Health Care Reform: Dems Push For Key Benefits To Start In 2010

Politico:

Democrats are pushing Senate leaders and the White House to speed up key benefits in the health reform bill to 2010, eager to give the party something to show taxpayers for their $900 billion investment in an election year.

The most significant changes to the health care system wouldn't kick in until 2013 -- two election cycles away. With Republicans expected to make next year a referendum on health care reform, Democrats are quietly lobbying to push up the effective dates on popular programs, so they'll have something to run on in the congressional midterms.

Read the whole story: Politico

Comments

[middleoftheroad]

part of how this is supposedly deficit neutral is they are going to collect taxes before it kicks is... that's how Obama can say it won't add to it in the first decade... now how will they fudge the math

[nick1936]

come on nancy show those old men how a woman handels the tough things start 01/01/10

[WTxIndependent]

Democrats better not buckle on this like they did the approval for the Iraq war or we'll end up with the same mess in 10 years.

[Greg Petty]

They did not buckle,they were given dishonest intell from your beloved Bush/ Cheney combo

[Mikeeee]

All benefits should start Jan 1/10.

[rosiebond007]

Absolutely - get cracking on this!

Need more hands to the deck? Hire more people - sounds like jobs to me !!

[MaryanneAZ]

This Bill is about life and death. Literally. This is not a political game. My very life depends on it! As a newly approved SSDI (soc. sec. disability ins.) beneficiary, I learned that I am NOT eligible for Medicare for TWO FULL YEARS from my approval date. Guess what? Cobra coverage is too expensive to purchase on a SSDI income. Private insurance would be equally too expensive or leave me grossly underinsured. This is no joke. I do not care about their political wrangling. This is about my life, and the lives of so many hard-working American citizens. It's time our Government worked for us just because it is their job.

[loki]

whatever happened to the good old days that laws went into effect the minute they were signed into law? When did they start giving a couple year grace period so companies could figure out how to best utilize the loopholes put in the laws now?

[Coinyer101]

I say put the whole thing off forever, and start over on something that will actually work. Single-payer is the only way to go....,

[loki]

Agreed...
But when your dealing with ivy greed capitalist, it isnt going to happen.

[MaryanneAZ]

I personally do not want to forego the good in pursuit of the perfect Bill. My life literally depends on some real changes a lot sooner than single payer could be fought for and enacted.

[yvonne61]

Nancy bring it on soon as possible do what you do best. F the PARTY OF NO IDEAS

[viper234]

This isn't about getting real health care reform to the American people. These clowns who've destroyed this country are trying to hold and consolidate power, so now they want to use a few pieces of proposed health care legislation to try to affect the outcome of the Nov. 3rd elections where key seats are up for grabs in Congress, Governors' mansions are at stake in NJ and VA, and major mayoral elections will be taking place. Rather than concentrate on delivering the best health care reform with a powerful public option to all Americans that could start generating jobs at a time when people are desperate for work, these politicians are sitting around playing checkers with "voting blocks," figuring if they talk about throwing seniors a bone as well as tossing a bone to small businesses who were burned to death by "Too Big to Fail" government protection for Wall Street, they'll help their buddies and cronies keep or gain political office. Then, once they've manipulated the voters, they'll make lame excuses about why they can't throw seniors and small businesses the bones they promised. They'll say "Don't worry though, everyone will get a bone just as soon as all of us in Congress eat prime rib." Serious, third party candidates, America is finally ready for you!!!!!!!!!!

[HSimpson]

D@mn!! I wish I w@s s0ber enough to speII it out the w@y you just did!

(tender put this guy's drink on my t@b)

[loki]

Well, when the teachings of the ivy greed system sets capitalist of greed up to snowball into larger and larger events of failure, they have to do whatever they can to keep on top.

Something Ive been wondering about. We really are not a democracy, or even a republic as the Constitution says. See, leaders are not elected byt he number of votes. Leaders are determined on how much money they have. Im not talking about how much one of the puppet politicians spend to get the votes to be elected. Its the wealthy person with the money. And it doesnt matter how they made the money. Legally, illegally? even if they beat up old woman and disabled children and stole it, dont matter. Just as long as they have it is all that matters. These are the people who tell our politicians what to do and how to do it. Politicians are only a public front for the wealthy who call the shots. We are more a dictatorship than a democracy , thats apparently. We are nothing short of a true oligarchy. The rest of it, our elections, our politicians, are all smoke and mirrors. If it wasnt, do you think the health insurance reform would be so hard to make happen? No one would be spending over a half BILLION dollars fighting any reform and buying politicians votes. Nope, we a true Oligarchy.

[puc4u2]

That would be the NE Ivy leaguers which are democrats that skipped the class on ethics. The greed was in NY a democratic state. Look in the mirror Democrats; you don't like what you see because you were asleep at the wheel while in power during GW's days. In fact, a few of your senators were taking favorable loans and campaign contributions from these wonderful Wall Street executives so you could look the other way. I am glad the oversight committee is subpoenaing the records of all the loans for the friends Angel Mozilla.

[MercyOtis]

This is why we have a system of corporatism: politicians and big business in bed together. One has the money, the other the power and they make sure it stays that way. That is why they need to be completely separated.

[RTIII]

Close, it's actually a fascist system - the merger of state and business power.
.

[MaryanneAZ]

A Third Party candidate is a loser. We are so splintered even within the two major Parties that a Third Party would be a waste of votes. Who would member a Third Party and what would be their platform? Several alternate Parties already exist, and they haven't made a dent in their years of existence. Vote Third Party and waste your vote. Meanwhile, back at the WH, someone from a major Party will be the President.

[Grannysue]

Of course it should go into affect in 2010 otherwise you'll have the right wing nutbags putting forth all kinds of ammendments to stop it. And to the twit who asked "why do Americans deserve quality healthcare"? Becasue numbnuts it's like air, you need it to live why should it be handed out to some and not others, based on what criteria..­..wealth?

[HSimpson]

In the first pIace.....­.right wing nutb@gs can put forth anything they want and it gets tossed out without even a quick read through, Dems control both houses and thats the nature of the game. ..........­So there won't be any consideration of any right wing nutb@g amendments.

Second....­the word "deserves" implies that someone has done some"thing" which would qualify them as a recipient of some reward, or prize, or in this case, benefit...­..so I was just curious as to why the author of the post feIt that Americans "deserve" free health care.

I didn't say the did not deserve it, I merely asked for an explanation.

(where'd that bottle go....)

[pragmaticdallasite]

I answered you below and you haven't answered.

If you get sick and need life-saving surgery and your insurer denies your claim, do you "deserve" to lose your entire life's savings or inheritance?

If you get sick do you "deserve" to lose all wealth you and your family has worked for?

[pragmaticdallasite]

I've given an explanation. Still waiting on your response..­......

[Lavafalls]

Free? We need reform, and we need it now. NO ONE said anything about free, just affordable and available. While a few will be subsidized, most of us will be paying for what we get.

And yes, healthcare is a right.

[swift goat pet for truth]

The best reasons why Americans deserve Healthcare:

- It will make us more competitive in the international business community.
- It will save the country money in the long run: the individuals, the states, the business community and the Federal Government. It will lower our national debt.
- Americans will be a healthier people, with improved lives across the board.

How can I say this?
Because it has done this in every industrialized country in the world.

[swift goat pet for truth]

"Deserve"

Americans pay more for healthcare than anyother country in the world.
The next most expensive country is Switzerland, and it pays 60 cents to our dollar AND covers EVERYONE, including illegal aliens.

We DESERVE the best system in the world because we ALREADY pay for it.

And we pay MORE for it BY A LOT, than any other country in the world.

[Lion24]

Opt out of the opt-out.

What a joke.

[foxisms]

The opt-out is a huge joke.
Can you imagine how many people simply don't want to pay in to the plan before hand, but will be the first to claim entitlement and want in when they require a treatment or procedure that either their own coverage denies or having no coverage makes those services too expensive for them to cover personally?
That money, will come from the general pool which people who didn't opt-out have generated.
the option of opting out of this plan will create the conditions to have it ultimately fail financially.

[RTIII]

That's not what opting out is all about. Opting out in this instance means an entire _state_ - you know, like, say, FLORIDA - deciding that it doesn't want to provide a public option for its people. The public option, meanwhile, is a cheaper option for required coverage.
.

[swift goat pet for truth]

Actually, it is not so bad, if I understand it correctly.

Hopefully, the going-in position will be everyone is "In".
States can opt out after 3 years or so.

Wanna guess what the chances of the politicians would be if they chose to opt out after 3 years?

[foxisms]

I'm all for health care reform. But we're all adults here and experience has taught us, that rarely do laws become enacted in the form we understood them to be.

[Lion24]

Americans deserve the best health care system in the world. Like the one they give to the president and Congress.

[Fred Hood]

DITTO.....­. if money is short end a war here and overseas

[RTIII]

Right, like the proverbial war on drugs, for example.
.

[HSimpson]

Just curious...­..."Americ­ans deserve the best health care system in the world"

and they deserve this why? ..........­...I gotta know

[pragmaticdallasite]

Because we have the most wealth in the world and we spend vastly more money on less noble causes.

[Lion24]

Because we have saved the world's collective @/ s/ s/ over and over again -- so that they have had the luxury to HAVE universal health care.

It's now OUR turn.

[foxisms]

Because we already pay more for health care than 36 other countries who have health care for their people, and we get less health care per dollar than they do.
From the view point of the average American taxpayer, I'd say that makes us deserving.
We deserve at least as much as the poorer of those 36 other countries have managed to provide for their people.
I'd have thought this was fairly obvious by now.

[deminmo]

Because a wealthy christian based society should live
up to the tenets they base their faith on, taking care of those
in need and who can't care for themselves. Ok, you
aren't of that persuasion, then how about because its
the right thing to do when you have the means to do it.

[HSimpson]

ReaIIy, just intrigued by the use of the word "Deserve"

[pragmaticdallasite]

If you get surgery due to a heart attack and your insurer won't cover the $100k medical bill, do you "deserve" to lose your or your family's entire life savings?

Do you "deserve" to become poor because you got sick?

[snapshot1940]

Would you feel better if it said, "Rich Americans deserve the best health care system in the world?

[stunsitfel]

You might be new here. Deserve=free handout paid by others.

[pragmaticdallasite]

Do you "deserve" to lose your life's savings or parents inheritance because you get sick?

Because if you need life saving surgery and your insurer denies the claim, that's what will happen. Do you deserve that?

[foxisms]

Semantics

[Fred Hood]

NOW TODAY

Why should we have to suffer and live in fear of the medical industrial union destroying our life's to insure their huge profits? Not to mention the 45.000 that die every 12 months for lack of care ou

[guyfrombrooklyn]

It's amazing how many conservatives jumped ship, became OVERNIGHT independents, just so they can call the President names and post quotes from communist leaders.

All the while advancing the notion of there being some nefarious plot to control the universe in play.

Were these posts RAMPANT on conservative sites - during the 43 admin - from those same "independents"?

Meanwhile.­..back in reality, the party of NO which they can no longer ADMIT to being a part of, continues to BOMBARD Americans with visions of FEAR and HATE.

Those pithy little "I don't work, I don't pay taxes, socialism for all...pay for everyone's way, etc" comments, well we know who is pictured there.

I just hope the same folks don't lose their coverage and have to scrape and beg for basic human dignity. I don't wish that on ANYONE.

Even those who deserve to KNOW what it feels like.

[snapshot1940]

While the delay may be better for financing this, it would only be a talking point for Repugs in 2010: "See, those Socialists are taxing you and you are getting nothing in return." or something similiar. Besides, it just gives the insurance CEO's more time to raid the till and jump the costs of premiums. If insurance companies are only making the 2 or 3% profi they claim, then some people are making WAY too much in wages and benefits.