Obama Vows to Change Insurance Polices

President Says Americans Should No Longer Be "Held Hostage" by Companies that Deny Coverage

(AP)  President Barack Obama on Saturday criticized what he termed as the "scare tactics" of opponents to health care reform. He told a town hall meeting "what is truly scary is if we do nothing" to solve the nation's health care problems.

Obama said Americans no longer should be "held hostage by health insurance companies" that deny coverage for various reasons.

And he attempted to deflect some of the sharpest criticism of the health care bill before Congress from those who say it would mean government control over health care system.

"I don't want government bureaucrats meddling in our health care — but the point is I don't want insurance companies' bureaucrats meddling in our health care either," Obama declared, unleashing a cheer from the audience.

Obama's focus on insurance companies, a theme of earlier town hall meetings in Montana and New Hampshire as well in recent days, was an attempted to regain the upper hand in the health care debate and deflect the impact of increasing vocal and organized critics.

The president said the current health care system and the policies of insurance companies are "hurting too many families and businesses." And he vowed to change that, predicting health care reform legislation will be passed by Congress this year.

"Because we're getting close, the fight is getting fierce" critics are fighting back with by trying "to scare the American people. "Because of all the scare tactics out there, what is truly scary is if we do nothing," he said.

[jab232]

Changing abusive policies is probably the best he can do.

The issue is not the public option plan. The issue is the structure of the government and the rules of the Senate. In our government, the Senate gives minority states more power. Each state has two votes, no matter its size. Add to that the Senate rule that it takes 60 votes to stop a filibuster, and you have a situation where, for the Democrats to pass a public option health care plan, they would have to have elected at least seventy senators. Many small-state senators have not and will not support something that might well benefit the majority of people. After all, that majority live in the large states.

So, finally, to have come so close on the public option plan is a miracle. I hope we all keep fighting for it. But the best way to fight for it is to elect an overwhelming majority of Senators who support it. Otherwise, it won't happen.

[jab232]

People keep talking about how a public health insurance option will run the insurance companies out of business. I don't believe it. I have Medicare and a private company's tie in. I expect health insurance companies can make reasonable profits just selling tie-ins. That's not what I expect to happen. I expect private insurance to compete with any public option and survive, but even if it didn't, the insurance companies would not just survive. They would thrive.

Of course, they would not make the excessive profits and CEO salaries, bonuses and golden parachutes available when you only insure mostly healthy people and exclude the others. But they would make fair(and I think large) profits.

[Joe_NY_15]

by jab232 August 16, 2009 4:45 PM EDT

You don't believe it, well do you believe your own common sense....for example, page 16 of the house health proposal, states that once the bill is signed into law, you will NOT be able to obtain private insurance, and MUST go to the public option/plan.....what does logic tell you ? that in no time, matter of fact, immediately, private insurance companies will begin losing business, by law will not be able to gain any new members and by common sense, will cease to exist in a very short period of time.

Secondly, Obama himself, stated that he wants to eventually phase out ALL private health insurance over time....I heard him in his own words, during the campaign.

So, just imagine you have a business, and the government outlaws anyone from buying from you....how soon will you be out of business ?

BELIEVE IT !!!

[katbird158]

Please could you post the video from Our Man in France about their health care system? It would REALLY help to clarify some things.

[dumascracks]

Obama try starting with AIG, you know the Company that put the U.S in the Poor House and that help you to get Elected!!!

[chonder2]

The Healthcare/Republican meatpuppets have tried thier worst. The LOWEST SCUM move I have ever seen was too attempt to terrorize elderly people with the Dick Armey-Craig Shirley generated Hitler posters and the RUMOR LIES about death panels, death marches,death clinics,death beds...I say the Repubs have stated who they are! I'm telling my Reps, "We Don't Negociate With Terrorists"!!

[Lawyers-Guns-n-Money]

by reveal5 August 15, 2009 11:12 PM EDT
What is LOL. Lots of Luck?, Laugh out Loud?////
===============================

Lords of Lilliput?

Leslie ordered liver?

Licking on lichens?

[payasyougo]

And the IRS will collect your premiums and deductibles

Federal Tax
Payroll Tax (redistribution income tax)
Insurance Tax (redistribution income tax)

[spudder8]

I have Medicare Advantage plan which I love. I also have a single payer VA Medical that I do not use because of the waiting. 6 months for an MRI, 1 year for an angioplasty, the care is performed by interns, never have I seen a seasoned Dr.
I don?t know what our President is doing, but I have seen enough corruption and old boys school, Chicago politics, that why I left that state, however I still have family there and they keep me abreast of the political corruption. I will not vote for Obama or any other seedy incumbent person.

[radicalc-2009]

Just look at the narcissistic posture in that picture. What disturbs me about Obama is that he uses I to refer to the government. Like "I don't want to run a car company". or "I am not interested in owning a bank". Just notice the word I in his speaches. He thinks he makes all the decisions. I think he is delusional in that he thinks eventually everyone (like his followers and the media) will bow to his will.
It will be hard on him when the American people give him a resounding NO on his socialist policies.

[woltommel]

November 2010, but for now we will have to fight the press too. Any ideas?

[Stevenapoli7]

Some outside the media box facts and myths of health care: http://liberty.pacificresearch.org/docLib/20081020_Top_Ten_Myths.pdf

[naj1953]

Why not fix the jobs first???I am sick of hearing about this healthcare bill...Sick of both parties fighting about what or who was so great. Both parties are crap. I vote for the less of too evils and that doesn't seem to work anymore either. I can say I never voted for either Bushes so I am proud of that one... Town hall Meetings are "What a joke"??? Isn't that one of John McCain's thing?? Let the American people vote if they want it or not?

[babooph]

1st the ins overcharges,then denies the claim,then takes some of the ripped off loot & hires a lobbyist to bribe the politicos for more,then so much loot is left,air time to brainwash the same suckers who were taken in the 1st place= this should be criminal,Kudlow sells the scam as "CAPITALISM"-and wonderful !!

[reveal5]

The continuation of unemployment benefits and also food stamps are markedly good economic investments. Food stamps are immediately returned back to the economy and result, I believe, in approx. $1.56 return for every dollar of investment. Cash for clunkers has resulted in 21 billion dollars in economic return for the 3[?] billion dollars invested in the program.

[reveal5]

Also, America has benn paid back approx. 100 billion dollars allready from banks and financial institutions, this included interest payments. Plus, the upcoming sale of Chrysler stock will presumably result in profit. The costs of Iraq are also declining probably as troops are being rotated out of theater. Some are being reassigned to Afghanistan, but some are returning stateside. As this continues, the 10 billion monthly investment into Iraq will markedly decrease.

[ubrew12]

As a follow up to my post, it should also be acknowledged that gov't spending on infrastructure and other 'shovel ready' projects constitutes an investment that economists believe eventually pays back SEVEN TIMES its original amount. Hence, the stimulus bill will certainly pay for itself in coming years AND THEN SOME. But the ONE TRILLION DOLLARS A YEAR that Americans spend on healthcare (over what they could be spending) is wasted money. It's like you took a match to it and burnt it all to the ground. And the fun part is you get to do it again next year. I'm simply amazed that Republicans go ape-sh*t over the fact that Obama just INVESTED a trillion dollars in American infrastructure and jobs that will eventually pay back SEVEN TIMES its value, but have nothing to say about the BONFIRE going on over at Aetna's headquarters.

[reveal5]

Wow, several minutes have passed and misha has not reposted her double page post for the sixth time. Can miracles happen. Has Misha decided to get with the program instead of riding her horse backwords?

[reveal5]

Just a comment. The GOP'ers who post here are the fringe whackos. Trying to be reasonable, sensible, intellectual....yea, well, good try. My friend has begun using the word "contraries" in r4eference to the right wing. The Indians used this term for those who rode their horses backwards, bathed with sand, said hello instead of goodbye....Contraries. I have a new theory, there are a group of individuals who have become habituated to riding their horses backwords, so to speak. Whether through nature or nurture, these folks are backwords riders. Trying to talk sense to the nonsensical group is a recipe for frustration. There are those who relish the thought of putting a reasonable person into a spin. It exactly replicated their own peculiarity. There are also those who own insurance stock, are insurance salesman, etc. who will never accept any reasonable argument if it puts them in a position of working against what they consider their own interests, basic human nature. There is also the group who would rather see the un and underinsured perish. There is also the brainwashed group who do not realize fact from fiction.

[ubrew12]

What I don't understand about GOP America is that they keep telling us they are fiscal conservatives, but seem unable to acknowledge the fact that America is spending an extra ONE TRILLION DOLLARS EVERY YEAR on healthcare by NOT adopting the 'socialized medicine' solutions that have been used successfully by every one of our major capitalist trading partners for decades. One of these capitalist nations, Taiwan, actually based its healthcare system on our MEDICARE system, decades ago, after the Taiwanese people went on strike for better healthcare. They just stopped going to work, the whole country, until their gov't promised a universal healthcare system, and they subsequently adopted Medicare as their blueprint. BTW, Taiwan is the 'capitalist' China, not like mainland China. Republicans need to square their fears of 'government medicine' bringing 'marxism' to America with the fact that not one of the nations we trade with every day uses our privatized solution to healthcare, yet they are all capitalist nations with largely privatized economies.

Thats ONE TRILLION DOLLARS EVERY YEAR, Republicans. I heard one of you on TV the other day talking about Obama's stimulus package. He went ON and ON about how much money a TRILLION DOLLARS is, SHOCKING his audience with the 'fiscal imprudence' of Obama's taking action to help end the worst economic crisis in 80 years. So here's my question to you, Republicans: If a one time employment stimulus of a trillion dollars is too much money, how much money is a TRILLION DOLLARS A YEAR, since the last Democratic effort to reform healthcare imploded in 1992? Thats an extra TRILLION DOLLARS EVERY YEAR, to offer Americans healthcare considered inferior to that of most of our trading partners, and that offers NO or INADEQUATE insurance to one out of every THREE Americans.

[reveal5]

Misha, just trying to help here. You can also carry on a conversation by using the "reply to this comment"virtually as long as you want. Just quit hogging up major portions of blog space. It is terribly tedious. It really messes up the continuity of the blog and the other bloggers and is just ill mannered. You do not have to repost this extremely long text over and over. Just use the "reply to" and carry on your conversation. Thanks. Geez.

[reveal5]

Woeisme, Much appreciated. I have posted things I considered funny. Response followed, I thought "Lots odf Luck", got my feelings hurt[yes, I mhave those, not being a person on the right] Just figured out the second possibility, laugh out loud. As for the other two, thanks. I haven't gotten my secret decoder ring yet merit badge yet. And one more thing, cheer up, just kidding!