Healthcare Debate in a Nutshell

Posted on February 22nd, 2010 by ecthompson md

I was reading the Political Animal today. In my opinion, he is one of the best progressive bloggers. In the middle of one of his posts was it… the healthcare debate in a nutshell.

From Political Animal:

Matt Yglesias responds by noting one of my favorite anecdotes from the entire debate over health care reform. From 10 months ago:

[R]ight there in the Cabinet Room, the President put a proposal on the table, according to two people who were present. Obama said he was willing to curb malpractice awards, a move long sought by the Republicans and certain to bring strong opposition from the trial lawyers who fund the Democratic Party.

What, he wanted to know, did the Republicans have to offer in return? Nothing, it turned out. Republicans were unprepared to make any concessions, if they had any to make.

This is the problem. The Republicans are happy to call Obama and the Dems names – socialist, fascist, etc but they have NO solutions to any problem facing the American people.

Tags: Healthcare // 14 Comments »

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  • Joe White

    Obama tosses out a meaningless ‘concession’ on malpractice and expects the Republicans to roll over and play dead.

    What part of ‘we dont want jail time for the uninsured’ does Obama not get?

    What part of ‘mandated purchase of insurance is unconstitutional’ does Obama not get?

    What part of ‘banning the exclusion on pre-existing conditions causes skyrocketing rates’ does Obama not get?

    What part of ‘taxing health care benefits and excluding union members is not what we want’ does Obama not get?

  • MH

    Joe,

    What part of Blue Cross in California raising it’s premiums 39% do you not get?

  • Joe White

    MH,

    The Blue Cross rate hike is a direct response to the Congressional mandate to ban the exclusion on pre-existing conditions.

    You can’t buy car insurance on the vehicle you just wrecked.

    You can’t buy home insurance AFTER the house burns down.

  • ecthompson

    Joe – that’s not what the CEO said on CNBC.

  • ecthompson

    Republicans have been screaming about malpractice as the number 1 cause of medical cost increases for over 10 years. They were lying. He called their bluff. 

    You might want mandated insurance to be unconstitutional but if social security, Medicaid, Medicare and tax are constitutional, this will be too. It is the same. As a lawyer I would think that Obama has already thought of that. But that’s not your deal. You just don’t want people to have a single payer healthcare system. Period. Your proposals would do little or nothing to significantly reduce healthcare costs.

    Thanks again. 

  • Joe White

    hmmmm, well Democrats dont seem to be able to decide exactly how they got this authority

    Senate Judiciary Chairman Unable to Say Where Constitution Authorizes Congress to Order Americans to Buy Health Insurance

    http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/55910

    Sen. Landrieu Declines to Say Where Constitution Authorizes Congress to Force Americans to Buy Health Insurance, Saying She’ll Let ‘Constitutional Lawyers on Our Staff’ Handle That

    http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/58401

    Sen. Merkley: Authority to Force People to Buy Health Insurance is Part of Congress’s ‘Very First Enumerated Power’

    http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/56968

    Sen. Akaka Says ‘I’m Not Aware’ of Constitution Giving Congress Authority to Make Individuals Buy Health Insurance

    http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/57024

    Sen. Burris Cites Unwritten Constitutional ‘Health’ Provision to Justify Forcing Americans to Buy Health Insurance

    http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/56629

    Sen. Lincoln: Congress Can Force Americans to Buy Health Insurance Because Constitution ‘Charges Congress With the Health’ of the People

    http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=58650

    Sen. Reed: Forcing People to Buy Health Insurance is Constitutionally Justified Because It’s Like Making People ‘Sign Up for the Draft’

    http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/56971

    Sen. Ben Nelson: ‘I’m Not Going to Be Able to Answer That Question’ of Where Constitution Authorizes Congress to Force Americans to Buy Health Insurance

    http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/57007

    Sen. Mark Warner: ‘No Place In Constitution That Says Health Care’

    http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/53580

  • MH
  • sharonsj

    I could swear I’ve heard/read that tort reform (restricting malpractice awards) had been instituted in several states a number of years ago.  Studies then showed that tort reform had little or no affect on health insurance premiums.  In fact, premiums were tied to how much profit an insurer could make.  And one of the things most affecting profit was–ta-da–the stock market!

    Meanwhile, I don’t care how many sites you list as to whether or not the government can make you buy health insurance.  We have to buy car insurance, don’t we?

  • ecthompson

    Sharon - 

    You are correct. Texas is one of the states with tort reform. It is also one of the most expensive states in the union for healthcare. Tort Reform didn’t control healthcare costs at all. Corporations (tort reform covered more than just the medical field) are simply pocketing more and more profit. 

    Check out this great article from a couple of months ago. 

    Thanks for your comments. 

  • ecthompson

    We all need the money.  ;)

  • Joe White

    Sharonsj wrote:

    “I don’t care how many sites you list as to whether or not the government can make you buy health insurance.  We have to buy car insurance, don’t we?”

    No. Actually you don’t.

    There is no law that compels everyone to have auto insurance. It only affects those who drive. That’s not everybody.

    And even then, if you can prove financial responsibility (i.e. you have the means to pay for damages you might cause) then you aren’t required to purchase insurance.

    And even further, those who cannot show FR and do want to drive are only required to be insured against the damage they might cause to OTHERS or the the property owned by OTHERS (liability only). You are not required to insure against damage you may cause to yourself or your own property.

    So your auto insurance analogy falls completely off the cliff.

  • Joe White

    Sharonsj wrote:

    “I don’t care how many sites you list as to whether or not the government can make you buy health insurance.  We have to buy car insurance, don’t we?”

    No. Actually you don’t.

    There is no law that compels everyone to have auto insurance. It only affects those who drive. That’s not everybody.

    And even then, if you can prove financial responsibility (i.e. you have the means to pay for damages you might cause) then you aren’t required to purchase insurance.

    And even further, those who cannot show FR and do want to drive are only required to be insured against the damage they might cause to OTHERS or the the property owned by OTHERS (liability only). You are not required to insure against damage you may cause to yourself or your own property.

    So your auto insurance analogy falls completely off the cliff.

  • ecthompson

    Joe –

    I missed this comment. This comment program is giving me the blues. I’ll try to have it changed by tomorrow afternoon.

    I’ll have a post on this later on this evening or early in the morning.

    Thanks for your comments.

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