What is/are your favorite acomplishment(s) of the Obama administration?

[Art_from_Ark]

47. I am living in a country where there is universal health care

Last edited Tue Jul 9, 2013, 08:46 AM - Edit history (1)

Health insurance premiums are based on income, and to a lesser extent, age (for people age 45-65, premiums are slightly higher than for younger groups, and infant care is often free). The Japanese government pays 70% of all "necessary" medical, dental, and prescription costs (but not for such things as plastic surgery or braces for teeth). The patient/patient's family pays the remaining 30%. In Japan, visits to the doctor and dentist are generally less expensive than in the US (even without insurance), there are no deductibles, there is no discrimination against people with pre-existing medical conditions. Full-time workers can join a different insurance plan if they want, and private supplementary insurance is available to people who want it.

So, I am used to a system where there is a public option, no deductibles, and no one quibbles about who pays how much. I did not like the way that the health insurance debate was conducted in the US, as Obama tossed the public option card out without even making an effort to play it. Also, I was really unhappy to learn that medical professionals were excluded from the debate, while health insurance companies apparently had plenty of seats at the table. I was also unhappy to hear that people may be penalized if they don't buy health insurance from a private company. Given that the American private health insurance system is a mishmash of some decent plans and some really horrible plans, and that policyholders take their chances on what their policies will and will not cover, and that rates are based on age and existing conditions rather than ability to pay, I think that overall, that does not seem to be an equitable system. Of course, it will benefit some people, but I'm having a hard time seeing how it benefits the average citizen.