UAW forced to be paid as a Southern Foreign factory worker.

Depends on the country. Some are pretty bad, some very good.

I assume you are still speaking about European countries. As I said, in
Canada, we can choose whomever we want as our Doctor.

Actually, the reason some Canadian's go to the US to get treatment, is it is
sometimes quicker. In the US, money gives you priority over illness.

 

Why does no one seem to think this can work the other way around too? If
all Domestic automakers (GM, Ford, Chrysler) were to go under, the Japanese
companies (with no real competition) could pay there employees whatever
slave-wage they wanted, price there cars at whatever (even more) bloated
price they wanted, and wouldn't give two shits about quality, because there
isn't competition. How would that help anyone?

 

Ya Canada it's free but you stand a good chance of dying waiting in line.
There's always a catch isn't there?

 

Useless comment. Has no reasons, facts, data, substance. Does that
tactic work anywhere? Maybe in shot and beer bars.

So you don't want the same health care coverage that Senators and
Congressmen have?

Apples and Oranges

 

It was aircraft parts manufacturing. Clinton cut the military budget, so
that business went away, and thanks to the taxes Congress levied the
airline business went away...

 

No, you can only choose a doctor who is part of the Canadian government
health care plan.

 

I don't think anyone thinks that. But having The US taxpayer throw money
into the bottomless pit called the US auto industry is not something that
benefits anyone but those who work in the auto industry, or those who live
in a city that where there are a lot of auto industry employees.

It would great if Intel had more competition, but I don't think the US
government should bailout AMD.

 

All the doctors (other than some specialists) are part of the Medicare plan.
They have billing numbers which they submit to the gov't to get paid, like a
contractor would do.

It works..is it perfect ? No..but NO ONE gets left behind..everyone has
"chevy" coverage, not cadillac coverage, and it seems to work reasonable
well.

 

Jack, I agree with you. It does work. But the point is that those Americans
who have HMO's (which are very similar to the kind of coverage and care you
get in Canada and EU) constantly complain about it, because they were
spoiled with their traditional health care plans (that cost a lot more).

Chief among those who complain are the UAW who will not accept such a plan.
If they did, then GM, Ford, and Chrysler might have a chance to survive.
Don't count on it. The unions will take at least 2 of the 3 into the grave
just like they did Eastern Airlines.

 

Our biggest problem "up here" is the misuse of Emergency departments...some
people go there for routine medical issues, i.e. the flu, bad colds, twisted
ankle etc..tying up valuable resources from "real" medical problems.
Another problem, not unlike the US, we are getting older as a population and
with that comes more medical problems...there's a shortage of doctors..and
the med schools can't generate them fast enough. There is no easy answer,
both south and north of the border.

 

Which are all but a few specialists, and most times, they are covered too.
You may know the US health care system, but you don't know the Canadian.

 

So, what would happen if GM, Ford, and Chrysler went under, and WWIII
started? Sure, Japan are our "friends" now, but what would happen if they
were on the opposite side of the US? Do you think they would supply us with
the tools and equipment we would need to kick there own asses? "Those who
fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it...Those who fail to learn it
correctly, why they are simply doomed".

 

Making cars is not rocket science. Anyway, the foreign car companies have
plants in the US, and if Japan every was at war with the US (probably the
least likely country besides UK to be at war with US), then we can take
their plants over.

If we are at war with Japan, we are not going to kick their asses with cars.

 

One needs to start with the basic fact that health is a provincial
responsibility under Section 92 (the distribution of powers section) of the
Constitution Act, 1867, and know that it gets more complicated as the Act
effectively divides the "Canadian health care system" among 10 provinces,
three territories, umpteen aboriginal peoples and the armed forces.

 

******Pretty stupid, for you to make a comment like that.

Southerners are no more stupid or uneducated than Northerners.

Because of traditional factors, including the obvious weather, it can
be a lot more expensive to live in some areas of the North. The cost
of living is traditionally lower in many areas of the South.

I guess you need no more to join a union than your dues and the
ability to sign your name.

 

Sounds like BS to me (so surprising coming from Mike.)

Hospitals and doctors routinely charge much higher fees to uninsured
than to insured patients. So is the discount to the insurance company
Medicare fraud? Or are uninsured patients being charged much more
than the "very high" Medicare rates?

 

No and yes

Everything I posted is factual and can be verified if you do a proper
search. I could not care less what you choose to believe or not

 

You could be correct if the year was still 1968, but Medicare has
operated under cost controls since the mid-1970s, and currently no
health payment system, public or private, sets lower reimbursements
for hospitals and doctors than Medicare, except possibly some Medicaid
programs or Tricare.

 

A proper search would include dates and locations - details you did
not provide. This is just your trademark "do your own research"
horseshit. This story is just another Mike Hunter lie until you back
it up.

I choose not.

 

Good point. One proposal is to open Medicare to anyone willing to pay
the premium. This would drive the private insurance companies out of
business overnight.

BTW, Mike, how was your coronary bypass paid for? You didn't rely any
nasty government programs did you? Given your age and what little we
know about your medical history, I would guess that private health
insurance is costing you at least $5,000 per month if you can get it
at all.