1/7/2010 10:26:53 PM
1/7/2010 11:13:50 PM
1/7/2010 11:46:24 PM
1/8/2010 12:30:51 AM
1/8/2010 5:10:43 PM
I started out by saying that the punishment for not having insurance was not being insured. As in, not being able to pay for expenses. We started talking about such a thing here:
1/8/2010 5:46:26 PM
1/8/2010 7:13:05 PM
1/8/2010 7:35:15 PM
1/8/2010 8:53:54 PM
1/8/2010 10:26:47 PM
proof, meet puddinghttp://www.nationmaster.com/plot/hea_lif_exp_hea_yea/hea_per_cap_gov_exp_on_hea_in_int_dol/flag
1/10/2010 12:17:10 AM
Means nothing without any information about controls for life style and what sort of treatment expenses were done. We are a largely unhealthy nation and that has less to do with our access to health care, and more to do with our propensity to choose fast food and junk food over home made food, combined with an increasingly lazy lifestyle. Never mind a higher violent crime rate in many major population areas that would bring down life expectancy.A better bit of information would be life expectancy for a given disease and treatment compared to costs. I mean, it's great if the UK spends half as much as the US on treating cancer patients, but if US cancer patients live 50% longer, well that tells us a bit more about the spending doesn't it?[Edited on January 10, 2010 at 10:45 AM. Reason : sdfg]
1/10/2010 10:43:27 AM
1/10/2010 10:45:07 AM
[Edited on January 10, 2010 at 10:50 AM. Reason : .]
1/10/2010 10:49:08 AM
The public option is increasingly looking as if its not going to make the final bill. At this point, is there anything in this 'reform' that even the left want?
1/11/2010 11:59:55 AM
im sure there are plenty of people who would take the hit on the stuff that the bill does have, just because it will prevent future reform. (ex: the past reforms did nothing to fix anything and cost a bunch of money!!)[Edited on January 11, 2010 at 12:20 PM. Reason : not that public option is all that much better]
1/11/2010 12:20:08 PM
For what it's worth, RAND just released an objective analysis of the House bill. I had no part in the analysis but know a few of the people who did. Supposedly a similar analysis of the Senate bill will be released soon.http://www.randcompare.org/publications/summaries/The-Potential-Impact-of-House-Health-Reform-LegislationFrom the press release (full document available for download at the link):
1/11/2010 12:31:14 PM
"Now, let me get this straight.....We are going to pass a health care plan written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn't read it but exempts themselves from it, to be signed by a president that also hasn't read it and who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes…all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that's nearly broke. What could possibly go wrong?"~Anonymous
1/12/2010 1:18:17 AM
Looks like people's rationale for disliking the bills isn't all that conservative, after all.
1/12/2010 8:31:05 AM
again, the problem with the legislation (and the resulting polls) is that its centered completely around insurance. Insurance regulation, insurance costs, insurance covereage, etc... Which is why it wont ever work. Kill the current bill, work on energy and education for the next year and a half. Then come back and fix the healthcare system by focusing on healthcare costs, instead of insurance.In the meantime sneak in some quick fixes to the insurance system (encourage HSAs, individual deductions for insurance, competition accross state lines, etc...) while working on other issues.
1/12/2010 10:32:06 AM
Or gut insurance companies completely and go to a single provider, which by default reduces prices across the board because that provider would have such immense bargaining power.
1/12/2010 10:54:27 AM
I love getting my health care from the lowest bidder. Monopolies: Only bad when it isn't of the government variety.[Edited on January 12, 2010 at 11:03 AM. Reason : asdfsd]
1/12/2010 11:01:16 AM
I'm sorry but are you under the impression that private insurance shops for the best health care as opposed to the cheapest? If that's the case, you're mistaken.
1/12/2010 11:07:28 AM
I know I do. Under my current plan I have a shit ton of authorized providers, and if I don't like them I can always use money from my HSA or pay cash out of pocket for a different doctor and ultimately if I find the coverage unacceptable I can choose a different insurance provider. It's a hell of a lot more choice than I would get if I only had one provider to "choose from."
1/12/2010 11:13:53 AM
Go ahead and shop around for insurance providers then. You'll find the in network and out of network lists to be quite similar. I'm also curious as to why you think one government provider would suddenly lock you out of choices. I know when I used public healthcare in europe for the damn flu, I wasn't limited to a certain hospital in a disreputable part of town or any nonsense like that.Furthermore, unless you make quite a bit of money, your out of pocket contributions or HSA won't cover you if you have a serious ailment.
1/12/2010 11:19:11 AM
1/12/2010 11:20:02 AM
Coakley in trouble? Pharma and HMO lobbyists to the rescue
1/13/2010 1:17:25 PM
http://wamu.org/programs/dr/10/01/13.php#29293Interesting discussion on "Cadillac" plan tax - which, for my 2cents, is a half baked idea, we should instead include the value of benefits in taxable earnings, regardless of relation in value to an "Cadillac" designation. The statements by the AFL-CIO representative especially demonstrate why our legislative system is becoming increasingly worthless. No one argues with logical proposals when those proposals are in the theoretical stage. But, when someone realizes that a proposal doesn't make them Paul and very well might make them Peter, objective scrutiny of the proposal flies out the window.
1/13/2010 1:52:27 PM
Scott Brown swearing-in would be stalled to pass health-care reformJanuary 9, 2010
1/13/2010 3:15:54 PM
Your side is using 40% of the members of the least representative body of Congress to hold back what a majority of the most representative body and 60% of the other body has passed. You have no basis to assume you have The People on your side.
1/13/2010 3:50:49 PM
^ You continually bitch about logical fallacies--have you ever heard of argumentum ad populum? Of course you haven't--so I'll educate you. Just because many believe something (if they even do), this doesn't make it true or right.
1/13/2010 3:55:32 PM
You missed my point.
1/13/2010 4:03:23 PM
1/13/2010 5:39:09 PM
1/13/2010 6:25:55 PM
^^^ You want populism? Here you go:Poll: Obama Health Care Marks Hit New LowJanuary 11, 2010
1/13/2010 6:35:05 PM
This has already been discussed:The majority of the opposition to the bill comes from people who believe it didn't go far enough. That's hardly consistent with what you're claiming.
1/13/2010 6:39:54 PM
^ Lack of support is lack of support.
1/13/2010 6:40:50 PM
Only if your argument depends on an overly simplistic interpretation, it would seem.
1/13/2010 6:41:42 PM
^ Not simple--straightforward. And my point stands.
1/13/2010 6:59:52 PM
No matter how hard you want your point to still be valid, it won't be until you actually defend it.
1/13/2010 7:03:38 PM
^ Ignoring facts doesn't mean that those facts cease to exist. And my point stands--you're free to attempt prove me wrong.
1/13/2010 7:05:58 PM
What facts have you presented?
1/13/2010 7:09:04 PM
1/13/2010 7:10:58 PM
1/13/2010 7:12:34 PM
1/13/2010 7:15:12 PM
Health Care Reform17% Expect Health Care Plan To Lower Costs, 57% Expect Costs to Go UpMonday, January 11, 2010
1/13/2010 7:21:29 PM
I expect costs to go up.I still want the bill passed.I don't think you understand what sort of evidence you'd need to back your argument.
1/13/2010 7:24:58 PM
^ And yet you rely on the worst anecdotal evidence--your own opinion. STFU.
1/13/2010 7:26:27 PM
It must burn like lava to be so consistently wrong.
1/13/2010 7:36:51 PM
1/13/2010 8:12:30 PM