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| Socialized Medicine ? |
| 2009-02-26 |
| President Obama is proposing to begin a vast expansion of the U.S. health-care system by creating a $634 billion reserve fund over the next decade, launching an overhaul that most experts project will ultimately cost at least $1 trillion. The "reserve fund" in the budget proposal being released today is Obama's attempt to demonstrate how the country could extend health insurance to millions more Americans and at the same time begin to control escalating medical bills that threaten the solvency of families, businesses and the government. Obama aims to make a "very substantial down payment" toward universal coverage by trimming tax breaks for the wealthy and squeezing payments to insurers, hospitals, doctors and drug manufacturers, a senior administration official said yesterday. Embedded in the budget figures are key policy changes that the administration argues would improve the quality of care and bring much-needed efficiency to a health system that costs $2.3 trillion a year. By first identifying a large pot of money to underwrite health-care reform -- before laying out a proposal on who would be covered or how -- Obama hopes to draw Congress to the bargaining table to tackle the details of a comprehensive plan. The strategy is largely intended to avoid the mistakes of the Clinton administration, which crafted an extensive proposal in secret for many months before delivering the finished product to lawmakers, who quickly rejected it. "We aim to get to universal coverage," administration budget aide Keith Fontenot told health-care activists last night. Obama is "open to any ideas people want to put forward. He wants to work openly with the Congress in a very inclusive process." Reagan's Warning |
| Posted by:GolfBravoUSMC |
| #13 Lenin demanded that the middle class be smashed. It's the classic first step in revolution. |
| Posted by: lotp 2009-02-26 18:07 |
| #12 He is going to bankrupt the country as quickly as possible. Swine. Socialist swine. |
| Posted by: remoteman 2009-02-26 18:01 |
| #11 Well you're lucky Dr. Steve. At least you can heal thyself. The rest of the peasants, SOL. BTW, you can bet there will be clinic/hospitals for Inner Party members only. |
| Posted by: ed 2009-02-26 17:51 |
| #10 Here's one I left: My Brother-in-law the widower had a suspicious spot on his leg. We told him to get it checked as soon as he returned to England. 6 weeks to get appointment with dermatologist. Scheduled him for biopsy. 6 weeks to get Biopsy. 6 weeks to get the results. Positive for melanoma They were going to schedule him for the surgery in 6 more weeks. We went ballistic and had him demand it be removed immediately. So far he has survived. These people are like sheep and trust National Health because that's all they've known for 60 years. Besides it's FREE. Note: More than a quarter of a million Brits fly to India for surgery each year. This includes hip replacements, heart surgery, etc. |
| Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC 2009-02-26 17:14 |
| #9 My wife, KiloBravo is from England and has a large extended family there. The horror stories from the in-laws would curl your toes. Here a re just a few. Uncle with blood in his urine - 6 months to get treated. Uncle with failing health - gave him B-12 shots. Messed around for months, finally gave him Barium Enema to check for cancer. negative.(Ancient test no longer used in states) He went private and they found colon cancer, treated and survived in spite of NH. Sister-in-law came back from Amazon cruise feeling poorly, they treated her for tropical diseases for months, she died of undiagnosed cancer. Mother-in-law broke toes, not treated properly, deformed toes, hard to walk. Mother-in-law broke wrist because of deformed foot problem, not treated properly, now deformed wrist. I go go on and on and on. |
| Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC 2009-02-26 17:03 |
| #8 Wait a minute. He's gonna spend $1 trillion to reduce costs? Wouldn't a far more effect way to reduce costs be to just not spend that $1 trillion? Am I missing something here? I mean, whose costs are gonna be reduced? Certainly not the people who have to come up with that $1 trillion. Huh? |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2009-02-26 16:32 |
| #7 All of what everyone has said and more. I read a few blogs written by British docs in the NHS system. The level of pessimism, cynicism and anger has to be read to be believed. No way in the world do I want to practice medicine in such a system. I'm not yet old enough to retire (and my 401K is shrinking rapidly) so I'm going to have a problem. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2009-02-26 11:34 |
| #6 Socialized medicine = age and procedure rationing = declining boomer longevity = compressed actuarial tables, immediate and long term Social Security and Medicare savings. What's not to like?.....unless you're senior or plan on living beyond retirement? |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-02-26 09:42 |
| #5 Cost controls lead to shortages, less doctors, less medicines, less insurers, less hospitals. Punishing the wealthy means less wealth will be created. Efficiency comes from competition, not government regulation. Also the major question of moral hazard, is it wise (or moral) for the government to makes healthy taxpayers pay for the treatment of those who haven't watched their health? Won't it encourage more people to make bad health decisions as someone else will pay? |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles the flatulent 2009-02-26 09:32 |
| #4 It's not just medicine, it's everything! Personal wealth and savings, 401k, IRA, intestment, private interprise, "the man," etc. are the ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE! They must be extinguished to establish a level playing field for all, a new O'beginning where all are equal in the sight of The One! All work and investment must be directed by and to the Government as it knows best! "begins with a broad assessment of life in America in 2008, and life is not good: we’re a divided country, we’re a country that is “just downright mean,” we are “guided by fear,” we’re a nation of cynics, sloths, and complacents. “We have become a nation of struggling folks who are barely making it every day,” she said, as heads bobbed in the pews. “Folks are just jammed up, and it’s gotten worse over my lifetime. And, doggone it, I’m young. Forty-four!” Michelle Obama quotes, from New Yorker Magazine. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-02-26 09:11 |
| #3 Lets put congress and the White House on it first! |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2009-02-26 09:03 |
| #2 My wife just returned from a visit to the UK. It's amazing the number of 1st hand horror stories she got in a week. Things like a broken shoulder taped up and any MRI scheduled 6 weeks later. God awful. Just what the Obamanation wants for us. |
| Posted by: AlanC 2009-02-26 08:43 |
| #1 I can't see this working. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles the flatulent 2009-02-26 08:39 |