Posted on 09/10/2009 7:12:32 AM PDT by La Lydia
“There remain some significant details to iron out.” Thus spoke the President of the United States last night, in an address in which, with a straight face, he told an awaiting nation that he was finally delivering not lofty rhetoric, but his grand plan on health care. On that score President Obama was right. It may have been, however, a bit of an understatement. Absent, of course, was how exactly all the savings he confidently predicted would materialize, how exactly the government would prevent employers from dumping all their employees into a government plan and how czars and boards would operate without bureaucrats coming between Americans and their doctors. Ah, details, details...
To the question that all of America wanted an answer, to wit, is the President abandoning his stubborn attachment to a public plan, the President had no clear response. Or maybe he did. He appeared to draw a line on the sand at one point by saying, “I will not back down from the idea that, if Americans cannot find affordable coverage, we will provide you with a choice.” Maybe that was the clearest indication of the night that Barack Obama is still sticking to the public plan, to be introduced by whatever means. But a minute later he said he was open to other ideas!
As for the rest on this subject in a 45-minute speech, his 29th devoted to health care in nine months in office, Mr. Obama ducked behind the English language—or, more charitable observers would say, used it to its fullest extent. There was his promise, for example that “nothing in this plan will require you or your employer to change the coverage or the doctor you have.” This is a change, even an improvement on past exertions.
Previously, the President had insisted that nobody would be forced to abandon the insurance plan they have. Last night he said nobody will be required. See the change? Of course, all he seems to mean is that the government won’t require you – he said nothing about what the consequences of the plan may prod your employer to do.
To critics, including analysts at The Heritage Foundation, who charge that many employers would gladly dump all their employees into his proposed exchange, leaving millions of American with no real choice but the public plan, President Obama mysteriously said that the government plan “would only be available to those who don’t have insurance.” But the congressional plans are open to smaller firms with insured workers. So what proposal is he referring to?...
What we did not see, alas, was a willingness to start over and set aside those issues where the American people can’t agree – most importantly the public plan, the individual and employer mandates, a maze of new federal regulations that pre-empt existing laws, and a massive Medicaid expansion...
The “savings” will come from reducing medicare payments for services. In other words, seniors will be denied access to care because providers will stop accepting 25 cents on the dollar as reimbursement.
Asking Doctors to work for nothing is like asking all of us to work for nothing. We can’t afford it. We become insolvent.
Productivity declines. Quality decreases.
Seniors will be denied access to care in order to cover several million illegal aliens and their spawn. And I wonder if doctors have figured out yet that their incomes are about to be capped by the federal government.
NBC-CNN MSNBC, ABC, CBS, is soooooooo in love with Obama they have helped say the conservatives are lying. Guy in my office said this morning, He believed Obama, aft last night’s speech. I just sit here and think he is more of an idiot than ever before.
Actually, they CAN'T answer that question because creating a situation where business owners can be vilified for "dumping" employees' health plans is the number one priority of Obamacare.
Remember, what these people want is socialism for America, and most of the ground preparation is already done. The words "rich", "CEO", and "profit" have already been turned into pejoratives. All that is left is to put evil business into the position of having to harm employees, the rest will be easy.
Does he have a Grandma? If so, he is an accomplice to throwing her under the diesel-powered mass transportation vehicle.
That’s why I said he statement was a lie.
Not adding a thing. He is arguing with Sarah.
And his blatant lies will be recognized for what they are...lies!
Well, it is a voice of sanity, but it’s not quite true that Obama didn’t learn anything from August.
He did. And he’s playing it forward based on what he learned. His rasputin like speech charms are strong, and that is what he pulled out. Not just last night, but on Tuesday with the schoolkids. Attack the weak-minded — that’s his strength.
I’m sort of amazed that he did step it up and didn’t shatter. That’s not goo0d for anybody, really, especially him. The outcome is getting harsher all around.
My uncle is a Doctor who will retire if this passes. My wife is a nurse and the entire medical industry is very, very concerned about salary caps imposed by government.
Many Doctors are considering other opportunity. I know one doctor who owns a lawn care business. Doctors are diversifying to keep from becoming drained paupers dependent on a government imposed income schedule..
well, this bit of obtuse doubling-down should make Saturday in Washington even more interesting....
That is an incredibly shallow statement even for Obie.
No conflict.
Once an employer has discontinued their company-paid insurance plan, the employees "don't have insurance" and are elegible for the government plan.
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