Free Republic

During the health care debate, President Obama claimed his proposal was similar to RomneyCare, passed in 2006 in Massachusetts under then GOP Gov. Mitt Romney. Unfortunately, RomneyCare portends a bleak future for the U.S. under ObamaCare. Little by little, the system is falling apart in Massachusetts under the weight of ever-increasing costs:

The free ride rolls on for Bay State illegal aliens who stand to score benefits, from prescription discounts to MBTA passes, even as Gov. Deval Patrick tempers his rhetoric on such taxpayer-funded perks during his re-election bid. “It’s absolutely ridiculous that that is going on,” said Rep. James Miceli (D-Wilmington), who called the lax oversight a “slap in the face” to taxpayers. Illegals applying for state services such as MBTA discounts for disabled passengers, The Ride, home heating assistance and cheaper prescription drugs for the elderly, aren’t even asked whether they are U.S. citizens.

The number of people visiting hospital emergency rooms has climbed in Massachusetts, despite the enactment of nearly universal health insurance that some hoped would reduce expensive emergency department use. ....according to a report from the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy, expanded coverage may have contributed to the rise in emergency room visits,.....

Emergency rooms, the only choice for patients who can't find care elsewhere, may grow even more crowded with longer wait times under the nation's new health law. That might come as a surprise to those who thought getting 32 million more people covered by health insurance would ease ER crowding. It would seem these patients would be able to get routine health care by visiting a doctor's office, as most of the insured do. But it's not that simple. Consider: _There's already a shortage of front-line family physicians in some places and experts think that will get worse. _People without...

CHICAGO (AP) - Emergency rooms, the only choice for patients who can't find care elsewhere, may grow even more crowded with longer wait times under the nation's new health law. That might come as a surprise to those who thought getting 32 million more people covered by health insurance would ease ER crowding. It would seem these patients would be able to get routine health care by visiting a doctor's office, as most of the insured do. But it's not that simple. Consider:

The federal medical care overhaul would limit contributions to health savings accounts and raise insurance costs for people including those with special needs, former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said at a fundraiser Tuesday for developmentally disabled children. She warned that new rules aiming to raise $13 billion by limiting contributions to flexible spending accounts amount to a "hefty tax hike" for families of special needs children struggling with health care costs. And she said families will wind up with fewer care options. "Our insurance and our care choices will be diminished by this new program," she said to...

President Barack Obama’s nominee to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which runs Medicare, is a strong supporter of the government-run health care system in Britain, who said in a 2009 interview about Comparative Effectiveness Research: “The decision is not whether or not we will ration care--the decision is whether we will ration with our eyes open.” The $787-billion stimulus law signed by President Obama created a Federal Coordinating Coucil for Comparative Effectivieness research in health care that some critics argue was a step toward rationing of heatlh care in the United States. Donald Berwick, a professor of...

When MassCare passed, it was supposed to lower the average cost of health care by getting relatively cheap young people into the system, and ending the inefficiencies of caring for the uninsured. Unfortunately, it hasn't quite worked out that way. The bill for the uninsured only dropped by about 40%; the young, cheap people turned out to almost all need subsidies, and worse, some of them figured out how to game the system by buying insurance, getting a bunch of expensive procedures, and then dropping the insurance again. There was a brief improvement in insurance prices for the individual market,...

Heh. Admittedly, this is pure comment bait, but I do find it fascinating that she remains the most popular Republican in these polls month after month while making no headway against Huck and Mitt and actually losing ground to a dark horse like Gingrich. I don’t want to overstate things — she’s only five points back of the lead — but a media superstar with a double-digit edge in favorability who’s already been on a national ticket and who’s wildly more dynamic than her competition should probably be … way ahead, no? Instead, this: Huckabee leads the way, such as...

President Barack Obama said Saturday that millions of Americans already are reaping benefits from the new health care law, including tax breaks for some small businesses and help for families with young adults. In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama vigorously defended the new law, which passed Congress with no Republican votes and continues to stir strong emotions nationwide. He acknowledged that many provisions will not take effect for years. But he said others are helping some families now. Four million small business owners and organizations have been told of a possible health care tax cut this year, Obama...

Americans are learning that ObamaCare will pile on insurmountable debt and cause government to encroach on every area of our lives. ObamaCare is, as Yuval Levin said, an "unmitigated disaster -- for our health care system, for our fiscal future, and for any notion of limited government." And the more we learn about the specific provisions, the more we discover that the bill does not reflect our values -- faith, family and freedom -- nor does it strengthen those principles that are the foundation of a great nation. Each day while Democrats are criss-crossing the country to declare that ObamaCare...

On Saturday, May 1, the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby, some 20 thoroughbreds will run for the roses in the most famous and important race in the sport. That race of 3-year-old colts (and one filly) will be won in just over two minutes. Meanwhile, another exciting horse race – the race to win the GOP presidential nomination – is gearing up. It, too, has a large field, but this race is a marathon that takes four years to complete. Now, the time has come to begin handicapping the 2012 primary race. This list represents a snapshot of a...

Americans losing confidence in healthcare By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor Wed Apr 28, 12:30 am ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Americans are steadily losing confidence in their ability to get healthcare and pay for it, despite the passage of healthcare reform legislation, according to a survey published on Wednesday. The Thomson Reuters Consumer Healthcare Sentiment Index found that confidence lost three percentage points from a baseline of 100 in December to 97 in March. "Strikingly, Americans expect the situation to worsen significantly in the next three months," said Gary Pickens, chief research officer at Thomson Reuters. "The thing I...

Obama’s Budget Director: Powerful Rationing Panel (Not Doctors) will Control the Amount of Health Care Seniors Can Get http://www.breitbart.tv/obamas-budget-director-powerful-rationing-panel-not-doctors-will-control-health-care-levels/

U.S. Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid told Carson City Democrats on Saturday that he needed their help replacing Republicans in Washington, D.C. “The Republicans in the United States Senate do not represent mainstream Republicans in this country. They are so far to the right ... we need your help to elect Democrats,” Reid said. Reid was in Northern Nevada speaking at Democratic county conventions in Carson City, Douglas County and Reno.

I asked Gov. Romney if I could ask him a question. After he told me that this was OK, I posed the following question to him: “You have stated your intention to spearhead the effort to repeal the ‘worst aspects’ of Obamacare, does this include the repeal of the individual mandate and pre-existing exclusion?” The Governor’s answer: “No.” Gov. Romney went on to explain that he does not wish to repeal these aspects because of the deleterious effect it would have on those with pre-existing conditions in obtaining health insurance.