Obama: Partisans Endanger Health Reform

Says "Unprecedented Consensus" for Health Care Overhaul Gaining Momentum But Faces Congressional Gridlock

(AP)  President Barack Obama said Saturday he's seeing "unprecedented consensus" behind overhauling health care, though he acknowledged continued partisan gridlock in Congress.

"The historic movement to bring real, meaningful health insurance reform to the American people gathered momentum this week as we approach the final days of this debate," Mr. Obama said Saturday in his weekly radio and Internet video address.

The consensus "includes everyone from doctors and nurses to hospitals and drug manufacturers" - even Republican governors and former GOP lawmakers, President Obama said.

Special Report: Health Care Reform

Mr. Obama's consensus, however, does not extend to congressional Republicans. GOP senators remain united in their opposition to the Democrats' health care package, as are most Republicans in the House.

The president, instead, noted that California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Senate Majority Leaders Bob Dole and Bill Frist, all Republicans, and former Health and Human Service Secretaries Louis Sullivan and Tommy Thompson, who both served in Republican administrations, have all come out in favor of overhauling health care, even though they differ on some specifics.

"These distinguished leaders understand that health insurance reform isn't a Democratic issue or a Republican issue, but an American issue that demands a solution," President Obama said.

Democrats have made significant strides since Labor Day, when they returned to the Capitol after an August spent absorbing attacks from noisy conservative critics over health care.

A health care bill soon to emerge from the Senate Finance Committee is the only one judged to meet Mr. Obama's conditions for expanding insurance coverage without raising the federal deficit, while also slowing the rise in medical costs.

Yet the president said he recognized the issue remains divisive among members of Congress.

"There are some in Washington today who seem determined to play the same old partisan politics, working to score political points, even if it means burdening this country with an unsustainable status quo," Obama said. That "status quo" includes rising health care costs, diminishing coverage and arbitrary decisions by big insurance companies, he said.

Speaking for the Republicans, Sen. George LeMieux of Florida acknowledged deep problems with the health care system, but cautioned "the solution should not be worse than the problem we are trying to solve."

"We in the Congress have a duty to tackle this problem, but the solution we settle upon should not be rushed," LeMieux said in the GOP's weekly address. Democrats maintain Republicans are simply trying to delay action.

Lemieux said the Democrats' approach:

• Will cost $1.8 trillion over 10 years, more than twice the cost being discussed by Democrats.

• Adds a new tax burden by penalizing those who do not buy health insurance.

• Denies millions of people the choice of health plans that best suit their needs by forcing them onto Medicaid.

• Takes about $500 billion out of Medicare.

"Taking money from a program already in financial trouble is not responsible," LeMieux said. "It's not fair to our seniors who paid into the program, and it's not fair to our children and grandchildren who will be burdened with massive debt obligations."

[gboyd41]

Nothing to worry about, the POTUS has a plan to provide health care. The doctors who are currently in practice can easily be replaced by foreign doctors. I hope you can understand what they say!

[brian1920]

velma- look at the situation with MEDICARE. Anybody who just hints that one cent will be removed even if it is to correct fraud, is crucified. If the government gives entitlements to a group they are bought. Ben Franklin once said, "When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic". How else can you categorize earmarks and entitlements? Obama started this health care discussion with" we have to do something to control costs". They the CBO said that the bills with public care would cost an additional trillion and not control costs. Obama goes on to say that MEDICARE HAS $600B IN FRAUD. So we need to give the people who run MEDICARE more money? Then, the reasons changed to we owe all our citizens health care. All of this proves that the politicians are being dishonest and that the real reason is to buy votes. It is the same with Cap and Tax and immigration reform. They are all about buying votes and this is the Democrats dirty little secret. Does anybody really think that some politician, super wealthy, riding in limos and sipping wine, really cares anything about anything but power? If so, you don't know what motivates these people.

[msimamaji]

44,000 people a year. According to a recent report published by the Harvard Medical School, that's the number of people who die each year because of our for-profit medical system. And many of these people did have health insurance. That's a 9/11 a month.

Babies fare badly in our dysfunctional health care system. According to the stats I obtained from the 2009 CIA Fact book, our infant mortality rate is twice as high as the infant mortality rate of Sweden or France. According to Statesmaster.com, Washington DC has the highest infant mortality rate in the country. So as Senators, like George LeMieux, are collecting bribes from the health insurance lobby, babies are dying

Yet Senator George LeMieux could care less .

Bear in mind that Senator LeMieux donated $ 2,400 to Governor Charlie Crist's campaign fund, so he literally "bought" his seat. With that in mind how much money is LeMieux going to get from health insurance companies, and big pharma?

If you want an indication of what we can expect, let's look at Mitch McConnel's record, which you can get from Center for Responsive Politics.

Senator Mitch McConnell gets $ 2 million in political campaign contributions from the health sector. He gets $ 1 million from lobbyists. His top political donor is Kindred Health Care. Among the other top 20 campaign donors are Humana Inc, Blue Cross, and GalaxoSmithKline

The top 6 contributors for Charles Grassley include Blue Cross, 2nd place: Select Medical Group, 3rd place; and Amgen. Throughout Grassley's career he has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the industries health insurance industry, health products, and pharmaceuticals.

I would also like to call your attention to an article I picked up from the Huffington Post by by Arthur Delaney, (October 5, 2009)
According to this article, Anthem blue Cross/blue Shield is suing the state of Maine because they want to raise their premiums by 18.5%. That would mean that the average citizen of Maine will spend $ 13,000 a year in insurance and in out-of-pocket deductibles.

And lest I forget, Medicare Advantage is a cash cow for Republicans and Blue Dog Democrats. It enables them to raid Medicare for campaign contributions. Obama's call for an investigation of Medicare is long overdue, and it's little wonder that Republicans like George LeMieux are fighting Obama tooth and nail.

Bottom line

Are you ready to spend $ 13,000 to $ 20,000 for your health insurance? Is it OK for people like George LeMieux to pick your pocket for campaign contributions every time you or your employer pays your insurance premium? Are you willing to give up your Medicare so that politicians like Le Mieux can buy shiny new jet planes.

That will be the wave of the future unless we get health insurance reform with a "robust" public option, such as allowing people buy insurance from Medicare.

The GOP does not care about you or your health; all they want is your money. It's surprising how many people still don't get it.

[chonder2]

I doubt that there are many rabid blue dog defenders out there.
I've come to the conclusion that the Chamber of Commerce took exception to my "Don't get between a corporation and a dollar bill" comment.I can tell you there will more where that came from.

The "Republican Pledge Of Allegiance" will continue.

[doc_holliday76]

by brian1920:
"Doctors do not favor the public option and many will leave the profession if a public option is passed."
---------------------------------------





Seems as if the LIES and DECEPTIONS by the rabid rightwad, fringe extremists get worse by the day, compounded by foxnewsus propagandus!


Medical News: 63% of Physicians Favor Public Option - in Public ...Sep 14, 2009 ... "Given the enormity of the current effort to reform healthcare and its ... Physicians were asked which options they most support: a public ...
www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/HealthPolicy/15962

Most doctors favor public and private option in President Barack ...Sep 15, 2009 ... Most doctors, particularly family doctors, favor health care reform that includes both a public and private option, a New England Journal of ...
www.nydailynews.com/.../health/.../2009-09-15_most_doctors_favor_having_a_public_option_in_president_barack_obamas_health_care.html

Doctors on Coverage ? Physicians' Views on a New Public Insurance ...Sep 14, 2009 ... Physicians are critical stakeholders in health care reform and have been ... majority support for a public option, with percentages in favor ...
healthcarereform.nejm.org/?p=1790

Most U.S. doctors want public-private mix: poll | Special Coverage ...Sep 14, 2009 ... BOSTON (Reuters) - Most US doctors favor having both public and private options in a reformed healthcare system, a survey published ... Family doctors were more likely to favor reform than surgeons and other specialists. ...
www.reuters.com/...HealthcareReform/idUSTRE58D67120090914

[chonder2]

Ah! I see that Charlie and I are mentioned in the same paragraph. That can't be good.

[chonder2]

Anybody from yesterday morning here today? I've noticed a page or two of posts on this thread are missing.Also my posts on some other threads are missing.Tech glitch?

[gboyd41]

Upcoming announcement; POTUS up for Nobel for Medicine!

[dibbs977]

I am a 64 year old Registered Nurse with over 40 years of nursing experience. We need reform and change. The medical system needs to be there for the patients and not for the doctors. Government can help us a lot. Even though Democracy is not perfect, it is still the best way in the world---and no one has ever come up with anything better. Certainly not free enterprise---which if left unchecked would despoil all our natural resources and turn all of us into slaves. Stop fighting Obama and the government---and do your part to offer rational input into the national health debate. This is a very important issue which needs intellectural, sober attention and stop radical rantings which get in the way of rational discourse. I added my age, because I want younger people to know that there are many of us "older" folks who have a young attitude.

[dibbs977]

Many people do not want government control---because it will block their making big, easy money by exploiting the rest of us. They use the radical fringe---by stirring them up about hating big government, gays and abortion etc.---but in truth, that is not what it is about---IT IS ABOUT MONEY. The sad part is the the radical right--for the most part--are not the wealthy. They are the people the wealthy exploit to get money. The Right support the very people who are hurting them---because they are so fearful about change and can easily be manipulated. But we must change or we will all demise. There could be a book, one day, entitled, "The Rise and Fall of the United States." If we do not progress, we could fail. Obama can lead us to sanity and security. Support Obama! I believe in President Obama.

[brian1920]

reveal5- what a story!! Lack of medical insurance doesn't mena lack of care. You ignore the fact that many young people chose not to have insurance because they are healthy and just don't think it is necessary. You ignore the fact that Baucus' bill suggests huge revenue saved from MEDICARE fraud costs( yes the same super efficient organization with 3% overhead and $600B in fraud) which will never happen. You ignore the CBO assumption that they collect taxes starting in 2010 but no benefits until 2013. You ignore the fact that it will cost more than $1T and the real estimate is that it will drive the deficit another $250B in the red. Doctors do not favor the public option and many will leave the profession if a public option is passed. You are the fringe as 85% of American are happy with their medical care. You are the fringe in trying to pass a public option as 52% of American do not want it and only 36% support this idea. Your writing is smooth and slick however just full of hype, misconceptions and half truths. Nice try. BTW, if you want to understand how badly MEDICARE is run, try this web site. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/21/business/21medicare.html

[doc_holliday76]

by brian1920:
"Doctors do not favor the public option and many will leave the profession if a public option is passed."
----------------------------------------




Typical LIE from the libertarian/conservitard websites/talk radio and the foxnewsus propagandus network. You need some better sources:

Health care reform: Doctors favor public-private mix as an insurance option

Despite the American Medical Association's (AMA) previously hearty lobby against public options for health insurance, only 27 percent of doctors are in favor of limiting coverage to private options.

More than half of doctors (about 63 percent of 2,130) in a recent survey preferred a public-private blend, which would allow for expansion of coverage both through tax credits to pay for private insurance and expanded public health plans. The survey results were published online in the New England Journal of Medicine earlier this week.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=health-care-reform-doctors-favor-a-2009-09-16

[robham777]

It really does not matter what the fringe believes or does not. The fact is that no Republican will support any bill which expands the role of government in to what has traditionally been the domain of the private sector. I believe that government will not control cost, any real efforts to do this will meet with staunch opposition, and will actually compound the problem. The truth is that reform with the public option will probably become a reality within the next few months, and we will just have to wait and see if the new legislation actually does anything other than enhance the cost and reach of government.

[brian1920]

http://freedomkeys.com/medicare.htm - a web site with lots of good data regarding how the government is the cause of today's medical care outrageous costs. Lots of historical charts and explanations by nobel prize economists explaining the mess.

[doc_holliday76]

by brian1920:
------------

Nice try, but of course you'd agree with this partisan site by libertarians against government and science!

FREEDOM KEYS
A nuclear assault of libertarian analysis, theory, and critique of modern affairs. From the junk science of global warming, to the true meaning of ...
freedomkeys.com/

[jschmidt27]

BTW- since CBS seems unable to fix the duplicating of responses when some responds to an entry, I suggest we just respond with the person tag and have 1 entry.

[brian1920]

Obama is a complete fraud. He said health care would bankrupt the country so we need reform. He then proposes a system that costs trillions more. HE LIED. He said that he would include tort reform that the CBO now says would save $50B+, HE LIED. He says nobody making under $250K would have higher taxes, with his health care bills, everybody pays higher taxes, HE LIED. Make no mistake about it, Obama is about enslaving another 30M voters and insuring they vote for him. This is about vote buying and power, nothing else.

[brian1920]

reveal5- if somebody elects not to participate, what is the tax imposed on them? Look it up. OBAMA LIED. What is the tax on unions workers that have a high end plan? Look it up. OBAMA LIED.

[jschmidt27]

funny he didn't say Pelosi, Reid, Waxman, Harkin, Rockefeller were too partisan for insisting on the public option. If the Dems were serious about inclusion they would have accepted some Republican ideas that were cut from the bills in committee. The tort reform idea according to the CBO saves 59 billion. But will the Dems include that? I doubt it since lawyers own the Dems

[skepticalJM]

We have free schools for all our children, that everyone even the unmarried pay for in taxes; we even have free transportation for kids to get there, yet America is too poor to give free health care to all its citizens? What is more important? We are either a nation that looks after each other, or a pack of thieves, stealing from each other. Which is it Americans?

[robham777]

Those free schools cost on average double per student than do most private schools.

[pnut134]

robham...the answer to your question is simple. Health Insurance companies serve no purpose in the health chain except for administrative. get rid of insurance companies and the costs will come down drastically.

[robham777]

Government employees are far more expensive than private sector employees when you factor in benefits, so once you shift the administrative cost to the government I don't see how these cost will decrease. Besides the President says he does not want to eliminate private insurance but rather provide competition to make them more efficient.

[brian1920]

You are joking of course. The Obama identified $600B in fraud and abuse in Medicare would bankrupt anybody in the insurance business. Why do you think MEDICARE is 8 times over its anticipated budget? Because it is run so well? Get real, the government is the problem and never a solution.

[pnut134]

We need to finish what we started with the election of Obama and a Democratic controlled congress. We will get our chance in 2010, and this should also include tossing out those Dems who have also been bought out by the insurance companies. Those congressmen who are against HCR will meet the American people once more in 2010.

[brian1920]

we need to remove enough Democrats to stop the damage being done to the country. Polls look like they will lose at least 30 seats, we need 40 to control Congress. We need to work to make it happen before Obama destroys the country. Remember, HCR is about enslaving people and buying votes , nothing else.

[robham777]

Why is health care so expensive in this country? The assertion from the left that half of the 2 trillion dollar a year price tag can be primarily attributed to the heath insurance industry is in my opinion quite absurd. If anyone has a link to any information which sheds some light on where all the money goes, I would love to check it out.

[brian1920]

health care became so expensive when the government became involved with health care. They encouraged over construction of facilities with promises of overhead payments, they created a myriad of ancillary health care functions which were traditionally provided by families and which cost a fortune, then later, when they figured out that they had created an incredible mess, they cut payments to doctors forcing the overhead burdens that they created onto private insurance companies and individuals. Like so many problems, the evil at the source of the problem is the government and its policies.