President Barack Obama’s administration signaled on Sunday it is ready to abandon the idea of giving Americans the option of government-run health insurance as part of his ambitious health care proposal.
Facing mounting opposition to the overhaul, administration officials left open the chance for a compromise with Republicans that would include health insurance cooperatives. Such a concession is likely to enrage his liberal supporters but could deliver Obama a much-needed win on a top domestic priority opposed by GOP lawmakers.
A government-run public option to health care, even being a far-left idea, have worked in many countries and could work in the US, but it seems that the Obama Team is going to drop the plan altogether.
I’m not sure which is worse.
Dropping the public option or Obama’s change in the wording of the plan.
I bet you haven’t heard about the 3-word phrase that will cost a trillion dollars. Most of the mass media is keeping it well hidden.
The phrase? “OR medically appropriate”
Currently, Medicare and Medicaid only pay for medically necessary health care.
But President Obama’s proposed health care plan will pay for “any service deemed medically necessary OR medically appropriate.”
Adding this phrase will bankrupt our health care system.
Example: A patient walks in a hospital saying he has a headache or does not feel well, a doctor may order dozens of blood tests and X-rays. This does not meet the medically necessary standard, but could easily fit the definition of medically appropriate.
Now I understand why the Democrats refuse to address tort refom. Obama’s plan will create thousands of new law-suits.
Don’t worry qb, I’ll find you again. You’re last position was at post #19.
(You know, this is what happens when I’m supposed to be doing yard work on a Sunday afternoon.)
#22 JimR
ROTFL I am “sort of” cleaning my garage!
Many are falling into the trap that this is actually about health care. If it were there would be a plan to keep what works and fix what can be fixed.
A complete takeover by government proves that the only goal is about increasing the power of government at the expense of personal freedom.
It’s time to wake-up and smell the crap congress is shoveling.
Government run programs work great! Just look at social security. Please socialized medicine would be nothing more then a money drain, the likes that we have never seen before. Between, corruption, malpractice lawsuits, and typical bureaucratic bungling, the system would be broke in a few years. More taxes would be needed and even more money would be pissed away. No thanks, this is not the change that is wanted.
re: #21, jbenson2, Example: A patient walks in a hospital saying he has a headache or does not feel well, a doctor may order dozens of blood tests and X-rays.
If you want to make a serious point, use an example that is based in reality. Last time I looked, most doctors were of the higher educated part of society. For a headache, a doctor might order one X-ray, but only if the person had received a blow to the head OR they had tried pain relief drugs with no effect. Blood tests wouldn’t even be considered unless they were medically appropriate… something I think most doctors could assess. Doctors don’t do their own X-rays or blood tests, and under a properly run, publicly funded system could not profit from them.
The only way that the Obama health plan would have worked, in my (admittedly non expert) opinion, is by having the government compete with the private sector in order to enforce proper competition in the marketplace. Without a big dog in this fight, the private insurers will simply continue to run the show. (Which is essentially what happened in Massachusetts, where I live, and what actually differed the Mass plan – which isn’t so hot – with the Federal one.)
One more disappointing tick against Obama. I need some Hopeitor.
Let’s face it, we’ve been tax cutting our way to less (no) government for years. The thought of having a government that does more than spy on it’s own people is repulsive in every way. GOVERNMENT of any kind is SOCIALISM with a different name. We cowboys are independent types who would rather rot homeless on the street than take a handout from pinko socialists.
Please pass the cheese, peanut butter, corn, etc….
One idea that occurred to me for saving on health care costs is for Christians to start trusting their own god to start healing them a lot more and stop relying so much on expensive man-made medical technology. Unfortunately, my suggestion has a snowball’s chance in hell of ever catching on in the religious community. Trust like that doesn’t come easily.
“Sing two hymns, and call me in the morning” isn’t a very reassuring prescription
I have an idea!
Let’s privatize Social Security! If we had done that six years ago as supported by conservatives, the country would be insured by one giant IRA account…. that would have worked out well.
Or let’s get rid of the post office, and all your mail can be handled n=by Fedex or UPS. A letter will cost $4.50 to ‘mail’, but hey… at least it’s not socialism!
Or Medicare… let’s force all retirees to buy private insurance regardless of their means… they can use their $900 / month Social Security checks…. insurance for a person aged 75 should be… I don’t know… maybe just $3000 per month?
Police departments are socialist too… private security companies paid by individuals are the solution.
Abolish public school… if you can’t afford private school, you should be home schooled.
Vehicle safety regulations ruined the car companies… the free market says that the public will buy only those cars that are shown to be safe based on statistics.
I think so as well he will drop it.
It was a great (second) attempt by democrats to bring reform and stem the cost of the spiraling cost of health care.
Congratulations to the Republicans, the Health Insurance industry and lobbyists for your trillion dollar per year prize!
The mob scene tactic was very clever but the “death panel” thing would make Heinrich Himmler proud.
The best political weapon is the weapon of terror. Cruelty commands respect. Men may hate us. But, we don’t ask for their love; only for their fear. HH
Awake… good points.
Well, the most obvious solution is this: The government applies a sales tax on everything that is unhealthy and that pays for health care of everybody. Best would be to have the united Nations run that for the entire world population. If not feasible due to too high level of xenophonobia, etc. then run it at national level.
Private health insurance should obviously be outlawed completely, as it would mean for some people to get preferential treatment, while all we earthlings have the same amount of right to stay alive.
Also it would mean no doctor would ever check your insurance papers again before treating you.
What they cook up currently is a very small step in the right direction. The changes that are proposed are just killing it. After seeing some of that town hall chaos though, I really start wondering if US Americans even deserve medical treatment at all. Why not just let you guys extinct yourselves over there?
#31 And here I was thinking that the Demagogues were majority, silly me. As for how “great” that attempt was, if you think that was great, you really have low expectations.
#34 I bet you’re feeling good!! I do think the Health reform will be abandoned.
We can at least both agree that even the Federal government can’t touch the Health Insurance and Drug industry.
Awake said:
Yeah and Social Security is doing just as well. How old are you, do you really think you will be able to collect when the time comes?
Another example of how beholden the government is to special interests.
How many campaign promises is this guy going to break before we see him from what he really is? A hack with good speechwriters.
This isn’t the change people voted for. The Obama administration is a failure.
I haven’t read the other comments, but living in a country with free (ish), poorly working healthcare, all I can say is poor, poor americans… It’s better than what you have now…
“but it seems that the Obama Team is going to drop the plan altogether.”
That’s because to many Conservatives public health care is another step into forcing them to treat poor people as equals.
# 18 Fido
“Let’s see how Big Insurance does with some competition.”
Big Insurance, Big Oil, Big Tobacco OOOOhhhhhh they’re gonna git ya!
But Big Government is benevolent and wise.