By Gorman Gorman

Jun 16, 2009 12:14pm

McCain: “Scrap” Health Care Bill And Start Over

ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf reports: Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz, called on President Obama and Democrats in Congress to "scrap the current [healthcare] bill and start over." McCain pointed to a nonpartisan cost estimate of $1 trillion over ten years for the major portion of healthcare reform suggested in a bill floated by Sen. Edward Kennedy's Health Committee and said the cost was too high for American taxpayers, especially since the nonpartisan review foresaw $23 million would lose their current insurance plans under the proposal. "How we going to pay for that, Mr. President.," asked McCain on the senate floor. "How are we going to pay for that?"The cost estimate for the Kennedy committee bill was prepared by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which is also preparing a separate cost estimate for a different healthcare reform proposal being prepared by the Senate Finance Committee."The CBO letter should be a wakeup call for all of us to scrap the current bill and start over," said McCain. "Start over in a true bipartisan fashion," said McCain, although his idea for healthcare reform would not find much support among Democrats.McCain also addressed Jake Tapper's report that stiff cost estimate – which McCain thinks is low-ball – has the White House distancing itself from Kennedy's health committee plan. "Well where is the administration's bill?" asked a frustrated McCain. "We're supposed to be enacting legislation before the end of July. Where is the administration's bill?"McCain called for giving all Americans a $5,000 tax credit to purchase insurance on the open market. And he suggested lifting bans intended to protect some state health insurance quality requirements that keep people in one state from buying health insurance sponsored in other states.CBO's $1 trillion estimate for the health committee plan does not include the implementation of a public health insurance option that seems likely to be a part of Democrats' ultimate healthcare plan. Most of the Republican opposition to the healthcare reform proposed by Democrats has centered around that public plan.Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has given daily speeches on the Senate floor blasting the public option for weeks.Meanwhile, Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin gave a spirited defense of creating a public insurance option to go alongside private plans operating in the marketplace. He and other Democrats have been trying out a new line of argument – that Republicans, in attacking the creation of a public health care option are endorsing the status quo. "So if we do nothing," Durbin said. "If we ignore this reality, we are doomed to face a situation where more and more of the dollars that we earn as employees will go toward health care protection and health care insurance and the protection there was diminish each year because that's the other reality. as the cost of health insurance goes up each year, the coverage goes down. people know what I'm talking about. when the health insurance company say, oh, we've got a great plan for you, but incidentally, you remember that cancer test you had last year? we won't cover anything related to cancer in the future."

User Comments

I am so surprised at people who seem to think the current insurance company process does not dictate their healthcare, who they see and what is covered – they control it absolutely. Try getting cancer and then discovering all the processes you have to wade thru, the people you have to call, the permissions and authorizations nightmare and the ever changing rules.
For people who complain about covering poor people’s insurance – you’re already covering in the most inefficient way possible. They get no care until they are ill enough to go to thru the emergency room ordeal

Posted by: trueblue | June 16, 2009, 12:37 pm 12:37 pm

I laugh when our politicians scare us by saying doing nothing is too costly. Well you know, that doing the wrong thing is more expensive than doing nothing. Look at SS and Medicare. These programs are out of control. SS started as .5% contribution, know it is a 13% contribution and rising. However, we are so entrenched with SS there is no viable atlernative. So I say mr. president, think before you act because my children can not afford your stupidity.

Posted by: Jack | June 16, 2009, 12:47 pm 12:47 pm

Republicans represent for rich people. However, not all Republicans are rich. I hope that Republicans who just loose their jobs be able to afford health insurances for their families, or they will never get sick after loosing jobs. If they do not have insurances and they get sick. They may die soon so they may not have children to worry about. McCain has too much money and power, he already got the best health cares. Why does he need health care reform? He just needs to make sure he will get the best health cares for himself, and who cares about others who can not afford the costs!

Posted by: aloha | June 16, 2009, 1:02 pm 1:02 pm

Gov’t broke health care to begin with (just like it does every other industry it meddles into the ground i.e. education, financial, energy, auto, farming, health care, etc.)
This government is the very last entity I trust to “fix it.” And that is especially true for the Craven Corporatist Criminal Clowns in the 111th CONgress. All they do is lie, and line their pockets with funds from politically-connected special interests in exchange for their vile fascist rent-seeking.
Just put everyone who wants/needs coverage on Medicare already and be done with it. Prove you can make that system work. Ration their care and leave me, and the private system, out of it.
Make Medicare optional for patients, doctors and hospitals, and remove the gov’t regulations imposed on private insurance and physicians.
It’s what Harry Truman wanted. He insisted that in order for any nationalized program to work, it HAD to be optional for everyone involved, and that a private system out of the purview of the fedgov. was essential.
This is not your grandparents’ Democratic Party, people. McCain was the JFK of the ’08 election season, and Obama was the Mussolini.

Posted by: MacGhil | June 16, 2009, 1:03 pm 1:03 pm

What astonishes me is McCain’s prevalence on the media. Helloooo – ABC? He LOST. He lost HUGE. And I sure as hell don’t remember you guys giving Al Gore or John Kerry a lot of face time at this point in 2001 or 2005. I know y’all are on his tireswing, but damn. Move on already!

Posted by: Tammy Booth | June 16, 2009, 1:06 pm 1:06 pm

Obama’s health care plan is not going anywhere, fast. The lobby groups are going to destroy it and well they should. Not for the reasons THEY say, but because it does NOT represent the only fair, affordable, moral and potentially successful reform there is, single payer.
In order to counter these strong lobbyist groups, Obama would need grassroots support. Since he has already screwed his “grassroots” on issues from war to privacy to bailouts, he is alone with the lobbyists. (cricket sounds).
I wouldn’t defend him on anything, even if you paid me. Let him think it was the lobbyists that killed it. What an ass.

Posted by: tropicgirl | June 16, 2009, 1:15 pm 1:15 pm

“How we going to pay for that, Mr. President.,”
Senator, Americans currently spend almost twice as much for health care as in every other first world nation. How can we keep paying for all those middle men, all those dr’s doing paperwork, and all those ER visits that should have been taken care of with $10 in antibiotics not a week on a ventilator in the icu? How are we going to continue affording that, Mr. McCain?
We are not surprised to hear the Party of No saying No.

Posted by: jhw539 | June 16, 2009, 1:17 pm 1:17 pm

“[Obama and his Democrats] promise the blessings of the Garden of Eden, but they plan to transform the world into a gigantic post office.”
–-Ludwig Von Mises
Welcome to Post Office Health Care
by Sheldon Richmond
“Under the emerging plan, the government would also create insurance exchanges. The New York Times reports, “The new entities would also act as financial intermediaries, receiving subsidy payments from the government and sending the money to insurance companies. The insurance exchanges would also redistribute money among health insurance plans, from those with a large share of healthy subscribers to those with large numbers of sick people.”
If that isn’t a recipe for favoritism, corruption, and special-interest jockeying, there’s no such thing.
Obama promises that the new system, which he estimates will cost $1.5 trillion over a decade, won’t increase the already-large deficit because he is going to save money by mandating database technology and $200 billion to $300 billion in Medicare and Medicaid cuts. Fat chance. The potential savings from electronic records are grossly exaggerated, studies have shown, and the promises to cut billions from medical programs for the elderly and low-income people are hard to take seriously. Wait until the lobbies get a hold of those proposals.

Posted by: MacGhil | June 16, 2009, 1:18 pm 1:18 pm

What is happening to our country? Anyone with common sense knows what will happen….knows that people will NOT have a choice for healthcare…think about this….do you know of one Government agency acting efficiently and in the best interest of “We the People”??? Reagan conservatives need to make sure the current “inmates” running the Insane Asylm in Washington are booted out in 2010!

Posted by: Jess Betsworth | June 16, 2009, 1:22 pm 1:22 pm

How much more does the government need to take over before we change our name of the type of government we have.
Sure is moving more towards socialism and communism.
How much has this administration taken over in their first 5 months?
And now Obama-care government run healthcare. That isn’t going to fix anything.
If you really want to fix healthcare costs, do that, fix the costs. It shouldn’t cost $15/ advil or $20 a bandaid. Getting a tetanus shot shouldn’t be over a hundred dollars. Actually LOWER the costs so we don’t need insurance. It can actually be affordable to go to a hospital.
Government healtcare will be like anything else that has the government picking up the tab. What’s the best paying construction jobs? That’s right, government ones. When the government is footing the bill, people see major dollar signs.

Posted by: Rack | June 16, 2009, 1:25 pm 1:25 pm

“Gov’t broke health care to begin with” -I would agree. The goverment has over the past twenty-eight years killed the auto industry, the housing industry, the health industry and the banking industry through deregulation and “free” trade. From the corporate boardrooms to Wall Street it was one big party fueled by greed and the suffering of average Americans. Neocons have had their way for too long and now its up to Obama, with the backing of the American people, to clean up the mess.

Posted by: Mark from atlanta | June 16, 2009, 1:30 pm 1:30 pm

Posted by: SearamblerOne | June 16, 2009, 1:35 pm 1:35 pm

McCain why don’t you cancel your senatorship until the problem is fixed? And we all have the same lifetime plan you have that we pay for.

Posted by: watching | June 16, 2009, 1:42 pm 1:42 pm

Wrong, Mark.
It’s the dumb regulations, stupid! /Carville
You cannot blame our problems on something we do not have — we haven’t had free markets in this country in over a century, in any industry. Government is the cause of all the problems we have today.
“So you can take a market and beat it, tax it, regulate it, subsidize it, flood it with fake money, punish its performers and reward its losers, hobble its capital sector, strangle consumers, nationalize stuff at will, and erect every barrier to trade and cooperation, and STILL call it a market. When the scheme fails, it’s the free market that failed, so clearly we need the totalitarian state to sweep into action.”
–by Jeffrey Tucker
Disclosure: I’m no fan of the neoconservatives, who are simply JFK Democrats. I’m a libertarian.

Posted by: MacGhil | June 16, 2009, 1:44 pm 1:44 pm

Will ABC have the courage of having Sen McCain speak during the infomercial from the White House?

Posted by: JB | June 16, 2009, 1:45 pm 1:45 pm

republicans need to go back to the cave from which they came – old ideas, bad ideas – they sound like cranky old ladies. also the comments about the cost on children, etc. give me a break. they always bring out the child thing when they are against something. weren’t the repulicans against federal insurance for poor children. seems to me that bush wouldn’t sign it. time for a third party!

Posted by: cjr | June 16, 2009, 1:49 pm 1:49 pm

You proponents of socialized health care — Why don’t you speak to those living in the U.K. and ask them how they like it. Doctors and patients both hate their system and we’re trying to go that same direction while they travel here for their health care needs. I’ve heard NObama speak how cheap this will be and pandering this sham idea — everyone will suffer under a government run system; Doctors, patients, health care providers, and businesses mandated to support it It’s a bad idea America.

Posted by: Dav_Victor | June 16, 2009, 1:55 pm 1:55 pm

Jack:”However, we are so entrenched with SS there is no viable atlernative. ”
What on Earth does that mean? Of course there are alternatives! We do not adopt them because they are not as good as what we have now. Could you imagine if Social Security had been privatized and all flowed into the Wall Street free for all as Republicans wanted just a few years ago?
Social security is fine as soon as Congress has the courage to up the retirement age again to account for longer lifespans. It’s not rocket science.

Posted by: jhw539 | June 16, 2009, 1:59 pm 1:59 pm

Name ONE government program that is well-managed.
Along with his “War-on-Wealth” – which favors a socialized re-distribution of wealth from hard-working American citizens to slugs and slackers – hussein is now embarking on a “War-Against-Healthcare”.
Once again, his goal is socialization – government-controlled and restricted healthcare which will limit services to the elderly (they’re closest to death, so why waste limited health services on them?) and allow slugs and slackers priority in the line for health services.
“it’s good enough for government work.” — remember that phrase when you’re getting your rationed allotment of healthcare from a loony-left government bureaucrat under their socialized heathcare plan.
Who will pay for this? Certainly NOT the loony-left socialist TAX CHEAT d-crats, who will find ways to “geithner” their taxes and pay nothing.
Only honest, responsible, hard-working American citizen taxpayers will be stuck paying for this latest social-welfare boondoggle – at a cost of OVER ONE TRILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR TO START!

Posted by: ALEX H | June 16, 2009, 2:03 pm 2:03 pm

GO GO GOVERNMENT!!!!
Im all for a government health insurance entity. If the private sector were playing fair and not sending people off to die because they dont have enough money, then the Government would mind its business.
But, just like everything the Republicans vouch for, greed has taken it over, health care is not a business its a right and the republican view that basically everything is a business tanked with the economy. They argue against public health care because it takes money from them. BIG DEAL
DO IT, even if you have to raise taxes remember HEALTH CARE SAVES LIVES. INSURANCE COMPANIES SAVE MONEY

Posted by: Javon | June 16, 2009, 2:05 pm 2:05 pm

It still appalls me that a senator that has been in office for decades, has so much to say Now! McCain you never stood up to anything that would benefit the people of this country. Just your own self-interest. My father and brother served this country too, and they never go a “pass” because of it. Shame on you and your Service since being in Congress to bring about change.

Posted by: tychisum | June 16, 2009, 2:10 pm 2:10 pm

One of the biggest things that would help the high cost of healthcare is a cap on malpractice suits and then they should only be paid in the most agregious of situations. This will never happen because if you look at our lawmakers, the majority of them are lawyers who will NEVER go along with malpractice caps. These lawsuits are responsible for huge amounts of time, money and resources that can be better used. If doctors didn’t have to practice defensive diagnostics, costs would be reduced.
I can only see fewer and fewer students choosing to become doctors; so even if the oblessed one gets his socialist healthcare plan passed; we will still be in a world of stink because we will not have doctors. Maybe not in the next 1-2 yrs but in the next 10 for sure. Personally, I say, “Thanks but no thanks”.

Posted by: CG | June 16, 2009, 2:19 pm 2:19 pm

One of the first things we need to do is to cap malpractice lawsuit payouts; and only pay in the most agregious of cases. Nearly all of our lawmakers are either non-practicing lawyers or still are lawyers, they will NEVER vote to cap these suits since they are such a good source of wealth for them.
Without malpractice caps, I can see fewer and fewer students choosing medicine. Even with socialized medicine and healthcare rationing it won’t matter, there won’t be doctors to treat anyone.

Posted by: CG | June 16, 2009, 2:25 pm 2:25 pm

The Europeans and the Canadians are not screaming or protesting in the streets or will to vote for American style health care and as bad you all say they have it, they would not trade it in for ours, all one has to do is read their news sites, none of them talk about reforming their current system…BTW, we have rationing for health care, it’s called HMO’s and how long do we have to wait to get approvals for tests, specialists and so forth…hey for some it’s weeks and months…ever work for a for profit hospital? Try finding a blood pressure cuff that works…so it doesn’t make a difference…except one…no underinsuring.

Posted by: phallon | June 16, 2009, 2:27 pm 2:27 pm

If you’re without health insurance and need immediate care, THE HOSPITALS HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF YOU. How the heck do you think all these gang-bangers get their bullet wounds sewn up? From the gang’s health care plan? How stupid is America really getting??
You know what saves lives? Putting down the cheeseburger. Quitting smoking. Living a healthy lifestyle. Better yet, getting up off your fat rear end and getting a JOB.
Every two headed freak of nature from some third world country comes to this great nation of ours for health care. They don’t go to the UK, and they don’t go to Canada. Because you get what you pay for. I’m more than happy to pay a little extra to get great coverage. If the rest of America would learn to prioritize, maybe you could do the same. Instead of getting a 42″ plasma, maybe fix your teeth. Or perhaps forego the iphone for a doctor’s checkup. Skip a few manicures and get a pap instead.

Posted by: Amy | June 16, 2009, 2:31 pm 2:31 pm

Will ABC have the courage of having Sen McCain speak during the infomercial from the White House?
of course -captioned….Old man yells at cloud

Posted by: watching | June 16, 2009, 2:31 pm 2:31 pm

I would be elated to find the demise of health insurance companies, what an oxymoron they aren’t ensuring the masses health only their profits. Dems and especially Reps who are given millions in donations by these blood suckers won’t let that happen. HMOs make money by denying claims and rationing healthcare. If denied the only choice one usually has is arbitration and because the mediators are paid by the insurance company, 99% of the time they rule in their favor. If lucky you can sue, but that takes years and they hope you’ll die or get worn out before it ever sees a court. The CEOs of these insurance companies make millions plus bonuses for denying and rationing care. The shareholders get dividends for the same reasons. Having a for profit company in charge of one’s health is perilous if not dangerous, but that’s the only choice I have. Meanwhile I am paying generous benefits for the elderly, politicians, fed and state employees…it’s a disgusting.
Hey McCain how are we paying for your health care? You politicians voted yourselves a pretty nice package I have to help pay for!

Posted by: Hege321 | June 16, 2009, 2:32 pm 2:32 pm

Don’t get suckered by the insurance companies BS. As much as they try to spin things, a public plan is necessary. Right now, insurers are paying in some cases less than Medicare and charging patients too much in deductibles/copays while covering next to nothing. Don’t feel sorry for the private insurers that go out of business – they were gouging you. It’s actually capitalism for bad business models to fail.
Although I’m not a fan of government-run crapola, it’s sometimes better than the alternative. The only thing that should be etched in stone is that doctors do not have to be part of the public plan if they choose to opt out.

Posted by: doc | June 16, 2009, 2:37 pm 2:37 pm

Posted by: doc | June 16, 2009, 2:38 pm 2:38 pm

Yes, the evil Republicans were against federal healthcare for poor children. What a misleading and disingenuous way to make a point. By and large, most Republicans are against government doing anything free for anyone, because we believe in government getting out of the way and letting people make decisions for themselves. No free healthcare for kids, no free healthcare for anyone. Instead, keep your money and buy it yourself. Or don’t. YOUR CHOICE. Government has ONE JOB – protect the citizens. Not give them healthcare, or food, or anything, because where does it end? Do I have a “right” to housing? Where’s my free house? Clothes? I want a free federally mandated new suit, and how about some nice shoes to go with it? If you want health care, work hard, get a good job, and get it. Not on my dime.

Posted by: leeatmg | June 16, 2009, 2:47 pm 2:47 pm

Every senator and representative and government worker and big-mouth conservative talk show hosts (and the list goes on and on) should have their incredible all-paid health-care coverage taken away for a year…or 6 months…OR be asked to contribute towards it…OR pay the whole nut…and THEN see how they like it. I’m sure the proposed plan isn’t perfect…but the system as it stands is BROKEN for most Americans. Let us all be on the same plan that our senators and representatives are on. WHY NOT???? Our tax dollars are paying for YOUR insurance…and we can’t afford to pay for our own. FIX THIS NOW!!!!

Posted by: JudyB | June 16, 2009, 3:04 pm 3:04 pm

Mind if we see it first? – ITWARZ

Posted by: ITWARZ | June 16, 2009, 3:12 pm 3:12 pm

Scrap the plan and do it over – huh John? After decades, there is no way to do this plan in a bipartisan way John. Democrats want a public option and Republicans want the status quo. Both sides will not back down. Republicans will not vote for any public option. We already know that. They can’t compromise. So I say get concessions from private insurance companies. If they won’t start taking on major risk, force the public plan on them. After decades of covering less and less, the private insurance companies deserve to go the way of GM and Chrysler.

Posted by: Bob | June 16, 2009, 3:16 pm 3:16 pm

cbo estimates the cost to be in excess of 1 trillion. of the 6 miilion people out of work an extra 40 million dont pay, of which 12 to 20 miilion are illegals. my college educated kids chose not to have health insurance because they think obama is going to take care of them. sorry, if you can pay you should pay,period.this will never pass as a trillion is insurmountable. my suggestion is to go to work and pay for it like most folks do. skip the big screen and a new cAr..take some responsibilty for yourself and quit milking the system.

Posted by: catman | June 16, 2009, 3:20 pm 3:20 pm

Aren’t you listening? The government can not do anything efficiently and only does one thing right and that is because the government does not manage the military directly, they have Generals for that. You are really ignorant if you believe anything Obama says. At least half of what he says is a lie.

Posted by: Not! | June 16, 2009, 3:24 pm 3:24 pm

Socialized healthcare is meant to provide health care to those who don’t already have it today or looking for cheaper alternatives. Anyone who likes their HMO telling them their cancer treatment is too expensive or their organ transplant will ‘not sufficiently increase length of life’ are welcome to keep their private healthcare providers.

Posted by: MC | June 16, 2009, 3:26 pm 3:26 pm

After WWII the British looked at their system and thought ‘If we can spend this much on a war, why not on healthcare for everyone?’ Is their system perfect? No. however if we can spend billions a month on Iraq, why not take 1/2 of that and put it towards healthcare for the uninsured? Would probably do more than the current system of uninsured going to hospital, get treated, don’t pay and then WE pay for it.

Posted by: kay | June 16, 2009, 3:41 pm 3:41 pm

Posted by: marco | June 16, 2009, 3:47 pm 3:47 pm

Just keep on paying your taxes and worrying about that mild flu and partisan politics.
Meanwhile in Italy, two Japanese men were caught smuggling $134 BILLION in U.S. Treasury Bonds, headed to the Swiss Bank.
Let’s just hope THAT story never makes it to mainstream news (wink, wink).

Posted by: andyupnorth | June 16, 2009, 3:47 pm 3:47 pm

My husband was diagnosed with colon cancer over two years ago. He was what the Obama health care ‘plan’ would have considered obese and middle aged. With those consideration(s) he would not have been eligible for the aggressive treatment he has received and would be DEAD now. How’s that for a shot of reality!!!
You think this health care plan is going to be all lollipops and ice cream? Think again!!!!

Posted by: Sue | June 16, 2009, 3:54 pm 3:54 pm

trueblue – You can change insurance companies. That’s free capital. You won’t be able to change GOVERNMENTAL health care! Think about it!

Posted by: M. Summer | June 16, 2009, 3:56 pm 3:56 pm

What little credibility that ABC News has remaining as a credible news source rests with Jake Tapper’s occasional reports critical of the Liberal Death Star. The rest has been flushed down the toilet long ago.
Confirmation of this fact comes from – surprise! – ABC News, which has announced that not only will they continue to parrot the Obama Talking Points of the Day, but they will now engage in an Obama Socialism Infomercial, right from the White House.
As Limbaugh often taunts the clownish, leftist media – you simply cannot parody them. They are worse than any believable parody would suggest.
“A Very Special ABC News – DNC – ObamaRama Government Medicine Event! Live from THE WEST WING!”

Posted by: Jerome | June 16, 2009, 4:03 pm 4:03 pm

“GO GO GOVERNMENT!!!!”
Javon,
Thanks for the honest opinion. Your facts are all wrong, but you’re a liberal so that’s to be expected. At least you actually said out loud what you really believe, which is that socialism is what you want. Most liberals have to lie about their goals, lest the other voters find out.

Posted by: Jerome | June 16, 2009, 4:08 pm 4:08 pm

This isn’t about health care, it’s about ABC News further exposing that they are a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Democrat Party of Obama.
ABC = DNC Talking Points.

Posted by: Jerome | June 16, 2009, 4:12 pm 4:12 pm

One big question to those who want public (government run) healthcare. Lets say taht Obama and Congress come up with a plan to fund their healthcare plan and for discussions sake the income coming in to fund the plan will support 100% of those on the plan and for simplicity we’ll say that the number of people is 100. We also for discussion will say that there are 100 people who are not on the plan but through taxes and fees are contributing to the plan although they are not using it. What happens when the number of people using the plan increases to 110 but the income is still the same? 120? 150? 200?
Think about it that is the reason that a government run plan cannot work. It will reach a point where it will have more going out than is coming in. At that time either the cost will have to go up (from where we are already taxing everything to the max) or the benifits will have to go down.
No thanks I don’t want government involved in healthcare, they’ll do the same thing thay have done to Social Security and Medicare, screw it up so badly that it will have no hope of recovering.

Posted by: Sandcrab1612 | June 16, 2009, 4:16 pm 4:16 pm

My friends in Canada and the UK have rendered no complaints on their system to me when asked. (Apparently you “wait in line” in Canada when you show up without an appointment.)
I don’t have health insurance, and it seems like by the time I might get it, it is liable to be worth about as much as a cup of warm spit.
If we pay 1% GDP more taxes but save 4-7% GDP, plus future escalation in health care costs being under some degree of control, this means there will be an additional 3-6% of GDP going to things other than medical billing. “Economy can mean expense, even great expense,” as Burke said.

Posted by: T | June 16, 2009, 4:19 pm 4:19 pm

Javan,
The constitution says life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Please show me where it says healthcare is a right. The argument against public healthcare is because it has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt to be the worst kind of plan. Currently in the united states a person without healthcare coverage can walk into an emergency room and get treatment regardless of their ability to pay. Government healthcare will have the timeliness of Amtrak, the efficiency of the post office and the compassion of the IRS. Be very careful what you wish for.

Posted by: Dee | June 16, 2009, 4:32 pm 4:32 pm

What amazes me is the hyprocisy of those yelling that spending 1 Trillion over 10 years for health care is outrageous when it comes out to 100B a year over 10 years. Whereas there is no yelling at how much we spend on our Defense budget. At the current rate we spend on Defense which is at 500B a year, we’ll spend easily 5 Trillion over 10 years on our defense budget. We, as people, have to balance out the clearly disproportinate (sp?) spending by our government so we have a more balanced approach when it comes to keeping out population healthy and protecting our country from enemies.

Posted by: Baja | June 16, 2009, 4:42 pm 4:42 pm

I hope that this health plan will be multifaceted; because if all the Republicans can come up with is a $5000 credit, only the upper middle class and rich will be able to do that. Most people can not afford to pay for their healthcare and then wait for the government to reimburse them at tax time. That may be good for people who need a tax credit more that they need money to pay for insurance. So give it to them; then for the rest of us come up with some economical healthcare, some very economical healthcare.

Posted by: lwba | June 16, 2009, 5:01 pm 5:01 pm

Health care is NOT broken. That is part of the liberal myth, like the 50 million uninsured. Take away illegals, people who can afford it but choose not to buy it and people are are temporarily uninsured in between jobs and the number is more like 5-10 million.

Posted by: JJ Jones | June 16, 2009, 5:01 pm 5:01 pm

McCain called for giving all Americans a $5,000 tax credit to purchase insurance on the open market. A tax credit, meaning that next year you can deduct the 5 grand on your income tax. Which does NOTHING to help the people TODAY who cannot afford health care….
Posted by: SearamblerOne | Jun 16, 2009 1:35:17 PM
======================================
This may be the stupidest thing I have read. Not on this blog. Ever.

Posted by: JJ Jones | June 16, 2009, 5:07 pm 5:07 pm

Several people asked to name one government run program that works.
How about the program that provides health care coverage to all the Washington politicians? It seems to be working out ok for them.
And while we ( the taxpayer’s )have trouble just getting and maintaining care, we are paying THEIR BILLS.
The big money lobby’s will ruin this for all.

Posted by: waterdoc | June 16, 2009, 5:16 pm 5:16 pm

THE REPUBLICANS ARE A JOKE.
THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN REACHING OUT TO THEM TO HELP CREATE HEALTH CARE REFORM AND THEY HAVE DECLINED AND FOUGHT HIM EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. NOW THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS PROPOSED HEALTH CARE REFORM THE REPUBLICANS ARE CRYING THAT THE COST IS TOO MUCH.
REPUBLICANS GET IN THE PROCESS AND HELP RESHAPE ” OUR ” COUNTRY. WE ARE THE ONLY MAJOR COUNTRY IN THE WORLD WHO DOE NOT HAVE UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE. WE CAN’T KEEP THROWING AWAY MONEY TO THE SPECIAL INTEREST AND PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES.
WE ARE SUPPOSE TO BE A LEADER IN THE WORLD COMMUNITY AND MUCH IS EXPECTED OF US. THE CHINESE, JAPANESE, GERMANS, BRITISH, FRENCH, SWITZ AND OTHER MAJOR COUNTRIES WON’T WAIT FOREVER US TO PUT OUR HOUSE IN ORDER. REMEMBER WE HAVE TAKEN MOST OF THE BLAME FOR THE WORLD RECESSION, AND THE WORLD IS WATCHING TO SEE WHAT WE WILL DO, STAY WITH THE STATUS QUO OR BECOME A CONTRIBUTOR TO END THE PROBLEM.
GET WITH THE PROGRAM REPUBLICANS.

Posted by: george | June 16, 2009, 5:17 pm 5:17 pm

Obama’s Heath Care Steering Committee or “Heath Care for America Now.org” – Who makes up this group? ACORN, NAACP, AFL-CIO, AFSCME, UFCW, SEIU, USACTION, NEA, NWLC, Communication Workers of America, National Council of LA RAZA, MOVEON.org, Americans United for Change, Campaign for Americas Future, Center for American Progress Action Fund, Campaign for Community Change. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I’m sure most of these groups receive Obama stimulus money also. Maybe all these groups should consolidate into one and call themselves, “YOULOST” – Yesterdays Over U-Losers Obama’s Socialism Tomorrow). C’mon America! When are you going to wake up!

Posted by: Tim | June 16, 2009, 5:21 pm 5:21 pm

The facts are that the majority of people in America are very happy with their health care as shown by a recent gallop poll and N-O-B-O-D-Y but a few union and far left groups are for a single payer and/or government run health care that will increase taxes and raise the deficit even higher.
The government run Medicare program is going broke so another even bigger, wasteful and inefficient government run health care system that will cost 1. 5 TRILLION dollars makes no sense and is fiscally irresponsible. It is also heartless and selfish to cut health care services for the poor and elderly in order to pay for the health care and bad life style decisions of millions of people who choose not to pay for their own health care.
The Senate Finance Committee proposal to remove employer tax breaks for health insurance will raise every ones taxes. Higher taxes were soundly defeated in California. People are against higher taxes. Higher taxes will just hurt an already bad economy, lower peoples standard of living and result in greater job losses. In order to pay for the coverage of 45 million uncovered the cost of health care will skyrocket out of control , health care will have to be rationed and the quality of health care will go down.
Stop President Obama’s government run health care plan. Stop higher taxes. Stop higher deficits. Stop further hits to an already bad economy. Stop the government from taking over health care and ruining the greatest health care system in the world. Again, the vast majority of people are very happy with their health care/ The best way to reduce health care costs is to get the government out of health care let the people decide how they want to spend THEIR money on health care, not some faceless bureaucrat.

Posted by: Mary | June 16, 2009, 5:31 pm 5:31 pm

Somebody correct me if I am wrong. Sen. Durbin would rather enact costly and flawed legislation rather than wait a couple of more months to think it out correctly? We are doomed if we don’t change things right now? We can’t wait a few months out of 30 years of inequity?
Boy, where’s the fire, chief?

Posted by: Jon F | June 16, 2009, 6:31 pm 6:31 pm

Dav_Victor -
Not only have I spoke with people living in the UK about their system, I’ve lived under it, as well as that of S. Korea and Australia, and you know what… all three are much, much better than what we have in the US. Furthermore, not one of my friends from any of the above countries would trade their system for ours. Are there problems? Of course, nothing’s perfect, but even with those problems the problems facing our health care system are much larger. So Dav, I suggest you take a dose of your own medicine; turn off the am radio and leave your zip code to actually experience one of the many alternatives to private, corporatised healthcare.

Posted by: shame | June 16, 2009, 6:36 pm 6:36 pm

John McCain has received government paid for health care his entire career. He looks healthy. He does not want the same for you.

Posted by: johndoe | June 16, 2009, 7:28 pm 7:28 pm

Private health insurance can never be made to work for the patient’s benefit at a reasonable cost for two reasons inherent in the free market:
1. Being public companies, their obligation is to increase earnings for the benefit of their stockholders.
2. The only way to increase earnings is to raise prices and/or deny or delay care, both of which have been happening for years.
Claims being paid by health insurance companies are actually counted as “medical losses” as far as their accounting goes.
As to how bad other industrialized countries have it, why don’t they simply switch to our system if theirs is so bad? And why does our system cost twice what theirs does? And if you think they have delays and we don’t, try tearing your rotator cuff and walking in to an orthopedist for surgery this afternoon.
However, all this is a moot point, since the medical lobbies have used many millions of your health care premiums, not to pay for your claims, but to buy our politicians. And if you think you’ll get the straight scoop from our journalistic guardians, check out the number of big pharma ads on the nightly news programs. Typically at least three per 30 minute segment. That ad money buys a lot of editorial restraint on this subject.

Posted by: Eddie | June 16, 2009, 8:44 pm 8:44 pm

How in the hell is a $5,000 tax credit supposed to do anything to deal with the massive problem of increases in costs that drastically outpace inflation?
First of all, shouldn’t that number be a percentage so that it actually means something? What good would it be doing anyone if 30 years ago Congress had passed a $500 credit? It’d be worth ~$145, inflation adjusted.
More importantly, providing a $5,000 tax credit just gives the market a price-floor. The insurance companies know that $5,000 of the price is subsidized, so just watch how quickly the cost of coverage co-opts that credit and just begins costing $5,000 more to start with. It’s just going to induce spot-inflation in the healthcare market; fundamentally incentivizing rising costs to just rise faster.

Posted by: Nathan A | June 16, 2009, 9:20 pm 9:20 pm

I don’t care what plan they come up with. All I want is Congress to be under that plan. Not the free insurance plan they have now. Why should the people that are suppose to be working for us get better insurance and be outside any goverment plan for insurance

Posted by: Jim | June 16, 2009, 9:24 pm 9:24 pm

Posted by: Jim | June 16, 2009, 9:25 pm 9:25 pm

John McCain is a billionaire worried about how health insurance is going to be paid for. He is just worried that he might have to pick up a little of the tab. he sure is not worried about you or I!!!!

Posted by: con me not | June 16, 2009, 9:45 pm 9:45 pm

I always liked McCain’s plan for health care — would have been so much easier and cheaper to implement and would have ensured that more people had coverage. It’s so frustrating when people in government only want to re-invent the wheel rather than simply fix the spokes that are broken.

Posted by: lil moi | June 17, 2009, 12:41 am 12:41 am

First time I’ve ever agreed with McCain about ANYTHING! This Kennedy, Obama health care debacle is a disaster and will bankrupt the country. What is Obama thinking????????? This is just plain nuts and so is our so-called “president.”

Posted by: Sunnyr | June 17, 2009, 12:59 am 12:59 am

“McCain pointed to a nonpartisan cost estimate of $1 trillion over ten years for the major portion of healthcare reform; states the price is too high for American taxpayers.”
How considerate. I guess, McCain and the rest of the Republicans have forgotten, so soon, the damage they inflicted on America while Bush was in office.
Get real. If you didn’t then, don’t be an obstacle to progress…if you really want to help, get out of the way.

Posted by: mjcb | June 17, 2009, 4:54 am 4:54 am

I’m getting tired of all the debate over health care reform since everyone just keeps reciting the same words over and over again.
As far as I can see we have arguments from 3 groups that I’ve written about on my blog.

Posted by: Susan | June 17, 2009, 10:48 am 10:48 am

The discussion between the health care department and the president on the issue how to pay the bill.

Posted by: Health Insurance Quotes | June 18, 2009, 11:50 pm 11:50 pm

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