[excon]

Hello wingers:

How come so quiet? Is it cause you got what you want - a GIFT of 30 million new customers to the insurance companies?

If you guys weren't sooooo far to the right, Max Baucus would be a Republican...

One thing you can say about Republicans, though... Even IF your policies suck, you manage to get them passed into law. It's something the Democrats, with MASSIVE majorities in BOTH houses and a Democratic president to boot, can't seem to do...

excon

[tomder55]

Still trying to sift through it . It seems like a disjointed plan given the amt. of time he took to forge it ,and I have spent most of my time in the last day going over the details and reactions to what I thought was the bigger story... the Obama screwing of eastern Europe (maybe Evita has a reset button for Poland ).
I'll look into the Baucus plan today .

[tomder55]

My initial reaction is that it has more mandates (especially the burden States would take on in expanded Medicaid coverage and mandates forcing individuals to purchase coverage even if they don't want it or face a fine of $3800) ,new subsidies ,more government controls ,arbitrary fee cuts(regulatory payment-control schemes ),and overt and covert tax increase that would most likely steer employers towards a universal system that is bound to come later . (What's not to like ? )

Then there's the Medicare Commission that would make recommendations and if Congress doesn't approve the commissions recommendations or reject them ,they automatically go into effect. Love that rule by bureaucratic fiat!! And so much for protecting Medicare . It will push Medicare closer to the brink.

I do think the idea of co-ops are worth exploring further so there is a silver lining . Also the plan allows states to establish interstate compacts for insurance purchases which is a good step in my view.

But Baucus ,who was trying to forge a compromise could not even get Olympia Snow-job to sign onto it. He needs to go back to committee ,sharpen his pencil,and get back to work .

My guess is his plan is DOA . The radical Dems in the House will not agree to it .I'm sure if the Senate passed it by a reconcilliation stunt ,the plan would die on the conference committee floor .

The President debated Evita and McCain both against the notion of mandatory coverage and was vehemently opposed to the idea during the campaign .But my guess is that at this point if the Baucus plan was placed on his desk he would sign it.

[twinkiedooter]

My favorite thing Obama's said recently is that he wants to make all the illegal aliens citizens so they will be covered by his health care plan. Oh gee, how nice of him to be so thoughtful to them. He's so busy giving our country away with both hands to anyone who wants it.

What's next for him to give away?

[tomder55]

The WSJ takes on the Baucus plan over excess taxes on medical devices.
The Innovation Tax - WSJ.com

This new tax will eventually be passed through to patients, increasing health-care costs. It will also harm innovation, taking a big bite out of the research and development that leads to medical advancements. The core of the industry (excluding a few conglomerates like Johnson & Johnson) spent about $9.6 billion on product development in 2007, according to Ernst and Young. The Baucus tax is nearly half that, and also exceeds $3.7 billion, the total venture capital invested in device makers that same year.

Evidently Dem. Senators who's States host the industry have similar concerns .
Sen. John Kerry expresses concern over taxing the medical device industry | MassDevice - News

For some late night reading ,here is the text of the Baucus plan... a 220 page summary (details to be filled in later )
http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/leg/LEG%202009/091609%20Americas_Healthy_Future_Act.pdf

In it you will find some gems as the Rockefeller Amendment that would eliminate Health Savings Accounts effective January 1, 2010 . (page 2)
http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/...Amendments.pdf

The narcistic President is going to do a full court press today visiting the morning talk shows (except FOX ) .He will talk of "his plan" when he has introduced no such thing. He will say the time for debate has ended when in fact it has only just begun.
I will be hiking on this perfect day and will try to find the highlights before I sit down to watch the Giants ruin the Cowboys opener .

[inthebox]

Hello wingers:

How come so quiet? Is it cause you got what you want - a GIFT of 30 million new customers to the insurance companies??

If you guys weren't sooooo far to the right, Max Baucus would be a Republican...

One thing you can say about Republicans, though... Even IF your policies suck, you manage to get them passed into law. It's something the Democrats, with MASSIVE majorities in BOTH houses and a Democratic president to boot, can't seem to do....

excon

I haven't read the whole bill, but if there is no section for TORT REFORM, so I don't like it already. There is a $3800 dollar penalty for NOT having insurance? P 29. It increases the medicaid eligibilty income: Medicaid is not accepted universally, medicaid is funded by taxpayors. There is "pay for peformance" for hospitals and physicians, the wording is such that they actually withhold payments and if certain criteria are met, full payment is given. This will lead to selection of patients, the sickest, those that need the most healcare, will be viewed as a potential penalty to hospital and doctors and therefore will have less access. Unless any bill includes pay for performance on the patient / consumer side, this will happen. So I don't like this potential bill.



G&P

[speechlesstx]

What's to discuss, ex? It's one more bad plan.

[excon]

What's to discuss, ex? It's one more bad plan.

Hello Steve:

It sure is.

excon

[ETWolverine]

Let's see...

He wants to tax businesses in order to pay for the cost of his plan.

He wants to FORCE people who don't want or need health insurance to buy it anyway... which is in essence a tax as well.

And he expects to be able to add 30 million new people to the insurance rolls and still have both SERVICE and COST remain the same.

This brilliant plan is no better than the other brilliant plans coming out of the Dems on health care.

Not one mention of tort reform.

Not one mention of lowering taxes or making the costs of health insurance pre-tax to make health insurance more affordable.

Not one mention of portability or increasing competition through the free market to lower costs.

Not one mention of anything that would substantively improve either the quality or the accessibility of health care in the USA.

What's to talk about?

Not only does it not give the people what they want, it doesn't give the DEMS what they want either.

Tom's right... this thing's DOA.

Elliot