Bill Frist: Obama Health Plan "Is Not Socialized Medicine" (VIDEO)

Former Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) said Thursday that Obama's plan to overhaul the country's health care system is not socialized medicine. The Republican lawmaker, who worked as a doctor for the British National Health Service, delivered this message on C-SPAN this morning.

"What the Obama administration is doing is not socialized medicine," Frist said. "Socialized medicine is where the government owns the hospitals, owns the doctors, and decides how people get paid."

ThinkProgress has the clip:

H/T: ThinkProgress

Comments

[Olisar]

Conscience is an open wound, only truth can heal it.
Dr. Frist just won my respect.

[bogues]

I appreciate Mr. Frist for injecting the voice of reason into the Republican party. I know he has his own past that raises questions but he is doing the right thing now and I am grateful. Refusing to acknowledge the good he is doing now because of past disagreements, is not helpful and it keeps us from moving forward.

[MmeFlutterbye]

It's hard to trust a Republican... Remember Frist's family's notorious Columbia Health Care Company as well as his optimistic TV diagnosis of Terry Schiavo's prognosis? Maybe his endorsement of health care for all is a kind of rehab for him. Me? I think his agenda is more sinister.... after all he's a Republican.

[Blasphemy]

I don't know. Frist has been pretty proactive lately in trying to address the Tennessee "birthers" issue, and he has been outspoken in support for Obama far more than I expected. He's obviously an intelligent person, being and M.D. himself. For that I would rather give him credit and think positive, and hopeful, that he will become a strong Republican voice who can speak knowledgably about the need for reform and possibly bring more republicans to the center, and help pass meaningful reform. He's very clear that Obama's policies are NOT Socialized medicine.

[Wisconsin Dave]

Tell the people what it is, not what it is not. Namely unregulated
capitalist medicine with everything geared toward excessive profit.

[scac1]

We appreciate former senator Frist backing President Obama. Pray tell, what happened to the insider trading investigation of Frist selling shares of his family owned health care operation, before it tanked.

[hypnotoad72]

Right on both counts.

[JazzyJim]

Am I high? Did he not get the RNC/Insurance company talk points memo?

[imusintheevening]

apparently, he is gearing up to run in 2012

[SouthernBlueBelle]

These guys should all have to watch "SICK-O". People in other countries get a better shake as far as the healthcare goes.

[ComonSenseMan]

It's so weird that a Republican telling the truth sounds so odd.

[MichaelMcKLA]

No kidding. That's three rational Republicans remaining in the GOP. I thought there were only two. I'm very surprised.

[hypnotoad72]

They're not ALL bad.

Senator Grassley is another I genuinely appreciate.

[ComonSenseMan]

I didn't say anything about him being good or descent I just noted that he said something true and that is a rarity for Republicans these days. If they start calling out the crazies for what they are they could earn a little more of my respect. Every Republican who lets Steele Bachmann and Limbaugh to name a few get away with running their mouths like they do still have not earned my respect.

[hypnotoad72]

Or, rather, not bad all the time. Like the person, it's also about the issues. People agree on some, but not all...

[ladyearth]

Anytime one hears the cry "government takeover of health care," one must realize what is NOT being said is "corporate takeover of health care." We all know the results of corporate-run health care.

[Kelly Laraia]

Amazing, Frist is defending "ObamaCare" and many liberals still blast him. Geesh. Maybe as a doctor, the guy realizes the system has to be reformed and fixed.

[Photofarm]

"the guy realizes the system has to be reformed and fixed"

Actually most people agree with this, probably 98% or greater. The problem is that most of the reform and fixes that are proposed will make the system worse not better. History has shown this time and time again, get the same people keep trying to put the same failed reforms in place for the whole country instead of just a state or two.

[b1rd67]

"The problem is that most of the reform and fixes that are proposed will make the system worse not better. History has shown this time and time again..."

Really?! So are you saying that Medicare has been a total failure? Because that is the only historical example of health care reform in the United States. I can find several million senior citizens with first-hand knowledge of Medicare who will disagree with you... just ask the AARP.

On an international level, Canda, Britain and France have all reformed their health care systems, and every one of them is ranked higher than ours by the WHO.

[JazzyJim]

You mean, remove the insurance companies and lobbyists whom are muddling the efforts I assume (in concert with their paid GOP nay sayers).

[b1rd67]

"Many liberals" is a weasle term that has no qualitative or quantitative meaning. there is no context and it cannot be proven to be true or false. Like a commercial that tells you that 9 out of 10 dentists recommend chewing Trident gum. 9 out of which 10? At least in that example there is a concrete number.... how do you define many? If you're talking about the entire population then you must have read millions of posts from "liberals" blasting Frist. Or do you mean many "liberals" on this site/page/first page of posts.... and how do you know that they're liberals? Posting here is virtually anonymous... anyone can create an account. Did you go and read the posts from every one of those "many liberas' to ensure that their posting history substantiates your claim that they are in fact "liberals"? How do you define "liberal"? How do you know that they aren't just trolls trying to make "liberals" look bad?

In short, your cliam is nothing but a red herring.

[Wisconsin Dave]

Then the good doctor is not among the majority,
as 60% of America has more wealth then it needs,
a most self-complacent bunch that cares not to fight for it,
fight against it or even to think about it.

[alexdog]

"60% of America has more wealth then it needs" ??

[alfatu]

The truth is certainly a bitter pill to swallow for some. This man has worked with both systems and in a leadership position on Capitol Hill and can honestly differentiate between the two; but just because he's speaking the truth and in favor of the Obama plan some here are accusing him of having ulterior motives. Come on people. Let's face it health care reform will happen WITH a public option.

[gespenster]

Yeah, Frist comes with credentials we should all believe in.

Co-Founder of Columbia Health - who was hit with one of the BIGGEST medicare fraud lawsuits in U.S. history in the1990s. Now they are known as HCA.

IF he is behind it, you know it has to be GOOD. (Good for making MONEY for him and his buddies in the Health care industry).

[JazzyJim]

It's weird. These guys do all they can to destroy the country, make their money (so they can live in the South of France someday) and then when they realize they've created a monster and are afraid of their constituents, they grow a conscience.

[smiththomas]

He did talk about it creating rationed care and that people would die before their time for operations came up.

[vippy]

From what I heard of this bill I have to agree with Frist. It is a humdinger and I wished it would not get passed until we get PUBLIC OPTION or single payer. We are screwed once more. I can't believe
Obama will sign off on it but then he did the credit card revision as well.

[Jeff Cunningham]

Easy for you to say, Mr. Frist, since you don't have to worry about re-election or fear repricussions from party leadership. I'd have far more respect for such an opinion coming from the Republican Party if one of its elected officials said it; coming from someone who no longer holds public office doesn't really hold water to me, and it just ... considering how the tea partiers have turned on people like Sen. Graham, I don't see Frist changing many minds.

[MJinCanada]

Obviously it is easier to be sensible when the party loonies don't have you by the short ones.