Public Doesn't Want Healthcare Reform to Die

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

The people spoke loud and clear in Massachusetts. And it wasn't a 'poll'.

[Dan J 277]

The people spoke loud and clear in Massachusetts. And it wasn't a 'poll'.

Its not hard to win a fight when your opponent barely throws a punch.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Anytime one party tries to force major legislation through on a simple majority, the American public is going to resist. The only way this will happen, and people will get behind the issue is to develop a consensus. You already have a consensus that healthcare costs too much. Presenting a bill that does not solve that problem, but rather only makes the insurance and drug companies more money, will not satisfy that consensus.

Rather than engage in social engineering, the legislation needs to be focused on two issues: Cutting costs, and providing universal healthcare.

The GOP wants TORT reform and the Senate bill addresses that - not fully but there's language in there dealing with alternative approaches to medical malpractice lawsuits. It's a start but the GOP opposes it.

The GOP wants to curb cost and again, according to the CBO, the Senate bill does that. Not enough but it's a start. The GOP opposes it.

The GOP wants insurance policies to be available across state lines. The Senate bill provides for that but also protects the consumer from abuses. The GOP opposes it.

It's hard to get to bi-partisan legislation when one of the two parties has quite openly and fairly obviously decided to obstruct rather than govern. While I fault the Democrats for having sold out to special interests and for not having the balls to use their mandate to get health care reform done, I fault the Republicans for not even attempting bi-partisanship beyond some hollow lip-service.

I do agree with the priorities you outline but the only way to get that done is a single payer system that does away with fee-for-service or highly regulated private insurance system similar to some European models (Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands). Neither is going to happen until we're positvely and undeniably under water. Might be too late then but that's what it would take for either of these things to happen in the US.

[mawilson 2,133]

Its not hard to win a fight when your opponent barely throws a punch.

Excuses, excuses. Your guys had 60 votes in the Senate and they still blew it.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The people spoke loud and clear in Massachusetts. And it wasn't a 'poll'.

When they kept re-electing Teddy, why weren't you listening to them then? Selective hearing?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

What's the split between deadbeats and people who buy insurance, in favor of reform and against?

While that might be an interesting analysis, I say ** the deadbeats.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Its not hard to win a fight when your opponent barely throws a punch.

It was more than that, and you know it. There are 3 Democrats for every Republican in MA.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

It was more than that, and you know it. There are 3 Democrats for every Republican in MA.

If Teddy had been running against Brown, he would have been re-elected. I suppose the Dems could make a hoo-haw over such a victory as a mandate from the people for health care since that was something he championed for years, but my guess is you wouldn't be buyin it.

[SMOKE 1,426]

When they kept re-electing Teddy, why weren't you listening to them then? Selective hearing?

they changed their answer.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

they changed their answer.

How many times was he re-elected? How many years was he pushing for healthcare reform? I rest my case.

[SMOKE 1,426]

How many times was he re-elected? How many years was he pushing for healthcare reform? I rest my case.

how long have we had free universal healthcare? your case is as dead as....

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

how long have we had free universal healthcare? your case is as dead as....

What's dead is your argument. Who proposed free universal healthcare?

[DEDixon 39]

repeating my health care reform rant:

i wonder if those that are not in favor of health/insurance reform work for themselves. i wonder if they have EVER faced an insurance company as an individual rather than through a group plan offer by a multinational company. i wonder if they know what it feels like to be denied or to get a quote for a monthly premium that exceeds their budget.

when i think of health care reform, i think about how america's employment has changed. i'm too lazy to look up the numbers (labor department probably has them), but self employment probably has grown by many 100s of percent.

the self-employed have lots of problems getting insurance if they have any pre-existing conditions. also, if they need to insure their family, if anyone in the family has a pre-existing medical condition, the whole family is at risk.

industries that used to hire employees now contract with the self employed or very small companies for "the job" these days. even the person that comes to turn on my cable TV (if i ever did such a thing) is contracted so the cable company doesn't have to hire and thus provide benefits. often the big companies contract with companies that are small and those companies don't offer insurance or any other benefits to their employees.

just saying, i favor health/insurance reform because the way people are employed in the US has changed. the foundation for the current health coverage model has collapsed.

[SMOKE 1,426]

What's dead is your argument. Who proposed free universal healthcare?

your dream of everyone having medical coverage on someone elses dime is dead. if someone else is paying for it its free to those who didn't pay for it.

[Dan J 277]

your dream of everyone having medical coverage on someone elses dime is dead. if someone else is paying for it its free to those who didn't pay for it.

There was never anything about free healthcare coverage. Thats just your delusion. Your not helping the solving any problems by hanging on to it.

Insurance works best if the risk is spread out among as many people as possible. Since pretty much everyone will enter the healthcare system at some point, it makes sense to cover everyone with insurance, just like we require all drivers to carry car insurance even though some people may never file a claim.

If we don't do that, we create a cycle that will result in fewer and fewer people covered. If you only by coverage when you need it, then the risk is spread only among the sick and will be insanely expensive.