Rush unknowingly touts socialized health care

[Cry Havoc]

http://thejoshuablogs.blogspot.com/2...ml?sms_ss=digg

Limbaugh couldn't resist a few political comments in the short press conference at the hospital. He said he got the best health treatment in the world "right here in the United States of America."

"I don't think there's one thing wrong with the United States health system," Limbaugh said.


He thinks he's being a smart ass; that he'll show Obama by holding a news conference to tout the care our current health care system provided him.

Unfortunately for him, or fortunately for his health, Hawaii has pretty much had what amounts to universal health care since 1974.

His treatment, under the Hawaiian system, and one he'd call socialist on any given day, was the best possible care he could have gotten despite being very similar to that dreaded "universal health care" he rails on and on about.

From Paul Abrams:

Yes, Rush. That's the point! American medicine is superb--for those who can get it. And, in Hawaii, no one gets special treatment, because everyone can get it.

[snip]
Hawaii has had nearly-universal employer-mandated health insurance since 1974. Although its Pacific Island location makes the costs of everything--from gasoline to milk to ice cream to housing--the highest in the nation, health care premiums in Hawaii, for comprehensive care with small co-pays and deductibles, are nearly the lowest and their costs per medicare beneficiary are the lowest in the nation.

Why? There are a variety of reasons, most traceable to universality. With everyone covered by primary care, emergency room visits tend to be for real emergencies, not the non-emergent care mainland ERs dispense for people without coverage. That reduces the costs of ERs and the costs of non-emergent medicine since patients can be handled less expensively and more effectively by their primary docs. Hospitals have not overbuilt, acquiring expensive machines to compete with their neighbors for patients. Insurance companies have ins uted screening and other measures to improve wellness among their covered populations.

We can all be pleased that Rush appears to have survived his encounter with socialist medical care. He seems to be very happy himself, commenting on the results of a socialist angiogram that showed no disease in the arteries that feed his heart muscle.

Now, of course, Rush does not live in Hawaii and so his costs are not covered by the Hawaiian insurance system, but having that "socialist" system for more than 3 decades has not reduced the quality of the care he received. Who would have thunk it!

read more...

But, Rush doesn't really have to worry about costs -- like 95% of the rest of us (h/t BarbinMD):

Conservative radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh Wednesday inked an eight-year contract for around $400 million ...

In his efforts to show up the President, all the fat, sweaty bouncy one did was show what an ignoramus he truly is.

[DarrinS]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/...n4527996.shtml


Hawaii Ends Universal Child Health Care After Seven Months

Hawaii is dropping the only state universal child health care program in the United States just seven months after it launched.

Gov. Linda Lingle's administration cited budget shortfalls and other available health care options for eliminating funding for the program.

A state official said families were dropping private coverage so their children would be eligible for the subsidized plan.

"People who were already able to afford health care began to stop paying for it so they could get it for free," said Dr. Kenny Fink, the administrator for Med-QUEST at the Department of Human Services. "I don't believe that was the intent of the program."

State officials said Thursday they will stop giving health coverage to the 2,000 children enrolled by Nov. 1, but private partner Hawaii Medical Service Association will pay to extend their coverage through the end of the year without government support.

"We're very disappointed in the state's decision, and it came as a complete surprise to us," said Jennifer Diesman, a spokeswoman for HMSA, the state's largest health care provider. "We believe the program is working, and given Hawaii's economic uncertainty, we don't think now is the time to cut all funding for this kind of program."

Hawaii lawmakers approved the health plan in 2007 as a way to ensure every child can get basic medical help. The Keiki (child) Care program aimed to cover every child from birth to 18 years old who didn't already have health insurance - mostly immigrants and members of lower-income families.

State health officials argued that most of the children enrolled in the universal child care program previously had private health insurance, indicating that it was helping those who didn't need it.

The U.S. is one of the few western countries that does not have universal health care, although many states have government programs to help parents cover their children.

[Cry Havoc]

Hawaii Ends Universal Child

DarrinS reading comprehension fail, although the latter word is certainly applicable to Rush.

[boutons_deux]

Hawaii has been working on their universal health care for 30 years, is way in advance of the mainland, and still they have to continue working on it.

US health care is badly broken and so complicated, as is any machine with 300M different parts, that any attempts to fix it will undoubtedly have unforeseen/unwanted secondary effects.

One very bad is forcing people to buy insurance, under financial penalty from the govt, from for-profit, high-overhead, wasteful, gouging health insurers.

Out of the complexity and chaos of the US's current fiasco, the docs, hospitals, HMOs, health insurers benefit to play their always-win game of both fleecing the citizens and defrauding the govt.

Meanwhile 10s of 1000s of people die every year for want of health care. You NEVER hear that mentioned in Congress, only $, $, and more $.

[ChumpDumper]

One very bad is forcing people to buy insurance, under financial penalty from the govt, from for-profit, high-overhead, wasteful, gouging health insurers.

Isn't that pretty much what Hawaii does?

[boutons_deux]

If the private insurers were run like public utilities used to be, with the govt commission setting profits and reimbursement rates (like Medicare does), then ok.

But letting private insurers jack up prices 5 - 10% every year just because they want more money, while forcing the insured to pay and for taxpayers to subsidize, is a ripoff. Nobody should be forced to pay unregulated for-profit insurers.

[DarrinS]

If the private insurers were run like public utilities used to be, with the govt commission setting profits and reimbursement rates (like Medicare does), then ok.

But letting private insurers jack up prices 5 - 10% every year just because they want more money, while forcing the insured to pay and for taxpayers to subsidize, is a ripoff. Nobody should be forced to pay unregulated for-profit insurers.

Pssst. Insurance companies are regulated. You lie.

[ChumpDumper]

Pssst. Insurance companies are regulated. You lie.

Pssst. The OP wasn't about the children's program.

[boutons_deux]

"?Insurance companies are regulated."

not their policy prices

[George Gervin's Afro]

Pssst. Insurance companies are regulated. You lie.

And they still manage to rip people off.

[Ignignokt]

And they still manage to rip people off.

I get it. Your avatar is totally hipster. You know, ironic.

[Cry Havoc]

I get it. Your avatar is totally hipster. You know, ironic.

This coming from a late night adolescent/college students cartoon referencing a video game from the 1970s?

Nice.

[balli]

This coming from a late night adolescent/college students cartoon referencing a video game from the 1970s?

[Wild Cobra]

Do you guys for get that the Hawaii health Care system doesn't cover people who can pay?

The system isn't universal. How can anyone be so ignorant to say Rush is ignorant about it?

[ChumpDumper]

Do you guys for get that the Hawaii health Care system doesn't cover people who can pay?

People who can pay don't get health care in Hawaii?

The system isn't universal. How can anyone be so ignorant to say Rush is ignorant about it?

The system is universal for anyone who works over 20 hours a week through a mandate scheme roughly similar to that in the current federal plan. The article clearly states that.

[George Gervin's Afro]

I get it. Your avatar is totally hipster. You know, ironic.

you are exactly the type of person my avatar refers to. Ironic ins't it?

[Winehole23]

I liked your old avatar better.

[xrayzebra]

Hawaii has been working on their universal health care for 30 years, is way in advance of the mainland, and still they have to continue working on it.

US health care is badly broken and so complicated, as is any machine with 300M different parts, that any attempts to fix it will undoubtedly have unforeseen/unwanted secondary effects.

One very bad is forcing people to buy insurance, under financial penalty from the govt, from for-profit, high-overhead, wasteful, gouging health insurers.

Out of the complexity and chaos of the US's current fiasco, the docs, hospitals, HMOs, health insurers benefit to play their always-win game of both fleecing the citizens and defrauding the govt.

Meanwhile 10s of 1000s of people die every year for want of health care. You NEVER hear that mentioned in Congress, only $, $, and more $.

10s of 1000s of people die every years for want of health care.......

Now that is scary. Who told you that. Or did you figure that out all by
yourself. I must live in a good part of town, I haven't seen a single person
laying on the street dying.

Want to tell me where to go see this bad thing.

[ChumpDumper]

10s of 1000s of people die every years for want of health care.......

Now that is scary. Who told you that. Or did you figure that out all by
yourself. I must live in a good part of town, I haven't seen a single person
laying on the street dying.

Want to tell me where to go see this bad thing.

You want to see people dying in the street?

That's a little disturbing.

[xrayzebra]

You want to see people dying in the street?

That's a little disturbing.

Chump you really do have a reading comprehension problem. I said nothing
about "wanting" to see people dying in the street. It is just your buddy
lying again about 10's or 1000's dying from lack of care.

Last I saw they had a band playing under the bridge for our homeless
here in San Antonio and handing out all kinds of goodies.

Now I did see a drunk last night begging on the street between two rows
of cars and almost getting killed. That wasn't you, was it? Naw, it was
more than likely boutons or the huffer.

[ChumpDumper]

Chump you really do have a reading compreshension problem. I said nothing
about "wanting" to see people dying in the street. It is just you buddy
lying again about 10's or 1000's dying from lack of care.

That isn't a lie.

Last I saw they had a band playing under the bridge for our homeless
here in San Antonio and handing out all kinds of goodies.

Yes, it's a party all the time for them. Nonstop fun.

Now I did see a drunk last night begging on the street between two rows
of cars and almost getting killed. That wasn't you, was it? Naw, it was
more than likely boutons or the huffer.

You're wrong again -- but we know you never tire of being wrong, and you never actually discuss any issue either. It's all ad hominems and buzzwords with you.

[xrayzebra]

That isn't a lie.

Yes, it's a party all the time for them. Nonstop fun.

You're wrong again -- but we know you never tire of being wrong, and you never actually discuss any issue either. It's all ad hominems and buzzwords with you.

Oh, well. C U later. Moving along nothing here to read.

[ChumpDumper]

Oh, well. C U later. Moving along nothing here to read.

You admitted you never read anything anyway.

[spursncowboys]

rush in his radio show said that he paid for his hospital visit and it was significantly cheaper because he did not use insurance. He also disagreed with the statement that he was touting anything, for or against obamacare. He did say that it wasn't for obama healthcare because the hospitals there compete with each other and there were no bureaucrats or red tape in between him and his doctor.

[clambake]

rush in his radio show said that he paid for his hospital visit and it was significantly cheaper because he did not use insurance. He also disagreed with the statement that he was touting anything, for or against obamacare. He did say that it wasn't for obama healthcare because the hospitals there compete with each other and there were no bureaucrats or red tape in between him and his doctor.

lets see the invoice.