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One Million Uninsured in Arizona: Republican Candidates Don’t Care

by on Jul. 19, 2010, under Health

Saturday’s Republican debate between John McCain, JD Hayworth, and Jim Deakin gets high marks from me for the candidates’ presentation skills and their well-tuned messages – unlike the amateurish presentations by the Democrats the previous week.  But on a topic that is dear to my heart, I think the Republicans failed miserably.

When moderator Bill Buckmaster asked the candidates what they thought about one million Arizona residents who don’t have health insurance, the candidates didn’t have much to say. They seemed more interested in talking about illegals than legal Arizonans without health insurance.

Jim Deakin said many of the one million Arizonans without health insurance are illegal aliens. He then went on to say that a lot of people without health insurance are young people who don’t want it.  He said Americans shouldn’t give up their freedom to go without health insurance.

JD Hayworth said we already have a health care program for indigents – and then returned to his attack on John McCain for backing illegals and amnesty.

John McCain said “the problem is not with the quality of care, but cost of care” – though he never addressed how one million people without health insurance can afford any healthcare at all. McCain sent shivers down my spine when he declared that a Republican majority in the House and Senate in January will repeal “ObamaCare”.

The hour-long debate spent less than five minutes on the question of people without health insurance, and it was clear to me that these candidates don’t give a hoot about one million uninsured Arizonans.  The one thing they do agree on is the need to repeal the health insurance changes that are part of “ObamaCare”.

Just a few of those changes include:

  • Insurers will no longer be able to deny people coverage because of a pre-existing condition, or drop coverage when they get sick. (Begins in 2014.)
  • Insurers will no longer be able to charge higher premiums based on a person’s gender or health status. (Begins in 2014.)
  • Insurers will be required to spend more of their premium dollars on actual medical care and quality measures. (Begins in 2011.)
  • Young people can stay on their parents’ employer health insurance until they are 26 years old. (Takes effect this year.)
  • Small businesses will get tax breaks for providing health insurance for their employees. (Takes effect this year.)
  • A Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan for people who have been without insurance for six months and have been turned down by an insurance company. (Began taking applications this month.)

According to Statehealthfacts.org, 68% of uninsured Arizonans are in families with at least one person working full-time. According to FamiliesUSA, over 45% of Arizonans between the ages of 55 and 64 have pre-existing conditions that would prevent them from getting individual health insurance.

As an insurance agent, I have met too many women in their 50’s and 60’s who are uninsurable. They are willing to pay any reasonable cost for health insurance – but McCain, Deakin, and Hayworth don’t think these women exist, or they don’t care that they exist.

Back in 1965, Medicare was called a socialist plot that would take away Americans’ freedoms and was bad for the country. The same has been said about healthcare reform today.

The Cholla Jumps blogger thought JD Hayworth won this debate “hands down”.  From my point of view, all three candidates get a failing grade when it comes to their lack of interest in one million Arizonans without health insurance. I suppose there are more important issues in the campaign, but not for me.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 19th, 2010 at 10:11 am and is filed under Health. Tags for this post: , , , , . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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  • sethers

    It is interesting that healthcare, a growing problem for America, is so overshadowed by immigration which happens to be a shrinking problem. It must be an election year in Arizona…

    • notagain

      Illegal immigration is a growing problem that is past the point of being out of control.  Illegal immigrants are bankrupting the states by leaching social services that are paid for by working citizens.  Some folks think that the huge healthcare reform may have solved the healthcare debate.  We are left with a huge illegal immigration problem.  It’s not that hard to figure out, really.

      • medicareblogger

        FBI statistics say the immigration problem was at its peak several years ago. Everybody admits that the recession and anti-immigration sentiment has resulted in hundreds of thousands of illegals going home.  There are more border patrol personnel in Arizona than ever before. Billions have been spent on the actual fence and the virtual fence.
        The problem is not getting worse, but politicians are using this issue to get voters all riled up – and it’s working, so they will keep on pushing your hot buttons.
        Meanwhile, the one million+ Arizonans (most of them hardworking Americans, or people who have lost their job) are ignored by our politicians.  They are invisible.

        • sethers

          Exaclty!

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  • cashgreen

    I don’t know where the headline came from but it makes a statement that is impossible, unless one is a mind reader. It works great as an emotional attention getter but by its very nature has no substance. Now if the headline was something like \Republican backed policies fail in action\ we could have a discussion. Because then actual facts would have to be produced along with a definition of \failure.\ The reality of Obamacare is that it is a grab bag of goodies with the American public paying the price. It would have been easy to produce a bill that created universal health care and maintained the competative spirit that would put a check on cost. The problem then would be no one beholding to politicians willing to transfer their ill gotten gains in the form of campaign contributions. Stop making the emotional argument and bring accountability back.

    • medicareblogger

      I posted this piece early this morning with a headline : Republican Debate: A Review.  Nobody read it. So I decided to post it again with an attention grabbing headline to see if I could get more people to read it.  I think it worked.
       

      • notagain

        How does one get obsessed with the idea that everybody has to have healthcare insurance?  It is one of the oldest mob tactics in the books.
        It is just another form of “paid protection”.

        • medicareblogger

          The United States is the only industrialized country without universal health insurance and access to health care. We rank behind Costa Rica in terms of access to health care. We are also the only developed country with a for-profit health insurance system. This results in people who have health insurance paying 20% more than they would in a not-for-profit system.
          We spend 17% of our GDP on health care but have 40 million uninsured citizens.  Other developed countries cover everyone and spend half as much of their GDP on health care.
          Our health care system is a lot like India’s where there are haves and have-nots when it comes to health care.
          It amazes me that people think our current system is okay. The current system is a financial drain for the government as well as employers. Changing the system and controlling costs will benefit employers and employees as well as retirees. And the changes will save everybody money in the long run.  Don’t be afraid of change!

          • cashgreen

            Do you have any specific changes in mind? As I said earlier it’s easy.

  • medicareblogger

    The health care reform that was passed is not perfect, but at least it’s a start in the right direction.  The author of the book, The Healing of America, says that when everyone has a stake in the system, people are more willing to work together to improve the system and make sure it is sustainable.  Our current system pits the haves against the have-nots.

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  • http://www.lehrmangroup.com Chad

    As an insurance agent, I too have met many people in their 50s and 60s who are uninsurable due to preexisting conditions. You mentioned a statistic of 45% of people age 55-64 being uninsurable. In my experience it is even higher- probably 60-70%. The problem with the new Pre-Existing Condition Plan is that people still can’t afford it.  For people age 55-64, the Arizona plan costs $688 a month. I’ve told 5 or 6 people about the new plan so far, and all of them say can’t afford it. What does the government expect them to do?
    On the FAQ section of the plan’s website, it says “What do I do if I can’t afford these premiums?”  ”If you have limited income and resources, you may be eligible for the Medicaid program in your state.”  All of these people make too much money to qualify for Medicaid. So basically, they are still in the exact same position they were in before.

    • medicareblogger

      I had not seen the premium information, but it is sad to learn that anyone over 55 will have a premium of $688.  How many people can afford that. I”ve checked into BCBS of AZ and a healthy 62 year old can get a good policy with a $1500 deductible for $500 per month.  I’m going to write to Families USA, an advocacy group that is promoting the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan and I”m going to tell them this program is a sad joke for people over 55.

      • http://www.lehrmangroup.com Chad

        FYI- if you’d like to see the plan benefits and premiums, go to pcip.gov and click on Arizona.

  • fraser007

    Deduct 400,000 illegal aliens and the number looks a little better.

    • medicareblogger

      Where do your numbers come from?

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  • N Richardson

    We have spent Billions on fences.   How much have illegals spent on ladders or shovels?
    They won’t come here if there are no jobs.  Obama is the first Pres to go after the EMPLOYERS in a serious manner…..Sadly that news is not being reported by the media,    except to say that is hurting businesses and,  of course,  it is and will get much worse as more inspector are trained and in operation.

  • BarbaraFann

     
    BABYBOOMERS: HOISTED BY THEIR OWN INACTION
    Here’s the quandary for the early retirees age 55-64 immediately, and the rest of the population ultimately, as a result of this “Healthcare reform”:
    If one finds it unavoidable to avail himself/herself of Medicaid via the majority of state- administered Medicaid programs (such as in NC, where I live) your home and property then are obligated to become property of the state. Your estate is billed for all the benefits and services you received under the Medicaid program, which easily could eat up everything unless you are wealthy, in which case you wouldn’t need Medicaid to begin with.
    If you must go to a nursing home and still have a mortgage, there is NO allowance for the mortgage to be deducted from your income, so IT reverts to the bank under foreclosure, unless your family pays it, and even then, it will go to the state, so good-bye home, should you ever want (or be able to) go back there.
    In North Carolina:
    1. EVEN TO RECEIVE MEDICAID:  FIRST you must use up all your “discretionary income”  (read “SAVINGS”) to lower your ” liquid assets” to the (below poverty) level,criteria already established by your state, in order  to become eligible for assistance. Until that time you are “ineligible”. (less than $2000 per person is allowed in NC).   In NC  “allowable assets” at one time under Medicaid could even dictate that you sell anything approaching a newer automobile (say a 2008 Toyota) and get yourself a clunker before you are deemed “eligible” to receive medical assistance, although I’m not sure if that is still the case.  ALL insurance policies are considered “assets” to be divested to the state as payback. Everything. Including that Toyota.
    You also can’t give it away to your children or you will be disqualified  based on the value of what you give away, for a protracted period of time.
    2. AFTER you are determined “Medicaid eligible” (Read “BROKE”) then your HOME comes into play. Your estate after you die will be billed for any services/benefits you receive, resulting in NC getting your home, insurance policies payable to the estate (if you haven’t had the good sense to name family members as beneficiaries)  etc,  as “payback”.
    This means, essentially, EVERYTHING YOU HAVE WORKED FOR YOUR ENTIRE LIFE is taken from you by the state government. No inheritance for your children. No money left  to take any kind of vacation while you are alive —which is one reason Michelle’s recent jaunt to Spain gripes my jaws.
    Those who have managed to work hard and earn and acquire even a few thousand  while in a low-paying job will be stripped of all they have worked for if they accept Medicaid. The poor remain poorer.
    Bottom line, a UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM would have allowed these poor working people the dignity of having accomplished SOMETHING financially to give their children and grandchildren a leg up.
    As it stands, the state government becomes the owner of your life’s work of  you accept Medicaid.
    SO…THEN….what is the incentive to work for anything? Many don’t, as we know.
    As a result of this latest healthcare fiasco, the insurance companies have retained control and Congress’s political “war chest” donations will remain intact. And employers are given an even stronger hand to play to keep the employees under their control.
    If you take a look at the recent “credit card interest” laws enacted, and the staggering rate hikes that have been allowed and quietly jacked up, it’s easy to see that “competition” in the insurance industry will be just as “competitive” as the banks have evolved to be...NOT.
    SO, what has this  Healthcare reform accomplished for the average American?
    A shift of power –and assets– from the people to the state governments;  a solidifying of the stranglehold of insurance companies on our people and government;  and …perhaps..? the added incentive of older Americans taking their illnesses (along with those who have managed to hold on to their assets) to retire in other countries that at least appear to believe that health care is a right for all human beings.
    If retirement age is raised, the healthcare cost outlay of Medicare is curtailed, leaving Americans working even longer and still obligated to pay co-pays plus  a percentage of medical costs as they continue to slave away at lower paying jobs, given the economic freefall.
    This leaves America under total control of the VERY rich and powerful
    our children and grandchildren still being fed to the military
    our votes….meaningless.
    Think on these things.
     

  • BarbaraFann

    A UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE PLAN IS THE *ONLY* OPTION FOR AMERICANS.
    I have been a Democrat all my life, btw. At this point, it’s time for ALL of us  to realize that what America is facing  is not racial, political or anything ELSE  but an ECONOMIC war between the vast majority and the very few at the top of the food chain.
    UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE WOULD BE A START  TO RECLAIMING AMERICA.

  • tiponeill

    Would you like a bumper sticker ?

  • http://www.majormedicalhealth.com Medical

    We need reform but I don’t think any of us expected a health reform bill that very few members of Congress read and very few consumers understood.
    The solution? Major Medical Health Insurance for all. Tax credits and incentives provide help along with mandated preventive benefits. The rest? Maybe an HSA to give consumers an incentive to avoid abusing the system.
     

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