Obama: Americans Aren't "Sultans" Who Can Afford Great Health Coverage

(CBS)

Republican Sen. John Barrasso (Wyo.) said that consumers who can only afford catastrophic coverage are some of "the best consumers of health care," a claim that President Obama incredulously questioned.

Mr. Obama pointed out that consumers with catastrophic coverage don't have the luxuries members of Congress can afford. "Would you be satisfied if every member of Congress just had catastrophic coverage?" Mr. Obama asked.

Barrasso said yes, because they would have more "skin in the game." He also said people with affordability problems often "eat too much" or do not exercise enough.

"Would you feel the same way if you were just making $40,000?" Mr. Obama pressed. "The notion that somehow for them the system is working and if they just ate a little better and were better consumers, they could manage, is just not the case."

"Members of Congress are in the top income brackets in the country," the president continued. By contrast, he said, the American people "aren't sultans."

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Marc Ambinder: The Summit was a Tie -- And That's Good News for GOP
Reaction and Analysis on Washington Unplugged
Fact Check: The Health Care Summit
Obama Urges Republicans to Do Some "Soul Searching"
Obama: Americans Aren't "Sultans" Who Can Afford Great Health Coverage
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Obama to McCain: "The Election's Over"
All Hotsheet Coverage

[mammographer]

Barrasso is correct. He is an orthopedic surgeon, and gave the example of a patient seeing him for knee pain. When Dr Barrasso would discuss with the patient about having an MRI of the knee (an expensive test), the patient with catastrophic health insurance would ask about the cost of the exam, and then decide if it would be worth it to the patient to have the MRI done (catastrophic health insurance would not pay for an MRI). If the patient had regular insurance, then the patient would have the test done if it was covered by insurance. The point was that the empowered patient with a direct financial stake in the process is the best person to make the decision whether a test is worth the money, not some bureaucrat in Washington.
Furthermore, the patient who had to pay for the MRI would actually shop around for the best price and quality, this is the process by which a free market will result in a better solution to the problem. One of the major factors driving up the cost of healthcare is the use of insurance. Free market principles based on the Nobel prize winning theory of the Nash equilibrium do not work in the third party payer game scenario. You can forgive the president for not understanding this because he is a lawyer, not an economist or a doctor. But shouldn't somebody understand this when they want to overhaul the system? This is not a new concept, health economists have written plenty about this problem.

[KIMBERLYSUF]

ANOTHER UNECESSARY TAX
The SCHIP bill sounds great ? State Children's Health Insurance Program. This program expands public health coverage to many children who would otherwise have been enrolled in a private health insurance program.[1] This is another way the current administration is almost secretly getting what it wants/moving coverage from private insurers to public insurers. Of course judging by history, the government is always better at providing for the common person than the private industry ? and you can count on the gov. to never charge too much for a service ? they'll just mandate everyone pay for the same, inefficient service, and tax us whatever they want ? ins't that fair ? spread the wealth. The poor should be taken care of ? some research shows that the poor ARE taken care of ? it's the person too busy WORKING, to get involved in politics, that's not taken care of ? much of the current stimulus went to HHS, and other health services to prepare for gov. takeover of healthcare not healthcare REFORM. And much of the stimulus went to friends in crime/ACORN. With ACORN, healthscare, SCHIP, and other programs, the corrupt in the current administration are hiding behind a pleasant facade ? masquerading something evil, as something good. Evidently a 61 cent increase in cigarette tax went to the SCHIP program.[2] Taxes are being forced on the less poor/poor to help the less poor/poor, and the gov. gets what they want ? POWER AND CONTROL by forcing taxes on people to cover their pet projects/programs. Our founding fathers were very smart ? their system of gov. has worked so good that many citizens don't have to get involved ? as a result socialists have been able to force their agenda on the Republic. People need to ask who the Progressives are, because they have caused much of the problems we're now forced to deal with.[3] Please know who your reps. are, and what they are doing to help the Republic.[4]

1. -heritage-org january 26, 2009 the new SCHIP Bill: The Senate Must Protect Private Coverage
2. -ryorevolution-com SCHIP Expansion Bill Will Devastate Roll Your Own!; also history of SCHIP, etc.
-Feb 4, 2009 ? Obama Signs SCHIP bill
3. -*.lewrockwell-com/The Progressives? 100 Years War
-glennbeck-com April 16 2009 American Progressivism Who were the Progressives, and why are they important? R.J. Pestritto Shipley Professor of the American Constitution at Hillsdale College?
4. -*At Thomas.gov website click on House of Representatives/Congress to get e-mail, phone, address of reps for area code entered.
-*opencongress-org track bills, issues, and votes on your personal profiles; Use social networking to share the best infor. About your interests; Vote and comment on bills you support or oppose; contact your elected officials with your opinions; help build public knowledge about Congress!
-* .healthtransformation.net Right to Know Petition
-HR3962 Sponsor: Rep Dingell, John D. [MI-15] (introduced 7/14/2009)
-chinapost-com. U.S. gov't paid US$47 billion in questionable health claims
-wnd-com ELECTION 2008 Obama cited Ayers job as qualification to run
-wnd-com/ ELECTION 2008 Obama-backed ally forged pact with radical Muslims
-* scaredmonkeys-com/2009/11/24/democrats-tongue-tied-as-they-try-to-justify-300-million-pay-off-to-sen-landrieu-as-56-of-americans-oppose-obamacare/
-Center for Individual Freedom not-for-profit constitutional advocacy organization with
the mission to protect and defend individual freedoms and individual rights.
-*Congressman Paul Ryan ? Creating Jobs and Generating Economic Growth ? ?Roadmap for America?s Future?

[ghosteternal]

heehee its awesome to see OUR ELECTED (and happily) leader sticking up for the real Joes!
thanks POTUS!

[sjc_1]

That is a problem, the wealthy can afford a higher deductible but the poor can not. The poor can not pay the higher premiums for a lower deductible but the rich can.

[ghosteternal]

heehee its awesome to see OUR ELECTED (and happily) leader sticking up for the real Joes!
thanks POTUS!

[timdgrim]

He also said people with affordability problems often "eat too much" or do not exercise enough.
Republican Sen. John Barrasso (Wyo.) said

That's like saying Republicans OFTEN are liars and sell outs to big business and the stock market. Right BarrASSo

[MarkTompkins]

Sen. Barrasso was right on the money. One of the reasons health care costs are so high in this country is the lack of focus on wellness. Ben Franklin had it right - an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Quite frankly, this country would be better off if John Barrasso was President and Barack Obama was just another liberal senator.

[F4551]

Finally, the President saying one thing that everyone elsein the country wnats to say. But he should have told the senator, "fine. We will cut your health care to nmatch current standards while all of you are in office and we can sse how much you like it!"

[myopinionpal]

Very good point, cut all members of congress pay to about $38.000, and cut out their public option taxpayer funded insurance so that they have to live like ordinary americans. Why should republicans care about helping anyone when they are well taken care of by the american people.