranty fools.

posted by [identity profile] gillyp.livejournal.com at 07:35pm on 13/08/2009
Well I'm glad I didn't offend, it kinda read like I did and that wasn't my intention at all. Really, it's not been a news story here till it came to everyone's attention (via Twitter!) what was being said about the NHS in the US. This has caused widespread outrage here, fanned by a Tory MEP (a massive wanker hated even by his own party) who went on Fox news and lied, the head of his Party is incandescent and I await his return home with anticipation and glee *g*.

All I'm doing is following the Twitter trend and reporting on that.
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Re: low-browed, ranty fools.

posted by [identity profile] aerianya.livejournal.com at 07:41pm on 13/08/2009
Actually I really have only heard one or two people talk about the NHS at all. Some of them are for it and think this bill will get them there. It won't.

Would you love you system so much if you were required to purchase Health Insurance from the Government and pay a co-pay as well?
This is what this bill is about not NHS.

As for Fox CNN and so on, I only watch the news programs, when the others come on I am so out of there. Opinions as they say ...
Edited Date: 2009-08-13 07:43 pm (UTC)
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Re: low-browed, ranty fools.

posted by [identity profile] gillyp.livejournal.com at 07:51pm on 13/08/2009
I believe there has been some advertising which is what kicked off the shit storm, also comments from (checks!) Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa and some stuff that said the elderly and the likes of Stephen Hawking are/would be 'allowed to die' under the NHS which is a lie. Hawking himself has been involved and... oh, on and on it goes.

pay a co-pay as well?
I don't even know what that means. :o)
The NHS is paid for entirely out of income tax, no insurance necessary, unless you elect to get private health insurance, which you are free to do if you so choose.
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Re: low-browed, ranty fools.

posted by [identity profile] aerianya.livejournal.com at 08:01pm on 13/08/2009
I think most people get that. There are always gonna be people who try and stir things up, like the man you mentioned from the UK.

Oh sorry,A co-pay is the part you pay that insurance doesn't cover. If your insurance pays 80% your co-pay would be 20%. That's what I pay.
Unless it comes under Major Medical then the insurance pays 100%.
Why would you buy private insurance if it already is paid through income tax?
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Re: Why would you buy private insurance

posted by [identity profile] gillyp.livejournal.com at 08:12pm on 13/08/2009
Various reasons, mostly you're guaranteed a private room and in some cases, you get to jump the queue - not if it's an emergency or life-threatening, of course, but for some elective surgeries and heavily used things like hip replacements where there's a wait-time. You're mainly still using NHS hospitals and personnel and (I've heard) it can feel bad due to a general dislike of queue-jumpers by doctors and nurses. It's very much a tiny (wealthy!) minority . who do it. For the most part there are only short (days) wait times under the NHS and none at all for anything life-threatening.

Hard to say whether I'd pay a co-pay or how I'd feel about it - It's too alien to me, the concept of doing anything other than just turning up at the GP or hospital and expecting to be seen. Paying for that is... I can't compute, tbh, it's not part of my regular mental processing

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Re: Why would you buy private insurance

posted by [identity profile] aerianya.livejournal.com at 08:34pm on 13/08/2009
NHS would pay if you went to a private or research hospital for a maybe unique or newer treatments?
Advanced treatment centers like (I don't know what you have there that equates) St Jude Children's ,MD Anderson or The Mayo Clinic here?
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Re: Why would you buy private insurance

posted by [identity profile] gillyp.livejournal.com at 08:41pm on 13/08/2009
The advanced research centres are all NHS as far as I know. There are very few private hospitals indeed and none of them dealing with anything other than elective, mostly plastic, surgery. The NHS = 95%+ of health care and most private patients get a private room in an NHS hospital using NHS staff.

NHS pay you? for - what? No, never, never heard of such a thing, why? Really, I never heard of that at all! Why would they do that, I am confused!
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Re: Why would you buy private insurance

posted by [identity profile] aerianya.livejournal.com at 08:44pm on 13/08/2009
Sorry, I meant pay the bill or a portion of it.
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Re: Why would you buy private insurance

posted by [identity profile] gillyp.livejournal.com at 08:54pm on 13/08/2009
You mean pay part of the NHS bill?

If so, no, it doesn't work that way, there's no way to pay the NHS even if you wanted to. Everyone who pays tax pays (ie, the Govt take a proportion of everybody's income tax for the NHS) and everyone (whether they pay tax or not) gets the service, no exemptions, no exceptions.

The only thing you might pay for are prescriptions, if you're working (not in any form of education, not unemployed, not retired, not on permanent disability allowance or any other kind of government benefit etc) you pay £7 per item. If you can buy it cheaper than that over the counter, the doctor will tell you and not add it to the prescription.

Other than that - it's all free.
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Re: Why would you buy private insurance

posted by [identity profile] aerianya.livejournal.com at 08:57pm on 13/08/2009
So if you were to go get specialized or radical treatment at a research center like MD Anderson Cancer Treatment Center you would have pay out of pocket yourself?
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Re: Why would you buy private insurance

posted by [identity profile] gillyp.livejournal.com at 09:01pm on 13/08/2009
No, because all British centres of that type are part of the NHS.
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Thank you

posted by [identity profile] aerianya.livejournal.com at 09:11pm on 13/08/2009
for taking the time to give all this great info. I think I may have a handle albeit a small one on this now.
It would probably be as costly either way.$580 Billion doesn't even seem like real money does it?
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Re: Thank you

posted by [identity profile] gillyp.livejournal.com at 09:14pm on 13/08/2009
You're welcome. I hope it helped... whatever it is you wanted to work out. I refuse to think about large fortunes on the principle I shall never own one.
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Re: Thank you

posted by [identity profile] aerianya.livejournal.com at 09:18pm on 13/08/2009
Just a little ammunition in case I need to say something to someone about NHS. I'd like to have a least an idea of what I'm talking about.*g*
amen sister!
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Re: Why would you buy private insurance

posted by [identity profile] gillyp.livejournal.com at 08:55pm on 13/08/2009
I think I just realised you meant the NHS pay part of a private-care bill? *g*

No. You elect to go private, you pay the bill.
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Re: Why would you buy private insurance

posted by [identity profile] aerianya.livejournal.com at 08:59pm on 13/08/2009
Yes that was what I was asking. Sometimes I confuse myself.
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