Public Option Continues

[JustinUpright]

I might be in the minority with all you health guys around, but I don't see a problem with what was said tonight.

I can live with what was said if they keep their word. But they don't have the best track record.

 

[Full Throttle]

I can live with what was said if they keep their word. But they don't have the best track record.

There are two seperate issues they are promising:
1. Cover everyone.
2. Decrease or at least stabilize costs.

#1 will never fully work, but we can at least make it available to everyone and it should be in my opinion. #2 is impossible without rationing care or changing the lifestyle of Americans, and putting more mandates on the insurance carriers (no caps, no pre-exs, guaranteed issue) will have the exact opposite effect desired.

 

[briko3]

I think we can all agree there is a lot of waste. The problem is that no one seems to want to do anything about it. It's not like we're just now realizing that it's there. I can't imagine, however, that if everyone puts the partisanship aside that we can't come up with a good solution. Maybe it's what's being proposed or maybe not, but the back and forth bickering is aggravating as hell when these people are getting paid by us to come up with SOLUTIONS.

Isn't that what makes our careers? It's not just peddling, it's offering solutions to problems. I am convinced that there are smart enough people in this country to come up with a good plan to improve our healthcare system. Now, what we need might not be what everyone wants, but that too is the nature of the beast.

 

[Winter_123]

I might be in the minority with all you health guys around, but I don't see a problem with what was said tonight.

He kept referring to "the plan" or "my plan". Where is that plan? His plan is to watch the ten bills floating in the house and senate and see what looks good today and call that his plan. If that is not true, then direct me to his plan. Would like to look at it.

 

[somarco]

The plan as floated by PresBO is nothing more than pure fantasy proposed by someone who has no clue about insurance and risk management.

The main points of his plan?

Eliminate denials & rescissions.

Limits on OOP.

Increase competition.

Make health insurance affordable.

Make health care affordable.

Eliminate waste and fraud.

All this has to be deficit neutral.

The challenge?

Nothing in the proposal will actually lower the cost of health care or health insurance. In fact, the opposite will occur.

Even the OMB director argues there is nothing in the proposal that is deficit neutral. Not even preventive care.

As many have pointed out, we don't need a new govt program to eliminate waste & fraud.

A govt option/public option will do nothing to ensure competition.

 

[briko3]

Bottom line is something needs to change. We all know it. The big question is what is the change we need? I'm kind of baffled that there aren't more ideas floating around.

 

[djs]

I can't imagine, however, that if everyone puts the partisanship aside that we can't come up with a good solution. Maybe it's what's being proposed or maybe not, but the back and forth bickering is aggravating as hell when these people are getting paid by us to come up with SOLUTIONS.

I'm not sure how you put what some call partisan bickering aside and then still have a 'discussion' of what needs to happen. I guess it depends on what you think partisan bickering is, but in general, it is an honest difference of opinion.

For instance (in general):
Conservatives do not want a public option
Liberals will not support a plan without a public option

This is a complete difference of opinion, both sides are entrenched in thier position, call it what you want, this will continue.

Obama's partisan bickering statement was for the crowds at home. He would have done better if it wasn't followed up by his own version of partisan bickering.

Dan

 

[somarco]

There are plenty of ideas floating around that will work and don't involve more govt bureaucracy. Problem is, no one wants to implement them.

Here are a couple.

Tax people with unhealthy lifestyles. Over 70% of chronic illness is directly attributable to lifestyle issues and account for 40% of health care expenditures. When lifestyles change, total spending on health care drops.

Eliminate state and federal mandates. That will reduce premiums by 20 - 30% overnight.

How many folks in Obamington are talking about either of these?

Not a damn one.

 

[briko3]

First of all, I call "bickering" the political 'crap' that keeps true discussion from happening. Forget what you think will get you elected next time or what you think will please your party colleagues and actually do what YOU think is right. You could see it last night on both sides. Most of our leaders look to one or two people to even know when to clap or stand. There were a few that would stand alone when they agreed on something, but you could see a few people that whenever they stood, within seconds, everyone else in that party would stand as well. I just wish these people would think for themselves. Afterall, what's the point in electing and paying so many if only a few are making the real decisions.

As far as the charging more for lifestyle, I agree. The problem is that people like Rush Limbaugh would throw such a hissy fit that it would NEVER happen.
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Hell, get rid of tobacco or tax it in to oblivion. That too would lower costs. Problem is this is still a free country and we can choose to be destructive if we want to.

 

[Winter_123]

First of all, I call "bickering" the political 'crap' that keeps true discussion from happening. Forget what you think will get you elected next time or what you think will please your party colleagues and actually do what YOU think is right. You could see it last night on both sides. Most of our leaders look to one or two people to even know when to clap or stand. There were a few that would stand alone when they agreed on something, but you could see a few people that whenever they stood, within seconds, everyone else in that party would stand as well. I just wish these people would think for themselves. Afterall, what's the point in electing and paying so many if only a few are making the real decisions.

As far as the charging more for lifestyle, I agree. The problem is that people like Rush Limbaugh would throw such a hissy fit that it would NEVER happen.
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Hell, get rid of tobacco or tax it in to oblivion. That too would lower costs. Problem is this is still a free country and we can choose to be destructive if we want to.

I can agree that people need to think for themselves. I can agree that there needs to be many leaders. I can agree that people need to offer solutions into the mix along the way.

I cannot however give Obama a pass here. He campaigned for a year and he has been prezbo for nine months yet he has no frigging bill whatsoever on the floor of either house that he sponsored and which contains language and recommendations that he stands by. None. You press him on the details and he goes back into campaign mode again and hits the speaking circuit.

No president with either legislative or executive management experience in their right mind would take one of their major administration goals and try to accomplish it by just telling Congress to go off and come back with something good. That is nuts. A total, total abdication of leadership.