I’m with Clark Kent: here’s hoping that Obamacare is a way station toward truly universal, single-payer health care.
It is ironic that the GOP is excoriating Obama over a Republican health care plan that Obama adopted as a bipartisan compromise. It is great that millions more Americans now have health insurance, but it still seems to me that the primary beneficiaries of Obamacare are big insurance companies. That’s the GOP part of the plan, of course.
It’s been a HUGE success. 8 million people on it, a great reduction in premiums for most people, covering people who were not covered before — it’s been amazing. Especially considering the Republicans in nearly half the country who BLOCKED better healthcare from their citizens by refusing to expand Medicare (which is actually a very efficient option) or not participating in the exchanges.
Blue. It was a Republican plan from day one, it was NEVER Obama’s preference. The GOP refusing to vote for it was a political maneuver, and you should have realized that because not one Republican voted for it. They were organized. They would rather harm all Americans than let Obama get one single win of any kind.
Because they decided that on the day he was inaugurated to oppose anything and everything that he proposed. Doesn’t leave much room for negotiation and compromise, does it.
Every president from Mr. Nixon forward (except for Mr. Reagan and the two Bushes) has tried to advance some form of health care reform. None were able to do so, until Mr. Obama did. Props to him for that. Unfortunately, the plan he chose is flawed, and should have been single-payer.
Now, let’s be fair: single-payer means that insurance companies would be removed from standard health insurance. (Of course, they’d still be able to sell supplemental insurance for those who want coverage beyond the single-payer benefits, and there’s no doubt they will.) The insurance lobby is tremendously strong and well-financed (with your insurance premiums, I might add. At least with ACA, they can only use a maximum of 20% of your premium payments to lobby with. Still, some of us believe that 20% should help pay for health care instead).
Mr. Obama rightly assumed that if he included the insurance companies, modeled his plan on Romneycare, and added the individual mandate that no one thought was unconstitutional when Medicare Part D was implemented, he would gain at least a couple of Republican votes. He evidently did not take them seriously when they decided to oppose everything he wanted to do, regardless of potential benefit. Too bad; if he had decided not to try to be bipartisan, he could have gotten every Democrat to vote for Single Payer instead of ACA, and we would all have been better off.
As a result, we have a flawed plan to replace a horrid plan, and it will take a great deal of give-and-take (good luck with that one) to improve the flawed plan. Regardless, returning to the horrid plan will be even more costly and horrendous.
Congress fiddles while Rome burns. And instead of insisting that our “representatives” do our jobs, we just fight among ourselves. Somewhere, Karl Rove’s mouth is getting tired from all that smiling.
tigger: keep up, VW is inviting the UAW back into negotiation.
Whiile the Republican insertions into the PPACA in efforts to cripple it, it’s becoming successful. That part is good, and the only major fix would be to go “single payer”, and that wouldn’t btw “destroy” private insurance companies, just limit their outrageous profit margins they enjoy today in the “current system” or the ACA as written.
Also, let Medicare negotiate drug prices like VA does, and cut health care costs by about 60%, as pharmaceuticals are a large part of Medicare costs, same for “private” policies as well.
You misunderstand me. I vilify the Republicans for wanting to repeal ACA and replace it with nothing. As I have noted many times on these pages, the Romney/Ryan plan would be worse than the previous plan and ACA put together, and that is the only alternative I have seen Republicans offer. I have challenged the posters here several times to show me another Republican plan other than Romney/Ryan and have never been provided with a response.
And I’m not sure ACA has to be repealed before single payer can become law. If it is repealed, there is always the chance that some politicians will “forget” the second part: passage of a better alternative. A better answer would be a bill that replaces ACA with single payer, so there would be no ability to revert to the previous system.
Dear Mdavis: Just a note, as I told my extremely right-wing brother who said I didn’t know anything about communists, I pointed out I killed a lot more of him than he did. Seeking social and economic justice is NOT “communism”, but greed, brutality, and destruction of rights ARE what corporate rule, called “Fascism”, ARE all about, the Kochs are just the Krupps with a slightly more diverse stock portfolio.
It would be nice. I live in Massachusetts, so I know full well that “Obamacare” is really “Romneycare,” and that it was proposed and supported by the Heritage Foundation.
“Now onward to single payer universal health care.”#The universe is a mighty big place. But, hay, we can do it! Just tax the “rich 1%” a little more and we can DO IT!! (snerk!)
What do you think of the fact that America pays around 17.5% of GDP for health care compared to the rest of the G7 that pays 10.5% and still has the lowest life expectancy in the OECD and the highest infant mortality rate (about the same as Slovenia). That extra 7 percent represents around $800B, enough to cover the deficit. The fact that most of it goes to the one percent might have something to do with Republican opposition to any sort of change.
It’s so easy just to scroll past the RWNJs. They know who they are. I have no interest in their misinformation. I don’t call them lies because I’m sure they don’t realize just how wrong the garbage is that they are fed. Faux, on the other hand, lies, because they do know, and still do it.
goweeder about 10 years ago
“Now onward to single payer universal health care.”.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.Amen!
badcyclist Premium Member about 10 years ago
I’m with Clark Kent: here’s hoping that Obamacare is a way station toward truly universal, single-payer health care.
It is ironic that the GOP is excoriating Obama over a Republican health care plan that Obama adopted as a bipartisan compromise. It is great that millions more Americans now have health insurance, but it still seems to me that the primary beneficiaries of Obamacare are big insurance companies. That’s the GOP part of the plan, of course.
Motivemagus about 10 years ago
It’s been a HUGE success. 8 million people on it, a great reduction in premiums for most people, covering people who were not covered before — it’s been amazing. Especially considering the Republicans in nearly half the country who BLOCKED better healthcare from their citizens by refusing to expand Medicare (which is actually a very efficient option) or not participating in the exchanges.
Motivemagus about 10 years ago
Blue. It was a Republican plan from day one, it was NEVER Obama’s preference. The GOP refusing to vote for it was a political maneuver, and you should have realized that because not one Republican voted for it. They were organized. They would rather harm all Americans than let Obama get one single win of any kind.
zeimetr about 10 years ago
Because they decided that on the day he was inaugurated to oppose anything and everything that he proposed. Doesn’t leave much room for negotiation and compromise, does it.
I Play One On TV about 10 years ago
Every president from Mr. Nixon forward (except for Mr. Reagan and the two Bushes) has tried to advance some form of health care reform. None were able to do so, until Mr. Obama did. Props to him for that. Unfortunately, the plan he chose is flawed, and should have been single-payer.
Now, let’s be fair: single-payer means that insurance companies would be removed from standard health insurance. (Of course, they’d still be able to sell supplemental insurance for those who want coverage beyond the single-payer benefits, and there’s no doubt they will.) The insurance lobby is tremendously strong and well-financed (with your insurance premiums, I might add. At least with ACA, they can only use a maximum of 20% of your premium payments to lobby with. Still, some of us believe that 20% should help pay for health care instead).
Mr. Obama rightly assumed that if he included the insurance companies, modeled his plan on Romneycare, and added the individual mandate that no one thought was unconstitutional when Medicare Part D was implemented, he would gain at least a couple of Republican votes. He evidently did not take them seriously when they decided to oppose everything he wanted to do, regardless of potential benefit. Too bad; if he had decided not to try to be bipartisan, he could have gotten every Democrat to vote for Single Payer instead of ACA, and we would all have been better off.
As a result, we have a flawed plan to replace a horrid plan, and it will take a great deal of give-and-take (good luck with that one) to improve the flawed plan. Regardless, returning to the horrid plan will be even more costly and horrendous.
Congress fiddles while Rome burns. And instead of insisting that our “representatives” do our jobs, we just fight among ourselves. Somewhere, Karl Rove’s mouth is getting tired from all that smiling.
Dtroutma about 10 years ago
tigger: keep up, VW is inviting the UAW back into negotiation.
Whiile the Republican insertions into the PPACA in efforts to cripple it, it’s becoming successful. That part is good, and the only major fix would be to go “single payer”, and that wouldn’t btw “destroy” private insurance companies, just limit their outrageous profit margins they enjoy today in the “current system” or the ACA as written.
Also, let Medicare negotiate drug prices like VA does, and cut health care costs by about 60%, as pharmaceuticals are a large part of Medicare costs, same for “private” policies as well.
I Play One On TV about 10 years ago
You misunderstand me. I vilify the Republicans for wanting to repeal ACA and replace it with nothing. As I have noted many times on these pages, the Romney/Ryan plan would be worse than the previous plan and ACA put together, and that is the only alternative I have seen Republicans offer. I have challenged the posters here several times to show me another Republican plan other than Romney/Ryan and have never been provided with a response.
And I’m not sure ACA has to be repealed before single payer can become law. If it is repealed, there is always the chance that some politicians will “forget” the second part: passage of a better alternative. A better answer would be a bill that replaces ACA with single payer, so there would be no ability to revert to the previous system.
SClark55 Premium Member almost 10 years ago
Anybody who would characterize O’care this healthy – what is he thinking??
Motivemagus almost 10 years ago
They didn’t, once Obama took theirs.
Dtroutma almost 10 years ago
Dear Mdavis: Just a note, as I told my extremely right-wing brother who said I didn’t know anything about communists, I pointed out I killed a lot more of him than he did. Seeking social and economic justice is NOT “communism”, but greed, brutality, and destruction of rights ARE what corporate rule, called “Fascism”, ARE all about, the Kochs are just the Krupps with a slightly more diverse stock portfolio.
Motivemagus almost 10 years ago
It would be nice. I live in Massachusetts, so I know full well that “Obamacare” is really “Romneycare,” and that it was proposed and supported by the Heritage Foundation.
Dtroutma almost 10 years ago
Ah tigger: even I can miss a typo: thanks; it’s “them”, not “him”.
William Bednar Premium Member almost 10 years ago
“Now onward to single payer universal health care.”#The universe is a mighty big place. But, hay, we can do it! Just tax the “rich 1%” a little more and we can DO IT!! (snerk!)
bernardgarner almost 10 years ago
What do you think of the fact that America pays around 17.5% of GDP for health care compared to the rest of the G7 that pays 10.5% and still has the lowest life expectancy in the OECD and the highest infant mortality rate (about the same as Slovenia). That extra 7 percent represents around $800B, enough to cover the deficit. The fact that most of it goes to the one percent might have something to do with Republican opposition to any sort of change.
pirate227 almost 10 years ago
Enjoy those sour grapes.
montessoriteacher almost 10 years ago
Probably should not be called obamacare, unless we call social security fdr care and Medicare lbj care.
kaffekup almost 10 years ago
It’s so easy just to scroll past the RWNJs. They know who they are. I have no interest in their misinformation. I don’t call them lies because I’m sure they don’t realize just how wrong the garbage is that they are fed. Faux, on the other hand, lies, because they do know, and still do it.
SABRSteve almost 10 years ago
Hopefully not another weak left-wing ignoramus.