It's funny how, in the span of 3 or 4 years, conservatives went from "America is the greatest country on Earth and if you say otherwise you're a traitor" to "American's are too stupid to breathe or tie their shoes and we're all going to die like the sheep we are in MAObaMAO's socialist death camps."

Edgar Friendly: You see, according to Cocteau's plan I'm the enemy, 'cause I like to think; I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech and freedom of choice. I'm the kind of guy likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder - "Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecued ribs with the side order of gravy fries?" I WANT high cholesterol. I wanna eat bacon and butter and BUCKETS of cheese, okay? I want to smoke a Cuban cigar the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section. I want to run through the streets naked with green Jell-o all over my body reading Playboy magazine. Why? Because I suddenly might feel the need to, okay, pal? I've SEEN the future. Do you know what it is? It's a 47-year-old virgin sitting around in his beige pajamas, drinking a banana-broccoli shake, singing "I'm an Oscar Meyer Wiener".

seniorgato: Edgar Friendly: You see, according to Cocteau's plan I'm the enemy, 'cause I like to think; I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech and freedom of choice. I'm the kind of guy likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder - "Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecued ribs with the side order of gravy fries?" I WANT high cholesterol. I wanna eat bacon and butter and BUCKETS of cheese, okay? I want to smoke a Cuban cigar the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section. I want to run through the streets naked with green Jell-o all over my body reading Playboy magazine. Why? Because I suddenly might feel the need to, okay, pal? I've SEEN the future. Do you know what it is? It's a 47-year-old virgin sitting around in his beige pajamas, drinking a banana-broccoli shake, singing "I'm an Oscar Meyer Wiener".

And I say.... all of the above is fine and dandy.

Just don't come running to the public dime when you need an angioplasty at 45.

Or complain that it costs too much and you don't have employer health insurance.

Unless I am misreading you, you want to be able to do all of that, PLUS the government (ie, everyone else) should pay for you when your lifestyle makes you sickly.

Let me know which part I am missing your point of there.

The government is going to pay for health care, but, they want to encourage people to live healthier lives, that is part of how you "save money" with the system. Part of what is "broke" with health care is ordering 2-3 of the same test when one was already taken 2 weeks ago, and that one would be fine for the next doctor, if he knew that it was taken. Or having to have procedures and surgeries when if someone would have been more diligent with their medications or lifestyle changes for the better, they probably would not have needed it.

And this... "I want to smoke a Cuban cigar the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section." I assume you mean that you don't want non-smoking sections anymore. Sorry... I just really don't want to have to breathe your smoke. Now, I am actually not for the severity of some of the laws.... I do think that an "adults only" bar whose primary purpose is to serve alcohol (little to no food service), that is they want to have smoking, that should be fine. But, the Applebees/Bennigans, etc, having the "bar" in the middle of the restaurant, which has no really barrier between it and the main dining area, should have to be completely smoke-free. There was really no "Smoking/non-smoking" section to begin with, when there is really no delineation of the sections.

Without reforming our food and agricultural policy or promoting investment in infrastructure (to build up public transport), Americans will continue to be obese and will continue to be injured in drunk driving accidents. I don't think, though, that alcohol in and of itself is a problem seeing as Europeans drink more than us yet are healthier.

I can't argue with the premise, but the conclusion is a non sequitur.

The international community points and laughs at Americans for being overweight. All the while, McDonalds, Burger King and KFC franchises are popping up in foreign countries like mushrooms in a cow patty after a good rain. You better look in a mirror Europe. You're next.

BillCo: The international community points and laughs at Americans for being overweight. All the while, McDonalds, Burger King and KFC franchises are popping up in foreign countries like mushrooms in a cow patty after a good rain. You better look in a mirror Europe. You're next.

Boht continentz Я teh bad.

BillCo: The international community points and laughs at Americans for being overweight. All the while, McDonalds, Burger King and KFC franchises are popping up in foreign countries like mushrooms in a cow patty after a good rain. You better look in a mirror Europe. You're next.

So America is powerless against its own fast food businesses? Why do you hate active Americans who have a sense of restraint and moderation?

Snarfangel: A tax of one half cent per food calorie would result in about $12.50-$14.00 per day if a man of moderate activity was eating right.

DAMN you hate poor people.

IT'S NOT GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T ADDRESS THE EXCESSIVE AND CRIMINAL COSTS OF HEALTHCARE IN THE UNITED STATES.

All this bill is doing is allowing the healthcare industry to keep charging whatever it wants. Only now it's mandatory. Without any competition.

GurneyHalleck: IT'S NOT GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T ADDRESS THE EXCESSIVE AND CRIMINAL COSTS OF HEALTHCARE IN THE UNITED STATES.

All this bill is doing is allowing the healthcare industry to keep charging whatever it wants. Only now it's mandatory. Without any competition.

Medicare, either directly or indirectly (ie many insurance companies use some sort of multiplier of medicare reimbursement) dictates how much providers and facilities are reimbursed. If everyone was covered by a plan (be it private, public, state, federal, etc) and could benefit from the fee structuring large group bargaining brings about.

For example someone who undergoes an MRI (with and without contrast) may get a bill from the hospital or facility for 5-8K. If they were covered with BCBS or United or whatever, the facility would collect roughly $1500 (give or take). Medicare would reimburse $900 or so. (Numbers are not accurate, just rough estimations)

Why is it set up that way? I really don't know.. perhaps someone else could shed some light onto how the ridiculous fee structures got set up how they did.

Either way, everyone gets charged the same, but the uninsured get stuck with a much larger bill due to lack of an agreed-upon fee schedule. I agree that it is asinine and completely unfair.

alywa: Either way, everyone gets charged the same, but the uninsured get stuck with a much larger bill due to lack of an agreed-upon fee schedule. I agree that it is asinine and completely unfair.

It's because people without insurance sometimes default. Or often default, depending upon the charge. The prices get jacked up to cover the people who get it for 'free'.

hillbillypharmacist: t's because people without insurance sometimes default. Or often default, depending upon the charge. The prices get jacked up to cover the people who get it for 'free'.

That's the justification they give at the hospital, but the outrageous fees lead more people to not pay their bills in the first place. Rinse and repeat. The delta between the charges and collections, however, is horrendous. Lab tests that get billed out at $200 often get reimbursed at $15. It's the delta that makes everything so freaking unfair to the uninsured.

Many doctors offices will work with patients and lower fees to that of commercial carriers, but getting hospitals / surgical centers / imagining centers / labs to lower charges is very difficult. If everyone had coverage it wouldn't be such an issue.

Only a third of us (U.S. citizens) are overweight? That seems low.

alywa: That's the justification they give at the hospital, but the outrageous fees lead more people to not pay their bills in the first place.

Yeah, it's a problem.

If everyone were covered, we could start getting accurate medical bills.

...and on December 28th, 2009, America became self-aware...and was too fat and lazy to do anything about it.

Schadenfreude ist die schoenste Freude: I know that's supposed to be amusing ("He's eating fast food and thinks taking the diet soda will help! HAHAHAHA!"), but the sugar water sold with fast food, especially when you get the 2 gallon "Big Gulp", often has more calories than the rest of the meal combined.

If you absolutely feel the craving for fast food, ditching the soda that comes with it is probably one of the best sacrifices to make.

One-third of Americans are overweight. That one single fact accounts for almost 10 percent of all health care spending.

we can set up weight stations, like they do for truckers. randomly pull people off to the side, check them for weight and heart rate, make them carry a log book and force penalties on them for non-compliance.

of course...there goes the constitution. but hey - it's forthechildrenhealthcareomgglobalwarming!

At any given moment, one out of six motorists is unbelted.

Because as we all know, driving without a seatbelt always kills you dead.

always.

American children are nine times more likely to be injured in a gun accident than children in other developed countries.

I liked the qualifier there 'other developed countries'.

EWreckedSean: dragonchild: An-Unnecessarily-Long-Name: CNN is conservative news now?

Well, what do you think the acronym stands for?

Cable News Network?

Clinton News Network?

/old skool