Obama Takes On "Willful Misrepresentations" In Health Care Debate
In this weekend's Youtube address, President Obama attacked and set out to rebut what he called the "willful misrepresentations and outright distortions" in the health care debate:
"This is an issue of vital concern to every American, and I'm glad that so many are engaged," said Obama. "But it also should be an honest debate, not one dominated by willful misrepresentations and outright distortions, spread by the very folks who would benefit the most by keeping things exactly as they are."
GOP Rep. Price: Obama "Plays Fast And Loose With The Facts"
In this weekend's Republican address, Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) said that it's President Obama who is the one saying things that aren't true in the health care debate, even as he says he's trying to fight disinformation:
"As opposition to the Democrats' government-run health plan is mounting," said Price, "the President has said he'd like to stamp out some of the disinformation floating around out there. The problem is the President, himself, plays fast and loose with the facts."
No Obama Or Biden Events Today
President Obama is spending today with his family at Camp David. Vice President Biden is spending the weekend in Wilmington, Delaware. They do not have any public events scheduled for today.
NYT: State Department Still Using Blackwater
The New York Times reports that the State Department has continued to award $400 million in contracts to Xe, the re-branded security firm formerly known as Blackwater, for tasks such as flying diplomats around Iraq, guarding them in Afghanistan, and training security forces in antiterrorism tactics: "The contracts, one of which runs until 2011, illustrate the extent to which the United States government remains reliant on private contractors like Blackwater, now known as Xe (pronounced zee) Services, to conduct some of its most sensitive operations and protect some of its most vital assets."
Ten-Year Deficit Estimate Rises By $2 Trillion
The Associated Press reports that the Obama administration is currently projecting the ten-year budget deficit to be $9 trillion, which is $2 trillion higher than had been previously estimated. "Ten-year forecasts are volatile figures subject to change over time," the AP says, in an important caveat. "But the higher number will likely create political difficulties for President Barack Obama in Congress and could create anxiety with foreign buyers of U.S. debt."
Enzi: Health Reform Needs 75-80 Senators To Get My Vote
Roll Call reports that Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY), part of the Gang of Six negotiating health care reform, says that he will only vote for a bill if it can attract significant Republican support and 75-80 total votes. "If we have broad support in Congress, the American people will believe in what we're doing and the bill will succeed," said Enzi. "If Democrats try to shut out Republicans and moderate Democrats and jam something through Congress, the plan will fail because the American people won't have confidence in it."
At-Risk House Members More Likely To Split Votes
CQ reports that the House members most likely to break with the party leadership on key votes are those who are potentially facing tough re-election fights in 2010, and hailing from districts that are often friendly to the opposite party. This list is made up of mostly Democrats, as exemplified by Rep. Walt Minnick (D-ID), who has only voted with Democrats about 40% of the time on party-line votes. Also making the list is Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA) who has only a 58% unity score with Republicans.
Teachers Union Criticizes Obama Administration
The National Education Association, the nationwide teachers union that is normally an ally of Democrats, is now criticizing the Obama administration for relying too heavily on charter schools and standardized test scores in its reform proposals. "We urge the administration to step outside of this narrow agenda," the union said.


Xantar
August 22, 2009 1:20 PM
And this week's award for GOP Projection goes to Tom Price!
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Stiggs
August 22, 2009 4:22 PM in reply to Xantar
He doesn't like private for-profit insurance. He doesn't like public healthcare programs. Does that mean he is advocating the elimination of insurance companies in favor of nonprofit health care co-ops? I might be willing to get behind that.
It's really easy to dominate the debate when all you have to do is go on TV and make vague promises about something better than what's being proposed (especially when you get to define "better"). It's really funny how pathetic they look when they actually try to present something concrete.
We've had a budget without numbers and now we're getting a Republican healthcare reform bill without healthcare, reform or a bill. Go team "no"!
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Overreach THIS!
August 22, 2009 1:28 PM
I thought the weekly address was pretty good. Somewhat more confrontational, determined.
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plan69
August 22, 2009 5:25 PM in reply to Overreach THIS!
A sign that "bipartisan" is leaving the building. He had to give it a shot-that's how he said he was going to govern but, in the end he has to say fuck 'em if and push it through with Democrats if they're going to be dildos.
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johnmccsf
August 22, 2009 1:30 PM
Healthy San Francisco: A Public Option That Works
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/22/opinion/22dow.html?ref=opinion
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Overreach THIS!
August 22, 2009 1:34 PM
Teacher' unions are just that. They don't want better education, they want better pay and bennies for their members with fewer demands and without accountability.
Need to be willing to take them on.
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Michael A
August 22, 2009 1:48 PM in reply to Overreach THIS!
I do agree that he has to take the unions on.
I completely disagree that teacher unions don't want better education. That is completely false. The schools and education system is in desperate need of funding. Teacher's get paid squat and in many school districts they have to pay for their own supplies for students. The one's suffering due to a lack of funding are students. Teachers should get paid substantially more than they do and we need much more funding for education.
We have the repukes to thank for the sorry state of our education system. The teacher accountability bs is just an excuse, like the screams for tort reform. BS excuses to cover up cutting off funding and that is all.
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Overreach THIS!
August 22, 2009 2:17 PM in reply to Michael A
Well, it's not my forte and you must know more.
Education has been terrible in USA for a long time. This makes me think the problems are likely structural and bipartisan in nature. I have the general impression that when more funds are allocated, people want to build fancier-looking schools (pride of the township and all) and pay teachers more, but how that links to better learning I don't know. It really isn't my area and this is impressionistic.
I am respectful of your opinions, while remaining skeptical.
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jerseyblues
August 22, 2009 5:35 PM in reply to Overreach THIS!
I think you are correct in that the problems are structural and bipartisan in their origin. There's only so much scorn people can heap upon unions without recognizing that the challenges of poverty in drug-ravaged, neglected neighborhoods contributes more to student underachievement than the NEA trying to bargain to keep seniority rights for its veteran teachers. Indeed, I think if more of the families of students in poor neighborhoods had access to jobs that have the benefits of unions (fair living wages and decent benefits), they would consequently be a more powerful political/purchasing bloc and thus able to attract more attention to the challenges that they face. Additionally, the idea of the "teacher as martyr," which advocates that educators should sacrifice their life and everything they have for student achievement, avoids the thorny questions surrounding just WHY these children are so far behind and ill-equipped in the first place and is an unrealistic ideal at best, because it promotes the kind of burnout rates that benefit nobody (and the high turnover that charters are infamous for, mainly because many of them are not unionized).
Standardized testing is a tricky question as well, because it opens data up to tampering and sucks some of the life out of the educational process while preparing students to do just that: take a test, not think critically and work independently, like college students. It's important to have something to measure student achievement by, but I don't know if that's the best way. Unfortunately, it seems to be the only one right now.
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jerseyblues
August 22, 2009 5:43 PM in reply to Overreach THIS!
It also doesn't help that education is funded by property taxes, thus ensuring that poor communities receive the least amount of funding when they need it the most. Money isn't everything, because NJ provides state funding (I think to equal to the average district per-pupil rate for the state) to its poor districts and it still struggles with educational inequity, but it is a pretty significant factor. I think we may be the only country in the world that handles education funding like this, which should tell us something.
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mcc
August 22, 2009 3:01 PM in reply to Michael A
I expect teacher's unions to be self-serving (that's why they exist?)
But their criticisms here seem valid. Charter schools are a fine thing to pursue but they aren't a solution to our nation's education problems and I distrust any plan based around standardized tests. I don't know a lot about the administration's education policy but that's part of the problem, when I look there doesn't seem to be a lot of information on the subject which seems to imply there isn't much to report yet. They don't seem to have made it a focus or generated much news on the subject. As far as I'm aware NCLB hasn't been changed meaningfully.
Is this all going to change at some point? Am I missing anything?
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Stroszek
August 22, 2009 1:56 PM
Who here can solve this logic problem:
If there are 100 senators and 40 of those senators will only agree to vote for a bill if 80 other senators agree to vote for it first, what is the highest possible number of votes that the bill could receive?
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Michael A
August 22, 2009 2:01 PM in reply to Stroszek
60. Stop screwing around with the repukes and just pass something already, with a public option by the way.
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Stroszek
August 22, 2009 2:00 PM
Who knew the success of a policy was based entirely on public confidence?
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DonDavis
August 22, 2009 2:10 PM
Florida Seniors Fear Obama Will Ration 'Early Bird Specials'
http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=8409
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pmb50
August 22, 2009 3:47 PM
Mike Enzi is not the solution he is the problem. Hey Enzi take your bullshit idle threats and shove them up your ass. You are not an honest broker but rather someone so willing to deny Americans healthcare in order to score political points, Now can you see Obama that Enzi and Grassley need to be shoved back down the rat hole they came from
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Rich in NJ
August 22, 2009 3:58 PM
Dear President Obama,
It's now obvious to every sentient person that Republicans aren't interested in an honest debate.
Consequently, it's now apparent that the most prudent course of action is to outline a progressive plan with a robust public option, sell it to the American people, and then convince Democrats (through any means necessary) to allow it to come to a vote in the Senate.
Time is of the essence. Be the President that you promised that you would be during the campaign. Get it done.
Thanks,
Rich
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
August 22, 2009 7:31 PM in reply to Rich in NJ
You're aware that Congress isn't in session, right?
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Rich in NJ
August 24, 2009 12:11 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
Um, yeah dude, thanks so much for that.
The point is to regain control over the message.
I thought that was obvious.
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nova voter
August 22, 2009 5:54 PM
"If Democrats try to shut out Republicans and moderate Democrats and jam something through Congress, the plan will fail because the American people won't have confidence in it."
i guess enzi slept through america's vote of no confidence in the republican party on november 4, 2008.
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sbv
August 22, 2009 7:19 PM in reply to nova voter
good point, that's why the good ol' obfuscating gop is working so hard to frighten and gin up distrust; they know, a majority of americans want and realize the need for health care reform with a public choice.
i personally would be just as happy if president obama called them out; a lie is a lie. as dr. howard dean has said, "the media is no longer capable of calling a lie a lie," so we and this president must do it.
sadly, those yelling the loudest and those carrying loaded assault rifles to presidential speeches, could care less for a truth that is not of their making.
rush et. al, including members of congress have clearly broadcast their intention, "we want you to fail." what will they do when he does not, and he will not.
if democrats think they can water down, obstruct or delay; they will face a louder, noisier and more determined grass roots movement than anything seen on the far right. no amount of campaign donations can overrule the will of a majority of voters.
vote against health care reform with a public choice, and we will see you in your district.
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ClosetLuddite
August 22, 2009 7:11 PM
Price prattles on about some kind of "patient driven" model for HCR. WTF is that? Has anyone ever gotten more detail than the title for this proposal?
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Cy Guy
August 23, 2009 12:39 AM in reply to ClosetLuddite
I'm pretty sure "patient driven" is just code for market-based, or Randian pure capitalism without any government interference, stripping away the state regulation and letting companies offer nationwide plans.
I would take it to also imply Health Savings Accounts and high deductible insurance policies - where the patient (were they able to have fully transparent markets where they could know the prices of all the service providers - which will never happen) could choose how to spend their health dollars.
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brewmn61
August 23, 2009 3:27 PM in reply to ClosetLuddite
The Republicans think that you shop for health care like you shop for an MP3 player, and that the reason health care costs are so high is that we all love going to the doctor so much that we overuse health care and, since we don't have to pay for it, we don't spend our health care dollars wisely. Therefore, if you place more of the health care spending burden on the individual, we will shop wisely for health care, not use any more than we need, and the market will align costs with people's budgets and needs.
It's completely at odds with health care needs as they exist in the real world, and with human nature, but it has the benefit of sounding reasonable on the surface. Ultimately, it's just another way to ration health care by ability to pay, which is what the Republicans and the libertarians really want anyway.
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Karl the Marxist
August 22, 2009 7:52 PM
Ze Service, really? Qvik, zomeone get ze servitz on ze phone...ve need ze nev uniformz!
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714Day
August 22, 2009 8:27 PM
I'll give Price this, he isn't as embarrassing as Jindal. Now that my accolades are over, I'll have to say that he is certainly equally as jingoistsic. He presents the GOP talking points as though he is speaking to a special education class (which I suppose means that he's calling to his base support). The simplistic notion that Obama offers only two choices; decisions by the government for one's personal healthcare, or decisions by insurance companies is too silly to analyze.
The GOP offers????...??? (They'll get back to us as soon as the insurance giants flesh out something that seems palatable on the face of it...)
But, we know it won't "put the insurance companies out of business" because he makes certain to mention it. (Warms the cockles of my heart knowing I don't have to worry about curtailing the windfall profits of the real death panel people.) Not only is the mention an obvious "tell" in this game they play, it's manure, too. I can't wait to see the shaping up of the secondary policies they'll invent if a PO takes a teeny tiny portion of those who can afford full coverage packages. Nonfrickingsense, as usual.
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hsr0601
August 23, 2009 12:21 AM
Equation !
$1.042trillion (cost of reform) + $245bn (cost to reflect annual pay raise of docs) = $1.287bn (actual cost of reform).
$583bn (the revenue package) + $80bn (doughnut hole) + $155bn (savings from hospitals) + $167bn (ending subsidies for insurers) + $277bn (ending medical fraud, a minimum of 3%) = $1.257trillion + the reduced tax on the wealthiest = why not ? (except for magic pill, an outcome-based payment reform & IT effects and so forth)
In relation with medical fraud, please visit http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111967435, you will be stunned ! Thankfully, in May 2009, the Obama administration announced a new task force made up of officials from the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services to work on health care fraud.
with the heartbreaking tears in mind (Nearly 11 Million Cancer Patients Without Health Insurance), private market also needs changes and should join together to complete this reform , as promised, otherwise, the runaway premium only has itself to blame while new firms are filling the void with competitive deals.
And It can be said that fair competition starts with a fair, sustainable market value.
However, the plan in the House is designed to keep people in an employer-based health insurance system, and the public option would be offered to those for whom employer-provided insurance is not available. And job-based coverage (indirect payment), ample capital, reduced ER costs, IT base to streamline the administrative processes and trim the costs might be favorable to the private market. Over time, supposedly, the public plan will concentrate more on basic, primary cares, and the private insurers will provide their clients with differentiated services.
-- Except For The Underinsured, The Uninsured Alone Outnumber The Entire Population In Canada --
Thank You !
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hsr0601
August 24, 2009 11:46 AM
Theme : The public health is a fundamental human right.
1. When the public health is also one of commodity like a house, we come to a tragic and unthinkable conclusion : As to for-profit business, the more ill patients get, the more profits they make.
Under the most wasteful structure on the planet like no coordinated preventive care program waiting until people get ill, a pay for each and every service reimbursement and frequent readmissions, no e-medical record and deaths, crushing litigations and the more profits via the unnecessary procedures, and the most inefficient paper billing systems imaginable, overpriced pharmaceuticals, bloated insurance companies, medial fraud, exorbitant costs by the tragic ER visits etc, it might be no wonder with the expansive, systematic reform in the pipeline, just one attitude of patient-oriented value in 10 regions has attained 16% of savings in Medicare while their quality scores are well above average.
Aside from the already allocated $583 billion and the savings of this reform package, 16% of $923.5bn (the combined Medicare and Medicaid cost per year, as of July) is around $147.76bn per year and 1.4776trillion over the next decade, and this patient-oriented value alone could be enough to meet the goal.
Please be 'sure' to visit http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/opinion/13gawande.html?hp for credible evidences !
Today, another innovative, fundamental change in payment system, or patient's outcome based payment reform that is able to turn the profit-oriented malpractices and volume into the patient-oriented value and quality is waiting for a final decision.
2. The savings via removing wastes turn into limit to medical access, rationing, tax raise, and deficit etc via the irresponsible lies.
Unlike high fuel price and mortgage rate in recent years as the roots of great recession and bankruptcy of middle class, the severity in the high cost of health premiums has come to light lately. Similarly, in an attempt to hide these painful corruptions & wastes, the greed allies struggle to turn the savings via removing these wastes into limit to medical access, rationing, tax raise, and deficit etc.
In contrast, not to mention a wide range of consumer protection, this promising reform takes initiatives in more primary care docs and improved long-term care. Unnecessarily, hope should not be replaced with fear, just like people don't have to fear quitting drug.
3. Under the free market theory and the premise that the public health is also one of commodity like a house, if the demand decreases on a large scale, accordingly the price tends to reflect it, as in the case of house price, and it never happens for the price to spiral up. One step forward, in case the price is spiraling up, to be sure, the remaining clients should withdraw the contract or choose the other options. Sadly, no way-out other than the prohibitive ER is allowed in America. Therefore, the victims today and tomorrow deserve long overdue protection from non-profit Government.
4. When some part of our body is ailing seriously, we are going to lose competitiveness, equally, when some part of a nation is ailing servery, it is going to loose competitiveness, too.
5. Unlike the original financial concern over recovery from Catrina catastrophe, the recovery work is going smooth with no big problem, to my knowledge. The last thing to want would be for this health Catrina to be left untreated. And there is enough room for savings from the unsustainable wastes.
6. Equation (By decade) & the flower of this reform !
$1.042trillion (cost of reform) + $245bn (cost to reflect annual pay raise of docs) = $1.287bn (actual cost of reform).
$583bn (the revenue package) + $80bn (so-called doughnut hole) + $155bn (savings from hospitals) + $167bn (ending the unnecessary subsidies for insurers) + 129bn(mandate-related fine) + $277bn (ending medical fraud, a minimum of 3% , the combined Medicare and Medicaid cost of $923.5bn per year, as of July,) = $1.391trillion + the reduced cost of ER visits (Medicare covers some 40% of the total) + the tax code on the wealthiest more reduced than originally proposed = why not ? (except for a magic pill, an outcome-based payment reform & IT effects and so forth).
Additionally, the last thing to expect, no e-medial record(under a fee for each and every service payment, hospitals are resistant to introduce IT system) , is happening now in the sector requiring the best accuracy in terms of dealing with human lives, which leads to a shocking portion of risk-carrying duplicate tests, fatal errors and deaths, as a consequence, these cause a vicious circle, about $100bn worth of litigations and even more profits via unnecessary procedures for hospitals .
Clearly, the American style innovation, outcome-based payment reform, could speed up the adoption of IT system, under this package, docs' pay is dependant upon patient's outcome, no intervention, wastes, frequent readmissions, low-quality are allowed later on.
It is firmly believed with the preventive care program in operation, this innovation could make a big difference just like GM has surprised the world with the adoption of EV-conversion technology from pioneers and outpaced the excellent hybrid cars (the release of BYD's earlier appearance in America and the ambitious plan of Germany for 1million of EVs by 2020 etc might support it).
7. Over the duration of time-consuming discussion surrounding this common sense, a fundamental human right, and slow down to shout and disrupt, and lie irresponsibly, America has been loosing market share in a futuristic sustainable energy arena. But just like if a country attempts to steal cash from wall street, America can't wait and see, so the opposite is the same. Taking the invaluable lives and gigantic war spending into account, it can be cited as one more extended reckless disaster, regardless of the result, as this great recession says.
Please note that time does not fix the endless greed, energy depletion, only science and innovation can meet the challenge.
Thank You !
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hsr0601
August 25, 2009 9:52 AM
Theme : 6 Main Lies Have Nothing To Do With This Promising Reform.
1. The contents of savings (below) in this reform 'have nothing to do with' limit to medical access, rationing, tax raise, and deficit etc.
Rather, without wiping out these wastes and roots of bankruptcy for middle class, all fronts are sure to face larger financial ruin than this recession, which leads to more limit to medical access, more rationing, more tax raise, and more deficit etc than today.
$1.042trillion (cost of reform) + $245bn (cost to reflect annual pay raise of docs) = $1.287bn (actual cost of reform).
$583bn (the revenue package) + $80bn (so-called doughnut hole) + $155bn (savings from hospitals) + $167bn (ending the unnecessary subsidies for insurers) + 129bn(mandate-related fine based on shared responsibility) + $277bn (ending medical fraud, a minimum of 3% , the combined Medicare and Medicaid cost of $923.5bn per year, as of July,) = $1.391trillion + the reduced cost of ER visits (Medicare covers some 40% of the total) + the tax code on the wealthiest more reduced than originally proposed = why not ? (except for a magic pill, an outcome-based payment reform & IT effects and so forth).
As lawmakers debate how to pay for an overhaul of the nation's health care system, a new report from The Commonwealth Fund claims that including both private and public insurance choices in a new insurance exchange would save the United States as much as $265 billion in administrative costs from 2010 to 2020.
"Health reform can help pay for itself, but both private and public insurance choices are critically important," said Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis, who coauthored the new report. "A public insurance plan can help drive new efficiencies in the system that will produce large cost reductions. Without a public plan, much of those potential savings will be lost."
Unlike high fuel price and mortgage rate in recent years as the roots of great recession and bankruptcy of middle class, the severity in the high cost of health premiums has come to light lately. Similarly, in an attempt to hide these deficit-driven corruptions and wastes, the greed allies struggle to turn the savings via removing these wastes into limit to medical access, rationing, tax raise, and deficit etc.
In contrast, not to mention a wide range of consumer protection, options across state lines, this promising reform takes initiatives in more primary care docs and improved long-term care. Unnecessarily, hope should not be replaced with all forms of malign lies, fear, just like people don't have to fear quitting drug.
2. Greedy insurers with no competitors by consolidation have nothing to do with the law of price, demand & supply.
Under the free market theory and the premise that the public health is also one of commodity like a house, if the demand decreases on a large scale, accordingly the price tends to reflect it, as in the case of house price, and it never happens for the price to spiral up. One step forward, in case the price is spiraling up, to be sure, the remaining clients should withdraw the contract or choose the other options. In practice, runaway premiums with no competitors by consolidation drive the enrollees out, and 4C + 2R (canceling, capping, cherry-picking, cash for special lobby, rationing, rapid premium hike) guarantee multiple times as much profit. Sadly, no way-out other than the prohibitive ER is allowed in America. Therefore, the victims today and tomorrow deserve long overdue protection from non-profit Government.
3. The plans to stem inflation in the House have nothing to do with crowd-out.
With the heartbreaking tears in mind (In no other industrialized country do 20,000 people die each year because they can’t afford to see doctor. Nearly 11 Million Cancer Patients Without Health Insurance), private market also needs changes and should join together to complete this reform , as promised, otherwise, the runaway premium only has itself to blame while new firms are filling the void with competitive deals.
And It can be said that fair competition starts with a fair, sustainable market value.
However, the plan in the House is designed to keep people in an employer-based health insurance system, and the public option would be offered to those for whom employer-provided insurance is not available. And job-based coverage (indirect payment), some mandate code, ample capital, the reduced exorbitant ER costs, IT base to streamline the administrative processes and trim the costs might be favorable to the private market. Over time, supposedly, the public plan will concentrate more on basic, primary cares, and the private insurers will provide their clients with differentiated services. Focus should be on the uninsured, the underinsured.
In an attempt to avert innovation, moderation, and social responsibility, accusing essential affordability, citing take-over, will be a dirty play.
-- Except For The Underinsured, The Uninsured Alone Outnumber The Entire Population In Canada --
4. Profit-driven markets have nothing to do with affordable, sustainable public health.
When the public health is also one of commodity like a house, we come to a tragic and unthinkable conclusion : As to for-profit business, the more and longer ill patients get, the more profits they make, and it will debilitate the overall economy involving education for the future (Of young adults ages 19 to 29, 13.2 million, or 29 percent, lacked coverage in 2007).
Under the most wasteful structure on the planet like no coordinated preventive care program waiting until people get ill, about 50% of idle world's best practices, a pay for each and every service reimbursement and frequent readmissions, no e-medical record and deaths, crushing litigations and the more profits via the unnecessary, risk-carrying procedures, and the most inefficient paper billing systems imaginable, overpriced pharmaceuticals, bloated insurance companies, incredible medial fraud, exorbitant costs by the tragic ER visits etc, it might be no wonder with the comprehensive, systematic reform in the pipeline, just one attitude of patient-oriented value in 10 regions has attained 16% of savings in Medicare while their quality scores are well above average.
Aside from the already allocated $583 billion and the savings of this reform package, 16% of $923.5bn (the combined Medicare and Medicaid cost per year, as of July) is around $147.76bn per year and 1.4776trillion over the next decade, and this patient-oriented value alone could be enough to meet the goal.
Please be 'sure' to visit http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/opinion/13gawande.html?hp for credible evidences !
Today, another innovative, fundamental change in payment system, or patient's outcome based payment reform that is able to turn the profit-oriented malpractices and volume into the patient-oriented value and quality is waiting for a final decision.
5. Inflation-driven greedy allies backed by the insurers have nothing to do with deficit-neutral.
When some part of our body is ailing seriously, we are going to lose competitiveness, equally, when some part of a nation is ailing servery, it is going to loose competitiveness, too. In case somebody in the house gets ill, health will be put over house, in practice.
6. The analyses of CBO have nothing to do with common sense and practice.
Costs of Preventable Chronic Disease account for around 75% of the nation’s $2.4 trillion medical care costs. U.S. health care spending is also expected to double in the next 10 years. and they are largely preventable -- 80 percent of the risk factors are behavior-related.
Unlike the analyses of CBO, world-wide outstanding public programs put heavier emphasis on preventive program equally, and preventable swine flu pandemic is expected to cost about $2trillion dollars world-wide for the lack of prepared vaccines. (Genes included in the new swine flu have been circulating undetected in pigs for at least a decade, according to a team led by Rebecca Garten of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who have sequenced the genomes of more than 50 samples of the virus).
If CBO asks the profit-driven interests about why they have hindered the budget request for preventive program in Medicare and Medicaid, they will say, " just look at the health Catrina special lobbying has made, we are professional, and we are now obstructing this reform, too " .
7. Conclusion : The public health is a fundamental human right.
As I said previously, patient-oriented value alone could be enough to meet the goal, and another innovative, fundamental change in payment system, or patient's outcome based payment reform that is able to turn the profit-oriented malpractices and volume into the patient-oriented value and quality is waiting for a final decision.
If At least, some media pay attention to this flower of reform, people will feel empty as the past and current discussion has been time-consuming for sure.
Thank You !
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