# Speaking as one liberal to another, I urge you to vote against health care reform. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 24, 2009, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-as-one-liberal-to-another-i-urge-you-to-vote-against-health-care-reform/518821 "2009-11-24T21:00:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-as-one-liberal-to-another-i-urge-you-to-vote-against-health-care-reform/518821/41 "2009-12-05T04:15:21Z")
One of our fine republican Senators took the floor and waved a Medicare Advantage policy in front of the senate. He explained how the cost increases were proof of why the government can not run insurance. He also pointed out how the coverage was slipping yet again. Of course when it was pointed out that Advantage is a private insurance offering, he tried to find a way to cover up. He failed miserably. Of course the Medigap policies in Michigan all doubled at the same time a couple weeks ago. Medical Insurance companies are exempt from anti-trust laws. Aren’t they special? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-as-one-liberal-to-another-i-urge-you-to-vote-against-health-care-reform/518821/42 "2009-12-10T02:55:07Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > Food assistance programs are there to provide basic food for people who don’t have enough money to buy it for themselves. > > We already have Medicaid that serves an almost exactly analogous role in health care. So, why do we need to nationalize the grocery stores? Uh no. You’re completely talking out of ignorance. Medicaid is only an option following certain qualifiers such as age ranges. Assuming you’re not spewing mindless teabagger talking points, explain how a childless young adult in need can get medicaid, or retract your false bullshit claim. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-as-one-liberal-to-another-i-urge-you-to-vote-against-health-care-reform/518821/43 "2009-12-14T19:36:35Z")
> [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > Uh no. You’re completely talking out of ignorance. Medicaid is only an option following certain qualifiers such as age ranges. > > Assuming you’re not spewing mindless teabagger talking points, explain how a childless young adult in need can get medicaid, or retract your false bullshit claim. I retract “almost exactly analogous”. On review, the eligibility requirements appear to be much more strict than I thought. Ignorance fought. I think my original point is still a valid one, though. We have systems like food stamps to get food to people who otherwise cannot afford it, and they work pretty well. Even in the cases where they are clearly lacking, the rallying cry is usually _not_ that the best way to solve the problem is to establish a national grocery service. Why is health care better served by this sort of governmental system than it would be by a food-stamp sort of system? FWIW, I’m willing to be convinced. I’m not a teabagger, I’m not a Republican. I’m a socially liberal economically conservative independent. I’m very concerned that we’re about to get a poorly-planned, incredibly expansive and expensive entitlement system that will be _incredibly_ difficult to change later because any change will mean taking health benefits away from some people. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-as-one-liberal-to-another-i-urge-you-to-vote-against-health-care-reform/518821.md?page=2)