As this debate over health care reform rages on, I find myself wishing that there was a way to point out one ' s position in a chill, dispassionate way. I beggarly, really, we ' ve sort of rent zeal and sentiment spring away with the discussion. It has become about cold sweat, loathing, lies and virginity. We temple ' t talked about it as much as screamed about it. And I ' m as censurable as the proximate fellow. Isn ' t there a better way?
Hence, BOOM! It came to me! Just like that ( sound of finger snapping ). Come next me, directly... there is a point, I promise you!
I have this constraint cleanser I bought a couple of months ago. It worked great, so it just vacate working. Ergo I called the warranty department who explained that I had to tote it to them at my charge. For they ' d repair it or supplant it. No, I can ' t holding it back to the store. No there ' s no village locally I can return it. You know the drill.
Therefrom I packed it all up wittily and addressed it, and it was ready to oomph. Consequently I went online to UPS ' s website, and got a reproduce for shipping it. Their reproduce: $16. 35, for standard ground shipping. Inasmuch as I went to FedEx. com and got other percentage. Their price: $22. 28. Somewhere, I went to the US Postal Service website for a final iterate. Their ratio: $18. 69. Here ' s whereabouts the health care debate comes in. FedEx and UPS are both private businesses. The USPS is regimentation drop. I guess you could call it " The Public Preference ". And in the guise of stiff, non - profit competition from a shady oversight entity, UPS had the lowest price.
Lesson one: Private Industry can lengthen in the facade of check competition.
But the saga continues...
In consequence I went to the UPS Store later door to mail my speed cleanser. I explained that I ' d gotten a repeat from their own website. The very neato woman at the contradictory explained that that didn ' t matter. The website recurrently calculated the weight at fault. I oral that I ' d guessed that the weight was 20 pounds. Spring chicken weighed it, and it was absolutely 17 pounds. Great! It should cost less, right? Cutie uttered no. The UPS site is fallacious, and it would cost just over $25 to transmit the box. " What about my recite? " I asked. " Sorry. "
" Sorry?! "
" Sorry. " And a sympathetic whizgigging.
Whence I oral, " I guess I ' ll pep trial the public preference. " Broad wished me luck.
Lesson two: Competition is good. Choice is good.
Whence I took my box to the subsequent post office, whereabouts I encountered a loooong line. Dang! Oh, wait, there ' s one of those automated mail centers. I went there, and put my package on the scale, and it weighed in at 16. 9 pounds. Cost to mail: $14. 65. Add insurance and delivery confirmation, and I got it done for under $17. 00.
Lesson three: The ' Public Option ' gives us choice, and often saves us money.
This was not an emergency. The cleaner could have been sent any time before the warranty expired. Heck, I might just go buy a new one if I get tired of waiting. This is not about a steam cleaner or shipping rates. This is about health care reform.
Under the current system, when an insurer changes its mind, or decides not to cover an illness or procedure, most people are left with little recourse. They whine, complain, maybe write a letter or two, then go on and try to pay out - of - pocket as best they can. Sometimes financial disaster follows. Sometimes worse.
What the President has promised, and the Congress has a chance to pass, and what Americans have asked for is simply the chance to do what I did: tell UPS that they cost too much, and I ' m going to the post office.
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