Posted on 03/17/2009 5:26:38 PM PDT by EagleUSA
Play Video Video:Bad Value? FOX News Play Video Video:GOP challenges Obama's healthcare plan AP Play Video Barack Obama Video:The weight of AIG Reuters AFP/HO/File – A handout picture shows surgeons performing an operation at an unnamed hospital. Many hospitals are failing … WASHINGTON – Guaranteeing health insurance for all Americans may cost about $1.5 trillion over the next decade, health experts say. That's more than double the $634 billion 'down payment' President Barack Obama set aside for health reform in his budget, raising the prospect of sticker shock at a time of record federal spending. Administration officials have pointedly avoided providing a ballpark estimate, saying it depends on details to be worked out with Congress.
"It's impossible to put a price tag on the plan before even the basics have been finalized," said White House spokesman Reid Cherlin. "Here's what we do know: The reserve fund in the president's budget is fully paid for and provides a substantial down payment on the cost of the reforming our health care system."
Still, the potential runaway costs are raising concerns among Republicans and some Democrats as Congress prepares to draft next year's budget. The U.S. spends $2.4 trillion a year on health care, more than any other advanced country. And some experts estimate that a third or more of that goes for tests and procedures that provide little or no benefit.
"We shouldn't just be throwing more money on top of the present system, because the present system is so wasteful," said Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, the ranking Republican on the Budget Committee.
The health care plan Obama offered as a candidate would have cost nearly $1.2 trillion over ten years, according to a detailed estimate last fall by the Lewin Group, a leading consulting and policy analysis firm.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Let us hope the blue-dog Dims have enough sense to slow this power-mad maniac and charlatan down before things get real ugly.
Chump change.
Just tax the rich, that would pay for it.
What’s a few trillion among friends?
Why were the deficits and debt of the Bush years outrageous to Democrats, but nothing is said about the much larger Obama deficits?
White House spokesman Reid Cherlin: “Here’s what we do know: The reserve fund in the president’s budget is fully paid for and provides a substantial down payment on the cost of the reforming our health care system.”
Fully paid for? With what? More I.O.U.s?
I can’t stand liars!
b ookmark
“Some experts estimate that a THIRD of health care cost go for tests that don’t help anything.”
Nonsense, all those uneeded test are of GREAT help.
They are the MAIN defense doctors have against the TORT LAWYER’S charge that they did NOT perform that one test that could have saved the patient.
I have asked my doctor, some time ago, why a particular test was needed. He looked me right in the eye and told me it was for his defense at the trial.
Overhaul for everyone.. but the Veterans and Active Duty Military
Healthcare is the catalyst to destroy americans under the guise of “helping us”...BULLCRAP. The first 650 billion was about the computer system to hold the medical records, which will be aligned with the computer chip to be inserted into people to hold identity, records and track whereabouts in case of dissent. This is out of control and it’s less than 100 days...beware people.
The healthcare records will help them decide who to help and who to euthanize. That will help with bringing Social Security into alignment with costs. And as with all nations who have this healthcare, there will be years of waiting for important surgery, treatment so that only the strong survive.
The healthcare records pinpoint whereabouts of those not in agreement, and then they can be weeded out. If they can keep healthcare records, and made a law for servers to keep your web surfing habits, then what’s to say they won’t compare all of that when making a decision on who gets and who doesn’t.
Try getting out of the country once you are on their website, and genetics will be used to determine costs in future of various hereditary diseases, which will decide your jobs, your future and your life.
How many communist regimes trimmed out the superfluous masses because of food, money or perceived need? Millions, billions are expendable for whatever reason, just look at how the disabled veterans are being pushed aside from being taken care of by their country after courageous service.
One point five trillion dollars is just a spit in the bucket. Nationalized healthcare is going to cost many times that while bringing our healthcare system down to French standards.
Why does no one in the MSM seem concerned about Obama’s spending TRILLIONS of dollars in his first ninety days in office? Where in blazes are we going to get that kind of money other than borrow it, print it or tax it? None of these alternative will do anything positive with our current state of the economy and will without question soon make the US economy look like Zimbabwe’s.
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.