Posted on 06/24/2009 5:26:09 PM PDT by BigKahuna
We notice that the Obama administration is making a big push this week to try to recreate lost momentum on so-called "healthcare reform" in the United States Congress. It appears the once-monolithic Democrat rush to enact a comprehensive health care package that would provide health services to every man, woman and child in the country is splintering into various factions.
Reasons for this are varied, but a very large one seems to be that more than a few legislators have been stunned at the costs to provide even a third of persons currently having no health insurance with some form of coverage. Solid estimates -- from sources such as the Congressional Budget Office, for one -- predict the total cost to run up to 3.5 trillion dollars in the first decade, with about 1 trillion dollars -- for a "down payment" -- needed almost immediately. Clearly, such figures are sure to focus the attention of lawmakers wonderfully, much as the prospect of a firing squad focuses the attention of a military person, who has refused to go into battle once did.
Legislators, above all, generally worry more about getting reelected than anything else in their lives, and most -- especially moderate and so-called "Blue Dog" conservative Democrats (is there such a an animal, anymore?) -- are running for bomb shelters in anticipation of a hailstorm of constituent fury at the possibility of enacting something which is -- as we've observed before -- sure to beggar the country and completely run private insurers out of the healthcare market, leaving only the government to administer health insurance programs, eventually.
(Excerpt) Read more at entitlementsynrome.com ...
That breaks my heart.
From an earlier post I made:
Looking at the cost for the bill spread over the numbers:
$1,600,000,000,000 for (up to) 11,000,000 American citizens who are uninsured; the rest are not citizens.
These numbers compute to $145,455 per person, or $14,545 per year over 10 years, following the logic that this is what will be saved. This is health care worth $1212.09 per person per month for the 11 million US citizens.
Do you have that much to spare? I dont.
For this, MRIs are out, antibiotics are controlled or cut back, and who knows what else. Dont you dare be elderly or a conservative..........
While your attention is being diverted to this horrible bill burn the phone to your congressman by non stop calling to stop the Cap and Trade bill which is being voted on Friday!
I always pull this article out when I hear about the uninsured and how we need universal care:
NATIONAL CENTER FOR POLICY ANALYSIS
HOME / DONATE / ONE LEVEL UP / ABOUT NCPA / CONTACT US
BEING UNINSURED REMAINS A “CRISIS” OF INCOME
10-Year Census Figures Show Health Insurance Often Is a Matter of Choice
August 30, 2005
DALLAS (August 30, 2005) The number of Americans with health insurance grew by more than 2 million people last year, but the percentage of Americans without health insurance continues to grow among higher-income households, according to the latest report released today by the Census Bureau.
“Being uninsured in America is largely a matter of choice,” said NCPA Senior Fellow Devon Herrick, who also compiled a 10-year analysis of Census Bureau figures. “The greatest and growing problem of the uninsured is among those families who can afford health insurance.”
The number of uninsured among higher-income households continued to grow last year, even though the percentage of uninsured has remained stable, according to this year’s Census report:
* Between 1995 and 2004 (data for the 2005 report), the number of uninsured with family incomes of less than $50,000 actually fell by 8 percent. The number of uninsured in households earning less than $25,000 fell by an estimated 19 percent.
* But over the same 10-year period in households earning $25,000 or more, nearly 90 percent of the increase in the uninsured has occurred among higher-income households ($50,000 or more). And the number of uninsured Americans in families earning more than $75,000 has increased by 153 percent.
“An alarming change over the past decade is the growth in the number of Americans who choose not to be insured,” Herrick said. “Among low-income households the number of Americans without coverage has changed little.”
* 40.6 million Americans were uninsured in 1995, or 15.4 percent of the population. In this year’s Census report, 15.7 percent of Americans (45.8 million) were without health insurance.
* In addition, about 10 million of the uninsured have access to Medicaid and government-sponsored health care coverage, but have not enrolled.
* Approximately one-third of foreign-born residents are without health insurance. In today’s Census report that accounted for about one-fourth of the uninsured population.
Dr. Herrick’s analysis found that the rise in the number of people with and without health insurance is mostly explained by growth in the overall population.
“Universal” health care is going to take care of 1/3 of those without insurance. The other 2/3 must be in a different universe.
Ok.
Using a standard height of $20 bills in $1000 packs (used)...
the Congressional Budget Office, for one -- predict the total cost to run up to 3.5 trillion dollars in the first decade...
the pile would be about 25,000 miles high!
I have done my math wrong before but I think I have this right, if not, someone please correct me.
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