Now Poor People Will Have Access To The Same Health Care That Republican Senators and Congressmen Have. Sound Fair ?

It's NOT the same healthcare as senators & congressman have....that's ridiculous to even think that. There are numerous middleclass Americans who can't really afford health insurance, but still buy it. For them, it means going without luxuries that I see people on the govt's dime possessing. As an ER nurse, I can't tell you how many medicaid patients I have seen over the years using the ER as a revolving door for trivial things like hangnails, blisters, and the common cold...you know, things that people with private insurance would NEVER dream of going to the ER for. What really gets me are the people on medicaid who are diabetic and come in b/c they have a foot ulcer that's not healing (a serious matter), but yet they have a bottle of Coke in one hand and a candy bar in the other!! Or the ones who have lung cancer but continue to smoke 1-2 packs per day. And why? Because alot of patients on medicaid don't give a rat's ass whose money they are wasting as long as it is not coming out of their pocket. It's no wonder that the price of healthcare is so freaking high for the rest of the people who have private insurance. If so many of these type of people weren't wasting medicaid dollars, more people (who actually need it) could have it and hopefully, use it responsibly. I work 2 FULL time jobs as a nurse and last year, my medical bills were MORE than my YEARLY income. Thank GOD I have insurance, but the sad thing is, I have to work the 2 jobs to be able to afford it. What's really sad is I know a lot of chidren on medicaid that can't get medical supplies that they need b/c the medicaid system is too taxed (so they say) to purchase the items when needed.

It's really easy to talk about not handing anything out to the poor when you've never been poor yourself. It's not about a handout its about helping out. You'll have people that treat it for what it should be and others that try to take advantage of it.

Here's the problem I have with the Republican stance on healthcare. The argument I hear basically says "if you don't have enough money, you're screwed and its your fault". With an unemployment rate of 8%+ that means that a lot of people that are sick should just stay home and die or face medical bills they can't afford. If it wasn't for "socialism" people in Spain with 22% unemployment would really have a mess on their hands, I'm sure their system isn't perfect but I'm also sure that if someone gets sick, they are able to get the medical attention they need.

What happened to the concept of improving yourself as an individual but helping your fellow man if its needed? Aren't most Republican's religious? Should their belief system conflict with their view of the world politically?

There's a say that goes "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Well guess what, the system is broken and has been for years.

If there is a better solution, I'd love to hear it, but I've been waiting for 2 years and haven't heard one from Congress. Can you explain to me how Republicans plan to solve the healthcare issue? I genuinely would like to hear their solution. Or at least give me a website to reference so I can be unbiased in my opinion.

Great analysis by the way, I hope you take my comments as they were intended...just making great conversation.

I know what I said was a bit harsh. I am thinking it more as a hand out to people who are unwilling to work. The ones that have 4 or 5 children with 4 different fathers..these are the people that upset me. I know that there are genuine poor people out there and they need help..but for how long? I believe that people down on their luck should be helped out for awhile, but not for years. I am a Christian and I do give to the poor, but that's my choice. I have never really believed that the government should force us to give to the poor through taxes. If you keep on giving things for free to the poor, then they become more and more dependent on the government and, in my opinion, lazier. Why work hard if the government gives you free healthcare, food, money, housing and daycare. If I have seen a lot of abuse of the entitlement programs in my life, perhaps that is why I have become so jaded when it comes to "free stuff" If people who got the welfare would have to do some kind of community service before they got their check or food stamps, I would be more inclined to support these kind of entitlement programs.

I do know what it is like to be poor, when I was in high school my father lost his business and we were right at the poverty line. My Dad got a job at Wal-mart(a man with a master's degree) and also went back to school to get his teachers certificate re-certified. It was tough for about 2 years, but my father never took welfare money or food stamps and we would have qualified.

I like a few things about the Healthcare law. I like the fact that an insurance company can't kick you off if you get sick(cancer). I do like that. I like that an insurance company can't prevent covering you for a pre-existing condition. I also like the fact that my kids can stay on my insurance until they are 26 if they need too.

What I really don't like is the Individual mandate. I don't like the government telling me I have to buy something or be taxed or penalized if I don't do it. What is next? The government forcing me to buy or GM car or be taxed or buy a Chevy Volt or be taxed. What if they force us to eat certain foods or be taxed? Some of this may seem a bit extreme, but you get the point, what kind of power does this give the federal government? I also believe that at some point over the next several years it will be the middle class that bears the burden.

Solutions? Keep the things that I mentioned that are good. Stop the fraud and abuse and the many many frivolous lawsuits against doctors and hospitals that take up a lot of resources and money. Medicaid should still be used for the temporarily down and out.

I enjoyed reading your opinions as well.