Obama Calls Health Care Summit “Interesting,” But No Word On Progress Yet

always interesting to hear Republicans speaking about what the ‘american people want’,, as if that has been something they have worked for over the years

CNN Poll: Only 25% want Dems to pass their health bills….
Obama VS America

Well, aren’t you all special! Pretty judgmental, too. So you think only people that are political junkies are watching the President and Senators conference today.
Guess what? There are real people out here that like to see our Congress and President speak their own words, as opposed to listening to snippets and talk show host/news people interpret the information for us.
So, for those who think this is boring, too bad. It is boring listening to the sermon at church sometimes, too; but, it is how we find our way through the problems of life.
Yes, they are talking about things I want to hear about.
P.S. John McCain’s behavior was disrespectful to the President and was completely off the mark of the agenda with his talking points.
Naples, Florida Republican/Senior Citizen

both parties take selected text to make their points, but taken out of context of the documents, without what came before and after those ‘excerpts’ almost negates any conversation to mere talking points.

PRICELESS!!!
Posted by: pauldia
what’s ‘priceless’ is your enthusiasm for for Cantor’s implication that any HCR bill somehow will not involve a lot of paper, or that the efficacy of any bill is somehow dependent on how many pages it contains.

The Dems must be feeling quite ill right about now–this has not gone well for them at all.
If they were hoping for a game-changer, they already know they have failed.

Listening to Kent Conrad hysterical about “Medicare going broke”
The “going broke” argument is just that if the funding were held constant, the program would go bust. But of course that’s true for every single health plan in the world.
By that logic, in fact, the military would also “go broke” were funding held at the current level while inflation slowly eroded the buying power of that money.

Boehner says ‘the American people’ when he’s really talking about AHIP lobbyists.

If you go back to the 2008 election rhetoric.. there should be plenty of common ground for this summit.. instead of a defining mandate/quorum election.. it seems it’s dissolved into an old fashioned tug of war (complete with a big mud hole in between the tugging parties)… back to my original point.. both sides seemed to be very close on health care policy.. but, that was the campaign.

I am watching the SUMMIT.
Obama seems very reluctant to discuss further on MALPRACTICE – THE MEDICAL LAWSUIT. He didn’t want to touch the issue.
Does it has anything to do with SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS?

McCain is claiming that Texas is a success in cutting medical costs because of malpractice limits (limits on victims’ rights)
If that’s the case why is it that Medicare pays nearly twice the national average per beneficiary ($15000) there?
Why is it that McAllen, Texas is the most expensive town in the most expensive country for health care in the world?

Durbin!
Finally some sanity!
Durbin: the malpractice reforms proposed by the Republicans will save 1/5 of 1% of our health care costs, and the important thing is to reduce medical errors.
2003-2008 the amount paid out in malpractice claims was cut in half.

Posted by: Flash Override | Feb 25, 2010 3:28:39 PM
Then why why is the minister from NF going to Florida for a heart operation when he can get it for FREE in Canada???

Mary, it is more likely that your doctor spends more money on bill collection and medical billing specialists (8-11%) than on malpractice costs (less than 2%)

“it is more likely that your doctor spends more money on bill collection and medical billing specialists (8-11%) than on malpractice costs (less than 2%)”
Depends on the type of doctor. Ask an OB/GYN what their malpractice costs are. Some are leaving the practice because of them.

Mr. Override, McAllen, TX does indeed reflect a problem for the nation, but not necessarily a Texas problem.
IBD reported that, “In Texas, hospitals are flooded with walk-in mothers in labor showing up in the ER to have their anchor babies. [the added teeth Clinton gave to the EMTALA act encourages this unfunded burden on hospitals.] McAllen is one of the most heavily trafficked border areas in the country. The border patrol nabs 75,000 illegals there a year. They’re the ones caught; others flood McAllen hospitals.
Overutilization of ER services by illegals is crippling the area’s major hospital system, including McAllen Medical Center and Edinburg Regional Medical Center. The South Texas Health System eats $140 million a year in free care, and 60%-70% of those unpaid costs are in the ER.
Some 40% of the babies born at McAllen Medical last year were to illegals. That’s nearly 2,400 babies who were given instant citizenship. And their mothers instantly qualified for U.S. welfare.”
I don’t mean to open the immigration hornet’s nest, just want to point out that your grandstanding about McAllen is more complicated than your Union’s talking points might have you believe.

Carol, that would be a good argument if it were true in El Paso as well as in McAllen – but it isn’t. El Paso has the same number of illegal immigrants, but costs there are half of McAllen’s.

Flash, who is pretty busy round these parts today, wrote of doctors: ” It should be noted, however, that even for ob/gyns, after paying for malpractice insurance, office and equipment costs, staff costs, etc. (in other words, all expenses), they are still brining home an average salary (profit) in excess of $200,000 a year.”
Duly noted. And you have a problem with this? I do not. These are people who train a long time, develop a much-needed skill that our society needs, and work very hard. They are rewarded for doing that well. They should be. I’m not a doctor, I’m not married to a doctor, I’m not related to a doctor. But I know a lot of doctors. And I have no problem with them making a very comfortable salary that encourages them to continue to do the valuable things they do.
I have a relative who recently went through a very serious health crisis. This relative had a tumor on her pancreas, and had delicate surgery that left her missing most of her pancreas, part of her stomach, all of her gallbladder and spleen. Thankfully, the tumor was benign and we were spared the terribly diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. But she was in surgery for hours and in the hospital for days. While she was there, the surgeon himself visited her room twice a day, every day, Monday through Sunday. He did not take the weekend off from visiting patients. He did not pop in early in the morning and then take the rest of the day off. He was in surgery several of those days and he was at the hospital every day. He literally saved her life. Does he clear over 200,000 a year for having these skills and caring for his patients in this way? I am quite sure he does. In fact, I am fairly sure that he pulls down far more than that. And he’s worth every penny.
In case you respond– I was referring to Ob/Gyns, I would add that my ob/gyn has been a solid part of my medical team for decades. He brought me safely through two pregnancies, complete with complications. He delivered two babies, one healthy, one initially compromised. One baby came in the middle of the night. The other came after hours and hours of labor. in both cases, my ob/gyn was there to see us through. He has helped me build my medical team, not only providing excellent care himself but keeping current on all my medical care and helping me find the best physicians for my particular needs. He is a treasure and worth his weight in gold. I do not begrudge him his monetary compensation, either.

If I were a representative I wouldn’t touch this “reform” with a ten foot poll. But I also say quit all the nonsense, vote on it, if it passes and works Democrats will look like saviors, if it does not succeed they can blame Bush. I say good paying jobs where people actually pay for it themselves is the best solution but what do I know after working for mine for the past 30 years.
Next Summit: Obama pulls a rabbit out of a hat.

al that talk on television about healthcare is a waste of money this goverment is already over his budget and then put a debate on television is a waste of taxpayers money on top of that it will never pass the hoese because senators wants something for there states too but why do we the people have too pay for that it is all about health care not what the senators wantfor there state so we can get there vote it looks like lobying for avote if you dont give me this you are not getting my vote DON,T WASTE MY TAX MONEY

Another decisive victory for the President and the Democrats today, as the Republicans showed themselves systemically incapable of staying away from cheap shot politics – and continuing to bray the same tired partisan campaign lines.
It will be interesting to see which Republicans have the common sense and the decency to admit many of their ideas have been incorporated by the Democrats and that the legislation ought to move forward.

Another decisive victory for the President and the Democrats today, as the Republicans showed themselves systemically incapable of staying away from cheap shot politics….
It will be interesting to see which Republicans have the common sense and the decency …
Posted by: tierra | Feb 25, 2010 7:37:24 PM
I agree.
Ezra Klein (WaPo):
“The big story out of the summit is not that Republicans and Democrats extended their hands in friendship, but that the White House has dug its heels into the dirt. The Democrats are not taking reconciliation off the table, they are not paring back the bill, and they are not extricating themselves from the issue. They think they’re right on this one, and they’re going to try and pass this legislation.
Today was a boost for that effort. The Democrats got hours to make their case, at an event they planned, with one of their own controlling the discussion. For that reason, I imagine that this will be the last bipartisan summit we see for awhile. The format is simply too kind to the president, and he takes advantage of it ruthlessly.”
Happy to see the ones who are RIGHT on this issue being bold and digging in.

…they are still brining home an average salary (profit) in excess of $200,000 a year.”
Duly noted. And you have a problem with this? I do not.”
————————————-
Ok. Your point is absolutely valid. But you can’t claim that malpractice costs are driving doctors out of the business when they are still making what, by any measure, is a most comfortable living (putting them at least in the top 5% of all wage earners – they make more than 96% of the hard working population).
Most people do not go into medicine out of greed. Your sob story, though surely heartfelt, is totally irrelevant. Nobody here is suggesting that doctors be paid like teachers and other professionals who also carry a heavy responsibility for their clients’ welfare.

Flash, I see your point, when you responded to me by writing, “Nobody here is suggesting that doctors be paid like teachers and other professionals who also carry a heavy responsibility for their clients’ welfare.” However, those other professionals, with the exception of first responders like EMTs and firefighters, do not literally hold their clients’ life in their hands. I teach myself, and while I think I provide a valuable social good, I do not expect a phd doctor to be compensated like an md doctor. Since I cannot do lasting harm to my clients, I do not have to bear the great expense of malpractice insurance. I do not practice “defensive teaching”– but maybe I should. *G*

Why is it that McAllen, Texas is the most expensive town in the most expensive country for health care in the world?
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I wouldn’t know but it probably has to do with the truck crops grown in The Valley. You can spit into Mexixo from there. This farce isn’t supposed to do anything about that.

all I saw was a smug Obama,
betty11
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NO. It was a ‘decisive victory for the President’. In a pig’s eye.

Republicans always seem to have all the answers when they’re voted out, and none of the answers when they’re running all of the government.

Americans are generally disgusted with both parties at this point. It is clear there is a problem. USA in the only major Western country WITHOUT universal health care. Both parties are trying to position themselves for re-election. Neither party is representing the best interests of the American people who elected them.
The underlying problem is that both Republicans and Democrat parties are beholden to special interests that have funded and WILL fund their re-election campaigns. As a result, both parties represent insurance companies interests. Neither party can afford to do what is best for the American people.
Americans want cheaper health care. USA pays almost DOUBLE what Canadians do for health care. The ONLY way to dramatically reduce costs is to remove the insurance companies from health care system. Doctors treat patients and the only thing insurance companies do is collect money for providing no service at all! The result would be a Medicare-for-All approach to health care!
A Medicare-for-All approach to health care would SAVE about $400 billion in administrative costs every year. Although that is significant, it is not the major cost savings. A Medicare-for-All approach would COLLECT premiums from young healthy people to offset the health costs that occur later in their life! (Currently, the insurance companies collect those premiums and the TAXPAYERS pay those the costs)!