President Barack Obama’s administration signaled on Sunday it is ready to abandon the idea of giving Americans the option of government-run health insurance as part of his ambitious health care proposal.
Facing mounting opposition to the overhaul, administration officials left open the chance for a compromise with Republicans that would include health insurance cooperatives. Such a concession is likely to enrage his liberal supporters but could deliver Obama a much-needed win on a top domestic priority opposed by GOP lawmakers.
A government-run public option to health care, even being a far-left idea, have worked in many countries and could work in the US, but it seems that the Obama Team is going to drop the plan altogether.
Watch for the bait and switch.
You know, you can’t even get rid of the arrogant congressonal leaders by voting them out of office.
Who is one of the biggest experts called upon to push Obama’s plan? former senator Tom Daschle. Go home Tom! – but maybe they don’t even want him there, or is it because his wife continues to be a well-paid lobbyist, and now he is getting his? And he is only 1 example.
Genuine royalty never had it as good.
We do need healthcare reform. But trust these guys?
What’s worse that the public option?
How about an unfunded liability? That’s when the government introduces new rules and regulations (and costs) without providing any source of revenue to pay for those rules.
The result: Health care costs will continue to increase while insurance companies will be told they can’t raise premiums. So the insurance companies will have to start severely restricting services.
Whew, the danger of not paying twice as much as the rest of the world for every medical procedure is almost over. You should celebrate and get another mortgage.
#5 JimR
You lost me there.
Well, this sucks. We’re going to be stuck with essentially the same broken system that has been failing us for decades. For-profit denial of health care doesn’t work. Nor does fee for service.
This really sucks!!
I wonder if more republicans would support the Obama ’09 health care plan if they knew it was really the Nixon ’74 health care plan.
http://tinyurl.com/mcesnx
Note the Comprehensive Health Insurance Act that he introduced on Feb 16, 1974. At least at the gross level, it sure sounds a lot like what is being suggested now.
Damn politicians have only the interests of the corporations who bribe them at heart. What happened to their constituency?
Short of nationalizing insurers, what can he do? Everyone knew this would be a half baked bill. He had to cave in to too many special interest, many in his own party. You want Washington to change, then we need a few more amendments to the Constitution. Not likely this Congress would vote for it. I think his staff wants a win so bad, they’ll take what they can get, instead of starting anew next year. Pelosi failed also. You need a real arm twisted bastard to pull this off. I can think of several Speakers of the House who could have kicked some real ass.
A government-run public option to health care, even being a far-left idea, have worked in many countries and could work in the US, but it seems that the Obama Team is going to drop the plan altogether.
WTF? Public option doesn’t work. Period. And this is a bait and switch.
Obama has shown himself to be a pragmatic idealist since his days at Harvard. So this isn’t surprising. People on both sides will grumble and yell but it is refreshing after the intractable Bush White House.
The big loser in this is Nancy Pelosi.
#8 what can he do?
Well, Washington, D.C. is under the direct control of the federal government. So, Obama and Congress could create a “mini” health-care bill that would only affect the residents and health-care providers of D.C. They could create all the rules they want and probably find a few $billion to pay for it.
Then, it would either be a wonderful success and the rest of the country would beg to join the same program.
Or, it would be a colossal government boondoggle which could be canceled quickly, or simply become another permanent wasteful program.
#6 – qb – #5 JimR – You lost me there.
His post was dripping sarcasm.
#6 said “You lost me there.”
Look at the amount per head spent in the US and the UK on health care. The USA spends about double – and for that the UK gets a slightly longer average lifespan.
It will take 50 years to get this done. And things are going to have to get worse before anyone even agrees its a problem.
Well get some additional protection or advancement (like we got Hipaa in the 90’s), they’ll call it a win, and the insurance companies can go back to bilking the populace.
#13 Holdfast
Thank you
Re:#15, qb… “Thank you”
I don’t get it.
One the one hand, the big insurance companies claim that government-run healthcare is far too inefficient to work. But on the other hand, they’ve been deathly afraid of the public option and have been working overtime making sure there will be no competition for their overpriced services.
What’s the harm? If gov’t-run healthcare is so inefficient, why not let them battle it out in the marketplace? You know, the free market. Competition. May the best man win. Let’s see how Big Insurance does with some competition.
But we already know the answer. We pay more for healthcare and get less of it than almost every other first-world country in the world. But hey, Big Insurance has to make their numbers every quarter on Wall Street, so you should be glad to pay more and more every year so their CEOs can keep getting their multi-million dollar bonuses.
Crony Capitalism, it’s a beautiful thing.
#17 JimR
Oh crap, now you’ve lost me again. 😉
Big deal…
So he is temporarily dropping the public option.
It will be added after the 2010 elections.
The Democrats reaction to the public’s reaction?
I’ve got my fingers in my ears. I can’t hear you. I’m singing La, La, La, La.
I’m not sure which is worse.
Dropping the public option or Obama’s change in the wording of the plan.
I bet you haven’t heard about the 3-word phrase that will cost a trillion dollars. Most of the mass media is keeping it well hidden.
The phrase? “OR medically appropriate”
Currently, Medicare and Medicaid only pay for medically necessary health care.
But President Obama’s proposed health care plan will pay for “any service deemed medically necessary OR medically appropriate.”
Adding this phrase will bankrupt our health care system.
Example: A patient walks in a hospital saying he has a headache or does not feel well, a doctor may order dozens of blood tests and X-rays. This does not meet the medically necessary standard, but could easily fit the definition of medically appropriate.
Now I understand why the Democrats refuse to address tort refom. Obama’s plan will create thousands of new law-suits.
Don’t worry qb, I’ll find you again. You’re last position was at post #19.
(You know, this is what happens when I’m supposed to be doing yard work on a Sunday afternoon.) 🙂
#22 JimR
ROTFL I am “sort of” cleaning my garage!
Many are falling into the trap that this is actually about health care. If it were there would be a plan to keep what works and fix what can be fixed.
A complete takeover by government proves that the only goal is about increasing the power of government at the expense of personal freedom.
It’s time to wake-up and smell the crap congress is shoveling.
Government run programs work great! Just look at social security. Please socialized medicine would be nothing more then a money drain, the likes that we have never seen before. Between, corruption, malpractice lawsuits, and typical bureaucratic bungling, the system would be broke in a few years. More taxes would be needed and even more money would be pissed away. No thanks, this is not the change that is wanted.
re: #21, jbenson2, Example: A patient walks in a hospital saying he has a headache or does not feel well, a doctor may order dozens of blood tests and X-rays.
If you want to make a serious point, use an example that is based in reality. Last time I looked, most doctors were of the higher educated part of society. For a headache, a doctor might order one X-ray, but only if the person had received a blow to the head OR they had tried pain relief drugs with no effect. Blood tests wouldn’t even be considered unless they were medically appropriate… something I think most doctors could assess. Doctors don’t do their own X-rays or blood tests, and under a properly run, publicly funded system could not profit from them.
The only way that the Obama health plan would have worked, in my (admittedly non expert) opinion, is by having the government compete with the private sector in order to enforce proper competition in the marketplace. Without a big dog in this fight, the private insurers will simply continue to run the show. (Which is essentially what happened in Massachusetts, where I live, and what actually differed the Mass plan – which isn’t so hot – with the Federal one.)
One more disappointing tick against Obama. I need some Hopeitor.
I think so as well he will drop it.
It was a great (second) attempt by democrats to bring reform and stem the cost of the spiraling cost of health care.
Congratulations to the Republicans, the Health Insurance industry and lobbyists for your trillion dollar per year prize!
The mob scene tactic was very clever but the “death panel” thing would make Heinrich Himmler proud.
The best political weapon is the weapon of terror. Cruelty commands respect. Men may hate us. But, we don’t ask for their love; only for their fear. HH
Awake… good points.
Well, the most obvious solution is this: The government applies a sales tax on everything that is unhealthy and that pays for health care of everybody. Best would be to have the united Nations run that for the entire world population. If not feasible due to too high level of xenophonobia, etc. then run it at national level.
Private health insurance should obviously be outlawed completely, as it would mean for some people to get preferential treatment, while all we earthlings have the same amount of right to stay alive.
Also it would mean no doctor would ever check your insurance papers again before treating you.
What they cook up currently is a very small step in the right direction. The changes that are proposed are just killing it. After seeing some of that town hall chaos though, I really start wondering if US Americans even deserve medical treatment at all. Why not just let you guys extinct yourselves over there?
#34 I bet you’re feeling good!! I do think the Health reform will be abandoned.
We can at least both agree that even the Federal government can’t touch the Health Insurance and Drug industry.
Awake said:
Yeah and Social Security is doing just as well. How old are you, do you really think you will be able to collect when the time comes?