Also in the news..
While on the Jay Leno show, Mitt Romney said something like "as long as someone has continuously kept insurance they should be able to get another policy;" what he's talking about there is stopping the pre-existing conditions deinials.
But Leno pressed him, what about those who aren't previously insured? (repeating his original question, what do we do about the uninsured which Romney had evaded)
Romney's answer:
"Well, if they’re 45 years old, and they show up and they say, 'I want insurance because I’ve got a heart disease, it’s like, 'Hey guys, we can’t play the game like that,'" he told Leno. "You've got to get insurance when you’re well, and if you get ill, then you’re going to be covered."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/28/mitt-romney-health-care_n_1384991.html
Ok this is just nuts, Romney is using the same argument he used back when he was for the individual mandate -- that folks have to be forced to keep insurance because otherwise it's irresponsible to just show up when you're sick.
Problem here is Romney is against the mandate now, and it's going to be declared unconstitutional anyway. I don't know what the deal is with Mitt Romney, he's using the same old arguments but his entire position has changed so now what he's saying is folks with heart disease but no previous policy will just have to die, too bad so sad.
He did mention "medicaid for the poor" but he made it sound like anyone who is otherwise uninsured is just a bum. This guy is so out of touch! I know people who work for dentists, doctors -- these employers are NOTORIOUS for not offering insurance. It's not the employees' fault they have no insurance! Most small businesses, at least in my state, don't offer insurance benefits. And "independent contractors," many of which are actually employees like temp work etc., of course they have no benefits.
The essential problem is we have millions of workers without insurance who make too much for Medicaid but not enough to buy insurance on their own without a contribution from an employer. Mitt Romney apparently isn't aware these people exist, folks stuck between the not poor enough for medicaid / too poor to afford a private policy trap.
Republicans have no answer to this, other than "Hey guys, we can’t play the game like that" -- as if a nurse working for a physician is a bum, as if a waitress working in a diner is a bum, as if roofers and gardeners and construction guys are all bums for not having insurance. Not their fault! Their employer doesn't offer it! These folks are poor but not poor enough for Medicaid, what are they supposed to do???? And what about their kids, does Romney care? Nope. Bad situation in this country we can't even get insurance for the children.
Anyhow what do you guys think -- are Republicans right, "let them die?"
In my county there's a health department. It has one doctor, and the place is full of hispanic migrant workers. I don't think it's meant to be used like a GP you can see regularly. The reality is, working folks without insurance don't go to the doctor at all and so chronic and preventable conditions just get worse. High blood pressure doens't get treated. Breast exams don't get done. Diabetes isn't diagnosed, and gets worse. Etc., etc. Then one day they're in the ER and it's a million dollar bill, when preventive regular healthcare could have saved all that money. 
I only needed an MRI once, car wreck and back injury, I had an appointment within a week. Lobby was empty. In my county we've got two or three MRI places plus all three hospitals have one.
I really don't understand an MRI wait -- that probably has more to do with the inherent inefficiency of central planning than the actual cost of a MRI machine.
