President Obama’s Full Court Press on Health Care Reform

Those Republican Senators should get out of the way. There is a reason there are only 40 of them. THere will be even fewer after 2010.

I hope people wise up soon on the strategy of rushing things through before people have time to read, understand, and question what’s in them.
Probably has more AIG bonuses buried in it somewhere.

Medicare is about to run out of money and now we are going to expand Medicare to cover the entire nation? In the midst of a depression? After passing a trillion dollar “Save Government Jobs” Act? After giving away almost a trillion dollars to corporate banks?
We have already nearly bankrupted the nation to take care of bureacratic and corporate interests.
Why exactly do we need to do this again?I’ve heard it said 40 million people don’t have health insurance. Of that number, how many are illegal aliens? How many don’t have jobs because of illegal aliens? How many are wealthy enough that they don’t need health insurance because they can just pay their medical bills as incurred? How many are people who don’t want to pay for it?
When I started out as a small businessman, I couldn’t afford a fancy health insurance plan for my family. But I was able to afford a catastrophic health insurance plan with a $5000 deductible for my entire family. How many of the 40 million uninsured have just chosen their beer and cigarettes over the cost of that type of insurance plan.
I can assure you that as a small business owner, if I’m forced to provide health care insurance or pay a fine, I’ll either cut everyone’s pay, downsize back down to just myself, or shut down my business and retire. Imagine the ripple effect of that across the nation for many like-minded small business owners.

“I can assure you that as a small business owner, if I’m forced to provide health care insurance or pay a fine, I’ll either cut everyone’s pay, downsize back down to just myself, or shut down my business and retire. Imagine the ripple effect of that across the nation for many like-minded small business owners.”
Well stated and well founded. Those who live off the government (or have a significant vested interest in the government) have NO IDEA how businesses operate and the environment required for job creation (witness failed “stimulus” bill). Mandated healthcare is a very bad and dangerous idea. The system needs reform, but there are better ways to crack this nut.
Obama and Dems are intent on doing things their way which is why they are in such a rush. They realize if/when the American find out what they are up to, there will be an uproar. Thus the rush.

“and create a government run health plan to compete with private insurers to drive costs down”
Does this plan run solely on premiums collected or is it subsidized with government taxes? To be truly competitive, it should run only on premiums like a private enterprise.

The Dem plan goes thru and unemployment skyrockets. More people on the dole, therefore more votes for democrats. Pretty simple really.

Page 16 of the bill has a paragraph that outlaws the selling of private insurance after the public plan is initiated, forcing everyone very quickly into the public option. Without new enrollees the private companies will quickly go under.
Chuckie Schumer, in his usual gratuitous lying claims they will now raise billions by taxing private insurers.
However the lie is in that they will have run the insurers and YOUR CHOICE out of buisiness.
The paragraph from page 16:
“Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day” of the year the legislation becomes law.
So we can all keep our coverage, just as promised — with, of course, exceptions: Those who currently have private individual coverage won’t be able to change it. Nor will those who leave a company to work for themselves be free to buy individual plans from private carriers.
Investors business daily has the full scoop on this if you don’t believe that Obama is lying about your choice.

Naysayers
please explain how we should now trust corporate america after the madoff scandal, the housing bubbles, the enrons of the world, etc. etc.
Those say mean bad government program that you claim will come between us and our doctors, NEWS FLASH!!!!! Your provider is now doing the same thing, with more autonomy to deny your health decision than the government would.
Also, do you have a choice when your employer provides the bare bones plan and you need more coverage. NO.
I think the GOP is being totally insincere and hypocritical in trying to create this big healthcare boogey man.
I encourage everyone to READ and stop listening to the right wingnut express.
How now do they

Omentum, explain how Americans can trust the government when social security and medicare are bigger Ponzi schemes than Madoff’s ever was.

“400% profits are outrageous for health insurance companies”
Who are these companies? I’d like to invest in them!
I think you are reaching here just a bit with this claim…

What is the first thing the receptionist ask when you come in the hospital
May I see your provider’s card?
hmmm
So does that not mean that my provider comes between me and my doctor?
get a clue folks!!!
Public Health Care Option NOW!!!!!
ITS TIME!!!!!!
status quo had go to go

Omentum, explain how Americans can trust the government when social security and medicare are bigger Ponzi schemes than Madoff’s ever was.
Posted by: Kathy | Jul 16, 2009 10:19:33 AM
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At the very least, I have a vote to change policymakers within the government.
With corporate america, all I can do is watch from the street corner as they sit in their ivory towers and divvy up the profits and buy their yachts and golf 3-5 times a week.
ask any person who was scammed by madoff how does it feel to see their life savings evaporate into thin air.
Social security and medicare send a check to those who worked for it. What will madoff send those who put their lives in his hands. hahahaha!!!
see how pathetic your argument is?

“With corporate america, all I can do is watch from the street corner as they sit in their ivory towers and divvy up the profits and buy their yachts and golf 3-5 times a week.”
I’ve worked in both environments. Observations (generally speaking):
Govt.: 8 hour days, fixed annual raises, minimal accountability, job security, generous benefits (including pension)
Corp.: Long days (ave. 10 hours), annual raises dependent on performance and state of business, at-will employment (i.e., minimal job security), accountability, good benefits, but pension is not guaranteed (companies are cutting back)
So, you are right – All of us in the corp. world are buying yachts and golfing…/sarc. More accurately, without those evil profit-mongers, the government would have little income to operate!

“May I see your provider’s card? So does that not mean that my provider comes between me and my doctor?”
Your provider is not dictating treatment as The One’s “of medical experts” will do (based on The One’s track record, this panel will probably not have any physicians sitting on it just as he doesn’t have automotive experts leading the “auto task force” and just as he installed the former CEO of AT&T to as its new Chairman – a man who has “vowed to learn about cars”).
Posted by: tjp612 | Jul 16, 2009 10:39:34 AM
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Amazing,
If you provider will not cover a particular type of treatment. GUESS WHAT!!!!!
You will have to come out of your pocket in addition to paying your premiums every month.
Is that not control??????? Not saying that will not be comparable control by the government, but what I am saying is that I would rather pay less for healthcare and I would rather not pay for “ivory tower overhead”

Hi Omemtum
The little secret about social security is that the payroll taxes received by the government have exceeded the current payout for many years.
The government has been spending the extra money on other programs. As the payout increases in the coming years, that money will no longer be available.
Those other programs will have to be funded by other taxes. But there is already not enough money in other taxes to support those programs, so Congress will be faced with cutting programs (never happen) or raising taxes.
The first date to watch will be 2016, just about 6 years from now. After that, the payout for social security will exceed the amount taken in. This will have to be funded from the Social Security Trust Fund. But there is no real money in the Social Security Trust Fund, just a bunch of IOUs (govenment bonds).
So to make the payout, congress will not only have to raise taxes to fund programs previously funded from social security revenues, they will have to raise taxes even higher to pay back the trust fund.
The next date to watch is around 2035. That’s when the entire non-existent trust fund will be completely spent.
The remaining workers will see astronomical tax increases. Our grand children will grow up in a totally impoverished nation, owing more in federal debt than they could ever earn.
There is only one way out: inflation. This is actually the most cruel and regressive tax of all. The rich can find places for their wealth which will hedge against inflation. The poor will suffer a an every dwindling lifestyle.
After that … who knows. Check out the Wiemar Republic for some clues, or maybe Zimbabwe.

Hi Omemtum
You said: You will have to come out of your pocket in addition to paying your premiums every month.

So, you are right – All of us in the corp. world are buying yachts and golfing…/sarc. More accurately, without those evil profit-mongers, the government would have little income to operate!
Posted by: tjp612 | Jul 16, 2009 10:45:41 AM
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I will take my chances without them or with a diminshed version of them. I continue to hate the implication that a flawed capitalistic healthcare system is better than a government healthcare system that haven’t even been given a chance. Yeah yeah, I know you will say look at Europe. I will say no. Let’s look at the most prosperous country in the world USA. Let’s stay within the borders and make people accountable in the most important undertaking in LIFE.
HEALTHCARE.
No longer should we accept the failed system. LETS TRY SOMETHING NEW.
If it works GREAT!!!
If it doesn’t GREAT!!! I will concede, scrap it with the next administration, do away with it, and you can continue happily wallow in your corrupt corporate healthcare system.

I think the GOP is being totally insincere and hypocritical in trying to create this big healthcare boogey man.
Posted by: Omentum | Jul 16, 2009 10:15:46 AM
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I don’t think there is anything wrong with the GOP stance. The Dems own the Presidency & Congress. It’s their bill – they wrote it. They have the votes. If they want this bill, they should pass it and live with it. If it is so great for America, the Dems shouldn’t care if the GOP supports it or not. They should want all the glory.
However… they want at least a few GOPers to support it in case it goes bad. Then they can say it was a bipartisan bill.

quote from Der Leader-
” a panel of medical experts that are making determinations about what protocols are appropriate for what diseases. ”
So lemme get this straight…a government panel will be deciding on how to treat diseases? Why have doctors at all? Sounds like Barry and his statist buddies have it all figured out.
I knew Barry was a liberal, but this is truly unreal. Starting to sound like National Socialism…anybody else feel like it is the late 1930′s??? All that’s missing are the uniforms.

You will be asked to sacrifice. Since they won’t be able to afford your medicare or your social security, you will be asked to step aside. It will be your patriotic duty!
Posted by: Terry | Jul 16, 2009 11:06:53 AM
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Why do you continue to try and blow up this scare toy. There are so many holes in it. Too too much speculation.
This new healthcare proposal is not the re-writing of the Constitution as you are stressing. It is the President’s proposal from mandate from the people who voted him in office.
If there is a larger mandate out there, it will be heard, let the people speak. They have spoken. They will speak again. The President has heard by the votes he received. If the people don’t like it, they will speak.
Bluntly speaking, you are now speaking out of turn. Wait till it your turn to speak again. That will be 2012.
respectfully

How about fixing what we’ve got by starting with TORT REFORM! Why are they not eliminating frivolous lawsuits! Doctors practice defensive diagnosis to avoid lawsuits. Their premiums are through the roof. Fix this first and see what’s left to do.
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frivilous is such a subjective term.
but I think healthcare reform is the long pole in the tent. You have a point but let’s deal with that later. They are already saying the president is doing too much. Actually healtcare reform will address many of the concerns you stated.

It’s all about NEW TAXES
A draft of the House Democrat health care bill is out, and it’s been leaked to ATR staff. There are several major tax increases in here, most of which violate the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. They include:
a tax on individuals failing to sign up for health care equal to the lesser of 2.5% of adjusted gross income (AGI) or the average individual premium amount
a tax on employers for not providing a health care plan equal to 8% of payroll. This becomes 0, 4, or 6 percent of payroll as payday totals dip below $400,000 annually
a new and undetermined excise tax on health insurance plans
codification of the “economic substance doctrine,” whereby businesses would not be able to engage in legal tax avoidance techniques without demonstrating a bona fide business purpose
delay of worldwide interest allocation, a baby step toward the full double-taxation of corporate profits earned overseas
the big one–a new “surtax” on the AGI of small businesses and other high income earners. Here’s the details:
1% on AGI of $350,000 to $500,000
1.5% on AGI of $500,000 to $1,000,000
5.4% on AGI of over $1,000,000
Those brackets are 50% if you’re Married Filing Separately, and 80% if you’re Single or Head of Household
This will result in a top rate of 45%, and a capital gains rate of over 25%. It’s more than that when you factor in that this surtax is NOT on taxable income, but on adjusted gross income (AGI). Factoring that plus state income tax in means that the top rate will exceed 50%, and the capital gains rate will exceed 30%.
And it actually gets a lot worse. Employers would also be mandated to provide health insurance under the bill, and the cost of health insurance would likely skyrocket because of new regulations called guaranteed issue and community rating. The only alternative, which many companies would either be forced into by cost considerations or choose for simplicity, would be to pay a payroll tax of as much as 8 percent. That’s on top of the existing 15.3 percent payroll tax for Social Security and Medicare, creating a new total payroll tax of 23.3 percent.

“So you are saying if the policeman did not arrest the man on the street with the mask the gun and big bag of cash, its the policeman’s fault!!!! and the sadistic robber who stole billions is not at fault. All you can do is point at government? Laughable.”
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Typical lefty rope-a-dope. Create a non-sensical scenario to rebut reality. Madoff was guilty. No question. But he was also turned in several times and given a “pass.” Deal with it.
“Who eased corporate regulations? Your beloved Ronald Reagan. A REPUBLICAN.”
______________________________
Easing regulation in and of itself is not a bad thing. But when people take advantage of it and exisitng regulation does not handle it properly, changes are in order. Bush should have pushed back harder than he did as Maxine Waters, Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Franklin Raines… were taking advantage of the situation and covering up the truth.
Posted by: Omentum | Jul 16, 2009 11:13:34 AM
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Democrats are busy right now pulling in all their buddies from the financial industry to repeat the govt corruption that existed before them. These people aren’t stupid. They just switch sides.

I think, regarding Obama and all his wonderful sounding claims about health care reform, that right about now the appropriate statement is:
LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE!!!!!!!
(hum, will they remove my post for telling the truth about Obama?)
Page 16 of the house bill basically makes private individual health insurance ILLEGAL. Under the Orwellian header of “Protecting The Choice To Keep Current Coverage,” no less!! [see below] If you happen to have indiv. private coverage before the bill becomes law, you’re grandfathered.
Otherwise, Obama’s “if you lose your job, you’ll still be able to find quality health insurance you can afford”
R-i-g-h-t. Provided, of course, by the US Gov and ONLY the US Gov. NO CHOICE. ZERO CHOICE. Don’t like that option, TOUGH. Because legally you’re required to buy it or pay quite large fines.
Obama’s “if you start a business, you’ll still be able to find quality health insurance you can afford”
R-i-g-h-t. Provided, of course, by the US Gov and ONLY the US Gov. NO CHOICE. ZERO CHOICE. Don’t like that option, TOUGH. Because legally you’re required to buy it or pay quite large fines. At least until you grow your business large enough for group policies, you are stuck 100% with Uncle Sam, Obama’s Choice. (is that like Hobson’s Choice? Between the Devil and the deep blue sea…. hum…)
Miss a payment or two on your current individual policy? TOUGH LUCK. You CAN’T get it back, because they can’t legally underwrite you again. Hows that for “if you like your insurance, you can keep it” ??
Meanwhile, please recall Obama’s statements, made multiple times, about how there’s NO reason that a gov. option plan can’t play fairly, a level playing field, with private insurance.
LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE!!!!!!!!!!
This guy is a piece of work, right along with those in Congress who’re in bed with him. Its DISGUSTING what they are trying to do.
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It’s Not An Option
By INVESTOR’S BUSINESS DAILY | Posted Wednesday, July 15, 2009 4:20 PM PT
Congress: It didn’t take long ….Right there on Page 16 is a provision making individual private medical insurance illegal.
….the 1,018-page [Atlas says: ANOTHER 1,000+ pager, rush, rush, no time to waste, pass it now or else, last chance!!] …we thought we surely must be misreading it. So we sought help from the House Ways and Means Committee.
It turns out we were right: The provision would indeed outlaw individual private coverage. Under the Orwellian header of “Protecting The Choice To Keep Current Coverage,” ….
So we can all keep our coverage, just as promised — with, of course, exceptions: Those who currently have private individual coverage won’t be able to change it. Nor will those who leave a company to work for themselves be free to buy individual plans from private carriers.
…The nonpartisan Lewin Group estimated in April that 120 million or more Americans could lose their group coverage at work and end up in such a program. That would leave private carriers with 50 million or fewer customers. This could cause the market to, as Lewin Vice President John Sheils put it, “fizzle out altogether.”
What wasn’t known until now is that the bill itself will kill the market for private individual coverage by not letting any new policies be written after the public option becomes law.
The legislation is also likely to finish off health savings accounts, a goal that Democrats have had for years. They want to crush that alternative because nothing gives individuals more control over their medical care, and the government less, than HSAs.
With HSAs out of the way, a key obstacle to the left’s expansion of the welfare state will be removed.
The public option won’t be an option for many, but rather a mandate for buying government care. A free people should be outraged at this advance of soft tyranny.
Washington does not have the constitutional or moral authority to outlaw private markets in which parties voluntarily participate. It shouldn’t be killing business opportunities, or limiting choices, or legislating major changes in Americans’ lives.
It took just 16 pages of reading to find this naked attempt by the political powers to increase their reach. It’s scary to think how many more breaches of liberty we’ll come across in the final 1,002.

So let me get this straight…Government, which have deep pockets, is going to be competing with private enterprise, health insurance companies, in order to keep cost down? So the next question should be is what options does a “for profit” company have in order to stay competitive with a much larger company, the government, who has unlimited capital, us taxpayers…Ummmm perhaps a larger group of stake holders, wannna invest in the insurance business when your competitor is the government…NO, perhaps cut costs, the cost of doing business that is Hmmmmmm guess that includes employees/services/downsize, refuse to take clients. And what about the government, will they set up standards like limiting people who are overweight, or smokers or drinkers or seniors over a certain age in order to cut thier costs WHO will be making the decisions for you…. TOO FAST..READ THE CONTRACT FIRST BEFORE SIGNING ON..

If you’ll excuse the pun, its legislative malpractice of the worst sort to try to rush a bill like this thru the process.
What is more important, implementing 1,000+ pages bad pages quickly, or taking the time to GET IT RIGHT FIRST?

Stop complaining. If something is not done we will continue down this downward sprial where less people will have insurance. Its sickening and sad. The so called “best country in the world” does not have an affordable heatth care plan. There are people who are making more than the average salary who are uninsured because private insurance COST TOO MUCH!!!
I guess some of us would rather our neighbors and friends without health insurance or medical assistance.

I hope Obama can execute a full court
press better than can sling the horsehide. Geez, what a girly heave!

“The amazing thing is they find lie after discredited lie to support and spread, with no sense of the need to investigate any further on their own and no apparent need for integrity or credibility.”
When instapundit is calling them out you know its bad.

Oh, right Ryan. Instapundit notes that A READER said per page 19 individual private insurance could still be sold.
You oh-so-conveniently negleted to mention that instapundit says: Hmm. We should have more time for all this stuff to be sorted out. Instead they’re ramming it through as quickly as possible. That makes me suspicious.
You’ve also called Investor’s Business Daily a liar – AND said you think they also are lying about having confirmed their findings directly with the House Ways and Means Committee.
All based on the interpretation of some totally unknown internet reader??
Please. Talk about blatant bias and lying by omission. Pot callin’ the kettle black, that’s for sure.