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2009-11-04 Home Front: Politix

House GOP pens 230-page health bill draft

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Posted by gorb 2009-11-04 04:24|| || Front Page|| [3 views ] Top

#1 why on earth doesn't the government just provide free health care to those who are deemed un-insurable by the health care industry or too poor to pay. They aren't competing with the health care industry, because the health care industry doesn't want them. If we closed the border to mass illegal immigration there would be plenty of money to set up free clinics that anyone in the country legally could use for free. The deal is that few would use them unless they HAD to. That way, anyone could choose to wait and line and have post office style health care. You don't have to bring down the whole system for those who can pay because of those who can not.

Posted by Jumbo Slinerong5015 2009-11-04 06:14|| 2009-11-04 06:14|| Front Page Top

#2 If we closed the border to mass illegal immigration...

That's the kicker that won't happen in any manner except lots of talk and no walk. Put it up there with the feds cleaning up Medicare, VA and military health care, and the Indian Health Care. If the national government actually did their job and did it effectively, no one would object to whats being proposed now, but all they've delivered is one mess after another. There is no trust.

Posted by Procopius2k 2009-11-04 07:21|| 2009-11-04 07:21|| Front Page Top

#3 "why on earth doesn't the government just provide free health care to those who are deemed un-insurable by the health care industry or too poor to pay."

Too easy. I don't think they want coverage for all. They want to control coverage for all.

Posted by eLarson 2009-11-04 08:08|| 2009-11-04 08:08|| Front Page Top

#4 True.

Its not about providing health care for all - never was. Otherwise the Dems bill would cover all and not just half of the 'un-insured'.

Its about controlling health care. Once you control health care you have a big stick to control people. See how the Democrats often scare Seniors by threatening their medicare and social security.

How they threaten your children's education whenever something which threatens the unions come up like charter schools, vouchers, etc...

Posted by CrazyFool 2009-11-04 08:36|| 2009-11-04 08:36|| Front Page Top

#5 why on earth doesn't the government just provide free health care to those who are deemed un-insurable by the health care industry or too poor to pay.

They do by mandate. It's called the hospital emergency room.

Posted by trailing wife 2009-11-04 08:40|| 2009-11-04 08:40|| Front Page Top

#6 Yep, all those poor were being shuffled off to county and state facilities to get care, so Congress decreed no one could be denied care, without providing any funding to compensate. As a result all those emergency rooms that nearly every hospital had in the 50s, 60s, and 70s disappeared from the landscape except in county and state facilities. So now the poor go to county and state facilities just like the did before the decree, but now have to wait even longer to get attention with everyone else who now crowd the few remaining emergency rooms. If you're looking for something really 'broke' in the health care system, look no further than that and who created it.

Posted by Procopius2k 2009-11-04 09:38|| 2009-11-04 09:38|| Front Page Top

#7 regarding illegal immigration

yes it is true that many $ billions go to treat illegal immigrants; however, except for counties near the Mexican border this is a relatively minor factor

also, many of these illegal immigrants arrived in the US legally and became illegal only when they overstayed their VISA

thus it would take a decrease in legal immigration as well as illegal immigration to make much of a dent

Posted by lord garth 2009-11-04 09:48|| 2009-11-04 09:48|| Front Page Top

#8 Because it's not their job. Limited government, remember? Enumerated powers.

Not in there.

Posted by mojo 2009-11-04 10:22|| 2009-11-04 10:22|| Front Page Top

#9 Tort reform anyone?

I heard a talking head interview the other day in which some spokesman/thing for tort reform said that tort reform alone would reduce healthcare costs in the USSA by over $220 BILLION.

I guess the current healthcare proposal is more about paying off the lawyers for all of the money they throw at the dems than it is about healthcare.

Posted by James Carville 2009-11-04 10:45|| 2009-11-04 10:45|| Front Page Top

#10 The nearly 2000 page PelosiPalooza creates over 100 new bureaucracies. This isn't a healthcare bill, it's a jobs program for federal patronage.

Posted by Black Bart Ebberens7700 2009-11-04 12:00|| 2009-11-04 12:00|| Front Page Top

#11 Hillary tried to push through a health care plan that would turn the system upside down and she got slammed. Remind me again why it is we need an USSR type health care system in place of the one we have.

Posted by JohnQC 2009-11-04 17:32|| 2009-11-04 17:32|| Front Page Top

#12 yes it is true that many $ billions go to treat illegal immigrants; however, except for counties near the Mexican border this is a relatively minor factor

The border is nearly 2,000 miles long and covers 4 states. Los Angeles isn't all that close to the border, yet that county alone has closed more than 2 dozen ERs. Guess it depends on your definition of 'minor'.

Posted by Woozle Uneter9007 2009-11-04 17:37|| 2009-11-04 17:37|| Front Page Top

#13 I'd check the ER costs for counties with poultry plants, meat processing plants, high agriculture, etc., no matter how far from the border they are. I'd expect your eyes would open re: the cost to you, the taxpayer from illegal care, that the Gov't and open-border jerks (right and left) don't want you to know

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2009-11-04 17:59|| 2009-11-04 17:59|| Front Page Top

#14 also, many of these illegal immigrants arrived in the US legally and became illegal only when they overstayed their VISA

Care to cite references?

Posted by Pappy 2009-11-04 19:54|| 2009-11-04 19:54|| Front Page Top

#15 Does it matter HOW they became illegal? They're illegal, send them home for their medical care.

Posted by Glenmore 2009-11-04 20:12|| 2009-11-04 20:12|| Front Page Top

#16 the "past-visa" thing is a minuscule amount of the illegals. Pappy's right

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2009-11-04 20:22|| 2009-11-04 20:22|| Front Page Top

#17 'Visa overstayers' fuel illegal population
There's been a lot of talk lately about people who have illegally crossed the Mexican border to enter the U.S. But they represent only about half of the estimated 12million illegal immigrants in this country.

An estimated 4million to 6million are so-called "visa overstayers," foreign nationals who entered the U.S. legally and never went home.

So 1/3 or 1/2 if you believe the 12 million illegal alien figure. I believe it's closer to the 20 million mark than 12.

Posted by ed 2009-11-04 20:43|| 2009-11-04 20:43|| Front Page Top

#18 the 20 million is lowball pre-latest-exodus. I refuse to believe the number that didn't leave after visa expiration is that much of a factor, consider offspring, illegally-imported relatives, et al

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2009-11-04 22:03|| 2009-11-04 22:03|| Front Page Top

#19 230 effing pages? WTF? Depending on your font and type size, how many pages would the following require:

1) create a national market in health insurance, open to foreign firms as well

2) eliminate state micro-management of health insurance

3) implement radical tort reform

4) establish total federal tax code neutrality on health care and insurance - no preferences, no subsidies (personal AND corporate tax codes)

Perhaps a few other things, all of them directed towards reconnecting consumers and prices in the health care sector.

Ta-dah! For the billionth time in human history, market behavior maximizes welfare and reduces costs. Really, really hard to figure out.

Medicare, Medicaid, VA all require their own fixes to establish solvency.

Oh, about that "universal" coverage thing. Uh, dudes, pretty obvious. Vouchers. Especially in a freed up market, vouchers for health insurance would easily provide more than adequate coverage for the indigent.

Do we build special stores for food stamp beneficiaries? Does federal financial aid for college end up controlling the lives and choices and finances of those who receive no aid? Do we have special stores, homes, and service locations for Social Security beneficiaries?

Uh - no to all the above.

There isn't anything remotely resembling a "crisis" in health care. There are financial problems, entirely the result of regulatory dysfunction. Covering the "uninsured" is as easy as feeding food stamp recipients. You give them chits. They go use them in the real economy. Presto - food security.

WTF am I missing?

Posted by Verlaine 2009-11-04 23:21|| 2009-11-04 23:21|| Front Page Top

#20 Massive government beaurocracy and control?

Posted by gorb 2009-11-04 23:30|| 2009-11-04 23:30|| Front Page Top

23:57 trailing wife
23:30 gorb
23:21 Verlaine
23:18 gorb
23:14 trailing wife
23:03 Verlaine
22:59 Eric Jablow
22:46 OldSpook
22:35 Woozle Uneter9007
22:09 Glenmore
22:03 Frank G
21:53 Barbara Skolaut
21:52 DMFD
21:51 3dc
21:49 Barbara Skolaut
21:48 3dc
21:48 tipper
21:46 tipper
21:45 3dc
21:41 Clyde Snoling5928
21:39 Woozle Uneter9007
21:37 Clyde Snoling5928
21:35 Clyde Snoling5928
21:34 Barbara Skolaut