Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska conceded and the Health Care bill is now set to pass the Senate in the dark Monday morning hours just after midnight. The bill was never about health or care. It is about establishing new government bureaucracy to control every aspect of the health care in America. It is about all those inspectors, directors of agencies, commissioners, experts, evaluators and other kinds of the bureaucratic breed that will be empowered to tell doctors, hospitals and private insurers how to jump and when to jump. It was the leftist’s dream. Only in the dream all those positions were supposed to be filled with leftist bureaucrats pushing leftist agenda.
The Democratic dream is now facing the reality: unpopular Congress and President whose ratings are sliding faster than a jingle bell sleigh down a snow hill. Obama’s Jedi sword turned to be just a plastic toy and not a magic wand. The last thing Democrats want is to serve 1/6 of the economy on a silver plate to the Republicans after the elections of 2010. This is why the Democrats had to kill the public option (known as Government takeover option). It will not be their Government that will be taking over.
Drunk with power, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reed and Barack Obama spent all their political capital early on in their rein on small stuff (comparing to the 1/6 of the economy) – they gave away their popularity for bunch of pork spendings in the Stimulus Package. If they were able to resist the pork and pass the Health Care Bill back then in February then by now they would have been able to fill those new bureaucracies with their people. But they couldn’t resist. They are so addicted to small bribes – they had no muscles to take on the big prey.
Remember the chart that the House Republicans made containing at least 31 new federal programs, agencies, commissions and mandates that accompany the unprecedented government takeover of health care in America. Thousands of well paid federal jobs sweetened with lifetime benefits.
Every day that the health care bill was delayed meant there is a day less time to get the right left people in there. Republicans now approve all Obama’s tax-cheats and radical friends on key positions. “The elections have consequences “- they say. Make no mistakes. If the conservatives (whether GOP or tea party) get the Congress in 2010 Obama will not be able to put his loony leftists on key positions in those new bureaucracies that will control the biggest business in the world – the US health care.
The public option is dead. The more Conservatives gain approval the slimmer the health care bill will be. Democrats simply will not give that much power in Republican’s hands.
The Government takeover of the health care is fading and in the worst case will be gentle not robust as the democrats wished. Meanwhile the people of America are stuck with the new taxes and mandatory insurance, no benefits from that money for years, because their taxes will go to build the new Washington DC bureaucracies.
December 19th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
I counted the lies in this article. I counted twenty-one. That may not be an exact count. It got a little boring after a while.
Here was the only true statement I read:
“The public option is dead.”
December 19th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
The public option is dead, but Medicaid is expanded (Nebraska will get that perk for free), the insuranse that Congressmen get will be available for the public ( some of the plans are subsidised by the Government), plus all those agencies that will be working on bending the curve will be created. Still looks like a government takeover, only not a full blown as Democrats dreamed. When you give power to the Government – you give it to any government that may come in the future – whether you like it or not. The generic ballot polls hint a conservative comeback. So Democrats will hand over a big chunk of the the health care business to the Republicans. Or Democrats will kill the bill and wait for another chance in the next decade.
December 19th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
The term “public option” may be dead but its evident that the left is contstructing a means to sneak it in the back door with little chnages over the years here and there.
The talk coming from a lot of liberal supporters/pundits (Kirsten Powers etc..) for the public option is that this bill is good for now as it offers a foundation to build on so as to achieve the socialist goal down the road. She didnt use the word “socialist” but hey, what else would it be in its completetion ?
To say it another way…
They realize they’re not going to be able to shove this whole enchilada down our throats at one time so what they’ve got so far affords the opportunity to sneak it in by piece meal.
December 19th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Well we need to change policies in order to get votes. We need to make balancing the budget, going to a Fair Tax, and getting rid of unconstitutional government agencies are three big things.
December 19th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
I think older adults should be given an option of buying into the medicare program if they choose. After all they paid taxes right and left their whole working lifetime and many are in a real bind getting private insurance if they are not working for an employer who provides it. And that is many. Medicare could improve itself in practical ways, but why cannot we the people get some peace of mind if we pay to join? for instance you could join medicare but forgoe malpractice suits and use an administrative panel to settle cases. You could group buy larger quantities of vital medicines, enlarge prevention and vaccination efforts. There is a lot you could do, where medicare is only the finanical intermediary with a few standards. By the way, Liebermann lives in a state or only 3.5 million people that is headquarters and employs many many insurance people. so who says he has the rest of the countries interests in mind.??
December 19th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
I have lately purchased a elliptical crosstrainer,elliptical trainer, and I am questioning if extended use will damage my knees and if so is there anything that I can do to avoid that?
December 19th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Brian.
What is it about you people that allows you to trust the government so much ?
We simply need to fix the system in place as if we already dont have enough government intervention into our lives that has cost us thousands of times over the projected budgets.
“but why cannot we the people get some peace of mind if we pay to join?”
How is that sustainable ?
The premiums coming out of Americans paychecks can in no way support the costs of even one individuals policy.
The peoples approach to a public syatem will be much like the way we see them abusing current government sytems.
The approach we have towards our private policies by means of our own fiscal conscience keeps us from abusing it. But hey, if the feds running it I can go to the hospital everytime I fart and the cost will always remain the same for years to come ?
Nonsense. This sytem, the one Brian is proposing will all run into the same problems that medicade and medicare have run into.
They never arrive on budget, ever, ever, ever, and if anything always cost unbelievably more than projected.
The government just has to back off period and establish some regulations allowing the private sector to free up more competitive means
December 19th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
what do you think?
December 19th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
“and if so is there anything that I can do to avoid that?”
Toss it in the garbage and use the sidewalk
December 19th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
The option for Medicare begins at age 65. Frankly, the system will be bankrupt unless that is INCREASED to 68 or 70 in the future. Since it is run by the government, it is amaazingly inefficient. Therefore, we are only hastening our own demise by lowering the age of entry.
Micky is right. The table is set for a public option and that will happen soon unless the GOP stops playing “nice” and takes back at least the House in 10. We all need to remember that the Marxists don’t care about the will of the people. That was only a slogan they used against Bush. Like everything else with their philosophy, it was empty rhetoric. Proof? 55 to 60% of the population opposed HC reform, yet they ignored the will of the people.
Amnesty is next. Americans will oppose amnesty by 2 to 1. The Marxists will pass it, with the gleeful help of several RINOs, within 4 weeks once they put their minds to it.
December 19th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Ronald Reagan’s 9 most feared words in our country:
“I’m from the government and I’m here to help”.
December 19th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
the private sector takes 20 percent of the health care dollar as profit, after making a lot of doctors, lawyers, administrators, investors, etc very rich. I estimate that we blow a solid 40 percent of our health care dollars with the mess we have now into nonproductive avenues that do not help patients or their families. the system now simply redistributes the wealth of the people by lining the pockets of the private sector. obviously we need some kind of hybrid. remember there is almost no transparency in the current “system” so people are not cost sensitive. its all cost plus and vague at that. we have reputable medical centers charging $75 for simply sitting a patient in an generic exam room, while the doctors charge separately $220 and they build in a bunch of cost centers, xray, labs, blood draws, etc to where a simple annual internal medical physical for about 30 minutes doctor time and a few tests generates a bill to the insurance for $950, that then cuts the bill to $330 at the allowed reimbursement rate for which you pay three copays, one to doc, one to reputable hospital, and one to lab, sometimes two bills, and then a fourth one to the pharmacy for your meds. now how crazy and byzantine a system is that? If you don’t have insurance your on the hook to be hounded by bill collectors for $1150 and then add your meds on top of that. its plain nuts what we have now. we need reform.
December 19th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
i would merge medicaid into medicare for one thing, and that would save a lot of money right at the get go and use teaching hospitals and medical and nursing schools as the key treatment hubs. Not everyone with a banged knee needs a $1500 mri the first or second visit.
December 19th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
So what Brian ?
If they can make a profit and still create policies for those in certain brackets who cares. Besides all sources I’ve crossed lately dictate that the average profit ration in the privatte sector is about 4 to 6 percent so I dont know where you got 20% from.
Also, any business man or major knows that 33.3% is the ideal profit margin.
Theres absolutely nothing you can say or formula you can present that will work as long as the fed/state is operating it.
The first half of your post pretty much just reaffirms my position that we fix the system in place by putting limitations on law suits and allowing cross state competition
Geez, did half the crap you typed even have anything to do with anything ?
December 19th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
60% of the premiums paid to revenue go to support their massively bloated beaurocracy.
Case closed.
December 19th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Without a profit for motivation, we wind up no better than the soviet union or an African country run by Marxists with millions starving.
No better.
December 19th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
North Korea anyone?
December 19th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
i disagree micky, for example water and power does a fine professional and mechanical job in maintaining my electric and water grid. I have called them and gotten pleasant responses, put ot the right person, real time computing, and service by clear eyed friendly individuals and they keep modernizing themselves where they can. when poles went down they had crews from other states working in under 12 hours on the problem. I have no idea how they did it, but they did. they even installed radio frequency meters to read as they drive by, its impressive.
December 19th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
“Without a profit for motivation, we wind up no better than the soviet union or an African country run by Marxists with millions starving. ”
Yeah, but why worry about actually being accoutable to the whole reason you went into business in the first place ?
Brian, nice try, but were on the issue of the government running healthcare and medical programs.
I know, maybe the fed healthcare system can develope the same technology where they can drive by your house, aim frequency meters at your head, and determine when its time for your next dose ?
Whoa, thought police coming to mind
December 19th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
you have to realize by now you are just projecting on me, or as charlie manson use to say he was just a reflection of other people’s thoughts about themselves. he did claim clear levels of thinking or as he says on Youtube “thought” “I think it” etc. You too would enjoy getting educated by the fine DROFTHEMINDMD on Youtube. he has excellant views on sychopharm and is very entertaining as well.
December 19th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
“he has excellant views on sychopharm and is very entertaining as well.”
Yes, I’m sure you own every volume.
Glenn Beck is crying again, I have to go
December 19th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
“you have to realize by now you are just projecting on me, ”
What else do you leave me with to do when you obfuscate such as your disengenuous a$$ repeatedly does so ?
December 19th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
actually I am very straight foward in what I say. I want responsible working government, small as possible, but big enough to do the job. I want real health care and tort reform. I want social security and medicare fixed as well. I want college tuitition reasonable again. I want parts of the war on drugs stopped. I still think we need to clean out northwest pakistan of al queda and the taliban all the same haveing come this far. If we need to go into iran so be it. I want prison reform and a down sizing of the whole police state thing, though I recognize we have some real problems here that need some solution. the homeless and mentally ill need more faciiities and treatment and well money. and we need to clean up our decaying cities with a new civilian conservation corps that focus’s training crafteman greens people as a legitamate long term national project. Also I am for pioneering the next generation of nuclear power reactors, hydrogen cars, more wind and solar and better conductors and insulation. And I want people to be able to spend more time with their families rather than working 50-70 hour weeks which is mandatory now if you have a real job. I can think of many innovative tax strategies that will help rather than just funnel even more money up to the richest among us. also I would encourage religious observance at governmental places as long as its diverse and doesn’t creep into meetings. so put up all the displays and tablets you want.
December 20th, 2009 at 7:19 am
Brian.
Many of us want the same things.
The problems is the means that certain individuals will use to achieve them and what their vision of “fixed” is.
I suggest that the government supplement the private sector so as to enable it to cater to those in lower income brackets instead of the other way around where the taxation of small business, of the people in all brackets with or without policies supplements the government take over of our insurance industry to the point that there isnt one anymore.
If you’re in such favor of smaller government then how on earth can you support a bill designed to eliminate our private sector insurance industry completely creating massive job loss while at the same time instituting the largest government bureaucracy ever that creates no jobs but those in the government that will no doubt be as inefficient as anything they’ve ever done in the past ?
December 20th, 2009 at 11:06 am
Brian, Lets start up the draft for all starting at 18-25 years of age. Lets have no exceptions, so that all have a chance to protect our soil. Also, Brian lets have a military tax for all, adjusted fairly allowing those that earn more pay more. Enough of this borrowing money to fight wars, this is ridiculous, all we are doing is driving the debt into outer space. Lets put an embargo on Chinese products to allow the USA a chance to make goods again. I am sick of Chinese goods. If we place tariffs on their goods we can keep them out of our soil. Lets put Americans back to work!
December 20th, 2009 at 11:30 am
[...] Democrats Proceed with the Government Takeover of the Health Care … [...]
December 20th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
The bill does not say its goal is to eliminate the private sector health insurance companies, so please stop with the overblown conspiracy theories beacause everything you say sounds too incredible. The bill is trying to expand coverage in any manner feasible to those without any and the best it can come up with is either a public sector sliver or a health exchange panel of insurances like liability insurance for young drivers. I would advocate expanding our teaching hospitals and medical/nursing schools clinics to include more of the poor and more training for students as part of the solution, with a combined medicare/medicaid card with some copay mechanism at a rate competitive with the private sector with the public sector essential providing some of the shell. surely the private sector could be a vital part of this buy providing alternative choices with the same funding mechanism. but I am not convinced why investors, speculators, administrators, doctors and lawyers should walk away with 40 percent of the premiums, or more? especially with such little transparency and cost plus defensive medicine universally practiced in the states. it comes down to do you believe reasonable access to health care is a human right or not. In such a rich country as ours I surely cannot see why not, it should be part of the compact between club America and its citizens. obviously everyone has to pay something towards their care as well.
December 20th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Brian, I am not sure who you are addressing. I did not say the bill will eliminate private sector – the bill creates new bureaucracies to regulate the private sector. Bureaucrats need the private sector the suck from it the money that pay their sweet federal salaries. Democrats will have to kill the bill if they are in danger of loosing the Congress in 2010, because if they pass the bill Republicans will takeover regulating the health care business. This is why the left will have to pull the plug, unless Democrats start doing better in the polls.
December 20th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
I was addressing Micky,. You guys don’t even see this as an attempt at health care reform do you, just more of a transfer of power from the repubs to the dems, or private sector to the public. we all know federal salaries are too high and too many and retirement costs for those in the public sector will likely bankrupt cities, maybe even states. plenty of unfair things to go around. many bright people took federal jobs for the security and retirement while others too the private sector to make more money and opportunity. then the private sector cancelled most retirements, overpaid itself, broke the finanical system,, and put a lot of people out of work the second its profits were threatened. those remaining in it have to work harder now covering those fired, pershaps permanently so. so guess who reneged on their deal? your wonderful private sector. turns out the public sector employees got a better deal after all. what can I say. That is what happened. I see health care reform as an issue that should be devoid of egoistic politics and instead a fix for a broken system to better address the needs of the people. It shouldn’t be about harry reid or mitch mcconnell. it should be about we the people. and a sane government should try and craft policy that makes sense, is fiscally sound, and fair. I really do not see obmaa as a socialist. he is a public servant in a country driven by free enterprise and military issues and somewhat balanced by a growing public sector in response to needs of the people. otherwise you will have some version of a third world country. government seems the best solution to public schooling of all americas children, or getting to outer space, of defending our land and people, the interstate hiway system, and yes probably health care too but we are trying to craft a hybrid system to cover the lapses of the private sector that won’t do unprofitable work for the public good.
December 20th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Brian, many healthy people now will drop the insurance coverage – instead they will participate in the system by paying the penalty – which is much cheaper. When they get sick they will show up for insurance and the insurers will be required to give it to them. You celebrate that change? Good for you – you have the right to do it. The looser are all those who work and keep their insurance – their premiums will go higher. The bill in this form will not bring the healthy people to the pool – the opposite. I personally believe the mandatory health insurance or penalty (as opt out) is a travesty in the spirit of communism.
December 20th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Does anybody know if we will be required to pay the penalties with the tax-returns for 2009, or next January with the tax-returns for 2010? I guess next January – after the elections – they will start collecting the taxes and penalties – how convenient. They did not pass the reform earlier to make sure people don’t realize the tax-burden until after the 2010 elections.
December 20th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
yes, I don’t like the idea of people being penalized, the things I want are tort reform, expansion of medical/nursing school teaching hospitals clinics, a merger of medicare and medicaid and the child program, coverage of pre existing conditions and continued coverage if you get sick, and job or private portability, and better medicine and equipment coverage. I encourage copays, or simply buy a copay policy. I think stock holders should have a binding vote on executive pay for compaines in general and health care and pharma as well. And we need true cost transparency so when you get a bill you can see right away what the cost breakout is to check against an annual eob for your records. there are lots of good ways we can do this. and we need expanded mental health coverage to at least cover meds, vaccinations and basic physicala and social work counsleing and at least a limited number of counseling sessions, perhaps one a month or more in an emergency, the idea to get into the hojmelsss population to help them as well. ummm, premiums are going higher anyways as we have not addressed cost plus care and tort reform and high medical student tuitions. if you solve those, prices will flat line, maybe drop a little. I think instead of a mandatory payment, give a tax break or credit even, so that you pay less in overall taxes and you can be incentivized. you want a system that has positive incentives, not punitive ones if you want a happy system.
December 20th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
see I really don’t believe we can have a seemless public plan. it will still have gaps and problems. But by helping local teaching hospitals and medical schools serve its catchment population much more effectively, as it use to when more money was around through satellite clinics, leased space, whatever. I think we create a local solution. YOu can bet the doc’s and students will be writing comparison papers and out of that best practices will come about. They could serve much of the medicaid crowd franky and get lower tuitions in exchange and everyone would sign an arbitration agreement foricing tort reform. Medicare patients could still go to whomever they go to with access to these facilities as well. And better yet, the program administrators would be combined creating economies of scale and medications could be price negotiated better. I think combine this with rural national health clinics and indian health sercie clinics already in place with state medicaid funds and you could broaden out the services to the rural areas. one administrator. it could be even a private company frankly. or once company could specialize on outpatient services, one inpatient, and one medication and medical devices. I would add a small social work arm to it to help those incapacitated as well. why not? students and many faculty are cheap labor.framily practice residencys could be easily established. gaps could be filled by nurse practitioners, yet they would all be part of a state wide educational internet and floating conferences and hands on rotations. We could refubish our providers as well in this and hone their skills better. Freed from the yoke of defensive medicine and simply the profit motive they could actually see more patients cheaper. not every one who gets a boo boo neesds an mri scan day one. there is so much good work we could do.
December 20th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
I mean do you really think everyone in our government is so imcompetent they can’t craft a working system we can mostly live with? Its going to be a work in progress too so they will adjust it. Obama does not want to saddle the American public with a system that will make them clamour for his resignation. Think about it. If the system works well enough, he shines. If it doesn’t his legacy goes. I think he wants to both help people and be seen as competent. wouldn’t you in his place? so I don’t know why you are thinking such totally dreadful armegeddony things over anything he does. In my own time I have seen things better, so even going back to that with what we have learned now, we can still improve whats evolved.
December 20th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Brian, merger of Medicare, Medicaid and children programs is a great idea – it will cut 2 giant bureaucracies off the tax-payer pay-roll. Is it happening in the health care bill? I don’t think so. They are expanding those bureaucracies. What exactly from the things you noted is in the bill? Looks like you are not getting anything from the bill of the things you like. You may join Howard Dean in support of killing the bill.
Take a look at the medicare website. They have 736 FAQ ?!?! It is a complete bureaucratic nightmare. Our premiums are going up because the government is failing in managing Medicare and Medicaid. The programs are becoming unsustainable even faster than SS.
December 20th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Brian, the bill is cutting doctor’s reimbursements from the government programs 21% – I don’t see how this will stimulate creating new doctors. The bill creates a giant agency on price negotiations with the providers – I bet the doctors will like those government folks, will not.
Social work arm? Doctors already donate time for free and are required to take certain quotas of Medicare and Medicaid patients. You force the social arm up their a$$ a bit harder and you may get fewer students ( that you call cheap labor) to do your slave work ideas.
December 20th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
Brian – Obama’s legacy is secure forever. First African American president. Are you kidding me. They still make movies about Mandela – and his presidency was a complete disaster. Obama could care less about the public – they already elected him. He and his kids and grand kids will sell T-shirts till the end of the world.
The left is beginning to realize he just used them. Awakening is happening. Just ask yourself – what is in the health care bill for me?
December 20th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
If I go and volunteer to push wheelchairs in the hospital for free – this is charity – if the Government requires me to push wheelchairs in the hospital for free – it is slavery.