Posted on 01/30/2008 9:22:12 AM PST by Leisler
Arnold Schwarzenegger's "universal" health-care plan died in the California legislature on Monday, in what can only be called a mercy killing. So let's conduct a political autopsy, because there are important lessons here for the national health-care debate. It's especially useful to compare today's muted obituaries to the page-one melodrama that surrounded the Governor when he announced his plan a year ago. Endless media mash notes were bestowed on the "post-partisan" Republican trying to get something done. The idea was that Mr. Schwarzenegger would set a national precedent, leading to a groundswell for reform in Washington. Not to mention that the Schwarzenegger plan was a near-copy of the one Mitt Romney pioneered in Massachusetts
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Thank God it is dead. Not to worry though, the leftists in Sacra-demented will promote another one.
Too bad for arnuld.
The creep. I used to suppot the guy, but now I don’t think that he can get out fast enough.
Interesting that he has not endorsed anyone yet.
I expect his endorsement of McCain to come shortly.
He’s leaning McCain but waiting on baaahLoomberg.. The Kennedys and Juan are quite close..
The Kennedys and Juan are quite close..
Yep.
McCain/Kennedy - doesn’t get any closer than that.
God, it would be the answer to a prayer if Bloomberg entered the race.
Arnuld endorsing him would be another.
Nader is getting the old Corvair fired up too maybe ..going exploratory for now,,
We could have a 3 4 or 5 way if Paul sticks it out
My understanding is that it is only 15-20% for administratie costs.
One of the benefits of the Canadian system is that it’s only aroud 3% there. (not saying there aren’t other problems, though)
What sounds better is high deductible health insurance with HSAs, fully tax-deductible.
If you make people pay for the first $1k of health expenses maybe they’ll frickin’ stop using the emergency room every time they get a simple cold or earache.
Ditto that.
But until the American people are willing to allow emergency rooms to reject people and refuse to treat them, the problem will continue.
As it is, most Americans view health care as a right, so it's illegal to refuse treatment.
Well, now that health insurance is mandatory in MA we got the bad news that health care costs will go up 85% next year. So if my premiums for myself go up in kind, then that’s a $2,000 pay cut. But not to worry. Illegal Aliens get to continue on as “free riders”.
I’m not sure about this. Could it be a lot cheaper? Yes, but based upon the present, mostly government money fueled prices, these prices could be a low, and as good as they get, and that they will get higher over time.
We are given a choice between socialized medicine and Republican do nothing ism.
We live in a totalitarian democracy in which government can enter any field. This is what happens.
What we need is find another way.
Free people, free markets.
40% of the cost of health insurance is commissions and marketing.
I don’t know about that. Even so, since companies and doctors and now even citizens are not free, then how else can companies create a false idea of difference in a socialized, homogenized government run system? They fake it.
If we had a national health Insurance coop we could save money. What you would do is select from one of several policies. You would then pay a small fee for being underwritten and assigned to a risk pool.
Your pool would be, by government force, ordered to take people from outside your risk pool. As is now.
Then the companies would bid on the policy with the lowest bidder winning. The coop could also force Insurance companies to standardize forms (another major savings.)
Who forces computer companies to work together? No one. How have computer quality and prices been over time? Good. How much does the government interfere with this industry? Hardly at all.
They would be honest and live up to their responsibilities or be removed from the bidding. Companies would be successful by having efficient bureaucracies so they can get the lowest bids.
This occurs naturally in the private sector. No government required.
The government does set it up but ownership is transferred to the policy holders within a few years. Doesn't’t that sound better than the status quo or socialized medicine?
No, it’s just a variation on a theme. In short, Socialism will work under my plan.
Sounds good to me!
You need to put an I in Jindal’s name in your tagline. Was he born in the US?
It is illegal.
So, the reason that poor people, or anyone at midnight goes to an emergency room is that competition, service, convenience, is now criminal. Why don't lower tech medics drive out to your house with a van full of drugs? A pizza guy will for a 10 dollar pizza. AMA wouldn't stand for any income loss to their labor racket. Government colludes. Predictable results.
I agree.
They really don’t want, or care about, “universal” health care. They want control of the purchasing medicine and equipment (think kickbacks, bribes, etc.) and control of health care employees (patronage jobs, union “contributions,” a permanent Dem constituency, etc.).
Yes. His parents are legal immigrants.
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