Comments on: GOP Stumbling In Health Care Fight

Politico: Some Republicans Worry Party Has Waited Too Long To Establish Counterproposal To Democrats

[omega39-2009]

Are you really dumb enough to let them have your health care dollars so they can tell you what health care you are worthy of?
Posted by Rowdy106

LOL, yes, infinitely better than being in the hands of the shareholders.

[omega39-2009]

GOP Stumbling In Health Care Fight

Is CBS suggesting that the word "NO" and the unfettered belief in "economic Darwinism" doesn't constitute a policy?

[Troll_Mage]

Too much B.S. from the Dems, and pretty much gutless Republican... just tell the American people the truth!

The difference in cost and quality is due to several factors http://docwhisperer.wordpress.com/2007/08/26/are-doctors-to-blame-for-us-health-care-costs/ here is one article but you can find more on the web.

1. Doctors and Nurses in the U.S. make 20% - 200% more than their European counterparts. Fine cut their pay and accept that we will lose a "substantal" number of doctors and nurses - and most importantly we will lose among the best and brightest. Just ask your doctor or nurse!
- - yes we can poach doctors from the third-world much like the U.K. has done, but do you expect the same quality of care?

2. Perscription drugs cost 20% - 50% more than their European counterparts. Fine cut the prices to match Europes and Canada. The industry "will" collapse, remember for every drug that succeeds, 8 - 13 fail, yet the cost for all that research still has to be paid!
- throwing ten of thousands of medical researchers and scientists (a lot of six figure salaries here) out of work (same as happened in Europe), which is why most of their researchers moved to the U.S.
- the great majority of global medical research is in the U.S. (~80% or more depending on various sources) and "we" and "the world" will lose all the potential benefits.
- - by medical research I mean everything that is created by the for-profit companies, artifical hearts, limbs, i.e. medical technology, genetics, and diseases.
- the medical colleges and universities will pick up the slack - not! Most of their funding comes from the drug industry.
- a lof of non-profits get grants from the drug companies....
- the few European medical companies depend on the U.S. market for their only profit... well so much for that... (no I don't believe that's fair either)
- in wouldn't happen overnight but it will happen, as the government forces lower prices, research projects will cut, researchers will be laid off...etc.

The impact for the U.S medical consumer will be varied. For example if there are five grades of medical quality A, B, C, D, and F. If A is only for the top 1% and F for the bottom 10%. The re-distribution of medical service once socialize/state run medicine is introduced into the U.S., we likely be ~D quality medical care. Maybe C in more affluent areas. Think about, ask rural Canada what kind of medical care they get, Canada has to pay their nurses double and more bonuses to work in rural areas, doctors? Forget it.
If you are a IBM or NASA engineer getting B quality medical care, forget it, ask your doctor if he intends to stay on for half pay.

Socialized medicine is coming to the U.S. I accept it, but I don't believe most people understand in the middle-middle class (80K or higher incomes) the real impact to themselves.

What's the answer? I don't know, and perhaps that's the Republican's problem. People (scientist, medical researchers, nurses, doctors, etc.) don't work for free, they go where the best money is, if their chosen field doesn't pay the bills any longer, they will switch to another field that pays (they are bright). Eventually the service providers will rise to meet demand, but will we get the best? Obviously no, we may get the "compassionate" individuals, but that is rarely the best and brightest in the field.

Kaiser Permanate is often the butt of jokes in the medical service provider field and in the past is said to match (by 60 minutes and 20/20 new shows) the service provided by the U.K. system. That's likely where we are headed, ok for pre-screen, preventive care, but not so good for grave and rare illnesses.

[mjvwsr]

Apparently teabaggers aren't smart enough to know the difference between Universal Healthcare and socialized medicine. Yes folks, there is a difference.
Posted by iDragon13

educate me

[noloyalisti]

Rowdy, it doesn't matter what the Republicans think. Now that the Democrats control all the electronic voting machines the right wingers like, there will never be Republicans or conservatives back in power.

[iDragon13]

Apparently teabaggers aren't smart enough to know the difference between Universal Healthcare and socialized medicine. Yes folks, there is a difference.

[two-cats]

Perhaps the Republicans would do well to realize that our healthcare system has run amok and needs overhauling. Prescriptions are out of sight even with insurance or Medicare. Americans pay more for their prescriptions than other countries thanks to big pharma lobbying, and since so much of health care delivery resides in medications, this means that we are being fleeced every time we buy a prescription. Many have to go without. Only wealthy people get really good medical care in this country because only they can afford it.

[erasmus111]

"So Republicans now worry the party has waited so long to figure out where it stands that it will make it harder to block what President Barack Obama is trying to do."

So that tells me that they are just blocking it for the sake of blocking it. If they had something better, they would have been ready. Pathetic.

[mjvwsr]

I wouldn't be so afraid of socialized medicine if someone could tell me one thing the government does efficiently and effectively.
Posted by mjvwsr

third time posted. any respones? didn't think so

[noloyalisti]

Really, the problem is that the Republicans really can't say they stand for the benefit of the citizens of the United States. Since everything they do and stand for is for the rich and powerful, it is blatantly hypocritical for them to claim to be for any change. No wonder they can't get it straight, it is really not possible.