New Health Care Deal: They’re On The Run!
by Dick MorrisFirst, a brief congratulations to all on having seemingly killed the public option. Without our efforts, it would be en route to becoming law. Now there will not be a government owned, government run and government subsidized insurance company that will put all others out of business.
But the current proposal Reid is loudly trumpeting is horribly flawed as well.
It has all of the old flaws (minus the public option) in that the government, through the Secretary of Health, will decide who gets what treatment at what cost and will force rationing through an artificial scarcity on all people, particularly the elderly. And it still has such high premiums for young uninsured people that it will compete with student loans for the honor of being their number one headache.
But the compromise itself is flawed:
- By breeching the historic dividing line between private and public plans now at 65, it opens the door for an expansion of Medicare to become just the single payer we are trying to stop.
- How can you expand Medicare, potentially to tens of millions more people while cutting it by $500 billion?
- The cuts in doctor and hospital reimbursement rates written into this bill will force hundreds of thousands of medical providers to refuse to treat Medicare patients. By applying these low reimbursements to patients 55-64, now, you are driving doctors out of the profession and discouraging others from entering it. A permanent scarcity of doctors will be the inevitable result.
- The expansion of Medicaid to 150% of the poverty level imposes huge new financial burdens on states. It will cost Texas $3 billion, Pennsylvania $2 billion, California $2 billion, and Florida $1.3 billion. It will cost Arkansas and Louisiana $500 million each. This is net of federal aid and only counts the 10% share of expanded Medicaid costs the states must pay.
The federal purchasing program that solicits bids from insurance companies and offers the policies to members of Congress actually functions quite well. It does tend to widen coverage and hold down costs and, at least in its current form, does not pretend to be an insurance company, just a kind of broker.
If the program is unchanged in the new law, its work could be valuable in helping consumers choose adequate and affordable insurance. But who knows whether Reid will try to ramp it up to be a government run and owned insurer?
The strategic message from all of this is that we have them on the run! We have forced Obama to retreat from a very dangerous excursion into socialism. Our pressure is working and we must keep it up.
[This article was co-authored with Eileen McGann]
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Vince Humphreys, Big Government, Big Government, DNC Fail!, Patrick Henry and others. Patrick Henry said: New Health Care Deal: They’re On The Run!: First, a brief congratulations to all on having seemingly killed the p… http://bit.ly/4Y6XJK [...]
Based on my limited research, at least 27 hospitals were closed in Chicago over past 20 years due to bankruptcy from the lower revenue per patient visit…due to a larger share of their visits coming from both Medicare and Medicaid patients. If Medicare pays about 90 cents on the dollar and Medicaid only pays about 70 cents on the dollar…..it's easy to see why those of us with Health Insurance have seen rates skyrocket to subsidize these discounted payment structures. This makes no sense to expand unprofitable rate structures….especially since Congress wants to now provide Medicare to millions of more patients (55-64). The question we must ask is…
"what is the breakeven point of Medicare/Mediacid patients in the overall margin mix versus helath insurance providers before the Hospital has to file bankruptcy??"
A big shout out to Dick Morris and Eileen McGann for their efforts on this issue. Educating the public and getting Information out about its evil intent and the effect it would have on liberty made this bill the most unpopular legislation of our lifetime.
I hope you're right Dick…….but I'm afraid these snakes won't back down that easily. I still think Reid will use the 'nuclear' option if he has to.
It's simply a disinformation campaign, designed to get the opposition to "stand down" so they can pass whatever they want while we're all out Christmas shopping. Not to mention the fact that whatever they come up with in Committee is going to have EVERYTHING on their wish-list. And I mean Ev. Ry. Thing.
I am known by all my friends as one of the most optomistic people they have ever met. I am here to say that I am losing faith in everything. Nothing this administration does surprises me. I now only feel disgust. I worry that the changes Obama is forcing on this once great nation will hurry its demise.
Hope no longer has a place in my heart or in my life.
Simple solution… Get the Gov OUT of ALL Health Care decisions and regulations! PERIOD! Make Health Ins more competitive among PRIVATE companies! Let people VOTE with their $$$ by making a decision!
As many others have commented on, the idea of expanding Medicare and Medicaid when both are bankrupt already and the Democrats plan to cut a huge amount out of their future budget just doesn't add up. This will mean a massive tax increase within a few years when Medicare officially goes into the red.
Also, I'd imagine most doctors will be up in arms over this idea since they generally don't get reimbursed enough from these programs to cover their expenses. This means they will either stop taking new Medicare/Medicaid patients (rationing by another means) OR they will just raise their rates for the rest of us to compensate (tax increase by another means). Either way, this plan stinks.
Join the fight to take back America from an insanely out of control government at http://www.GrassRootsNation.com. While you're there please sign the petition to fire Kevin Jennings, Obama's Safe Schools…I mean "Fisting" Czar.
Mr Morris, I only wish the "public option" is dead. That's the whole point of this exercise in futility–to create a public option. What guarantees are being put in place that a "public option is dead?"
Never Quit. Never Give up. He didn't:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
— John 3:16 (NIV)
Honestly, its really hard to believe this whole argument between Dems and Republicans is anything other than political grandstanding. Neither party has shown that they understand or even care about the Health Care crisis currently underway in America. The truly poor get very basic health care because they go into the emergency rooms for any treatment they need and then never pay the bill. The working poor cant afford insurance, and even a minor trip to the doctor can put them in debt for years. The middle class can afford insurance and can afford minor illnesses, but if there is a major problem, they end up losing their life savings and, many times, ending up bankrupt. The only class in America that can afford health care is the rich, which includes these politicians. And to quote Rush Limbaugh "Who cares? Not everyone can afford a beach house either. Should we also give everyone a beach house?" This is the "voice" of the Republican party?
The true culprit of the health care crisis isnt the doctors. It isnt the lawyers. Its not even the insurance companies as a whole. Its the greed of the health care executives who are paying themselves 500-1000 times the average worker of their company, and then firing the average workers to try to make their bonuses. Its also the greed of the government who believes in taxing to death anything that moves. If insurance companies would limit the pay of anyone within their company to 20 times the average worker maximum, there would be more money to hire more workers, which would allow the work to get done faster. And the maximum would give the executives incentive to pay their people better. However, greed will stop this from happening.
These reasons are why I hope a health care package passes. And I hope the public option passes. Our current system is fatally broken and the status quo simply hurts too many people to continue.
They will get something passed, however small and flawed by ramming it down our throats. Then later they will amend it all to add all the control and power options they want to take over the healthcare industry and control the population. This is not, and never was, about healthcare! This is about control of the population and one sixth of the economy while increasing the power of the marxists in government. Vote them ALL out in 2010 and 2012. If we still haven't won back our freedom after that, we'll have to take more drastic actions. "From time to time the tree of liberty must be nourished…"
This plan of dirtyharry obviously isn’t a plan at all. They want to pass a 2000 page something and fix what it contains later at their own leisure. I don’t know why the states aren’t screaming – they will if this travesty comes to fruition.
People who used to come here for treatment will now go elsewhere – the market will dictate where – I’ll be going there myself. Unfortunately, these dictators have apparently covered that eventuality by forcing us to pay for full insurance wheather we want it or not…
Thank you both for fighting so hard. Appreciate it.
PS: I read somewhere this morning – they changed the wording of the Copenhagen “treaty” to “agreement” – so Obama would sign it. There’ll be civil war if he signs such a thing as people are already mad as it is…
I am one of those is un-insured. I have been self employed for 6 years and cannot afford health care premiums. I recently had to get care for my daughter and the cost of the tests and imaging busted me. I have never asked for or recieved help from our governement. I have paid my taxes and only see those dollars wasted, regardless of the party in power. the dems waste it faster than the republicans but they both throw money away. I agree with your basic premise but I feel you are giving a pass to too many of the culprits. Lawyers and congress (which is predominantly populated with lawyers) are the true problem. We do need to rein in the cost of medical care but having lawyers make those decisions is wrong from the git go. I do not look for sympathy, somehow I will find my way and provide what I can for my family and others but I truely resent these millionaire politicians telling me that they know better or that they care more. The hell with all of them, also the hell with all those who will not do anything to help themselves. The trouble is the bleeding hearts never die and those they bleed for do nothing to help themselves.
class warfare as a health care argument is pathetic…
And your understanding of the bill, the ramifications, and the cause is woeful. This bill, no matter what iteration, is being passed to seize power FROM the people and give it to unelected bureacrats to create a permanent power base for the Left.
82% 0f the people are ok with their program. Demagoging Rush Limbaugh is DNC talking points passing as discourse, and remember this-
NOTHING is free. This 'benefit' will cost plenty. Be careful what you wish for…
I was just going to post nearly identical comments but you beat me to it, Mike. You are DEAD ON correct. I used to be a lobbyist and am well aware of how the system operates. The people here who post have the best intentions, however, you must be made to understand that ANY HEALTH CARE BILL will be bastardized in the coming years with not only amendments but little "bombs" planted in other pieces of legislation. The sole purpose is to deceive the electorate for control of the masses.
This bill MUST BE DEFEATED SOUNDLY….PERIOD ! If not then America will have lost its freedoms forever. Make no mistake about it.
To SOLVE the problem is really quite simple but the leftists/marxists wont do it. REPEAL the interstate commerce regulations that allow the FEDERAL government to control all commerce activities. Allow competition of insurnace companies accross state lines which this repeal woould grant. The rest falls into place.
I want someone who looks a little more upbeat about things than Mr. Sour Puss.
Looks like someone pisses in his Cheerios daily.
He's probably still in Congress becasue his wife doesn't want his sad ass around the house all day.
Too depressing…
So will the Illegals be covered under Medicare?
If there is going to be no public option why is this so-called health bill still costing a trillion dollars?
I think that the change in health care is all smoke and mirrors. We will still get the public option, only under a diffrent name. The Democrats are all about power for themselves and less freedom for us. Power and Money more for the goverment and less for us. How did this clowns ever fool people to elect them? We live in dangerous times. Our goverment is being taken over by socialists. They do not follow the consitution, because no where does it say the goverment is to take care of us. We are to be wary of the Goverment. Read any of the founding Fathers papers.
The "hope" of John 3:16 makes sense. The "hope" of Obama is the loser!
That picture of the Undertaker In Chief says enough.
"America was old, sick, diseased, and has died. Now we must Move On to a new America, one that is better because we control it, while we apologize for and discard the corpse of the old one and figure out how to divide up its assets."
He needs to go, now. While out of DC would be preferable, six feet down would be acceptable.
Sorry Mr Morris,
I don't care what the media or Mr Reid is saying. THE PUBLIC OPTION IS NOT DEAD!!!
It is a sham, it is a gimmick to try to lower public pressure for this takeover.
Allowing ANY government oversight (translate – Control) means this still sounds like a duck, smells like a duck.
notice that the big voices of 'I will not vote for this without a public option' have not been heard. That is because they know it is still there.
The next thing they will tell us is that this monstrosity won't cover illegals either. If they do it is only because they will include an amnesty provision that makes them all LEGAL.
These people are masters of deception, it is unfortunate Dick Morris doesn't see it.
It's a crying shame what this bunch is trying to do to America…
The public option is the Freddy Krueger of health insurance reform. Never stop watching your back…even if the music changes to something comforting.
I wish it were not so. The M.O. seems to be: precipitate crisis, blame the market, seize control. Now I'm nauseated.
I hope you’re right Dick. I expect they will get something. Thanks for all your work against Barry the Bolshevik!
The liberals have dumb down our school systems. Now they are set on doing the same to our Health System. If you compare the quality of public schools to private schools, that is what is going to happen to the Health Care system. It will have doctors who will have gone through a Medical School that has lower standards and thus the quality of doctors will be lowered to meet the demand created by this attack. It is not about improving the system for health reasons but lowering the standards for someone to become a doctor. And as the dumbing down of our public schools has occured the lowering of quality of health is sure to follow.
wrong – they're not on the run. this enemy has not had to run (yet). they are….. redeploying. this gang does not just throw a jab and then circle. they throw punches in bunches, with vicious combinations to the head and body of America. duck the jab, and you have the uppercut to worry about. more is coming – do not think for a second that this bill is dead.
It doesn't really feel like they are on the run. Freedom loving citizens more likely…
[...] Morris is more optimistic at Big Government and believes the democrats are on the run with their public option plan. Comments [...]
Obama is now tanking in every poll… with plenty more disasters to come like huge inflation from the Porkulus and serial foreign-policy blunders.
The Dems face a gruesome bloodbath in midterms next year… some are already predicting a 100 SEAT loss-
Enjoy your ride on the Hindenburg, Obot slush heads-
Hopenchange = TRAIN WRECK
http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com
This bill is going to raise my insurance (Blue Cross/Blue Shield) by about $18/month.
I have an inoperable brain tumor. Is it fair to impose this increase on people like me? And why are they doing it?
Why do they think they need to burden me (or others like me) with an increase in my PRIVATE insurance?
When will they get it? Get out of my life! Just leave me (and the rest of us) the hell alone!!!!
How about an amendment that reduces the cost of malpractice insurance premiums to offset reductions in reimbursements by putting a cap on the amount a jury can award.
Any legislation that calls itself 'reform' is laughable without addressing tort reform.
All of this drama is meant to distract American citizens from the true agenda at work here. Obama and the other Saul Alinski disciples he has installed in top positions are following Alinski's playbook to deliberately bring about the collapse of the US ecomomy. Barack HUSSEIN could then declare a national crisis, use Executive Orders to suspend the Constitution, (and elections), appoint himself as Premier for the duration of the crisis he created, and presto! The Obamination doesn't really fear an election backlash, because they plan to bring about "changes" assuring that THEY WILL NEVER AGAIN HAVE TO FEAR AN ELECTION DEFEAT. Sooprize, sooprize, sooprize! And to all of you white middle-class "useful idiots" who voted for this utter obscenity of a government: "Ask not for whom the bell tolls…it tolls for thee." to the rest of us: hang on to your 2nd Amendment rights,because the Second American Revolution is coming soon to a town or city near you!
Flash ! If you think the "PUBLIC OPTION" is dead and gone, you're sadly mistaken. Remember who it is that crafted this monstrosity. The pubklic option will be back under a different name during senate-house conference committee negotiations…anyone who thinks otherwise ifs totally naive. You idiots who voted for these thugs from Chicago better get ready to open your wide your wallets and mouths to pay for insurance to illegals, abortion on demand, $500 billion gutted from Medicare, rationed care, etc.
[...] of this is a lie and a joke anyway. As Dick Morris writes today on BigGovernment.com, Reid’s bill expands Medicaid to people making 150 percent of the poverty line, which imposes [...]
This is exactly what will happen. They create problems so that they can create more government to solve them. It's a vicious cycle. But I truly believe that the American people will only take so much…and it's gettin' mighty close to it.
I understand Storykeepers view. I too have become so cynical that I trust no one or anything. I refer to the MSM as Pravda. The only thing I as an individual can do is write letters. Every night, I write letters to Senators. No one reads them but I keep writing. The only comfort is that I know that I am not alone. You good people are fighting too. Maybe we will prevail. God Bless the USA!!!!!
Nope. Won't be any such thing as an illegal alien once they get their way. See? They fulfilled their promise that "no illegals will be covered under this plan".
Never believe what comes out of a dirtbag's mouth.
Don't give up!!
That"s what thier counting on
because ….
http://video.foxnews.com/12374233/the-one-thing-1...
just one mans opinion
Since when was killing the patient a way to save an arm. All liberals who want the public option. There are already federally funded health care centers. Check this out:
http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/
Federally-funded health centers care for you, even if you have no health insurance. You pay what you can afford, based on your income. Health centers provide
checkups when you're well
treatment when you're sick
complete care when you're pregnant
immunizations and checkups for your children
dental care and prescription drugs for your family
mental health and substance abuse care if you need it
Health centers are in most cities and many rural areas. Type in your address and click the 'Find Health Centers' button to find health centers near you.
The public option is only for redistribution of wealth. It will add to everyone's fees and taxes.
I have an awful sense of foreboding that the response to Providers declining patients is a federal licensing plan for physicians, with a condition of accepting all patients. They count on the damage being gradual, so that things eventually become a "crisis". Their solution is then another program, another bureaucracy, more government involvement, rather than deconstructing the program which created the problem in the first place.
"First, a brief congratulations to all on having seemingly killed the public option."
seemingly being the operative word. until there is a wooden stake pounded through this legislation, i will not count it as victory.
The plan is somewhat clever and totally diabolical, they are creating a problem that with time they will be "Forced" to solve, probably with loud moaning about how they tried to do it the "Conservative" way and looked what happened.
The fact that no conservative signed on to any of this will be moot, the Echo Chamer Media will simply repeat whatever they are told to say by their puppet masters in the Profascist movement.
If it passes it's just a gateway to more of the same, a planned failure that will result in more government and more control of the cattle that they think we are.
Mr Right,
I totally agree with you, however how do you propose that we defeat this bill? We know the majority of citizens are against it but are not being listened to. I come here and sometimes feel we are all preaching to the choir. Where is the plan? Who, what, where, when and how can we accomplish what we need to do to make our voices heard. I write letters, not emails, and phone my reps but I don't see it making a difference. It's frustrating.
"The working poor cant afford insurance, and even a minor trip to the doctor can put them in debt for years." Bit dramatic, don't you think?
"If insurance companies would limit the pay of anyone within their company to 20 times the average worker maximum, there would be more money to hire more workers, which would allow the work to get done faster. "
Whaaaat???
Fast has nothing to do with the HIGH cost of medical care. I think you just want to stick it to Da Man. Quit with the envy and focus on what YOU can do to better yourself.
Medicare pays 70%, if that, for doctor visits, tests, and hospital stays.
Two ideas
1 TARP reform
2 Cross state purchases
don`t forget the only thing that matters – NONE of this is constitutional – all other discussion about whats in or out does not matter. DEMAND your senators pass NOTHING until after mid terms – they will not listen, they will not accept the will of the people, but at least we will be justified in whatever must happen to return the country to honest representation.send registered letters to your senator, demand they follow the will of the constituents-then when they reply with the "thanks for your ideas, please send a donation" letter – take both to your local paper, request they print them in the opinion page- if they will not, inform them of your intention to contact all advertisers to advise you cannot use the product or service as a result of where they spend their advertising dollars. then do it.this is a dogfight folks – we better be the meanest dog or we`ll all end up on a leash.
[...] Is the Biggest Snatch Yet of Freedom & Liberty in this Country Dick Morris, Big Government: New Health Care Deal: They’re On The Run! Amused Cynic: More on Obama’s breast cancer death-panel… and Do you want idiots like this [...]
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Vote these traitors out.
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[...] American Thinker: ‘Twas the Night before Obamacare’ Dick Morris, Big Government: New Health Care Deal: They’re On The Run! Pundit & Pundette: Flashback: Obama healthcare reform promises The Hill’s Blog Briefing [...]