US Health Care Reform

[Aurafire]

Lol, my parents are actually going to a rally in Albany against the health care reform. I suppose this makes them part of the angry right-wing mob now! \o/

And hopefully said shouting results in retaining our current system. ^_^

Indeed.

 

[Netto Azure]

Lol, my parents are actually going to a rally in Albany against the health care reform. I suppose this makes them part of the angry right-wing mob now! \o/

Indeed.

I was protesting for the public option on the day MJ died as part of HCAN in Downtown LA. I guess that makes me a wild-eyed SOCIALIST! \o/

 

[jasonresno]

I don't get how anyone can prefer our current system unless they are playing the partisan argument game (i.e: Anything a democrat says is wrong/Anything a republican says is wrong!).

Being against reforming our health care is like being pro murder of the poor.

*sigh* That last line could have been pulled straight out of a democratic version of Glenn Beck. *shudder*. But it's true.

 

[Mario The World Champion]

twocows brought up an interesting subject about how the media blows things to out of proportion with rival news cable networks bending the views of a rival political party and vice versa to the point where nothing gets past. That's usually how its been for years. It's an evil that nobody can escape. The media needs to have Democrats and Republicans shout out their views without budging for the sake of ratings and sponsors while the Democrats and Republicans need the media so they can voice their views on the national level. Otherwise, nobody will ever know what they plan to do.

Either way, this won't pass. Also, I still want to kill Mitt Romney for introducing that stupid law in my state where you have to have health insurance. I don't care if he did anything good, I will hate him forever for that.

 

[Netto Azure]

Either way, this won't pass. Also, I still want to kill Mitt Romney for introducing that stupid law in my state where you have to have health insurance. I don't care if he did anything good, I will hate him forever for that.

I do wonder which you would prefer?

- A National Health Insurance Plan for everyone like Medicare?

- A two tiered system like the British NHS that goes alongside private hospitals/clinics.

- The Health Americans Act (Or other more market based plans) which replaces the whole system with one where everyone is given tax-credits to buy their own private insurance themselves? (Rather than the employer)

-The current plan in Congress?

Maybe even the various European models like Germany or French systems?

Edit (December 6, 2009)

President Obama bids to persuade Senate on healthcare

President Obama hoped to persuade Democrats to support his bill​

US President Barack Obama has appeared before Senate Democrats to persuade them to support his healthcare plans.
In a rare weekend session, the Senate gathered to debate and vote in a bid to get the bill completed by the end of the month.
Democrats are divided over abortion and whether to allow the government to compete with private companies to sell insurance.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid asked Mr Obama to speak, his spokesman said.
Mr Obama was expected to talk to a 60-member Senate Democratic caucus meeting.
Vice-President Joe Biden also attended the closed-door meeting.
Before the meeting, Illinois Senator Richard Durbin said: "The president is going to come in and urge us to bring this ball across the line, to finish this, as he should. This is an historic opportunity."
The $848bn (£515bn) 10-year legislation seeks to establish a government-backed "public option" for healthcare coverage to compete with private insurers, but allows states to opt out.


Moderate and liberal lawmakers met on Saturday to try to find a compromise on the government insurance plan, or public option.
Despite obstacles ahead, the White House Office of Health Reform said the process was "going really well".
The healthcare bill is a key domestic issue for President Obama.
The legislation aims to extend coverage to tens of millions of uninsured Americans, but faces entrenched opposition from Republicans.
The House of Representatives passed its version of the bill earlier this month.
If the Senate can agree a plan, the two versions will have to be reconciled and passed again by each chamber before they are sent to the White House for approval.
The legislation could lead to the biggest changes in US healthcare in decades, if approved.

 

[Netto Azure]

WOW! they've also lowered the Medicare registration age to 55 for the unemployed! \o/

And seriously! NOBODY (other than the majority leader of Nevada) really expected the Senate to have the public option!

See, they've just turned it into a bargaining chip. As expected. :/

And heck if Pelosi can convince Lib Dems to support reform with that bill killing Stupak Amendment, the Senate will still be able to keep things together. :3

President Barack Obama hails Democrats' healthcare deal

Obama has urged his Democratic Party senators to "get the job done"

​

US President Barack Obama has welcomed a healthcare deal reached by Senate Democrats, saying it will help pave the way towards passing the legislation.

Senate Democratic negotiators agreed on Tuesday to replace a government-run insurance option with a scaled-back non-profit plan.
"The Senate made critical progress last night with a creative new framework," Mr Obama said. "I support this effort."
The Senate is in its 10th straight day of debate on the landmark bill.

Key compromises
Senate moderates and liberals worked out a plan that includes non-profit national health plans administered by the Office of Personnel Management, which runs the popular federal employees' health plan.
The compromise also opens Medicare to uninsured Americans beginning at age 55 instead of 65, effective in 2011.

 

[Netto Azure]

Yay?

AP – President Barack Obama speaks on climate change and healthcare reform in the Diplomatic Reception Room​

Obama Hails 60th Senate Vote for Healthcare Reform​

WASHINGTON – Jubilant Democrats locked in Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson as the 60th and decisive vote for historic health care legislation Saturday, putting President Barack Obama's signature issue firmly on a path for Christmas Eve passage.
At the White House, Obama swiftly welcomed the breakthrough, saying, "After a nearly century-long struggle, we are on the cusp of making health care reform a reality in the United States of America."
In the Capitol, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid smiled broadly when asked if Nelson's decision gave him the 60-vote majority necessary to overcome solid Republican opposition. "Seems that way," he said. The Nevada Democrat agreed to a series of concessions on abortion and other issues demanded by Nelson in daylong talks on Friday, then informed Obama of the agreement in a late night phone call as the president flew home from climate talks in Copenhagen.
The Congressional Budget Office said the Senate bill would extend coverage to more than 30 million Americans who lack it. It also imposes new regulations to curb abuses of the insurance industry, and the president noted one last-minute addition would impose penalties on companies that "arbitrarily jack up prices" in advance of the legislation taking effect.
CBO analysts also said the legislation would cut federal deficits by $132 billion over 10 years and possibly much more in the subsequent decade.
The developments unfolded on a day of improbables — a snowstorm enveloped the Capitol, creating whiteout conditions outside; while inside senators staged dueling news conferences as if their presence on the Saturday before Christmas was the rule rather than the rarest of exceptions.
At its core, the legislation would create a new insurance exchange where consumers could shop for affordable coverage that complied with new federal guidelines. Most Americans would be required to purchase insurance, with federal subsidies available to help defray the cost for lower and middle income individuals and families.
In a concession to Nelson and other moderates, the bill lacks a government-run insurance option of the type that House Democrats inserted into theirs. In a final defeat for liberals, a proposed Medicare expansion was also jettisoned in the past several days as Reid and the White House maneuvered for 60 votes.
Outnumbered Republicans unleashed a new series of attacks against the legislation and vowed to delay its passage as long as possible. The next — and most critical — test vote was set for about 1 a.m. Monday.
To secure passage, Democrats will need to show 60 votes on two additional occasions, and in the meantime, Reid made sure Republicans would have no additional chances to seek changes to the measure.

Ok, even though this bill is quite the stinker, I need the insurance. I do not want to my family to be bankrupt when we get in an accident. >.>

 

[.little monster]

The bill now, is not that good. It was before, but not now. Still better than what we have now.

However, I need the insurance as well and I don't want my family going into bankruptcy if I am in an accident as well.

 

[Mario The World Champion]

Even if this bill passes, we're still going to be bankrupt no thanks to the stupid health insurance providers getting rich off our pain and suffering. And I STILL HATE that it would require Americans to get it, which I think is pure bull.

 

[Netto Azure]

Even if this bill passes, we're still going to be bankrupt no thanks to the stupid health insurance providers getting rich off our pain and suffering. And I STILL HATE that it would require Americans to get it, which I think is pure bull.

The United States of America isn't ready for the benefits of Universal Health Insurance. >.>

If the Democrats can barely scrounge up the 60 Senate votes to get over an endless filibuster, just imagine how partisan H.R. 676 would have been.

Or maybe if the CBO scored it then we'll get an actual picture of other countries insurance systems, rather than the Propaganda being churned out of the MSM. :/

 

[.little monster]

Even if this bill passes, we're still going to be bankrupt no thanks to the stupid health insurance providers getting rich off our pain and suffering. And I STILL HATE that it would require Americans to get it, which I think is pure bull.

Not true. Absolutely not true. Even the first one Obama proposed allowed Americans to choose whether they wanted to pay for their own insurance or go on the government's plan.

 

[Mario The World Champion]

This bill will never pass. I'm sure of it. I don't have much faith in having health care change. We'll be stuck with the crap we got for a long time.

 

[.little monster]

This bill will never pass. I'm sure of it. I don't have much faith in having health care change. We'll be stuck with the crap we got for a long time.

You apparently haven't heard that since Obama got his 60th vote for it, it will be passed. Even thought you quoted the post...

 

[twocows]

You apparently haven't heard that since Obama got his 60th vote for it, it will be passed. Even thought you quoted the post...

Without the public option, which was the main part of the bill. So, in other words, I'll still be uninsured, since I can't afford health insurance.

 

[.little monster]

Without the public option, which was the main part of the bill. So, in other words, I'll still be uninsured, since I can't afford health insurance.

Yes.

Thank you Senate.

:3

This entire post is sarcastic.

 

[Netto Azure]

This bill will never pass. I'm sure of it. I don't have much faith in having health care change. We'll be stuck with the crap we got for a long time.

Meh, crappy bill is crappy. Sadly, we do not have the widespread, on your face, movement that counter-weights the so called Tea-parties. Even after bringing in someone from the outside...well maybe the fact that we won't have this middle of the road compromise option on the table next time we have this debate is a good thing. Too bad for the Democratic Party who has to shoulder this burden of a bill.

Anyways, Both the Liberal and Conservative plans call for the government removing the tax exemptions. One side likes single-payer, the other prefers giving everyone tax-credits after taxing the employer based plans. :O

Oh well I guess it takes an even deeper crisis to get the political establishment to choose between the two...but meanwhile we have to muddle through with our expensive and "best" patchwork system of for-profit insurance inexplicably linked to employment status in the world~

Without the public option, which was the main part of the bill. So, in other words, I'll still be uninsured, since I can't afford health insurance.

You'll get stinky subsidies to fork over the Private Insurers. ;~;

US healthcare reform passes a key vote in the Senate

Senators worked into the night before the vote was called at 1am​

President Barack Obama's main domestic priority, healthcare reform, has cleared a key hurdle in the US Senate.
Senators voted 60 to 40 along party lines to end debate on a compromise bill, putting the legislation on course to face a final vote on Christmas Eve.
The final Senate bill will then have to be reconciled with a more expansive one passed by the House of Representatives.
The reform measure aims to extend health coverage to more than 30m people who currently lack health insurance.
The long, often acrimonious, debate culminated in a procedural vote at 0100 (0600 GMT) on Monday, when the Democratic caucus voted unanimously to overcome delaying tactics by the Republicans.

The Democrats had been confident after Democratic Senator Ben Nelson, who had been holding out for further changes, on Saturday agreed to a compromise and announced he would back the bill.
Sixty votes are needed to bypass a lengthy debate, or filibuster. The Democrats control exactly 60, so every vote counts.
"We'll get this passed before Christmas and it will be one of the best Christmas presents this Congress has ever given the American people," said Democratic Senator Tom Harkin.
Republicans have argued that the legislation is flawed.
"Mark my words, this legislation will reshape our nation. And Americans have already issued their verdict. They don't want it," said Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell.
Three further votes are scheduled this week on the issue.

Differences
President Obama has set health reform as a key plank of his first term and wants the Senate to pass the bill by the end of the year.

The legislation - designed to secure coverage for millions of uninsured Americans - could lead to the biggest changes in US healthcare in decades, if approved.
Under the Senate bill, most Americans would have to have health insurance, while private insurers would be banned from refusing to provide insurance because applicants had pre-existing medical conditions.
Insurance would be made more affordable with subsidies available to help those in lower income bands, the Democrats say.
People would also have access to new insurance market places.
The Senate bill must be reconciled with the legislation passed by the House before President Obama can sign it into law.
There are, however, key differences.
The House version still includes a government-run health insurance plan, or public option, that was removed from the Senate version.
There are also differences over how to pay for the reform.

https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8423997.stm

 

[Red1530]

As it looks like the Senate is going to pass its version of health care reform here is a list of the winners and losers in the bill.

 

[Netto Azure]

As it looks like the Senate is going to pass its version of health care reform here is a list of the winners and losers in the bill.

I agree with the loser part.

I hate it when Big PhRma blocks generic imports and less patent limits. D:

 

[Ivysaur]

Even if the progressive side has lost the chance to make the healthcare system more similar to the ones in the other Western countries, they at least have got the chance to improve the money-burning, cranky and inefficient old system, which is a victory on itself, even if it had to be watered down to be supported by the majority of both houses (that's democracy, after all).

Maybe in a future, but let's not forget that this improvement has taken a loooooooooooooooooooong time and several attempts.

 

[Netto Azure]

Even if the progressive side has lost the chance to make the healthcare system more similar to the ones in the other Western countries, they at least have got the chance to improve the money-burning, cranky and inefficient old system, which is a victory on itself, even if it had to be watered down to be supported by the majority of both houses (that's democracy, after all).

Maybe in a future, but let's not forget that this improvement has taken a loooooooooooooooooooong time and several attempts.

Take me to Europe/Australia/Canada/Japan now Wenty! XD

You've got most of it right. And the Republicans are SOOOOOO hypocritical when they defend our own "Socialized Health Insurance" Medicare (Guaranteed to Seniors 65+) XDDDD