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What is a public option in the health care debate?

Remember during the Health Care Debate?

  • the topic of what was really the true intent of the bill was discussed, and we heard comments such as "Death Squads", care would never be rationed, and if you like your current plan and Doctor you could keep them? Those in the White House ( and many others ) said all of the "Negative" comments were simply nonsense and the work of those on the Far Right? What do you now say with the placement of Don Berwick to head up the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services? He is on record ( and video - have you seen it? ) indicating that the only question about rationing care is if we will do it with our eyes open or closed. Wonder who he sees making the decisions as to what will be OK and isn't? In addition, he openly admits health care can ONLY be accomplished with the Redistribution of Wealth. Haven't we heard that praise many times before? So the point needs to be made again, America has approx 300 million living in the country, reports stated approx 80-85% liked their health care and wanted to keep it. The majority still want the bill repealed. So why would any country completely redo a process that's the best in the world ( not perfect, but the best ), that 255 million people liked, and the new health care system does nothing to stem the increase in cost, and we now know will NOT be budget neutral? Why do this? Doesn't common sense indicate something else is going on here? Don't you think, if the true reason for the initiative was to insure those without insurance, we could have come up with a program that accomplished that goal at a MUCH less cost, that America would agree was a good idea?

  • Answer:

    Alright, first of all, you spend most of this ranting about how Don Berwick thinks a certain way. Honestly, until I see him start to implement policy that forces this kind of stuff, all you're saying here is conjecture about the future. But let's go into the rest of what you've stated. First, that 80-85% that like their health care are going to be able to keep it. Far as I can tell, that's not changing. Second, this idea that we have the "best health care in the world" is empirically false. You don't have to do much searching at all to see that we're way below the average of first world nations on life expectancy and infant death rates. I don't see that as the best. Yeah, many people come to this country to get their health care, but only those that can afford it get the best. I would say that a system in which being "the best" is judged by the top quality care and not by the ability of people to get care is a bad one. It basically states that the masses don't matter, and all we should care about is whether or not the system provides the best care that money can buy. Why do this? The health care bill makes health insurance affordable for a large portion of Americans who couldn't afford it beforehand. It ensures that we have a better system for giving treatment to these people. What do you think is going on here? Do you think this is some kind of conspiracy? Obama presented such a program as the one you mention, and it was called the public option. As I remember it, not a single Republican nor several Democrats would vote for it. And that had a 70% approval rating among the voters. Moreover, the public option was actually going to reduce the deficit, and it's removal is the reason why the CBO said the bill will no longer be budget neutral. Interesting how that works.

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Anyone that thinks the democrats see this as anything but a first step toward single payer health care is a fool. lp

Liddel

Republicans warned the democrats about rationing and death panels, the Democrats said not going to happen the republicans were fear mongers, and liars, now today, the Republicans are proved correct yet once again. Sooner and not latter the liberals are going to find that they had better start listening to the Republicans, because they are the only ones that have the peoples best interest in mind.

libsticker

You wasting your breath, the ones who supported the health care bill already knew this was the agenda. The ones who didn't understand the real meaning behind all the rhetoric were pacified by the promises to pass amendments to fix the issues with it. where are they? The ones who support don't listen to reason nor facts, i'm at a loss to understand how people can live that way.

y

Don't forget the part of the bill that allows the government open access to your bank account, so they can, without asking you, or telling you, withdraw money from your bank account at any time to cover your insurance premiums....Don't forget this ** Page 50/section 152: The bill will provide insurance to all non-U.S. residents, even if they are here illegally. ** Page 58 and 59: The government will have real-time access to an individual's bank account and will have the authority to make electronic fund transfers from those accounts. ** Page 65/section 164: The plan will be subsidized (by the government) for all union members, union retirees and for community organizations (such as the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now - ACORN). ** Page 203/line 14-15: The tax imposed under this section will not be treated as a tax. (How could anybody in their right mind come up with that?) ** Page 241 and 253: Doctors will all be paid the same regardless of specialty, and the government will set all doctors' fees. ** Page 272. section 1145: Cancer hospital will ration care according to the patient's age. ** Page 317 and 321: The government will impose a prohibition on hospital expansion; however, communities may petition for an exception. ** Page 425, line 4-12: The government mandates advance-care planning consultations. Those on Social Security will be required to attend an "end-of-life planning" seminar every five years. (Death counceling.) ** Page 429, line 13-25: The government will specify which doctors can write an end-of-life order. "Finally, it is specifically stated that this bill will not apply to members of Congress. Members of Congress are already exempt from the Social Security system, and have a well-funded private plan that covers their retirement needs If they were on our Social Security plan, I believe they would find a very quick 'fix' to make the plan financially sound for their future."

AnonymousGearhead

Welcome to Nazi Germany and the new world order of genocide for the weak, infirm and old...Hitler didn't like these groups of people either.

Polly

Way too long to read. And no, we don't have the best healthcare in the world if you include all the people who don't have insurance or money.

Comrade Snarkovich

Healthcare reform was going to save billions and pay for itself. If you have to lie about something to get it pass the public, you are just using Liberal tactics that they always lie about.

Gladys

You're right--Berwick is on record as saying that rationing should be done with eyes open, not closed. But guess what: it's inevitable that health care will be rationed. Not everyone can EVER get EVERY kind of health care they want. Rationing is happening RIGHT NOW, only instead of the government doing the rationing, it's the insurance companies--people you get no vote on. This argument is just like the right-wing arguments during the health care debate: You try to frighten us by telling us that with the new bill, terrible things will happen, even though those terrible things have already been happening for as long as anyone can remember.

Sadcat

According to the Obama administration, the "Republican lies" about the Democrat plan were all true. Not kidding.

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