Republican alternative to the health care fiasco

[HoustonFarrier]

For those who say the Rebublicans have no ideas...they do.....just no Democrats will LISTEN!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20090812/cm_csm/ysmith

[...] Analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Joint Committee on Taxation shows that the House bill that's being rushed through by Democrats would add $239 billion to the deficit in the next 10 years – and that's after raising taxes by $820 billion and cutting Medicare Advantage by $150 billion. [...]

[...]The figure often cited to justify this government intrusion into the private sector is that there are 46 million uninsured "Americans." However, when you omit noncitizens (9.5 million), individuals eligible for public programs but not enrolled, (12 million), the temporarily uninsured due to job change (9 million), and those who earn more than $84,000, but elect to forgo coverage (7 million), we arrive at about 8 million long-term uninsured. We can help these individuals obtain quality care for a fraction of the cost of what Democrats are promoting. [...]

[...]Uncapped lawsuit awards paid by insurance companies also get passed on to patients as higher premiums.
In addition to tort reform, there are other sensible ways to make healthcare more affordable and accessible. House Republicans want to:
•Make it easier for Americans to keep coverage when they change or lose jobs.
•End the bias many insurance companies show against preexisting conditions.
•Encourage the creation of health plan finders to provide patients with ways to find the right coverage.

•Give patients access to information to identify healthcare providers who deliver high-quality care at a lower cost. •Allow interstate competition for health insurance, which will allow the market to create lower premiums rather than using a government insurance option to drive private insurers out of business. [...]

Steve

[JackieB]

These are very good ideas. Thanks for sharing this article, Steve. I think we will end up with something much more balanced than what was originally proposed.

[Tiz]

"•Allow interstate competition for health insurance, which will allow the market to create lower premiums rather than using a government insurance option to drive private insurers out of business."

This, by itself, and at zero cost to taxpayers, would have a huge impact on premium costs.

[HoustonFarrier]

These are very good ideas. Thanks for sharing this article, Steve. I think we will end up with something much more balanced than what was originally proposed.

Thanks Jackie.....now, how do we get Reid and Pelosi to allow alternatives?

Steve

[mare]

I like those ideas, too.

Now, how do we get these ideas out. The senators in my state are in favor of ideas like this. Another thing they would look at is privatizing abuse and frauds investigations. There are companies that already do this very well. Better than the Feds compliance hot-line workers can.

[Tatesgram]

That sounds a lot better than what I've read of the dems bill. Here's an article about the "pre-existing conditions" that Obama keeps telling us will be covered in "his" health plan (funny he never seems to know what's in it).

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2009/08/13/obama-health-plan-wont-cover-pre-existing-conditions/

What paragraph two says in part A is that policy writers for the government will be allowed to make the insurance you buy cover certain ailments, and not cover others (one of which may be a condition you happen to have, which is pre-existing).
What paragraph two says in part B is that policy writers for the government will be allowed to limit the amount, level, extent, or nature of the treatment you get for certain ailments (one of which may be your pre-existing condition).
So who will be writing your insurance policy? According to the President's plan, a new bureaucracy known as the "Health Benefits Advisory Committee." It will be made up of 27 people, and guess how many have to be a treating doctor: One.
So if you believe President Obama's quote to the AMA means that if you sign up for government insurance your pre-existing condition will automatically be covered, - you're wrong, and so is the President. You'd better read the fine print on whether the gang of 26 bureaucrats plus one doctor is going to cover your pre-existing condition or not. President Obama is giving them the power to not cover you.

[JackieB]

Thanks Jackie.....now, how do we get Reid and Pelosi to allow alternatives?

Steve

Well, that's why I don't think it's wise to ever have a filibuster-proof majority. And we really don't have one right now even though there are technically enough Democrats. Reid and Pelosi will have to continue to compromise because the current plan(s) is too expensive, undefined, and government-centric to pass.

I heard someone in Texas once say "Our Democrats would be Republicans anywhere else", or something like that. That might not be precisely true, but you get the point. The house and senate leadership aren't going to be able to ram this through. We'll get some legislation passed I'm sure, but it's going to take awhile and Pelosi and Reid definitely aren't done compromising.