Impossible Politics Options

[Merica]

I just wrote a blog called Impossible Politics [link removed], which discusses my uncertainty about politics in general. I thought some of you here might relate to my ponderings. If you're interested then feel free to read, and I'd greatly appreciate any comments (on the blog page itself, preferably).

In all honesty, I want Obama to rule England. Dude's cool as fuck. Obama, or Bruce Willis.

This post has been edited by Merica: Jul 19 2018, 8:36 am

[Pokey]

Can't comment on that myself, but I thought that's what Obama would like, but not exactly what's happening right now .. I thought right now was more to do with private health insurance and their limitations and such? I dunno, Fish will answer that well.

Canada's system sounds pretty close to ours ... the public system is a system where waiting times usually will apply to most people, it's generally based off priority where if someone suddenly appears with a more urgent need to have surgery than you then they could end up taking your doctor and you're pushed further back into the queue. This can be a problem and unfortunatly there is no way to make everyone happy.
People pay for this medicare system here through their taxes ... high income earners pay more than your average Joe (unless said high income earner takes out private health insurance whereby he is exempt from paying the higher tax). The private health insurance here doesn't cover you to go to your local GP or any outpatient services (besides dental, optical, physio, chrio etc). Medicare covers for GP and specialist visits like radiology and pathology etc...

Private health insurance for the most part isn't that expensive here, so if you want to pay more to not have to wait then you can do so. I personally don't think the waiting is all that bad here given if something is an emergency you're still going to get seen straight away. I think a lot of people have these images of having a heart attack and then being told you'll need to wait a few days to see a doctor.

What I don't like here is the system the Howard government put into place in July 2000 called the Lifetime Healthcover Loading. Basically anyone who takes out private hospital cover over the age of 30 will be charged a tax of 2% of their premium for every year that they are over 30. So if you don't take out private hospital cover until you're 40 then you have a 20% loading ontop of your regular premium to pay. It was designed to take pressure off the public system by encouraging the people that could afford private to take it out. But 30 just seems like a bad age to bring it it, the average person who is 30 doesn't think they need private health insurance and they pay for that later on. The age should be at LEAST 40 if anything.