Posts
I just finished watching the President as he spoke at a Town Hall meeting in New Hampshire. I think he is finally getting the message that the Republicans are not remotely interested in bi-partisanship and are out to defeat every proposal he makes; even when it was originally their idea. If people would just pay attention to their hypocrisy the next election would be a cake-walk for the Democrats.
The Republicans complain that they have good ideas for health care reform and that they are ignored. I have not studied their proposals in depth, but it seems obvious that the only two reforms that they have offered are patently unworkable.
The first one they love is Tort Reform. (Lawyers give more money to the Democrats than the Republicans). It's not a new idea and has been tried in several states over a period of years. I wrote about that in a previous blog so I will just state that it has been proven to be a failure in bringing down the cost of health care. Their argument should be with the Insurance companies for the outrageous premiums charged to the doctors.
The second reform the Repubs. are gung-ho about is being able to buy insurance coverage across State lines. I will admit that I have not read an analysis on how this would work, but it seems to me that there would be a big problem with the 'States Rights' that they are so fond of. For example, a couple buy health insurance from a provider in Airzona because the premiums are cheaper and they live in a state where the cost of hospitalization is higher than that of Arizona. Then one member of the household has a catastrophic illness that exceeds the amount allowed by the Arizona insurance company. The couple are unable to pay the difference and the State of their residence would have to pay the hospital's loss out of their Medicaid funds. How would this work? The state that would reap the tax revenue from the Insurance company would be the one of the issuing company, yet the State that has to pay for the remaining expense would be the one the illness occurred in. I have to admit that I am just floundering here, but I do see problems in this system.
I doubt that this reform would reduce the overall cost of health care in the long run. And without reducing the cost of health care, nothing will work. The reasoning behind this idea is that it would foster competition. I find that a trifle hard to believe considering the history of the health insurance industry. They have reams of strategists figuring out how to squeeze more money from the system and a little competition won't change that. It would take real competition from a low cost government system that anyone can join to make them lower their premiums.
(Did you say Public Option?)
Will some Republican explain to me how either one of their proposals will solve the problem of insuring everyone or bringing down the obscene cost of our health care? Some idiots actually have made the claim that the Republican plan would cost nothing and insure everyone. How well did that work with their Prescription Drug plan? I quit believing in the tooth fairy and Santa Claus a long time ago, but apparently some of our Republican Congressmen haven't given up dreaming the impossible.
Two other things that gall me about the Republican claim. They still maintain that we have the best health care system in the world. If you are a member of Congress, that is true. (Of course, they have a government run system.) However, for 95% of Americans our system stinks.
So until you can come up with a workable system for health care reform will you Republicans please just shut up and get out of the way.
18 comments:
Thank you, Darlene! It makes no sense to me, either.
A long time ago, I lived in NY, but got very sick while on a business trip in California. I had Aetna insurance through my work. Company's home office was in LA. PS: CA hospital would not admit me through the ER because I had out-of-state insurance even though the insurance company and the company holding the policy were based in CA. It was a Friday night, and they couldn't confirm my coverage until Monday. By then, I could have been dead. Instead, I took a flight to NY and went directly to a hospital near my home. No problem there. Go figure.
I still have faith in Obama, but I am getting a little bit impatient with his obsession for bi-partisanship. I hope he's ready to give up on that, and get healthcare and other things passed right away.
*Paula - How terrible that you had to fly while sick across the U. S. to be treated. Insurance companies are heartless.
*Betty - Obama is beginning to get the message now, I believe. He is pointing out that the things the Republicans blame on him actually happened on their watch.
Hi Darlene. First thanks for your visit and comment at Politics Plus. I like what I see here.
On topic, you said, The second reform the Repuglicans are gung ho about is being able to buy insurance coverage over state lines.
Here's what they are up to. At present the only regulation providing any consumer protection at all is at the state level. Allowing insurance sales across state lines enables the companies to locate only in stated with no consumer protection, thereby avoiding what little regulation there is. This GOP idea allows big insurance even more power to abuse their customers.
*Tom Cat - Thank you so much for your visit and for your information.
Those Red Repugnant Republican pachyderms are really devious, aren't they? Talk about a sneak ploy. Yikes!
You're welcome, Darlene. Sneaky is right, but they're caught between a rock and a hard place. If they told the truth, nobody in their right mind would vote for them.
I feel the same way. Forget bipartisanship. How do you find it with people who go around saying Obama is a socialist or was born in Kenya or a lot of other distractions that they are told by fox or their leaders and they believe? It's a waste of time and took the summer trying to get them to agree to something. They won't even agree to what they once wanted. Incidentally the health care measure supposedly did address allowing insurance companies to sell across state lines. It won't bring down prices and it's not their real plan. Their real plan is say enough outrageous things to make their mind-numbed robots quit thinking and it appears to be working according to the last poll I saw. They feed each other this garbage and you know what they say-- garbage in garbage out. I only hope Obama gets it because they only want him to lose. That's their agenda period so they can put in someone like Sarah Palin who they think knows more than he does. yeah right... and maybe they do still believe in the tooth fairy...
*Tom Cat - No one in "their right mind" would vote for them now. ;-)
*Rain - As usual, you are 'right on.'
...will you Republicans please just shut up and get out of the way..
You are a gentler person than I, Darlene, I would have written, "...will you Republicans please just shut the hell up and get out of the way!" :)
Darlene...I agree with everything la peregrina said....and the way she said it. LOL
I'm just getting a little frustrated by all of this...
*la peregrina - I like your way better.
*Joy Des Jardins - See above. You are only a LITTLE frustrated?
Darlene I have been reading all your last posts and laughing at the jokes you published. I am not laughing at the state of this country though. Most people don’t have the time, or don’t want to take the time to study what is going on and vote for what is best for this country, they even vote against their own interests. The problem is that the shouting minority only listens to Faux News and the rest of the belligerent commentators. I worked in a corporation where everyone in the department was to the right of Bush. They would not consider any other network than Faux News and despised the New York Times and other publications. As long as anything was proposed by the Democrats – it was wrong. These people would never read your blog and if they did they would say you are lying. It is almost like a cult – they are totally brainwashed, but they still call themselves patriots as they push the country downward. Now that international corporations can influence the voters with their money, will it ever get better?
You go, girl! I wish the Rep's would shut up and move out of the way.
I'm having migraine # 3987 from the Republicans and their antics. Very good article, Darlene.
Darlene, I stand corrected. Rain, while the House health plan allows insurance companies to sell across state lines, it does so in thew context of a highly regulated national exchange. The GOP non-plan allows them to do so unfettered by regulation.
*Vagabonde - I think you have the right name for the tea party no-nothings. They are a cult. They parrot the Becks, Limbaughs, etc. and don't even understand what they are saying. Ignorance rules!
*Looking to the Stars - I'M trying to "GO". Sometimes I run out of steam, though. ;-)
*tnlib - Thank you for your visit and comment. I do hope you will return.
Take 2 aspirin and turn off the TV for that headache. ;-)
*Tom Cat- Thanks for the correction.
Right on, Darlene. I hope they're listening to you--probably not though, eh?
*Snowbrush - How nice of you to visit. I do hope you will come back. You are sooo right; I am preaching to the Choir. If the tea party types tuned in they would not believe me anyhow. You know what they say; a closed mind is like a closed door. Nothing can get through it. Hopeless, isn't it?
Post a Comment