Brian Thompson Killing

[Rubashov]

What is possible for the rest of the civilized world is seemingly just impossible in the U.S.. We can't have nice things because freedom.

I'll take a little less "freedom" for a better society, even if my taxes go up a bit.

P.S. we are no more free than the majority of Europeans, Australians, Canadians, etc..

The US spends 13500 per head on health care annually. That's insane. We spend about half as much in USD for a system of universal coverage (best example I could find was 9600AUD for the year 22-23, so there will be covid costs involved). My guess would have been around 6 to 7 thousand AUD per year. Now the system is far from perfect but it works and people don't die from preventable illness or lose everything because they're sick. One of my cousins would certainly be dead if he were born in America, he's been chronic and severely sick his whole life and would never get insurance in the US. He is a now a high paid executive and technical lead a large multinational investment fund. He pays well over 100k per year in tax, however he receives hugely expensive treatment from the taxpayer. Now is the society better off for having him even tho he technically doesn't pay his own way? naturally I would say yes but I believe that health care is a human right.

 

[Rubashov]

*checks calendar and begins rubbing hands excitedly*

Hands?

 

[Sardines]

The US spends 13500 per head on health care annually. That's insane. We spend about half as much in USD for a system of universal coverage (best example I could find was 9600AUD for the year 22-23, so there will be covid costs involved). My guess would have been around 6 to 7 thousand AUD per year. Now the system is far from perfect but it works and people don't die from preventable illness or lose everything because they're sick. One of my cousins would certainly be dead if he were born in America, he's been chronic and severely sick his whole life and would never get insurance in the US. He is a now a high paid executive and technical lead a large multinational investment fund. He pays well over 100k per year in tax, however he receives hugely expensive treatment from the taxpayer. Now is the society better off for having him even tho he technically doesn't pay his own way? naturally I would say yes but I believe that health care is a human right.

We do have things like Social Security Disability and medicare/medicaid that cover people who are disabled and cannot work. You basically need a lawyer to get approved for it, but it does exist.

Our biggest problem is the people in the middle. Able to work to some extent so are shut out from most programs. Working low skill jobs that don't provide health insurance or provide ridiculously inadequate insurance for much higher than average rates. There are jobs that if you took the company "provided" health insurance you literally wouldn't get a paycheck, just insurance that sucks. There are people who take that deal because they have a disabled or special needs person at home.

 

[Rubashov]

We do have things like Social Security Disability and medicare/medicaid that cover people who are disabled and cannot work. You basically need a lawyer to get approved for it, but it does exist.

Our biggest problem is the people in the middle. Able to work to some extent so are shut out from most programs. Working low skill jobs that don't provide health insurance or provide ridiculously inadequate insurance for much higher than average rates. There are jobs that if you took the company "provided" health insurance you literally wouldn't get a paycheck, just insurance that sucks. There are people who take that deal because they have a disabled or special needs person at home.

Medicare is different welfare payments like unemployment benefits, disability pensions, old age pensions, that's separate to Medicare. Recently we've had a national disability scheme to improve the lives of people with disabilities and keep them living in the community leading as normal as possible lives. Its a fantastic idea but the scheme has been very poorly designed and is being widely defrauded by providers exploding the cost to the budget. What the government needs to do but lacks the political capital to do is bring the system under the control of health services and remove private providers who are defrauding the tax payer. I've had through work and through my parents heaps of contact with these providers they will employ every mechanism they can to inflate costs and increase their profits, in short they act as private businesses. It has to stop or the scheme will be torn up which would be a real shame.

You know I pay over 100k per year in tax, either directly through income tax, sales tax, excise on alcohol and tax from my businesses, I maybe go to the doctor once a year I have very little contact with government services. I may be one of the few who is happy to do so because I acknowledge that it pays for services for the whole community (beer excise should be scrapped the price of a pint is now 15 dollars 8 dollars of that is tax, its a ****ing scandal).

 

[Sardines]

Medicare is different welfare payments like unemployment benefits, disability pensions, old age pensions, that's separate to Medicare. Recently we've had a national disability scheme to improve the lives of people with disabilities and keep them living in the community leading as normal as possible lives. Its a fantastic idea but the scheme has been very poorly designed and is being widely defrauded by providers exploding the cost to the budget. What the government needs to do but lacks the political capital to do is bring the system under the control of health services and remove private providers who are defrauding the tax payer. I've had through work and through my parents heaps of contact with these providers they will employ every mechanism they can to inflate costs and increase their profits, in short they act as private businesses. It has to stop or the scheme will be torn up which would be a real shame.

You know I pay over 100k per year in tax, either directly through income tax, sales tax, excise on alcohol and tax from my businesses, I maybe go to the doctor once a year I have very little contact with government services. I may be one of the few who is happy to do so because I acknowledge that it pays for services for the whole community (beer excise should be scrapped the price of a pint is now 15 dollars 8 dollars of that is tax, its a ****ing scandal).

15 dollars for a pint? Brother, you never should have given up your guns!

 

[Rubashov]

15 dollars for a pint? Brother, you never should have given up your guns!

The law of unintended consequences applies here, beer excise was brought in supposedly to curb drinking related social and health costs. While i don't believe it is the sole cause (there are other cultural reasons) the cost of alcohol has been a massive component in our methamphetamine epidemic, drugs are cheaper than alcohol. Hospitals and mental health wards are daily dealing with the ongoing meth epidemic at great expense to the tax payer.

 

[fishonjazz]

What is possible for the rest of the civilized world is seemingly just impossible in the U.S.. We can't have nice things because freedom.

I'll take a little less "freedom" for a better society, even if my taxes go up a bit.

P.S. we are no more free than the majority of Europeans, Australians, Canadians, etc..

But it's way easier for us to kill each other and we don't want to lose that ability

 

[Sardines]

But it's way easier for us to kill each other and we don't want to lose that ability

Truth

 

[Miggs]

And really you are lucky to have a second income in your household at least equal to yours. Most people don't have that luxury for sure. I know I don't. I make a good salary but my wife is basically making minimum wage to supplement our retirement savings right now. And frankly we are doing better than the majority of Americans that's for sure.

Equal? Brotha. We’re lucky as ****. My wife’s making almost 4x what I make. Hell, I’m gonna push my kids hard to just work for her company. Her sister did and was promoted twice early. My wife will likely work there another 16 years…and my youngest is six years old now…they could get jobs there right out of college in 10-15 years for what will likely be about $110,000 or so. It’s long hours but they could do it for ten years, save money, and either leave for private or stay for the long term like she has.

 

[FalseFlagg K]

The ketamine is at an outpatient clinic. The neural simulator is a bundle of thin wires that attach to a control module and terminate where the pain is happening and provide low level stimulation of the pain nerves to kind of overwhelm them to neutralize the sensation of pain. The vibrating butt plug is purely for weekends, and the occasional Tuesday.

you sold him on it with the last sentence He's booked in for next week !

 

[FalseFlagg K]

What is possible for the rest of the civilized world is seemingly just impossible in the U.S.. We can't have nice things because freedom.

I'll take a little less "freedom" for a better society, even if my taxes go up a bit.

P.S. we are no more free than the majority of Europeans, Australians, Canadians, etc..

the profit margins on relatively simple and routine procedures in your health system is diabolical and unjustifiably immoral.

Unless they're Laker fans of course.

 

[fishonjazz]

Lol @Douchebag K
Well done

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