Health Care: Three Numbers to Watch

what can one say other than all valid points that should be answered during the recess. point 1 will be the critical factor especially if it gets delayed again.

Why has health care “been so hard to sell despite so many efforts?”
Because the insurance industry owns our senators and congresspeople! Their votes are bought with campaign money, simple as that.
Additionally, the insurance industry is spending over $1 million a day to kill reform. Why not report on that?

I hope Obama can push health care reform through Congress. I have health insurance through my employer, but I do agree that the system is broke. The fact that insurance companies can deny someone coverage because of pre-existing conditions is just wrong. I believe most individuals do not realize how precarious a situation they may be in if they lose their jobs and need to try to obtain individual health insurance on the open market. You could be denied coverage for the slightest thing from the prescriptions you may have taken years ago.

We do need health care for all Americans, but trying to shove it through Congress in a rush is a very scary thought. Congress doesn’t get much right and I doubt this would be done correctly. I would hope healthcare reform would be done slowly and with much thought and foresight.

The US government in partnership with the insurance companies have sold the American people that Socialize Medicine is not good. Europe and many countries in South America have that system. It’s better than having 50 million Americans and many more barely making ends meet being forced to pay for private health care. Most Americans in today’s economy cannot afford the cost of medicines and hospital care. The wealthy can always pay for insurance and private medicine.

C’mon guys, do your duty – we’ve never been this close. Happy Birthday, Mr. President!

A crisis/irrational panic mentality was needed to pass the deficit-busting stimulus bill in the early part of this year. Now, a recovery/irrational exuberance mentality is needed to pass a future deficit-busting health insurance/care bill in the latter part of this year. An American manic-depressive political psyche at play?

Unfortunately most people in this country who approve of socialized medicine do not understand the true difference between the U.S. and Europe. I lived in Germany for several years and can tell you from first hand experience that their socialized medicine is cheaper but does less for the patients then our health system. At the same time the average German lives a healthier lifestyle then the average American creating the appearance of a more effective health care system. The culutural differences between us involved in healthier living are not readily apparent in facts and figures and in some cases such as ciggarettes actually look completely opposite. The differences are in what they eat and how they live their lives.
No health care reform will fix that.

As a working economist I am not going to pontificate about the White House’s economic model for healthcare – to say it politely, it is a vessel of fertilizer and it stinks. The only thing that I am certain of is that it the CBO is correct. In the WH model, the costs are being radically understated and the “savings” radically overstated. Just this week, the WH brought in the drug companies, who have gotten away with gouging on the Medicare part D benefits, to help. Anyone want to guess where this is going? The bottom line is that “free” healthcare is expensive. At the end of the day, we will have an expensive system that will control costs by rationing healthcare through “tough choices,” which are code words for denial of care to elderly patients.

The numbers to watch are that the majority like their healthcare plans.No one wants to pay a lot more money for less access, availability, options and care. Compared to 100 yrs ago when the doctors were medicine men who arrived in town with a horse and buggy and tonic waters – everyone in the US has much better access to leading edge healthcare than the previous generation. People around the world have better access to healthcare because of what was developed in the US.
Older Americans and the entire baby boomer generation have so much to lose in terms of access to good healthcare in the U.S. because the proposed healthcare nationalization marginalizes access, options and availability for all. It all points to a step back in time.

So I just learned today that one of the provisions of the healthcare bill calls for “not guaranteeing” healthcare for children under the age of 15 and adults over the age of 50 particularly elderly with dementia, because their lives are not as important as those of young adults. Well you know what Obama? We “young people” have parents and grandparents-some with Alzheimer’s too who we love and care for- HOW DARE YOU and congress suggest their lives are not equally as important as ours?! You won’t buy this young person’s vote!

No more gigantic too big to read bills. Why can’t they do this in steps? Start with tort reform. Put a reasonable limit on judgements. Then do something about pre-existing conditions.

Everyone has seen the recent government run media publishing stories that ABC, MSNBC, the Democrats and others are claiming that the protest at town hall meetings are paid for, and organized by the Republican Party. Here are the facts;
FACT: There is absolutely no evidence or money trail proving the Republican Party has paid for or organized any form of disturbance, mob induced riot, or any thing related to an Obama Health Care demonstration.
FACT: Many of those protesting at the town meetings protesting Obama Health Care are DEMOCRATS!
FACT: Many of those being protested at town hall meetings are Republicans!
FACT: ACORN members have been arrested and awaiting trial on voter fraud, and conspiracy!
FACT: ACORN members gave homeless people free meals and then drove them to vote for Obama!
FACT: ACORN members have been arrested for private property destruction!
FACT: ACORN members interfere with the duties of safety officers and blocked fire exits, and lanes of traffic!
FACT: ACORN member’s lawyer was Barack Hussein Obama!
FACT: ACORN members were instructed by Barack Hussein Obama on civil disturbance procedures and how to avoid being arrested!
FACT: ACORN members receive millions of dollars of tax payer’s money courtesy of Barack Hussein Obama!
FACT: ACORN has been appointed to conduct the next United States Census courtesy of Barack Hussein Obama!
FACT: ACORN members are on constant call by Barack Hussein Obama staff to launch protest across the country and financed by TAX PAYERS money!
NOW WHO IS TELLING THE TRUTH AND WHO IS SPREADING LIES?

“Instead of acknowledging the widespread anger millions of Americans are feeling this summer toward Democrat-controlled Washington, Washington Democrats are trying to dismiss it as a fabrication,” House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said in a statement. “That isn’t likely to sit well with Americans outside of Washington who are struggling and wondering when their elected leaders are going to wake up and change course.”

Hope and change? This is not what I hoped for! I’m angry. So are many other Americans. We are getting this Socialized Health care rammed down our throats. If this bill passes medical care in this county will take a giant step backwards and will inevitably lead to rationing. Do we really want the government making our healthcare decisions? Ignorant, idol-watching Americans need to wake up!

I think Obama and the Democrats ratings have fallen below the Used Car Salesman when it comes to telling the truth.They are using Voodoo economics to try to explain how they can add 50 million of un insured and cut cost.My apoligy to Used Car Salesmen for being lumped with this Socialist group.

Wouldn’t higher unemployment HELP the passing of healthcare reform?
President Obama’s biggest challenge is to figure out how to govern stupid Americans. Take the Cash for Clunker Program for example. Your retirement halved, the economy sagged, your employment is shaky, even your estate that’s REAL worth less than the purchase price for some, but all that won’t stop the irresistible new car smell.
Cash for Clunker Program is necessary and passed for all the best reasons, include but not so much for the environment, as the next generation of efficient vehicles aren’t in the market yet. The truth is, our auto manufacturers are being kept alive by tax dollars, and a little government incentive to get people (who can afford) to buy is a great idea. IMHO, the reluctant declaration of success and expansion of this program is the evidence of what the WH has to deal with.
Yes, we’re broke, so the right side of the Americans say we can’t afford health care, but both the left and right have no problem to expand the Clunker for Cash program just for that brand new car smell. That’s not the only stupidity President Obama has to deal with.
The benefactors of the previous ruling party transferred a lot of wealth and tilted the balance that left us with today’s economy, debts, and bailout obligations; we will all be short for a long time.
Forget the people, the imbalance had deteriorated to the point financiers are insolvent because tent cities are worthless, despite the power to foreclose real cities. It’s not just the household economic foundation that supports the valuations. It’s also the huge pool of money these very same insurance moguls parked and hyped the real estate market. Forget the denominating cost of energy that had reached destabilization levels, we’re talking about medicines here. This is much the same way with citizens and small businesses of this country that cannot afford and withstand chances on health, as well as the manipulated boom and bust of basic roof over the head for most average families.
The foundation of household economics had been tilted unfavorably to the point it’s effecting our overall competitiveness, thus render us with diminishing comparative advantages no matter how we try to inflate, deflate or cut ourselves out of the hole. The mismanagement of the previous ruling class left the economy insolvent and diminished our capacity beyond the possibility of short term recovery. It’ll take a while before we can inflate ourselves back to the level before the meltdown. Meanwhile, don’t be surprised to see other developing powers challenge our superpower status. Obama’s health care expansion really isn’t an option; it’s necessity. We really don’t have that much to work with. Beijing’s stimulus of $500 billion, in a $3 trillion economy, is much bigger than Washington’s $800 billion in a $14 trillion economy therefore it’s beginning to work but not for us. This means prolonged higher unemployment with more people in dire needs of something as basic as health care. Our debt obligations will grow faster than our economy for the next 10 years. -Sen. Evan Bayh Now, what can President Obama say? Boys and girls, we’re in for some hard times? He’d be impeached in less than a year.
Well to do folks better think twice before join the insurance moguls staged emotional outrage on the health reform, because your premiums will rise as more middle class lose their jobs and coverage.

Is it a fact that the proposed health bill, HR 3200, provides free healthcare to people who came to this country illeagally?

Pelosi has chosen to call those who oppose government takeover of healthcare “un-American”. Doesn’t this seem a bit ironic from a person who considers flag burning to be an expression of free speech? Doesn’t Pelosi exhibit a bit of gall and temerity here? Isn’t this an outlandish insult to a free people?
Both Obama and Pelosi say or infer that all who oppose their government takeover of healthcare are organized by republicans, the insurance companies or some right wing organizer. However, the word is out that Obama has energized, by email, some 13 million members of his OFA (Organizing for America). Members of which pledge to support — not the flag, not the constitution, not the country, not even the Democratic Party, but Obama and his “bold plan.” OFA does not use the Democratic Party logo but the “O”-shaped logo of the Obama campaign in which the red white and blue of the flag are abstracted to soft pastel colors. So I ask the question, isn’t the real conspiracy from the left?
Why does the left use election campaign tactics in attempt to marginalize opponents of government takeover of healthcare? Why can’t a supposedly representative government just accept the fact that we are a free people who don’t want a bigger more intrusive government?

Those of us who oppose government taker over of healthcare realize that these 1000 or so pages are merely the tip of the iceberg.
We have no clue as to the details or mechanization of implementation. The lines that we have difficulty with as far as pervasiveness may be far more so when interpreted by the myriad of czars, commissions, committees and whomever.
Also realize that if it becomes law it can be revised at will just as IRS codes are. At best the only thing we might ever see would be comments published in the congressional record.
If you have ever attempted to oppose or alter something you read in the congressional record you will know just how hopeless that cause might be.
Now is the only time to protest, and it is working. We are getting under their skin, Obama has activated his OFA to hit the streets and Pelosi is trying to demonize the opposition.
Strange that flag burning is acceptable but opinions opposing Pelosi are “un-American.

While having the best health care in the world is obviously very important, on the flip side of that, what good is it when only half the country can afford it

I will be watching the Healthcare Reform Mtg on Thursday on line and we all should take the opportunity to ask questions and twitter to get the Answers. Lets do our research