Tonight at 8 PM, President Obama will address a joint session of the Congress to talk about health care reform. I prefer to watch C-SPAN for these types of things. Other outlets will have the familiar liberal/conservative faceoffs which generally are completely unproductive and more about the back and forth of process than about the issue at hand. I could care less ...
... what David Gergen has to say. Don't want to ever hear from Dick Morris in my lifetime. So where do you like to watch and why?
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
President to address the Congress on health care reform
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17 comments:
Sit Down everyone!!!
Article 31 of the Iraqi Constitution, drafted by the right-wing Bush Administration in 2005 and ratified by the Iraqi people, includes state-guaranteed (single payer) healthcare for life for every Iraqi citizen.
Article 31 reads:
"First: Every citizen has the right to health care. The State shall maintain public health and provide the means of prevention and treatment by building different types of hospitals and health institutions.
Second: Individuals and entities have the right to build hospitals, clinics,or private health care centers under the supervision of the State, and this shall be regulated by law.
This article:
http://www.fairus.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=21337&security=1601&news_iv_ctrl=1721#1
speaks to exactly what is wrong with a plan that is rushed, hasn't enough detail, and is non-specific enough to create loopholes that will cost us money despite what I believe are good intentions.
This is a long link so it may have to be pieced back together.
I looked up the report from the Congressional Research Service referenced at your link. It does say,
"H.R. 3200 does not contain any restrictions on noncitzens—whether legally or illegally present, or in the United States temporarily or permanently—participating in the Exchange" when talking about who would be eligible to buy health insurance through the Exchange created by the bill.
This is not different from the current situation where an individual, here illegally or not, is free to buy health insurance. The insurance company does not ask for proof of citizenship or legal resident status.
The report states in the CREDITS section that
"To be eligible for the credits under §242 of H.R. 3200, individuals must be lawfully present in a state in the United States, but generally not in the United States temporarily (i.e.,nonimmigrants)"
As I read the report, those not legally in the country cannot get payment to participate in the insurance program but are not barred from buying insurance without any credits.
The report also says in the CREDITS section,
Some have expressed concerns that since H.R. 3200 does not contain a mechanism to verify immigration status, the prohibitions on certain noncitizens (e.g, nonimmigrants and unauthorized aliens) receiving the credits may not be enforced. However, others note that under §142(a)(3) of the bill, it is the responsibility of the Health Choices Commissioner (Commissioner) to administer
the “individual affordability credits under subtitle C of title II, including determination of
eligibility for such credits.” Thus, it appears, absent of a provision in the bill specifying the verification procedure, that the Commissioner would be responsible for determining a mechanism to verify the eligibility of noncitizens for the credits"
Thus my reading is that the bill bans those not legally in the country from receiving credits and leaves the procedure for verifying legal staus up to regulations to be issued later. This is commonly how laws are administered. Massive volumes of regulations, the Code of Federal Regulations, exist to implement all sorts of laws. It is not surprising that this one would require regulations for implementation
Here's the link to the report on the health care bill,http://www.fairus.org/site/DocServer/CRS_Report_on_HR3200.pdf?docID=3441
If you go and read the entire report, I think you will agree that it does not say that health care benefits will be paid to those not legally in the country.
Thanks for the link to HR3200 but I read it weeks ago. It is filled with vagueness. This is unacceptable for something so important.
You apparently have confidence that they will get it right, close loopholes and provide substance, I don't. It would be too costly to learn as we go. The time should be taken to work it properly and produce something understandable and acceptable to the taxpayers/voters.
As I said, I know they have good intentions but you know what they say about the road to hell and good intentions.
The link is not to HR3200, it is to the Congressional Research Service report on HR3200 which was referenced in the comment. Some have criticized HR3200 because of its length, some 1000 pages, you want more detail.
As I laid out in this post, the costly option is to do nothing.
As for intentions, WWJD left this comment to this post,
"On the last day, Jesus will say to those on His right hand, "Come, enter the Kingdom. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was sick and you visited me." Then Jesus will turn to those on His left hand and say, "Depart from me because I was hungry and you did not feed me, I was thirsty and you did not give me to drink, I was sick and you did not visit me." These will ask Him, "When did we see You hungry, or thirsty or sick and did not come to Your help?" And Jesus will answer them, "Whatever you neglected to do unto one of these least of these, you neglected to do unto Me!"
HR3200 is 1000 pages because it is a complex subject, not because it is thorough. It is basically an outline that needs lots more work and definition. There is too much unsaid.
I have never said we should do nothing, because we need health care improvement, but instead of trying to solve all the ills at once they need to break things down to manageable bites, and provide clarity to answer all the questions and mistrust.
People would be more inclined to accept the change if it didn't feel like something unknown and undefined was being jammed down their throats.
It may not be perfect the first time out, but we need reform! Anyone who works in the health care field understands that. We pay so much more for health care and don't get the care we should for the cost. Have you had a family member in the hospital lately???? What a joke! It's sad.
Today people who are not insured go the the ER if they get sick and we pay anyway. We need reform NOW!
OK, if you agree that health care must be reformed. What steps will you accept along that line. No pre-existing condition to deny coverage? No dropping someone when they get sick? Mandate to have insurance? You lay it out, what is change will you accept?
OK, if you agree that health care must be reformed. What steps will you accept along that line. No pre-existing condition to deny coverage? No dropping someone when they get sick? Mandate to have insurance? You lay it out, what is change will you accept?
Bill, please do not quote the bible to me. A non-partisan report issued today says the president's plan will lkely cost those already insured an additional $580-$740. That is money that will not go to my family. I am already providing for the 'least of me' through exorbinant taxes. What would Jesus think about my neglecting my own family to provide for still more?
I would accept any of the changes you mention, and others, that move us toward affordable health care for all citizens. The problem is that the change has to be clearly defined along with the cost impact. As the other anon said I also would not agree with "us" paying more as "we" are strapped already.
I see the problem as 2-fold (at least) in that lots and lots of healthy people need to pay in to help pay for those in need. It is sort of like the SS model where workers pay into the system at a young age to provide for those who receive the checks.
The other problem is that treatment and diagnostic costs are expensive. CAT scans and MRIs cost thousands as a simple example. Something needs to be done to bring these costs down so less "input money" is needed. Short of that the only solution would be to limit access to those tests, which is unacceptable to me. There is only so much money to go around so while it is nice to want everything the funding details need to be defined and explained.
The real problem as I see it is jobs. If more people were working there would be more health care available, assuming those companies were "healthy" themselves, and able to offer coverage. That doesn't help the costs but does help the access. Jobs would help the SS system and Medicare too.
Every year we lose more and more opportunities for jobs as they leave the country. It started with manufacturing and now even service. Who hasn't called for some support or help with something and found themselves talking to someone in India. It is human nature to buy things by price but as the dominoes fall the buyer may find themselves without a job as things come home to roost.
Free Trade wasn't thought through completely because this is and was entirely predictable. We just can't compete with the world labor costs, especially as we put more and more hurdles for businesses, including taxes. Without jobs we can only end up as a welfare country, and how do we fund THAT?
Even Cash for Clunkers wasn't thought through. Taking out of it that it was a subsidy for car companies that we have already invested in, the details weren't worked. Every dealer I know is holding on to the clunkers they took in because the system for reporting the sales and getting paid was inadequate. Much of the forms submitted have not been processed let alone checks being sent.
I have a problem with government running things because it seems that they never think things through, so I fear the worst for a health care plan... even as much as I would like to see all citizens have proper care.
If you watch TR Reid's Frontline report that I posted last month, you will find out that an MRI costs $1200 in the US and $98 in Japan. You, and the rest of us, are being robbed by insurance companies. That has a real effect on you, your employer and the nation. I wrote a post titled Health Care Reform or Bust, read it.
Are you unhappy with the way that the Defense Department is run. I am. $770 BILLION dollars this year and what did it do to make us competitive or create jobs. Nothing! Why am I paying to man and maintain nuclear missiles. If you are looking for reasons that the US is not competitive, look no further that our defense spending. We spend more on that thann the rest of the world combined. How much more of your tax goes to the Defense Department than to education or some other program that helpss us be competitive? Take a guess
Will that be the next Obama 'change' Bill? Gutting the defense department? Has ACORN run out of money already?
What does the defense department do to create jobs? Are you for real Bill? Go ask that question in Groton, Newport, Norfolk or any number of companies that have contracts for the defense department. Is it all properly spent or managed? Of course not and we should never stop trying to make the DD more efficient. However to say flatly they have not created jobs or their work does not help us be competitive is the height of ignorance.
Health care reform will be a watered down joke and you know who will end up paying more for it. Why? Because even though the Dems control the executive and legislative branches, they cannot pass what they claim to be their own agenda. Why? Just look at how much money our prominent senators and congressmen have accepted from pharmacuetical and health insurance political action committees.
Thanks, Bill, for mentioning the Department of Defense as a big spender (AKA waster, in my opinion) of our taxpayer money.
Here's another taxpayer waster money, too, also in my opinion, and I probably will get some flak for it: the space program.
If we can't take care of our own nation here, why even consider the possibilities of outer space for our salvation or whatever the program hopes to accomplish? And if that's not a consideration, right now we aren't spending responsibly here in the US without throwing it all up in the air to hopefully land on some other planet.
Hello everyone. I want to make some comments on the Massachusetts Health Care plan. This reform was worked on by Gov.Mitt Romney and the late Senator Ted Kennedy. It requires everyone in Massachusetts to have health insurance. Extensive advertising in many languages took place prior to its' implementation.
When someone presents to the ER with no insurance they are seen that day(except on weekends) by a financial expert who helps them apply for several of the state plans. They have to present proof of citizenship and often a pay stub if they are working. Interpreters are available to help fill out the paper work. Prior to this people would apply for free care. People are reluctant to complete the paper work because they do not want to pay anything or they are illegal. Premiums have been offered for $6.00 a month in some cases and people claim they cannot afford this. The hospital eats these debts. A surcharge on private insurance helps to pay for these plans. Everyone with private insurance helps to finance the uninsured in Massachusetts. Many trauma's from violent crimes occur in the uninsured and the hospital have to absorb the cost. A certain percentage in retrieved by the feds but it is a small percentage. The insurance mix of private and public plans keep hospitals a float. One problem we run into is a lack of physicians taking public insurance because of the low reimbursement. So even if insurance is available, finding a primary care MD or NP can be difficult. We are very fortunate to have the Greater New Bedford Health Center. Many dedicated doctors work there.
Another issue in Massachusetts is the cost of liability insurance. Doctors who deliver babies pay an average of $300,000 to $400,000 in malpractice insurance. People are not flocking to medicine to make money.Many doctors have left Massachusetts because of these high costs. Tort reform and waste in practicing defensive medicine need to be addressed.
For the most part, private insurance is both expensive but good if you have it. People with catastrophic illnesses are eventually covered. I believe it is 85% of health care dollars goes to the care of chronic conditions; Alzheimer s, diabetes, kidney, neurological and mental health issues are just a few. I am positive people in Iraq do not have the quality of care these illnesses demand. I know friends who have gotten ill in the Caribbean and the experience was frightening.There are many issues to be addressed. Abuse and tort reform are imperative. The diet and lifestyles of Americans at present leaves a lot to be desired in preventable illnesses. Life is not easy when you are ill and the toll affects everyone. Keeping our nation healthier by prevention is going to take a lot of education and discipline.
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