Obama finally called them out

[Big Daddy]

Just finished watching the Presidents speech. Well not all of it. We recorded it and I guess he went over. All that clapping and standing and sitting and stuff. I was happythat he finally called out the politicians in the room for all the lies they have been telling. He also did a great job of explaining exactly what they are trying to do with this plan.

He set forth some pretty exact goals and specified some very exact promises to the public. Looks like we'll get something.

Yes I did enjoy watching Bohner squirm in his chair along with the rest of the bad boys. Bet it reminded them all of boarding school.

 

[reinbeau]

I watched every word. Great sales job, little substance. Just who does he think he's kidding, it isn't going to raise the deficit. Right. And we can go to the Moon and start mining it for green cheese. I also didn't see anyone who looked particularly chastised, although Michelle looked as though she was going to kill someone when she first came in, I wonder what set her off?

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

ok fine i was flipping back and forth between the speech and 'so you think you can dance'

seriously - i really dont see the big hubbub... i liked his analogy to private and state university (and yes of course its not a perfect comparison!!)

for where we are right now - as soon as there is a public option, sign me right up.

did anyone else notice that Hilary and Pelosi were wearing about the same thing? geez if you are going for 'power red' for heaven's sakes call the other people's handlers so you're not all matchy-matchy!

 

[me&thegals]

I listened on radio. I was on vacation once and saw on TV a speech by Bush. I always thought it was hilarious to watch Pelosi then and would have loved to see her today.

I thought it was a decent speech. Since Congress is the one writing the healthcare reform bill, I didn't expect the president to get into great details about it.

I thought he:

1. Outlined it in general goals.
2. Dispelled some false rumors.
3. Tried to bring everyone to the process.
4. Tried to establish that America is farther in the process and more ready and more desperate than the last time healthcare reform was proposed.

What I would appreciate for once is if non-Democrats could put aside politics and actually focus on this huge, costly, deadly problem in America. It would be so disappointing if non-Dems tried to bring Obama down on this one just for political reasons. I hope their constituents would hold them accountable for no action on healtcare at reelection time.

 

[SKR8PN]

Everyone in this room knows what will happen if we do nothing, says the guy whos committed to doing nothing about social security, Medicare, and the mind-bogglingly enormous deficits that promise fiscal catastrophe in the years ahead while he saddles America with yet another red-ink-bleeding government program.

My wife works in the coding department of the local hospital. You should see the list of procedures NOT COVERED by Medicare/Medicaid.
I shudder to think what this bill will do to our current health care system, they make some DRASTIC changes in it before it passes.

Hes actually promoting a plan that will lead to health-care rationing as a way to prolong Americans lives.
No thanks Big O.

 

[FarmerChick]

We need change.
If SOME change is not made to health care our country is on a fast track to death!

I loved the the speech.

Now can any of it be done reasonably, affordably, or will it ever get done...something positive?

I don't know. We shall see what the negotiations holds soon enough.

(Of course for me him saying to cut the waste and fraud in the industry was music to my ears --it would mean it could pay for itself. Hey, there is that must fraud and waste money....see....the money is there. It is just being sucked up and not used properly. control that fraud and waste and viola, there is tons of cash)

I thought his points were rational to make an improvement on heath care.

Is it the best possible scenario--no probably not----BUT something MUST be DONE and we must move forward somehow and NOW!!

 

[me&thegals]

Hes actually promoting a plan that will lead to health-care rationing as a way to prolong Americans lives.
No thanks Big O.

I don't think any of us know the details yet since it has not been completely written. But, I think the current healthcare system shows us that endless options lead to endless increases in cost.

I suppose rationing of some of those options would lead to more people affording healthcare, which would lead to more people with prolonged lives. Maybe it would also mean some people don't get to have insurance cover every single endless, hopeless, grasping for straw test and procedure. I know that's a really, really tough choice and don't say it lightly, but the system cannot bear that kind of burden.

 

[SKR8PN]

me&thegals.......lemme know how that rationing thing works out for you, when it is YOUR arse on the table and they tell you "oops, sorry, we can't do THAT procedure because Obama won't pay for it and your not allowed to pay for it yourself." At least with the current system, they save your life first, and worry about collecting the money later.


I have already woke up dead once in my life and if it hadn't been for the innovation and skill of our current medical professionals AND the current system, I would not be here today. PROFIT is what drives those folks to invent the little things like heart caths and stents and such.......

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

but thats the part of the argument that i dont get -- no one is saying this is the ONLY healthcare plan or that the govt is going to take over ALL health coverage... just make an option available to folks (like me) who dont work. i just cant see that major employers are going to keep their people if they dump health care and it would help smaller employers be better small businesses.

and

who says that innovation is going out the window? of all the countries out there that have a national health care there are NO innovations??

glad that the health insurance helped you, SKR8PN, but i've been repeatedly - as in MULTIPLE times - been screwed over.

as for stuff they wont cover - hows about if you cover it yourself? why wouldnt you walk into a private hospital and say, hi there i'd like a completely voluntary procedure please.

i just dont get that this is supposed to solve all the problems to a huge and complex ball of string.

i'm giving it the big WHATever and am very happy that someone, anyone, is at least trying to do something different.

 

[me&thegals]

SKR8PN--That's why I said it would be really, really hard. Like ohio says, maybe that part could come out of personal. I'm just saying that if you step back and look at it from a cost-effectiveness and budgetary standpoint, healthcare costs are breaking America. They are driving businesses overseas, driving families bankrupt and giving us all a lot less $ to work with (or no insurance at all).

I know it is asking for trouble to open a discussion on any sorts of limits. But, tell me how you make healthcare available and affordable in the current system?

My life has also been saved by healthcare. My 19-yo parents could never have afforded the operations and 6-week hospital stay that saved my newborn life. It was written off by the hospital and, I imagine, added to all our healthcare costs. But, you have to find a way to cut costs somewhere. I did not say that should have been the place that would have cost you your life, of course.

But, does my child need a strep screen for EVERY sore throat? For that matter, do I need to take my child to the doctor for EVERY illness? (I don't.) When someone is very nearly certainly going to die, do we need to throw millions and millions at it just in case? And, YES, I know if/when it is me/my family, that may be what I want. Or, maybe I will have the grace to accept the inevitable and stop the medical interventions. It's what many older folks at my medical clinic choose to do. They do not want to go on endlessly. Some of them want to die in peace.

Two wars with no budget cuts or tax increases have helped to get us into the deficit we have now.

Endless healthcare costs with few restrictions have also.