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TheCatt 
Top 2%
Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 22951
Joined: May 2004
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Posted on: Jul. 22 2009,18:26 |
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Or somehow tie the current recession to healthcare "reform"
QUOTE President Barack Obama said on Wednesday he realized Americans were skeptical about his healthcare overhaul, but that the country's economic recovery depended on the success of the $1 trillion plan.
Obama warned inaction would undermine the economy, worsen the deficit and cripple millions more ordinary Americans financially.
"I understand people are feeling uncertain about this. They are feeling anxious," he said in a prime-time televised debate, adding that he was confident people would support it when they looked "at the cost of doing nothing."
Obama cited the ballooning costs of spending on government health programs for the poor and elderly, Medicare and Medicaid. He said that without a healthcare revamp, those costs would explode the U.S. budget deficit.
The overall health of the economy, he said, also depended on stemming the rising costs of healthcare, which accounts for 17.6 percent of gross domestic product.
"That is why I've said that even as we rescue this economy from a full-blown crisis, we must rebuild it stronger than before. And health insurance reform is central to that effort."
I agree that we need to stem rising health care costs, but he's an idiot if he think his plan does that in any way.
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It's not me, it's someone else.
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Malcolm
I disagree.
Group: Privateers
Posts: 27168
Joined: May 2004
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Posted on: Jul. 22 2009,20:32 |
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From what I hear, Congress is backing off on doing anything till after August.
I can't believe I'm actually applauding Congressional inaction.
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Diogenes of Sinope:
"It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
"Other dogs bite only their enemies, whereas I bite also my friends in order to save them."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC:
"Better dead than smeg."
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TheCatt
Top 2%
Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 22951
Joined: May 2004
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Posted on: Jul. 23 2009,05:30 |
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He will also not play the race card.
QUOTE President Obama's comments about the arrest of prominent Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates has added fuel to the story that has dominated national headlines and stirred discussion over whether race played a role.
At the end of Wednesday night's prime-time news conference that was meant to be chiefly about health care, the president said, "I don't know, not having been there and not seeing all the facts, what role race played in that [Gates case].
But Obama went on to add,"But I think it's fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry; number two, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home; and, number three, what I think we know separate and apart from this incident is that there's a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately. That's just a fact."
He doesn't know the facts, but he'll make judgments.
Hey, sounds just like his healthcare "plans"
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It's not me, it's someone else.
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GORDON
90%
Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 36125
Joined: Jun. 2004
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Posted on: Jul. 23 2009,06:08 |
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Geez, you'd think someone would have pointed out his complete lack of executive experience prior to his winning the presidency, and the fact that it makes him completely unpredictable as to his competence as an executive.
You'd think someone would have pointed that out.
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I don't give a fuck!
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GORDON
90%
Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 36125
Joined: Jun. 2004
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Posted on: Jul. 23 2009,08:09 |
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But at least we dodged a bullet with Palin, amirite?
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I don't give a fuck!
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TheCatt
Top 2%
Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 22951
Joined: May 2004
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Posted on: Jul. 23 2009,08:54 |
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Honestly, until recently I thought Obama had done a good job of steering towards the middle, doing basically benign or beneficial stuff.
Lately, he's just started turning left.
Yes, we desperately need to spend less on health care: No, he doesn't have a good solution.
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It's not me, it's someone else.
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TheCatt
Top 2%
Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 22951
Joined: May 2004
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Posted on: Jul. 23 2009,09:29 |
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We = The United States.
I think the money could be used for much better purposes. We have an artificial allocation of dollars because people don't bear the true costs of their care. Therefore, they over-consume, and healthcare providers over-provide.
The WSJ had a good graph the other day show healthcare costs had risen from 7% to 19% of GDP over the past 30 years, while out of pocket costs for healthcare had declined from 33% of costs to 10%. Make the people vote with their wallets, and increase access (competition) in healthcare.
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| Post Number: 11
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GORDON
90%
Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 36125
Joined: Jun. 2004
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Posted on: Jul. 23 2009,09:31 |
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I honestly think the problem is two-fold:
1. The AMA's monopoly on medicine
2. How most of the country currently pays for insurance through their employers
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I don't give a fuck!
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TheCatt
Top 2%
Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 22951
Joined: May 2004
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Posted on: Jul. 23 2009,09:53 |
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It's my business, because "you"'re spending my money in terms of health premiums, which are socialized.
No, it's is a "We the US" big problem, but I'm not aware of anything I said that comes remotely close to "government should make people warm and fuzzy." It's government regulations and treatment of things that has helped created this problem. Gordon and I said the exact same thing, and I don't think either of us is in favor of more government.
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It's not me, it's someone else.
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thibodeaux
RAG
Group: Privateers
Posts: 6494
Joined: May 2004
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Posted on: Jul. 23 2009,10:19 |
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I'm saying: you are fighting the wrong battle. We need to stop fighting the "we're spending too much money" battle and start fighting the "stop getting government to try to fix evertying" battle.
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| Post Number: 16
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GORDON
90%
Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 36125
Joined: Jun. 2004
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Posted on: Jul. 23 2009,10:38 |
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I actually think we are on the same page. Neither of the two problems I listed would be fixed by nationalization, quite the contrary. Bigger government will, in fact, exacerbate things.
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TheCatt
Top 2%
Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 22951
Joined: May 2004
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Posted on: Jul. 23 2009,13:11 |
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One of our rabbits is sick. Very sick, might die.
At any rate, we've been to the vet twice to get her checked out, and get prescriptions. We've had 2 vet visits, 7 prescriptions, 1 special food, and I just picked up 2 valium injections to give to her. The total cost is about $300, including $25 to overnight a medicine from AZ.
Now imagine the same for humans. The first vet visit was an extended one, and the second was a normal follow-up. From memory, my doctor charges $150 and $115 for those. For the prescriptions, let's assume 6 generic, at $10 each, plus the special one that was $25 before shipping. Special food we'll price the same at $13.50. Now, do you think any doctor would give you a valium injection to administer to yourself or someone else? I'm guessing no. So that would be two more doctor visits at the "quickie" rate of $115. That gets us to $580 for pretty much the same care. Sure, insurance companies probably pay less, but that's made up for by the overhead of the insurance companies themselves, and all the reimbursement time, paperwork, etc.
Veterinary world - very little health insurance.
people world - too much insurance.
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It's not me, it's someone else.
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Mommy Dearest
Ask me about my TMD's.
Group: Privateers
Posts: 1396
Joined: May 2004
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Posted on: Jul. 23 2009,18:33 |
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(TheCatt @ Jul. 23 2009,16:11)
QUOTE One of our rabbits is sick. Â Very sick, might die.
At any rate, we've been to the vet twice to get her checked out, and get prescriptions. Â We've had 2 vet visits, 7 prescriptions, 1 special food, and I just picked up 2 valium injections to give to her. Â The total cost is about $300, including $25 to overnight a medicine from AZ.
Now imagine the same for humans. Â The first vet visit was an extended one, and the second was a normal follow-up. Â From memory, my doctor charges $150 and $115 for those. Â For the prescriptions, let's assume 6 generic, at $10 each, plus the special one that was $25 before shipping. Â Special food we'll price the same at $13.50. Â Now, do you think any doctor would give you a valium injection to administer to yourself or someone else? Â I'm guessing no. Â So that would be two more doctor visits at the "quickie" rate of $115. Â That gets us to $580 for pretty much the same care. Â Sure, insurance companies probably pay less, but that's made up for by the overhead of the insurance companies themselves, and all the reimbursement time, paperwork, etc.
Veterinary world - very little health insurance.
people world - too much insurance.
Ironically I receive emails from akc almost every day to purchase medical insurance for my akc registered dog. They are trying, and I think accomplishing to some point, to get into that new avenue. I have great respect for vets. They have to learn many species, insead of the one the human docs learn, and the same cost for med school if not more. They make lots less but get into the field for the love of animals. I hate to see the insurance companies trying to get their foot into this door also. I will pay as I go in both worlds, thank you very much
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