Obama's Health Care Strategy Revealed

New York Times:

Sometime in the next few weeks, Congress and the White House will descend into the labyrinthine politics of comprehensive health care reform. For Barack Obama, this signals the end, in a sense, of the eventful prologue to his presidency. Impressive as they are, Obama's legislative victories to this point - most notably the $787 billion stimulus bill and a stunningly ambitious $3.6 trillion budget resolution - have been relatively easy lifts for a popular new president installed at a time of economic crisis and buffered by comfortable majorities in the House and Senate.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[Prakosh]

The head of Google sure got Chris Wallace to change the subject today when he said that healthcare reform is not only imperative but it has to be done this year. He said that the cost of healthcare has crippled business and that it is going to go up far to fast for business to wait another two years for it. He said that it must be done and it must be done now!!! Something that Wallace wasn't ready to hear or even deal with.

[mauibob]

I just recently voluntarily added a healthcare plan for my employees. I offered the 2 employees not covered by their spouses plan to pay all but $75/month of their plans. Neither of the 2 employees have health insurance and I assumed they would love the opportunity to be covered for less than 50 cents per hour. Wrong. Neither wanted it and preferred to go uninsured. These employees by the way make $12 per hour, not minimum wage. People who refuse company healthcare should not be covered by any taxpayer sponsored plan.

[Prakosh]

Too bad you aren't giving us any details except what they would have to pay. It might be more explanatory if you gave things like deductible, and the costs for basic things like doctors visits and how much you were paying for your share of the plan. In addition, you act like $12 an hour is some kind of super wage, it might be in Mississippi or somewhere else in the deep South but in other places it is not much at all. Sewer workers make $22 to $24 an hour where I am. Without more information your claim is not much more than propaganda. Give us all the facts. Instead of using this anecdote to make the point that some people at the bottom of the wage scale don't want to pay part of their earnings for health insurance.

[anothervoice2]

right.

[IndelibleVoice]

If healthcare reform were a pipe dream, the right wouldn't be in such a panicky uproar. Their reaction is a great way to gauge America's progress on the issue. The more defensive conservatives become in their criticism and worn-out attacks, the closer we are to covering every citizen, cutting out the greedy middle-men and offering a comprehensive public option!

Gauge progress by the smell of GOP desperation!

[RonGallion]

Name one country that socialized health care works well?
What country does the world come to for instant health care?
Why do you have wealth envoy?
Perhaps the so called worn out attacks are good questions that have not been answered.
Name one program that the US government runs well and efficient.
The whole premise of socialized health care will be so expensive and care will plummet along with technologies and pharmaceuticals. The astounding leaps in treatments will be a thing of the past. The socialized health system will be bloated with cost over runs and taxes will sky rocket.
Sounds expensive for free care.

[Prakosh]

We can't be sure what you mean by "well" but since we rank number 37th by the WHO, we can name 36 countries where such health care works better than ours.

[swift goat pet for truth]

Medicare runs way better than any HMO.

And VHA runs way better than Medicare. (VHA is NOT the VA - Walter Reed debacle).

And with GM, Lehman Bros, Polaroid, Pan Am Airlines, CitiGroup, I do not think one can point to companies as paragons of efficiency either. The fact is, those are EASY businesses to run. The enterprises left to the Government are MUCH more difficult. AND government is not allowed to fail the way businesses are.

Why would socialized care be expensive and care plummet? In every other civilized country in the world, the care is cheaper and better.

As for pharmaceuticals, more breakthroughs in this area are made by National Institute of Health (government funded) than by private industries. Private industries are interested in the next Viagra and the next version of Claratin.

You really do not sound like you are up on the issues.
Too much right wing radio.

[BushMustDisarm]

It's about time that the US adopts Universal Health Care for all. We are the only industrialized nation that does not offer health care access to all citizens.
Since I lost my job, I've been paying over $400 for Cobra Insurance and I am single. I can't imagine how much people with children are paying for Cobra.
Show your support for universal health care by visiting http://www.thehealthforum.org/health-insurance-issues/225-universal-healthcare-anyone.html and participating in the poll.

[libmenace2012]

YEA!! Socialist healthcare for everyone!!!

[mouselion]

Boo! Selishness. Great healthcare for those who are wealthy, rationed healthcare for the rest, or not at all.

[anothervoice2]

Or Corporate socialist healthcare as it stands today? Yeah, the private HMO profit preservation plan!!! Health insurance for their customers if they feel like it! Otherwise tough luck!

[Hank007]

Another evil of keeping health care in the hands of the private insurers is having American medical records stored all over the world. When your doctor calls your insurance company to give/gt information, more of ten than not he's speaking to someone in India, who in some cases is the person deciding whether or not you're covered for a procedure, or if your doctor will get paid for one he's performed. And believe me, these are not the people you want in control of your information.

[jetphixer]

Why do these people keep trying to re-invent the wheel ? Why don't they just model it after either France or Brazil Those are the 2 BEST health care system in the world . OH i forgot there is no profit in there insurance system...

[TJCole]

Yup cut the profit built in by the insurance companies and you cut 30-33% right there...!

[000Jade000]

House single payer hearing set:

http://www.singlepayeraction.org/blog/?p=883

[Prakosh]

Alright!!!

Yes We Can!!!! Yes We Can!!!!

[jordan3189]

So this will be paid by some sort of payroll tax, right? So it's another tax on the poor.

[jetphixer]

If my taxes increased 200$s a mo an i did not have to purchase health care ins i would be ahead of the game..... Nuff Said

[IndelibleVoice]

At least this tax would go to something that actually directly benefits the working poor! I think that's what the neocons are so afraid of...

[swift goat pet for truth]

1- Not true.

2- Since when, if ever, did you care for the poor?

[motodude]

1/6 of Americans are excluded from health insurance.

If 1/6 of car insurance customers were excluded from coverage how long would it be until the revolution started?

The healthcare industry has failed miserably.

It needs to fixed. Don't let insurers and republicans ruin reform.

[TJCole]

Obama is gonna put lipstick on this pig and sell it to the lemmings before the ether wears off and then we'll be stuck with it for decades and never get real health care reform...!

It's as simple as that...

[drricklippin]

The President's direct engagement on health care reform now is imperative. This president was elected on and,I believe, is still committed to a change agenda.

US Health Care is terribly broken and unsustainable. Besides its moral failures of not providing some coverage to all US citizens, not reforming it now threatens our entire US economy. Tinkering with this very broken system is not enough and Obama and his team know that.We need the level of bold change in health care as we are applying to energy policy and to the environment. Nothing less will carry the day.

Join our president over the next several weeks and months as he puts forth more details. Congress alone regrettably will not do the job it should on this issue.

So this popular President and the people who elected him must.

Dr. Rick Lippin
Southampton,Pa
http://medicalcrises.blogspot.com

[TJCole]

We're rated 37th in the world in health care by the W.H. O. right now Doc, yet the right and media keep sayin how we have the best health care in the world...

How do we square that, and how can we even proceed if we are not honest as to the reality of things...?

[Coinyer101]

I hold little optimism, when single-payer advocates have to shout from the audience to be heard....,

[000Jade000]

You mean shouting like this:

http://www.singlepayeraction.org/blog/?p=827

?

No worries, people are NOT giving up the fight:

http://www.seiu775.org/

Rally outside Baucus' Montana office this past Fri:
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2009/06/05/bnews/br70.txt

Outside Baucus fundraiser:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3wXPwdgcqA

[PlaceboStudman]

I know I only speak for myself here, but I long for the day when we stop talking about the size of people's wallets (reflected by insurance costs) and start talking about quality of life issues (reflected by medicine and technology R&D)

[desertman]

Whenever I see health care numbers comparing us with Japan or Europe I get upset because it is so unfair.

Just two of the many reasons that we have these problems are: We are supporting a huge number of illegal immigrants and all the diseases that they bring into this country. Plus, we have an out-of-control legal system that sues the medical profession for enormous amounts of money, most of which goes to the attorneys. I only ask, where are the new medical breakthrough coming from and where do people in the world go if they want the best health care available? The U.S., of course.”

[Chaimirija]

illegals immigrants have little to do with it
lawsuits have little to do with it

root causes? 1) only about half of procedures and testing based on evidence
2) for profit middlemen

it is not really true about us being the best...the confidence men just act that way

[hark]

Your facts are wrong. The problems we have are not the diseases of the immigrants nor the baseless medical lawsuits. You need to do your own research and stop swallowing propaganda from the people who are making a fortune on this bloated system.

We probably have the top technology and care for those who can get access to it and afford it, but to the average American, our health care system is below that of other advanced nations. Just check the outcomes. And it's a lot more expensive. And we don't cover 50 million people.

[Ubikwity]

Hark, you say that desertman's facts are wrong but where are YOU getting your facts from? Do you not agree that people who cannot pay for health care, and do not pay taxes are a burden on the health care industry and taxpayers as well? Do you not think the enormous amount doctors pay in malpractice premiums affect what they charge and in turn insurance companies and patients are asked to pay?

And what do you mean "to the average American, our health care system is below that of other advanced nations"? What do you base that on? Because I work in the health care industry I see people coming from all over the world to take advantage of our health care system. As an average American and cancer survivor, I had the best medical care in the world, and for that I'm extremely grateful. Patients come from all over the globe to get the kind of treatment I had.

I think that you just might be the one swallowing propaganda. Use your own mind and really think this through.

[levibatgirl]

Baloney

[Ubikwity]

As one who works in the health care industry, I can assure all that lawsuits are what drives up the cost of the incredibly expensive malpractice premiums, which in turn are paid by the patients.

And why not consider addressing the burdens our illegal population puts on the U.S. health care system? Hospitals are closing in our area due to the high cost of caring for the uninsured illegal immigrants--they just can't continue to give free care. Surely when we address the illegal immigrant situation, that would help control costs.

I do agree with you desertman, and can't understand why very few on the HP message boards simply will not consider your point of view.

[jjasonham]

I can't understand why you think that these two problems are the only things driving up the cost of healthcare. Do you think that controlling lawsuit costs and addressing the illegal population will make 47 million americans become insured? You're being disingenuous by saying that the HP message board doesn't want to fix this simply because they point out it is not the root issue of our healthcare problem.

[Hank007]

Wrong, wrong, and uh, wrong. The cost of our health care system is eaten up by insurance company profits. You have a middle man between you and your doctor, and his job is to get your doctor to give you as little treatment as possible, so his boss can get richer. Illegal aliens are barely a blip in terms of cost, as most avoid hospitals and doctors to avoid deportation, and lawsuits account for less then 1% of medical costs. And 'the legal system' doesn't sue anyone, injured patients sue bad doctors and insurance companies. And no way are we still the world's leader in medicine breakthroughs. We lost that edge years ago. I work in health care, i know.

[Ubikwity]

Hank, coud you be specific? If I am misinformed, maybe you can point out which country leads the way in health care breakthroughs. Adding a link to support your statement would be helpful as well.

I don't know what area you live in, but where I live illegal aliens certainly do not avoid the hospital. The emergency rooms are choc-a-block full of them. They stand in large groups on street corners and convenience store parking lots looking for work, in plain view apparently unafraid of being deported.

And finally, as a consumer I haven't experienced sub-par treatment because of insurance company intervention. My son has severe allergies and we've had no problem getting treatment for him, including allergy shots. I've had cancer, and not only did I have the best care available to me, but the insurance company rep called me several times to see "if I needed anything," including home health care nurses or additional days in the hospital. I did meet the maximum out of pocket expenses last year and paid for them with our health care savings account and other savings (no we're not rich, we forgo nice things like iphones and play stations and SAVE our money for unexpected expenses and we did not go bankrupt). Anyway, what I'm trying to get around to is this, I am happy with our insurance and feel they've served me well. I am fearful that my choices will be limited and my costs will go up.

[themodernleader]

Repugsouto8. The British after WWII were desperate. The Socialist Government nationalized the basic industries and established price and wage controls and emplaced national health care using the same disciplinary measures. Also, they borrowed money form the U.S. for rebuilding their bombed out industries and feeding a starving population. Our last vestegiges of borrowing are being wantonly squandered on our corrupt banks and banksters. We pretend that we are in a recession that can be relieved by simply borrowing, printing and spending money on more manufactured products imported from flourishing, growing organizations. We have leadership comparable to the declining years of the USSR, except for the totalitarian aspects. Our democracy was hyjacked by powerful financial and trade lobbyists three decades ago. Since then the decision making has been for the interests that have virtually destroyed our manufactur­ing-techno­logy and middle-class- independent people. The knowledge used to make decisions has been abridged and corrupted for the benefit of those powerful interests, and there appears no way to recover from their destructive, deadly embrace. Government of, by and for the people is no more. That is my heart broken assessment.