Comments on: Obama's Secret Moves On Health Care
Marc Ambinder Provides A Behind-The-Scenes Look Into White House Maneuvering In The Health Care Debate
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- By spending $2.5 Trillion and 18% of GDP on the badly rigged for-profit health care system today, and estimated to be double that by the time the baby boomers retire if we don't have real reform, the U.S. is looking at many more Americans UN-insured and UNDER-insured than the 50 million today.
It's just plain ludicrous that we are spending so much more than the rest of the developed and industrialized world on such a health care debacle, for such a patchwork of for-profit insurance companies intertwined with government-run entities like Medicare, Medicaid and the V.A. It's an absolute inefficient mess that needs immediate reform, since the for-profit insurance companies have raised rates 130% in just the past 10 years, and more and more are not insured during this economic tsunami!
Posted by cydygitt1
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This says it all - this crap is NOT about health services - It is about mandated or government sponsored health INSURANCE.
The quality and quantity of health care will not increase - only revenues to the INSURANCE companies will increase.
Posted by forrestlayne
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First off.....did you do your own homework yet, or are you just repeating the usual talking points from those that already have pockets full of money from the lobbyists, since this is certainly not KRAP -- just plain facts that you are afraid to admit?
As I said, and feel the need to repeat to those that cannot "think" for themselves, we already spend $2.5 Trillion or 18% of GDP on our health care debacle today.
This is predicted, without any reform, to be almost $5 Trillion or 34% of GDP in 2 decades after the 80 million baby boomers retire and jump on the Medicare bandwagon!
Those are the cold, hard facts, that America has much worse UNFUNDED FUTURE LIABILITIES mostly due to the spiraling cost of health care, which make the present $11.3 Trillion national debt look like a walk in the park. All the republican'ts want to do now is blame President Obama on spending, and callously talk big about their "born again" fiscal conservatism, without even admitting we have much worse problems staring us directly in the face with future liabilities all connected to the rising health care costs through these moronic FOR-PROFIT INSURANCE COMPANIES!
What's ludicrous is not admitting the 130% increase in INSURANCE premiums in just the past 10 years, and getting much worse by the day!
NOTHING but a 'single-payer' system of some sort involving all Americans will stop this flow of ridiculous RED INK, and I for one, am completely tired of paying for the best health care to all those government employees including the wealthy congresscritters, without getting exactly the same health care through taxes that they already enjoy! - Reply to this comment
- just making universal healthcare available by saddling taxpayers will trillions in costs will not solve the problem, any more than the famous Medicare Schedule D has solved prescription drug expenses. Until we do like other countries and put a lid on health care costs....
Posted by zykracosmos
Again I ask the question - WHo has been denied healthcare?
just making universal healthcare available - This statement is the whole problem - The issue is NOT Universal Health care - It is Universal healthcare COVERAGE - INSURANCE
Health care is readily available and no one is being denied. - Reply to this comment
- just making universal healthcare available by saddling taxpayers will trillions in costs will not solve the problem, any more than the famous Medicare Schedule D has solved prescription drug expenses. Until we do like other countries and put a lid on health care costs....
Posted by zykracosmos
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Absolutely.....since as we now know, even the payoff to BIG PHARMA with Medicare D was all about subsidizing the pharmaceutical companies and for-profit insurance companies -- hardly helping Americans as the "donut hole" came back to bite them!
We already spend $2.5 Trillion or 18% of GDP on a badly conceived and getting worse heatlh care debacle, so we need reform that will spend that money -- more than double per person than the rest of the industrialized world pays for much less care here -- much more efficiently and wisely than for GREEDY profits and CEO bonuses, since those other CAPITALISTIC countries in the world have learned that "promoting the general welfare" of their citizens is by far better than funneling big money to big profits that come well before the patient's needs! - Reply to this comment
- By spending $2.5 Trillion and 18% of GDP on the badly rigged for-profit health care system today, and estimated to be double that by the time the baby boomers retire if we don't have real reform, the U.S. is looking at many more Americans UN-insured and UNDER-insured than the 50 million today.
It's just plain ludicrous that we are spending so much more than the rest of the developed and industrialized world on such a health care debacle, for such a patchwork of for-profit insurance companies intertwined with government-run entities like Medicare, Medicaid and the V.A. It's an absolute inefficient mess that needs immediate reform, since the for-profit insurance companies have raised rates 130% in just the past 10 years, and more and more are not insured during this economic tsunami!
Posted by cydygitt1 at 6:36 AM : Jun 13, 2009
This says it all - this crap is NOT about health services - It is about mandated or government sponsored health INSURANCE. If people cannot afford insurance premiums how can they afford co-payments for Dr. visits or services - right now the poor folks pay nothing. We have public health departments for most non-medical situations from children's shots to pregnancy support - at NO COST to those people.
The quality and quantity of health care will not increase - only revenues to the INSURANCE companies will increase.
The sheeple are confusing health care coverage with actual health care. Wake up people - Reply to this comment
- WELL PUT AND WELL WRITTEN THERE CIDYGITT. MY COMPLIMENTS .
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- Stop government by the corporations, for the corporations! Shoot a lobbyist, if you want affordable healthcare. LOL
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- "Give me a list of the other countries that have socialized health care."
Posted by forrestlayne
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Gimme....Gimme......Gimme.......Can't YOU do your own homework? If YOU were able to do that, YOU would find that the U.S. ranks at the bottom of the list in health care when you compare it to 19 industrialized countries, despite spending twice as much per person.
Health care in US ranks lowest among developed countries:
"The United States ranked last across a range of measures of health care in a comparison of 19 industrialised countries, despite spending more than twice as much per person on health as any other of the countries, says a report published last week."
www.bmj.com
And yes, one of them just happens to be the #1 exporter of the world, despite its much smaller size and population, and is aiming to be 100% renewable energy by 2050.
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
It's not only about taxes as you republican'ts seem to "think," but how that revenue is wisely spent for such things as providing for the common defense and promoting the general WELFARE of the citizens of the United States! We shouldn't be the "world's police" and spending taxpayer's dollars on protecting corporate American interests around the world like BIG OIL, but certainly providing for the GENERAL WELFARE of Americans right here in the U.S.
By spending $2.5 Trillion and 18% of GDP on the badly rigged for-profit health care system today, and estimated to be double that by the time the baby boomers retire if we don't have real reform, the U.S. is looking at many more Americans UN-insured and UNDER-insured than the 50 million today.
It's just plain ludicrous that we are spending so much more than the rest of the developed and industrialized world on such a health care debacle, for such a patchwork of for-profit insurance companies intertwined with government-run entities like Medicare, Medicaid and the V.A. It's an absolute inefficient mess that needs immediate reform, since the for-profit insurance companies have raised rates 130% in just the past 10 years, and more and more are not insured during this economic tsunami! - Reply to this comment
- just making universal healthcare available by saddling taxpayers will trillions in costs will not solve the problem, any more than the famous Medicare Schedule D has solved prescription drug expenses. Until we do like other countries and put a lid on health care costs, including cost of medical precedures, prescriptions and regular doctor visits, we'll never have the kind of coverage found in Canada or Europe. The Republicans and the AARP (with their endorsement) gave us tax-payer subsidized medicines, and left the drug companies free (by law) to raise their prices without negotiation. The health care industry in general wants to do the same- let the government subsidize their extreme costs and prices for medical care. On the flip side, Democrats have to accept tort reform and bring down the ridiculous costs of medical liability insurance (often half a doctor's salary). Bringing down costs, not attaching taxpayers to unlimited rising medical costs is the only way this can be solved. Prescription drug companies have the higest profit margin of any industry in the world, including oil companies. American taxpayers cannot and should not shoulder the burden of univerersal health care unless the government also puts a lid on health care costs across the board. Call it what you want- socialized medicine, whatever- this is the ONLY way it will work.
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- Can someone, anyone, state that we have people in this country that have been denied health care at a hospital or other such facility? The issue is NOT about available health care - care is available - it is about health care "COVERAGE" in other words insurance.
Follow the money and where it will go. - Reply to this comment
- The reasonable statement: "everyone deserves proper health care' is reasonable because there are many countries out there that are making sure everyone in their society is getting proper health care. It's reasonable to think that the U.S. can do the same thing. Please argue why we can't do it while other countries can. Please show us that the citizens of these countries would love to get rid of their care to have our system instead. Make a good argument.
Posted by salmoc44 at 11:00 PM : Jun 12, 2009
No it is not - Give me a list of the other countries that have socialized health care.
DO they have a military - do they "police" the world? Do they have any type of meaninful manufacturing base? Do they have the infrastructure found in the US - roads, bridges, etc.
Most of these socialize countries are smaller than the state of IOWA. They have little other "government" spending - what percent of their citizens income is taken for taxes - across the board NOT just income tax?
After the witholding tax - how much more do we pay in "gas" tax, liquor tax, tobacco tax, import tax (like sugar), property tax, car liscene tax, etc.....I bet it would blow you mind just what total percent of your earnings already go to the Gov't. - Reply to this comment
- "everyone deserves to have their dream job" silly
"everyone deserves to live healthy - not needing health care" even sillier; not possible
"everyone deserves not to be killed in an automobile accident" silly again
"everyone deserves not to be killed in an airpalne crash" silly again
The reasonable statement: "everyone deserves proper health care' is reasonable because there are many countries out there that are making sure everyone in their society is getting proper health care. It's reasonable to think that the U.S. can do the same thing. Please argue why we can't do it while other countries can.
Posted by salmoc44 at 11:00 PM : Jun 12, 2009
"everyone deserves to have their dream job" silly -- Isn't that what is taught in school - "you should work a job you like because liking your job is more important than making money at your job" - I mean why do you say this is silly - SO according to you - a certain segment of our population should work jobs nobody else wants? Certain upper class get to pick their jobs first?
"everyone deserves to live healthy - not needing health care" even sillier; not possible - But why do some people have health issues like cancer and MS and others have nothing - ever.
A lot of people don't even see a doctor until they are on their death bed - Is that fair to cancer victims?
"everyone deserves not to be killed in an automobile accident" silly again Oh- so the people killed in car crashes deserved to die? Why is that silly? WE mandate MPG - why can we mandate safer cars that will save lives? Why is the death rate from automobiles acceptable? Because it is not you? Drunk drivers kill how many? outlaw alcohol. again?
"everyone deserves not to be killed in an airpalne crash" silly again - So everyone that flies on an airplane has an unreasonable expectation to arrive safely. Maybe the government could mandate MORE inspections of planes between flights. They always investigate AFTER the crash - why not do a better job before the crash?
The whole point is there are hundreds of "everyone deserves........" out there.
Nobody is denied health care in this country - not even illegal aliens - what they are trying to do is mandate that everyone have health care coverage (insurance) -
follow the money - who gets the payments - that's right - Insurance companies - that seem to be NOT failing in this economic downturn - More money from Americans dictated to go to Insurance companies for health care coverage that we don't need. - Reply to this comment
- Obama is always long on rhetoric and short on substance. This country put a fool in charge and now we all have to suffer. Hope you enjoy your new taxes. England has a rate of 70% and we will be worse then them. I guess all of you Liberals haven't a clue that the key thing that drove this country into Depression was an increase in taxes so the top rate was at 73%. Well here you go again.
People we really do have idiots in charge. They are so excited about Gay rights, Environmentalism, and Socialism they are Orwelian. You should be scared! - Reply to this comment
- Hey Incog-nito
What's wrong with everyone owning a gun....the bad guys have them no matter what....that's why their the bad guys....
Lets arm the citizens....bring back Marshall Dillion and put the bad guys on notice that the rest of us have had it... - Reply to this comment
- John McCain has received socialized heath care for his entire life. He's still getting it and not complaining about it. George Bush Jr. never complained about it while President either. Nor did his father. Reagan used it and never tried to get rid of it either. They must have liked it.
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- Where are the Republican politicians out there who want to get rid of the socialized health care they themselves receive? I'm not noticing any.
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- When Republicans and Blue Dog Democrats tell you that gov't health care isn't good for you but continue to gladly receive the gov't health care they themselves enjoy, it takes a moron to not realize he or she is getting gamed.
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- Single payer...NOW!
No more paying 33% of my premiums for administrative costs and CEO mega buck salaries!
I'm tired of the waste... - Reply to this comment
- Nice. Compare a reasonable statement to a bunch of strawman or silly arguments and voila, you think you've argued against the reasonable statement.
'everyone deserves proper health care' A reasonable statement
"everyone deserves to make enough money to live comfortably" too vague, what is comfortably?
"everyone deserves to have their dream job" silly
"everyone deserves to live healthy - not needing health care" even sillier; not possible
"everyone deserves to live life as long as they want" pushing the bounds of silly; not possible
"everyone deserves not to be killed in an automobile accident" silly again
"everyone deserves not to be killed in an airpalne crash" silly again
Why not push the envelope?
"Everyone deserves to be able to flap their wings and fly"
"Everyone should be 100 feet tall if they want to be"
The reasonable statement: "everyone deserves proper health care' is reasonable because there are many countries out there that are making sure everyone in their society is getting proper health care. It's reasonable to think that the U.S. can do the same thing. Please argue why we can't do it while other countries can. Please show us that the citizens of these countries would love to get rid of their care to have our system instead. Make a good argument. - Reply to this comment
- Stop government by lobbyists, for corporations. Shoot a lobbyist, if you want affordable healthcare! LOL
- Reply to this comment
- Only in America can you have one public health plan goning broke( medicare), and the government is proposing a second one, with no proposals on how to pay for the first plan that's already law.
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Mike Huckabee on GOP "rock stars," 2012, health care reform and more.
