Bob

got dodgy circulation issues? you'll want to have that looked at...

Giantaxe

I've said for a long time that it will take the bankruptcy of a company like GM for this country to realize just how ****ed up it is to tie healthcare to employment. If and until that kind of shock happens, I don't see much changing.

cabritpop

As far as I know, Mercedes, BMW, Nissan, Hyundai, Toyota and Honda all have plants in the US and don't have the GM/Ford problems with benefits (probably due to not being union).
From experience guys that have worked for GM or Ford for years are way way out of touch, they are one step down from being Government workers.GM especially have a lot of people who do **** all, that's why they can easily cut tens of thousands of 'chair warmer' jobs.

I think you have more chance of gay marriage or marijuana being legalized or the legal drinking age being lowered than universal healthcare in this country.

Giantaxe

They are making money. The problem from an employers point of view with providing healthcare benefits is that they have to pay for them regardless of whether they are making a profit. Plus GM has all these legacy healthcare costs for retirees that they probably can only ditch through bankruptcy. So although healthcare costs aren't the cause of GM's woes, they have a really negative impact on their current situation.

I think you're right.

cabritpop

Here is a question I think of regarding universal healthcare.
Let's say that universal healthcare gets introduced. What happens to those that owe tens of if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills, how does that get sorted out? Do they still owe all that money for what was heavily overpriced to begin with? This question is very close to home.

Bob

insurance companies have way to much money invested to ever let there be a national health service, so it's all a mute point

millymoose

speak up!

TouristTrap

Nail. Head.