They’re also not accountable, can’t perform a proper examination, and known for giving false diagnoses at least 50% of the time.
I get why: government-sponsored health care is still a very new thing in the USA. Most people can’t afford to see a doctor to check if something’s a big deal or not. Lot’s of people self-diagnosing online, even today. I’m not entirely sure statistically if this is better than doing nothing at all more often than not, but it will never be as safe or accurate as seeing a real trained professional in person!
I don’t know how “Obamacare” is set up exactly, but whatever you need to do; fill out forms, jump through bureaucratic hoops, wait in long lines… just do it. Sign up for it and use it. The only people who don’t need medical insurance or coverage are people who are already dead.
Basically, Obamacare is just like it was before, only now they penalize you for not having insurance and insurance costs more. Oh, and increasingly doctors are simply not taking insurance at all.
So, basically, all of the problems we had before, only worse.
DrDoomlord, don’t forget that the penalty wasn’t a part of Obama’s original draft. The Republicans wedged that in during the wee hours of the morning, just before the bill was passed. Because that’s the only way they can get their way, by cheating like a bunch of fother-muckers.
Speaking as someone who has had both private insurance and used the system set up and called Obamacare. There are several massive differences, biggest one is the price. I’m able to see my doctors for a lower deductible, better out of pocket cut off, a reasonable prescription plan, and about half the monthly premiums. I’m grateful that I don’t live in one of the States that hamstrung the program before it even started, and that our State government kept it even after the Federal Goverment blew it up.
Relevant to the Covid world of 2020. A lot of our doctors consults went virtual over our lockdown, and then chemists started delivering again too. (thank goodness we got it under control so fast! Unlike those poor poor yanks…). Not sure how accurate it all was, but it was proof positive you should have an ongoing relationship with the one doctor, so they can trust you enough to prescribe meds over the phone.
Please…don’t…go there… 😛
omg
he was right as well
you can see virtual doctors.
sure theyre still not mainstream but they ARE there.
They’re also not accountable, can’t perform a proper examination, and known for giving false diagnoses at least 50% of the time.
I get why: government-sponsored health care is still a very new thing in the USA. Most people can’t afford to see a doctor to check if something’s a big deal or not. Lot’s of people self-diagnosing online, even today. I’m not entirely sure statistically if this is better than doing nothing at all more often than not, but it will never be as safe or accurate as seeing a real trained professional in person!
I don’t know how “Obamacare” is set up exactly, but whatever you need to do; fill out forms, jump through bureaucratic hoops, wait in long lines… just do it. Sign up for it and use it. The only people who don’t need medical insurance or coverage are people who are already dead.
Over a year later, but…
Basically, Obamacare is just like it was before, only now they penalize you for not having insurance and insurance costs more. Oh, and increasingly doctors are simply not taking insurance at all.
So, basically, all of the problems we had before, only worse.
[laughs in rereading after 2020]
Yup, re-reading this twenty years after the comic was first published, I’m starting to get Simpsons ‘we know the future’ vibes!
Thank God I moved to Canada all those many years ago. Free medical care! Makes a real difference when you’re in your 70’s.
DrDoomlord, don’t forget that the penalty wasn’t a part of Obama’s original draft. The Republicans wedged that in during the wee hours of the morning, just before the bill was passed. Because that’s the only way they can get their way, by cheating like a bunch of fother-muckers.
Speaking as someone who has had both private insurance and used the system set up and called Obamacare. There are several massive differences, biggest one is the price. I’m able to see my doctors for a lower deductible, better out of pocket cut off, a reasonable prescription plan, and about half the monthly premiums. I’m grateful that I don’t live in one of the States that hamstrung the program before it even started, and that our State government kept it even after the Federal Goverment blew it up.
Relevant to the Covid world of 2020. A lot of our doctors consults went virtual over our lockdown, and then chemists started delivering again too. (thank goodness we got it under control so fast! Unlike those poor poor yanks…). Not sure how accurate it all was, but it was proof positive you should have an ongoing relationship with the one doctor, so they can trust you enough to prescribe meds over the phone.