Thank you for your concern about my bride, Craig. She is doing fairly well, my being home now and off the road has made all the difference.
As for fixing the problem of uninsured citizens... that actually has been addressed at least to an extent in the program. There is currently no reason for anyone to not have insurance that at the very least pays providers after a huge deductible has been satisfied. The entire cost of a so called Bronze Plan is paid for nearly everybody who qualifies for a subsidy. Deductibles approach $6,000 annually.
There is a major incentive to purchase the Silver Plan options in that the insurance is actually very good, comparable to an excellent employer plan. This is, however, far from free.
The major flaw in the plan is of course the huge deductible with the Bronze scheme. This requires providers who choose to participate to in effect grant credit in the amount of the deductible to those seeking care. It's not likely they will see payment from the target audience in the event of a large bill. It does limit the exposure of a hospital to the first $6k of what may otherwise be a huge write off.
Can the system be fine tuned? Of course. It can also be replaced with something more sensible, and we certainly have the talent in this country to do that if we can all get on the same page. I'm not hopeful that we can.
Personally, my needs are modest. I do have working man's ethics, and (again) I do not seek to freeload. I agree that the problem of the huge escalating cost of health insurance has not been corrected, but I'm not above participating in a program that protects what assets and freedom I still have against an out of control health care system. I paid into the system for 40 years, with essentially no claims. Now, if I need health care why shouldn't I be able to afford it?
We'll get nowhere on the religious discussion. Suffice that I find individuals such as Huckabee and Jeb not so much a threat that a 'state' religion is in the offing as a possible source of unworkable and divisive rhetoric that will not serve progress on the national debate one bit. Freedom from religion in public policy is essential to our system, as is respect for the beliefs of others.
