Friday, August 7, 2009

If Obamacare doesn't pass what will?

Here's an interesting column on health care, "Obamacare developing into Insurance Changes," by conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer. He thinks an overal of the entire health care system is not going to pass.

By year’s end, President Barack Obama will emerge with something he can call health care reform. The Democrats in Congress will pass it because they must. Otherwise, they’ll have slain their own savior in his first year in office.

But that bill will look nothing like the massive reform Obama originally intended. The beginning of the retreat was signaled by Obama’s reference — made five times — to “health-insurance reform” in his July 22 news conference.

Reforming the health care system is dead. Cause of death? Blunt trauma administered by the green eyeshades at the Congressional Budget Office.

What did the CBO reveal?

Three blows:

(1) On June 16, the CBO determined that the Senate Finance Committee bill would cost $1.6 trillion over 10 years, delivering a sticker shock that was near fatal.

(2) Five weeks later, the CBO gave its verdict on the Independent Medicare Advisory Council, Dr. Obama’s latest miracle cure, conjured up at the last minute to save Obamacare from fiscal ruin, and consisting of a committee of medical experts highly empowered to make Medicare cuts.

The CBO said that council would do nothing, trimming costs by perhaps 0.2 percent. A 0.2 percent cut is not a solution; it’s a punch line.

(3) The final blow came when the CBO euthanized the Obama “out years” myth. The administration’s argument had been: Sure, Obamacare will initially increase costs and deficits. But it pays for itself in the long run because it bends the curve downward in coming decades.

But instead Congress and Obama will target insurance companies in such a way that it will only make the problem worse. What will it look like?

To win back the vast constituency that has insurance, is happy with it, and is mightily resisting the fatal lures of Obamacare, the president will in the end simply impose heavy regulations on the insurance companies that will make what you already have secure, portable and imperishable: no policy cancellations, no pre-existing condition requirements, perhaps even a cap on out-of-pocket expenses.

Nirvana. But wouldn’t this bankrupt the insurance companies? Of course it would. There will be only one way to make this work: Impose an individual mandate. Force the 18 million Americans between 18 and 34 who (often quite rationally) forgo health insurance to buy it. This will create a huge new pool of customers who rarely get sick but will be paying premiums every month. And those premiums will subsidize nirvana health insurance for older folks.

The net result will be kicking the problem down the road which will only increase problems rather than solve them.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Your Views here, prove to me that there is no Christ that backs up your thoughts, only politics, only power only greed.

rationally forgo insurance? You are obviously one of the privilaged, one of the ones that have been given all opportunities and have always had employee based insurnace.

You have obviously have never had a rare thing happen to you, and you have never had to go to the pharmasist and pick up that prescription that cost 9 hundred dollars without insurance.

Perhaps you think its ok for people to have to make a choice between dieing sooner than later or eating now.

Perhaps you think its ok for the pharmasutical companies to continue to gauge and take and rape our nation.

This opinion, this not backing up a national secured health care system shows that you have picked the rich over everyone else.

I will continue to pray for such black horrid behaviors such as these.

Claude said...

Again proof that the extremist groups are all about power, greed and money.

Forget about doing for people, they are only about taking away.

Troy said...

Greed. Plain and simple. The Jesus of the Bible is for helping everyone. He never let cost figure into the equation. Why are so many Christians doing just that?

John Helmberger said...

What makes you all think government-run health care is about helping everyone and isn't concerned about costs?

It's about rationing health care based on Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) to people who, in the government's judgment, are a good investment... to keep costs down.

If we get the health care system you seem to want, I hope you never find yourself on the short side of the CER equation.

If Canadians come to the U.S. for health care now because timely treatment is denied or rationed at home, and we end up with "universal" health care like theirs, where will WE go when treatment is denied here?

Name one place, if you can, with government-run "universal" health care where the general quality of care hasn't declined and no one goes without care because it's either not available or it's denied based on cost effectiveness.

"Universal" health care is only universal for those who are deemed deserving by government bureaucrats who don't take an oath to put the needs of patients first. Do you really want to trust your health care to that kind of system?

Unknown said...

Your numbers as normal is wrong, and as usual you use fear tatics.

I know actual nurses that are From the fair country north of us. And they do in fact like the system.

All systems will have difficulties, but to have no health care system in place that covers all people, paid by the tax dollars, to cover all people is immoral.

You lead with fear. You lead with lies.

Your personal agenda is loud and clear, lets not have the tax payers pay for abortion or any form of birth control that is your only agenda.

Blog mole said...

Elaine, I don't want my taxes to pay for abortion. What don't I get that choice?

Claude said...

Its legal to have an Abortion, its part of health care. What is legal should be covered and paid for through taxes. I support your want to change the law, lobby congress on that. I do not have to agree with you to support your opinions. You should not force your thoughts on me if its not against the law.

Health care in Canada... 85% are happy.

Claude said...

I don't want to pay taxes to make sure there is protection at the local Planned parenthoods to keep extremists from harming or stopping legal activities from happening. But I have to.