Posted on 10/26/2009 5:19:43 AM PDT by CutePuppy
First off, any plan with states' opt-out options cannot be called "national" or "universal" and can't possibly be scored by CBO or any economic or statistical entity for costs. And none of these plans even try any longer to claim that it will "save" money, the question is now only "how much it will cost us?"
Second, if states can opt in or opt out of national plan, why is there even a need for "national" plan to begin with? It simply shows that states (or cities, or even "communities") can do their own tailored plan for their denizens, if they want to, without the need for "one size fits all" pseudo-national program.
So why the gimmicks? Because if the program is "national" / "federal" then federal government will be able to use the money from states that "opted out" (most likely, the "red states") to finance the states that chose to "opt in" (most certainly, the "deep blue states") thus rendering opt-out meaningless at best, and fiscally damaging to the opt-out states, at worst, since they would derive no financial benefit from opting out.
Since this gimmick is so blatantly transparent, Republicans could easily explain it to not only the constituents in their own states, but also threaten to cut off transfer of funds from opt-out states once they take back Congress - which should put the fear into the hearts of the potential opt-in states' beneficiaries - if they won't be able to get a free ride on the backs of other states, these states would go bankrupt financing health care run and managed by the federal government.
GOP has the opportunity of a lifetime to drive the stake through the heart of these (and any future) "universal" healthcare or "insurance" bills, simply by exposing and mocking these scams and gimmicks to the "great unwashed" who might think it's something different.
Will Republican blow this natural opportunity for easy public relations coup, while Democrats keep digging?
It’s time to burn up the phone lines and the fax machines and the email inboxes of your elected officials in Washington, and at home. This legislative tripe will spell the demise of the highest quality healthcare system in the world and bring us one giant step closer to the socialist ‘utopia’ envisioned by the anointed one and his 0bamunist minions.
It’s time to take back the country.
You won’t be able to opt out of paying for it though
Bad news. Another second approach would be to contact those liberals you see on MSNBC Schulz, Maddow, Olbermann and tell them Pelosi and Obama are about to sell them out with this opt out.
The liberals in the house have kept Pelosi from moving forward, they want the full public option.
Are they going to let us opt out of the higher taxes?
What these liberals are up to is this. Get the health care package passed at any cost, then gradually put the insurance companies out of business over the next 5 - 10 years.
Naw....We know how this works....you want some money...you gonna luv the plan...
The “opt out” will be “disincentivized” HEAVILY - guaranteed.
If they aren’t able to get an eventual, inevitable single payer system with this bill, there’s no reason to pass it.
Control is the goal.
I think the liberals know that a true ‘national’ plan cannot pass constitutional muster, so they are using gimmicks like opt-in, etc.
The ‘trigger’ option is only there to get votes. Single-payer advocates can vote for it knowing the trigger will be pulled in the future and market-based proponents can vote for it because that is what it will look like initially until the trigger is pulled.
The only Opt-Out I’m interested in seeing is where State Legislatures pass a state level law rejecting the implementation of any federal mandates/programs/taxes on anything related to healthcare.
Electronic records via the stimulus plan was the beginning...No REAL reason for everyone to be electronic...
Most likely an admission that this is unconstitutional. They will price it so low at first that no one will opt out.
Especially Ed Schultz.
AND MY SUPPLEMENT IS GOING UP 58% AS OF JAN 1ST....BECAUSE OF THE FED GOV PAYMENT SHAFT JOB. The notice was VERY specific as to the Fed Gov payment.
That's the real point of "national" health care, the only "universal" option in it will be paying for it with no opportunity to "opt-out". If Republicans can't exploit and explain this to people, they will become Whigs.
I don't know how they would even start going about setting the prices - on what cost or actuary bases, for what contingent or contingencies, using Medicare / Medicaid [bankrupt] models or city / county medical centers, etc. etc. etc.
I'd like to see the validation of how CBO came up with their estimates and why several were off by hundreds of millions from each other? methinks, they just pulled some numbers out of the air, based on discounted insurance industry "averages". Which, as experience with Social Security and Medicare has shown, will be off by miles, as well.
Communists don’t believe in money so economic restraints are meaningless to them.
if they pass this with an opt-out there will be an immediate stampede of jobs and residents into states that have opted-out, which will not sit well with the Democrats who are running places like New York, Massachusetts and Michigan
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.