OPEN THREAD: HEALTH CARE SPEECH

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Now that we’ve had overnight to think about it, what are your reactions to Obama’s speech?

A couple of initial thoughts:

1. Good for him calling the death panel lie exactly what it is.

2. I was glad to see him hold onto the public option. We’ll see how long that lasts, but it’s safe to say he needs pressure.

3. Anyone want to call Republican thug Joe Wilson to tell him he should resign after disrespecting the President, the Congress, and the American people? His number is (202) 225-2452.

4. I’m concerned about his signal that he might be willing to cave in to the insurance companies on tort “reform”. Hint: just because it’s change doesn’t mean it’s reform, especially when the point of that change is to protect wealthy insurance companies from having to compensate horribly injured victims of medical malpractice.

5. On tort liability. Why isn’t anyone but me calling defensive medicine what it is:

the unethical prescribing of unnecessary medical procedures and the fraudulent billing of insurance carriers and the government?

6. Does anyone get what the hell these “insurance exchanges” are?

7. Does anyone see how he’s going to significantly bring down health care costs without getting rid of the parasites–I mean insurance companies?

What are your thoughts?

13 thoughts on “OPEN THREAD: HEALTH CARE SPEECH”

  1. From Ezra Klein:

    It is arguably the single most important element of health-care reform, because it is the bridge between the system we have and the system we want.

    …

    It’s a single market, structured for consumer convenience, in which you choose between the products of competing health insurers (both public and private). This is not a new idea. It is how we buy everything from books to socks to soup. Everything, that is, except health insurance. The benefits of reversing that bit of accidental exceptionalism are obvious to anyone who has ever stepped inside a Target: Consumers will benefit from more choice, from direct competition between insurance providers hungry for their business, from regulations meant to protect them from deceptive products, from efficiencies of scale, and from the sort of purchasing power that only a large base of customers can provide. They will benefit, in other words, from an actual, working market — something health insurers have managed to avoid for far too long.

    Wonk Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/…

  2.  

    “Well, you’ve got to understand: They’re Republicans. They’re just doing what comes natural,” < Rep.John Dingell /blockquote>

    This should be treated as distraction….like cluster flies .  

  3. I just got an action alert email from TrueMajority saying that Pres. Obama “did it” on the public option. I didn’t hear any commitment. Am I alone on this?

    I heard the president defend the public option eloquently as an essential idea before saying it was “only a means to that end — and we should remain open to other ideas…”

    I translated this to “I want to pass a bill, I’d prefer it include a provision that I know will actually make a difference on the cost of insurance but if it doesn’t and the bill will just make the insurance companies play nicer that will be a victory.”

    Another line from the email:

    “And Obama knows that the choice of a public insurance plan is the only sure way to lower costs and expand coverage.”

    Maybe, but he said no such thing last night. It is abundantly clear that, without serious leadership from the congressional dems, we’re not going to get real health care reform from the Federal Government.

    Fortunately, we can take this fight to the states. Vermont and California have already passed single-payer bills that the Governors vetoed. There will be new Gov’s in both states soon.

  4. This is the first time I have seen the Obama I voted for since I vote for Obama! I was very glad to see the energetic, articulate, charismatic, intelligent Obama that we saw during the campaign. Obama really made all the right points and conveyed the right message to the right people. I really like how he called a lie and lie and didn’t shy away from making it clear that the people who are coming up with outrageous lies like the ‘death panels” have one agenda, to kill any healthcare reform. They are not interested in intellectual conversation and will not support any healthcare plan except for tort reform and a few band aids.

    Welcome back Obama! Don’t go away because we need you now, we can’t afford to lose this time.  

  5. although I agree that insurance companies can safely be eliminated, I’m not at all clear that this will solve the crushing annual increases in costs; as Deb Richter has reminded us, cost controls are essential with or without insurance companies

    it’s my understanding that the majority of medical expenditures are for a relatively small group of (mostly) elderly people; that is, end (or near end) of life care; enormous sums are spent to extend life but often without any quality of life

    this is tough stuff (sure, but not my granny); most countries with national health systems have global annual budgets and choices must be made (not always painful if Americans didn’t insist on the mantra of “do whatever it takes” regardless of the odds of success or potential additional time)

    as well, the medical equipment industry has persuaded us and our hospitals that everyone must have every piece of expensive equipment available (thus, you have to use them to justify the expense)

    BISHCA just approved yet another massive increase in the annual hospital budgets; interestingly (and as my pal John Franco pointed out in a recent Times Herald piece), it was twice as much as the state deficit that had everyone twisted in knots; but this action got very little coverage

    so yes, get rid of the insurance companies but we have a lot more work to do (including spending a LOT more money for preventive care that would produce significant returns on investment)

  6. I dont think duly elected Reps should be expected to resign for being rude assholes. Hopefully it’ll be part of the reason to vote him out, though.

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