GOP Attorney General Suing Over Obamacare Supports Single-Payer:

[wgrr]

'I trust the Government more'.

My head just exploded. I am sure Luntz is on his way down with a hand written retraction speech.

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012...ate-insurance/

[Charles]

I favor single payer as well, but after watching PPACA, I don't trust the government either. I fear more of the same.

The transition from what we currently have to any sort of single payer will be where the rub lies. I'm not sure how it can be accomplished, perhaps a two tier system?

Chas

[BlueStreak]

I think that was what the "public option" was about, Chas.

The president has stated, I believe he was a Senator at the time, that he favored single payer too. But that he didn't think it would be possible to accomplish all at once. (And I'm assuming he was referring to the folks across the aisle.)

[noonereal]

Originally Posted by wgrr

'I trust the Government more'.

My head just exploded. I am sure Luntz is on his way down with a hand written retraction speech.

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012...ate-insurance/

His position has been my position since this travesty was passed.

, 'the problem with Obamacare is that it’s not a government takeover of health care."

[BlueStreak]

I'm hoping that even if the GOP comes out ahead this November that there will be sufficient pressure to force them in the right direction......But I have my doubts. I'm pretty sure they have an insane agenda to "restore" America and take us forward to 1931.

Dave

[BlueStreak]

Buddy Caldwell will soon be labelled a "So(c)ialist" and run out of office.

Either that, or they'll wait until the GOP gains control again, label him a "Great American" and create a single payer system, Label it the "The Yankee Doodle Dandy Freedom from Medical Bankruptcy Bill", insisting "It's not really so(c)ialism, because the name sounds patriotic.", all of their zombies will fall for it it and adore them for "saving America".

Dave

[wgrr]

Originally Posted by Charles

I favor single payer as well, but after watching PPACA, I don't trust the government either. I fear more of the same.

The transition from what we currently have to any sort of single payer will be where the rub lies. I'm not sure how it can be accomplished, perhaps a two tier system?

Chas

Medicare part E. Medicare for everyone.

Medicare in general is a well thought out way to provide care to seniors who would otherwise be unable to buy heath insurance from the for profit insurance companies.

Medicare operates at a 3% cost to care ratio because salaries are set at the government pay scale. There are no $100,000,000+ a year CEO compensation packages like "Dollar" Bill McQuire gets at United Healthcare. That is on top of 1.6 billion dollars in stock options he is sitting on.

Medicare does have problems in the area of waste, fraud, and abuse. Doctor/hospital compensation is also a problem. Many details would have to be hashed out. It would be a very good thing to totally eliminate the for profit insurance industry and let them go back to selling home insurance.

Another thought is the VA system. It is a 100% socializtic (sic for spam filter) medical provider. So, anytime you hear a veteran bitching about socialized medicine, you can remind them that they are the only ones in the US that actually benefit from a socialized medical system.

Some Scandinavian countries have a system of private insurers and government subsidies to provide healthcare at little or no cost to the patient.

Another thing that has to be addressed is big pharma. It is ridiculous that Medicare cannot negotiate drug prices. They do in Canada and I can assure you the prices are less expensive there for the very same drugs we buy here.

There is a lot that can be debated but it won't happen anytime soon. If the Repuplicans gain full control of the government in November, and the Ryan budget is passed, there will be no debate. The more I hear and read I have come to realize that his budget is truly based on Ayn Rands ideas. It would not take us back to the 1930's. It would take us back to the 1880's.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by wgrr

Medicare part E. Medicare for everyone.

Medicare in general is a well thought out way to provide care to seniors who would otherwise be unable to buy heath insurance from the for profit insurance companies.

Medicare operates at a 3% cost to care ratio because salaries are set at the government pay scale. There are no $100,000,000+ a year CEO compensation packages like "Dollar" Bill McQuire gets at United Healthcare. That is on top of 1.6 billion dollars in stock options he is sitting on.

Medicare does have problems in the area of waste, fraud, and abuse. Doctor/hospital compensation is also a problem. Many details would have to be hashed out. It would be a very good thing to totally eliminate the for profit insurance industry and let them go back to selling home insurance.

Another thought is the VA system. It is a 100% socializtic (sic for spam filter) medical provider. So, anytime you hear a veteran bitching about socialized medicine, you can remind them that they are the only ones in the US that actually benefit from a socialized medical system.

Some Scandinavian countries have a system of private insurers and government subsidies to provide healthcare at little or no cost to the patient.

Another thing that has to be addressed is big pharma. It is ridiculous that Medicare cannot negotiate drug prices. They do in Canada and I can assure you the prices are less expensive there for the very same drugs we buy here.

There is a lot that can be debated but it won't happen anytime soon. If the Repuplicans gain full control of the government in November, and the Ryan budget is passed, there will be no debate. The more I hear and read I have come to realize that his budget is truly based on Ayn Rands ideas. It would not take us back to the 1930's. It would take us back to the 1880's.

Personally, I don't think the Republicans would destroy the country, or they'll be out on their asses at the next election. Then again, I figure that it won't make much difference which party is in power, they'll pretty much do the same thing. And then blame it on the other guy.

Don't know much about Medicare, but I'm somewhat familiar with the VA system. My Dads in a VA hospital, or nursing home, and it's a first class operation. I've stayed in resorts that weren't that nice.

Myself, I'm open for suggestions. And if either party comes up with a true Patient Protection Affordable Care Act which doesn't require a Philadelphia lawyer to decipher, they'll be able to sell it and reap the political benefits.

But it will have to be fair. If it's not fair, it'll never sell.

And one other thing. Whether you're Jack LaLanne or a meth freak, you still deserve to see the doctor. You can't expect for everyone to be perfect. It ain't a perfect world, and you can't expect for people to adjust to it in a perfect way.

Chas

[BlueStreak]

My Sister had her heart surgery at the VA Hospital in Richmond. There was a one complication, an infection. But they took care of that and she was on her way home. The hospital was clean, modern, fairly well run......Not bad at all.

Dave

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by Charles

Personally, I don't think the Republicans would destroy the country, or they'll be out on their asses at the next election. Then again, I figure that it won't make much difference which party is in power, they'll pretty much do the same thing. And then blame it on the other guy.

Don't know much about Medicare, but I'm somewhat familiar with the VA system. My Dads in a VA hospital, or nursing home, and it's a first class operation. I've stayed in resorts that weren't that nice.

Myself, I'm open for suggestions. And if either party comes up with a true Patient Protection Affordable Care Act which doesn't require a Philadelphia lawyer to decipher, they'll be able to sell it and reap the political benefits.

But it will have to be fair. If it's not fair, it'll never sell.

And one other thing. Whether you're Jack LaLanne or a meth freak, you still deserve to see the doctor. You can't expect for everyone to be perfect. It ain't a perfect world, and you can't expect for people to adjust to it in a perfect way.

Chas

Excellent post.

My opinion really only slighly differs from yours.

I really don't think Republicans would necessarily destroy the country either. They'd just make living here suck for everyone but business owners and the ultra-wealthy. Plenty of jobs, damn few worth having.

Dave