Comments on: Liberals Demand "Public Option" At Capitol Hill Rally

[mentalpestilence]

In his book "A Second Opinion", Dr Arnold S Relman describes the evolution of the commercialization of health care and why it hasn't worked to keep costs down. Specifically, he mentions Kenneth Arrow's article "Uncertainty and the Welfare Economics of Medical Care" from the American Economic Review of 1963 which gives a pellucid view as to why health insurance is unlike any other "commodity" of the free-market.

For one, the relationship of supply and demand break down since the demand for health services is not regular or predictable. Two, the supply of services does not simply respond to the desires of the buyer. What that means is physicians are the ultimate informed consumers of health care. Although a patient can voice their opinion or insist on a specific treatment, the physician is the person who will be ordering the types and number of tests, procedures and prescriptions.

Three, there are limitation on who can enter the provider side of the market due to high start up costs and education, licensing and so forth. And finally, there is significant insensitivity of prices in the health care system. No hospitals or doctors are actively advertising lower prices or clearance procedures! Simultaneously, a majority of patients don't actively seek out those price reductions. There aren't many individuals who are willing to risk monetary savings for assumed quality of service.

Thus, we shouldn't expect to see many changes by trying to alter the current system a little here or there, or going as far as implementing cumpolsory health insurance. Let me include this caveat: by no means am I saying that single-payer health insurance is the answer to all of our problems. There are many other reasons why health care costs are continuing to rise and are hard to control (ie. how health care is administered). However, as Dr Michael Ybarra states, "administrative costs make up 7% [of health care costs]. [Accounting] for $168 billion dollars annually". The significance of this number is shown when compared to Medicare's 2% administrative costs.

- www.mentalpestilence.com

[thusspokezara]

Loved the picture of those morbidly OBESE demonstrators demanding health care reform. Typical. Why should I pay for the health care of people who don't take care of themselves?

[hangelle]

Yeh, let's let 'em die. ****** bag.

[dartplayer501]

The republican American taxpayer in all its selfish humanism. "Christian" they're not.

[dartplayer501]

Reading the right-wing screeds on here really makes me realise that the percentage of the populace who still call themselves republican is exactly the same as the percentage whose IQ's are under 85.

Let's take doctor choice. Right now, different doctors accept different groups of insurance companies, thus not all doctors in your area are available to you. With the public option, ALL doctors will be on the list so ALL doctors will be available. At present accountants are choosing which treatments you're allowed. Under a public option doctors will again have that honor. Under the present system only 15% of what you pay in insurance goes directly to the insurance company's profit. The public option will lower costs, because they won't need to run at a profit.

Two things I don't understand about the current system. WHY are costs rising so much? (Around 5 times inflation). And WHY is good health for all not a priority in this country when "promote the general welfare" is one of the established bases of the Constitution, as set out in the Preamble.

[regret-my-vote]

I am an Independent voter,my mother was a Democrat and my father was a Conservative. Made for some interesting conversations to say the least. I am concerned today to hear that the Kennedy health plan excludes members of Congress,they keep their own plans.Obama couldn't answer definitively on the ABC health special that he wouldn't seek alternatives for HIS family. This speaks volumes.I am extremely concerned that the costs of free health care would hurt our country financially and hurt our care.There is no money to pay for this care. Taxes won't cover it. Limited military spending won't be enough. We will have to have rationing.From there we have mortality rates go up.I am in a union and I still don't think it's fair that my pre-tax health care payments will be exempt when my sisters' will be taxed because she's not in a union. More and more I see a president treating Americans differently and more importantly--unfairly.

[fred-mertz]

"Republicans are NOT against revising the Health Care of Americans, they just want to leave health care decisions and options up to AMERICANS and not some STUPID plan run off PROTOCOLS made up by bureaucrats in Washington DC that LIMIT your treatment plan."
-- by IThoughtItWasFunnyAsIs June 26, 2009 7:52 AM PDT

You are COMPLETELY OUT IGNORANT (and not the least bit funny).

In the current system, all health care decisions are controlled by the insurance companies' "PROTOCOLS made up by bureaucrats in [wherever] that LIMIT your treatment plan."!!!

The ONLY way to fix this horrible situation is to give them some competition, and that is exactly what the "public option" will do. If some of the insurance companies are forced out of business because they can't compete, well that's a GOOD thing!

[independent99]

The brain power emanating from these posts is overwhelming. We certainly owe praise to our public education system.

[toedance]

As a person who attended yesterday's Capital Rally for Healthcare Reform Now and a Public Option, I feel that by headlining this article as only "Liberals" demanding a public options you are trying to place a stigma on the work of so many ordinary citizens who came from across the country to voice their needs and concerns. How do you know that everyone is a liberal who attended this rally? - there are 72% of the population who want a public option and there are thousands of people without any health insurance who are falling through the cracks of our healthcare system. Although much of the article gives the reader a good idea of what happened yesterday, tagging the article as a rally that only Liberals favored - is a way of scaring people off who associate this word with either socialists, left-wingers and idealists who are unconnected to what is really happening.

Healthcare is a real need and it can't wait! Many people of many persuasions from across the country were involved in planning this rally and the many townhall events and other events that happened on June 24th and June 25th. These events are going to continue to happen to express our need for Americans get what is their right, an affordable healthcare system that works, with a public option.

As your article itself states, "some high profile politicians joined thousands of union workers, doctors and other health care reform supporters in a united front against the industry and demanded a government-sponsored health insurance option."

I am also upset that the TV coverage of Michael Jackson's and Fara Fawcett's death took the media away from covering any other national news on the air! Although I am sorry to hear of their deaths and respect these artists for the great contributions they have made, it is really sad to think that CBS and all the other news stations think that this is the only thing that Americans want to know about.

[midlclass]

I see alot of comments about a goverment take over of health care, reconsider what is really out there this is more of a take over of how to pay for health care your doctors and hospitals and the health care process we have will still be there. we'll just remove the theiving ins companies and corpations that rape all the people who need medical attention and services there's no talk that i have heard of the goverment telling me which doctor i can or cannot go to. if any thing this should be a boom for the health care industry as more poeple will go to the doctors and the more paying patients the more doctors should be able to make. simple republicant's capitalist supply and demand why are they so against it?

[endurorob]

by cydygitt1 June 26, 2009 6:27 AM PDT
Nothing like paid shills pushing more tragic CONServitard policies through endless FEARmongering like the corrupt crook rickie scott.


So how much does Rahm pay you to troll the boards?

[mattcat25]

Republicans do everything right, even forgetting about when they have the power of government-socialism.