Great Socialist Article

[2centsworth]

I hate communist and I believe Obama is a closet communist. However, the following is a very compelling argument for socialized heath care.

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/18802

[boutons_]

"closet communist"

of course not a single bit if evidence, just more scare/slime mongering from slimy people

[Clandestino]

"closet communist"

of course not a single bit if evidence, just more scare/slime mongering from slimy people

you must not have read any of obama's policies.... but actually he is not even a closet case..he is open about his bullshit ways

[boutons_]

bullshit ways (Clanny disagrees with )= "communist", got it

the slime just keeps on coming

two anti-obama books coming out this week Clanny, gonna buy them both?

[2centsworth]

bullshit ways (Clanny disagrees with )= "communist", got it

the slime just keeps on coming

two anti-obama books coming out this week Clanny, gonna buy them both?

read the article dude. I think you will like it.

[DarkReign]

I thought the article was well written and well sourced.

I was recently convinced otherwise of socialized medicine, but this essay has made me re-think that notion.

[DarkReign]

Finally, by fragmenting the purchase of drugs among many private plans, the administration denied Medicare the ability to bargain for lower prices from the drug companies. And the legislation, reflecting pressures from those companies, included a provision specifically prohibiting Medicare from intervening to help the private plans get lower prices.

...thats sad. No matter your ideology.

[2centsworth]

I thought the article was well written and well sourced.

I was recently convinced otherwise of socialized medicine, but this essay has made me re-think that notion.

Major questions would be how to convert and the incentive for innovation. Nevertheless, the entitlements timebomb can be defused with dramatic reductions in the cost of health care. How do we get there is the question, but we need to get there.

[boutons_]

Obama won't be able to, and McJerk won't want to, change the health care system. The corps and capitalists control the country, not Congress, not voters, and the corps love the medical system just the way it is. The campaign is a masturbatory charade to fool the sheeple that democracy still exists and the people are sovereign.

[2centsworth]

...thats sad. No matter your ideology.

Medicare Part D is a financial catastrophe no matter how it was implemented. No matter your ideology, that's the truth.

[sabar]

Obama won't be able to, and McJerk won't want to, change the health care system. The corps and capitalists control the country, not Congress, not voters, and the corps love the medical system just the way it is. The campaign is a masturbatory charade to fool the sheeple that democracy still exists and the people are sovereign.

:dramaquee

[E20]

LOL @ 'McJerk'

[101A]

...thats sad. No matter your ideology.

You mean the govt. was manipulated into paying more for something than the private sector regularly does? And some of you want to give them ALL the control?

Brilliant.

[2centsworth]

You mean the govt. was manipulated into paying more for something than the private sector regularly does? And some of you want to give them ALL the control?

Brilliant.

the government gave the power over to the private sector when the government regularly pays less. Medicare regularly pays less for services than even the canadians according to this article.

[101A]

the government gave the power over to the private sector when the government regularly pays less. Medicare regularly pays less for services than even the canadians according to this article.

Was responding to "Part D". The contractual rates my company pays for services (providers and facilities) are generally at or below Medicare allowables.

However, Japan is REALLY tough. Their docs are middle-class citizens, earning about what a teacher makes. They get paid $4 to sew up a 5" wound, for instance (discussed earlier this year in here from a PBS show).

Actually had a discussion with a liberal economics professor at a cookout last Saturday about single payor, or socialized medicine. His take surprised me, frankly. In short, he basically said that, yes healthcare is expensive, but that we are a rich nation. "What are you gonna spend the money on", he said, "THREE and half cars per house, seven T.V.'s?" He said that, yes, healthcare has grown disproportionately in terms of GDP, but it has also CREATED jobs in this country (can't get taken care of by an Indian nurse, after all), and that nearly all of the care, and financial jobs in the healthcare industry are domestic. If we got a much more efficient, single payor system, lots of people with very specific training, would be looking for work. Sure the hospital and insurance corps are "for profit", but their profit margins are not inordinately high, and they don't have ridiculously high salaries for many employees. Most employees fall squarely into the middle class; and THAT is where the bulk of health care spending is going; into the paychecks of middle class Americans.

Hadn't heard the take before, but it was interesting.

[2centsworth]

Was responding to "Part D". The contractual rates my company pays for services (providers and facilities) are generally at or below Medicare allowables.

However, Japan is REALLY tough. Their docs are middle-class citizens, earning about what a teacher makes. They get paid $4 to sew up a 5" wound, for instance (discussed earlier this year in here from a PBS show).

Actually had a discussion with a liberal economics professor at a cookout last Saturday about single payor, or socialized medicine. His take surprised me, frankly. In short, he basically said that, yes healthcare is expensive, but that we are a rich nation. "What are you gonna spend the money on", he said, "THREE and half cars per house, seven T.V.'s?" He said that, yes, healthcare has grown disproportionately in terms of GDP, but it has also CREATED jobs in this country (can't get taken care of by an Indian nurse, after all), and that nearly all of the care, and financial jobs in the healthcare industry are domestic. If we got a much more efficient, single payor system, lots of people with very specific training, would be looking for work. Sure the hospital and insurance corps are "for profit", but their profit margins are not inordinately high, and they don't have ridiculously high salaries for many employees. Most employees fall squarely into the middle class; and THAT is where the bulk of health care spending is going; into the paychecks of middle class Americans.

Hadn't heard the take before, but it was interesting.

that was the glaring problem of the article, how to implement? To implement means coverting a private system (jobs, etc...) to a public system. The reason all options, including a one payer system, need to be on the table is because the greatest threat to our nation IS increasing health care cost. By 2040 Medicare is projected to be 100% of our fiscal budget.

[boutons_]

"greatest threat to our nation IS increasing health care cost"

100s of $Bs is disease-mongering, pill-pushing, over-testing, exorbitant drug costs by BigPharma and the docs.

100s of $Bs is treating self-inflicted life-style diseases of overweight, unfit, ill-nourished citizens.

The health care system is broken, but Americans are broken, too. Both need fixing.

[2centsworth]

"greatest threat to our nation IS increasing health care cost"

100s of $Bs is disease-mongering, pill-pushing, over-testing, exorbitant drug costs by BigPharma and the docs.

100s of $Bs is treating self-inflicted life-style diseases of overweight, unfit, ill-nourished citizens.

The health care system is broken, but Americans are broken, too. Both need fixing.

I'm convinced you're insane.

[boutons_]

I stated facts, which makes me insane