Dollars and sense (How does Obama plan to pay for the healthcare plan he's pushing?)

Los Angeles Times ^ | 9/10/2009

[SeekAndFind]

President Obama took care of the easy tasks Wednesday in his much-anticipated speech to Congress on healthcare reform. He laid out the main provisions he's looking for in a comprehensive bill, and provided a clear and powerful rationale for fundamental change. But the steps he endorsed -- including new regulations on insurers and help for the uninsured to obtain coverage -- already have broad support from industry lobbyists and lawmakers. The hard part, in terms of both policy and politics, is finding a way to pay for the expansion in coverage. And on that most contentious issue, unfortunately, Obama argued that Congress could cover most of the cost by attacking waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid -- a pain-free path that's as unrealistic as it is alluring.

Advocates of a healthcare overhaul, including this page, had been urging Obama to provide more details about the measures he would support and why they were necessary. The president delivered Wednesday night in stirring terms, outlining a plan to give the insured a more secure hold on their coverage and the uninsured access to more affordable policies. The plan would require the vast majority of Americans to obtain coverage, while mandating that large employers provide insurance benefits or contribute to the cost of their employees' individual policies.

As Obama noted, though, healthcare reform wasn't about to be derailed by those proposals. The challenge for those who want a comprehensive bill is more in the politics -- in particular, the allegation that "Obama-care" is a government takeover of the healthcare system, burdening taxpayers with a ruinously expensive new obligation.

[milwguy]

When even the LA Slimes calls you out for being ‘disingenuous’ you know you have problems. All smoke and mirrors, ‘where’s the beef’?

[kromike]

Shhh. You're not supposed to question our new Lord On Earth. He's omnipotent, doncha know. The mere Power of his Word will pay for everything, ease our daily pains, bring Utopia at last, and remove the need for any more democratic elections.

Can I get a happy-collective, "aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh" ??

[Blood of Tyrants]

Easy, he plans on taxing us into poverty. Just like Prince John did the people of Nottingham.

[Constitutions Grandchild]

Greta van Sustern and my husband said it best.

Greta (and I quote from memory, not exactly): “I have to put in terms that I can understand. Say you're having Thanksgiving dinner for eight and, at the last minute, you find out six more people will be coming. Are you telling me that it isn't going to cost a lot more to feed six more people?”

Hubby: “It's either going to cost a lot more OR you will make it stretch and all your guests will get less.”

Our Dear Leader lives in an alternate universe — something I suspect he developed while living in a chaotic world of his mother's creation. He can't look at things as they are and finally have to accept that it isn't possible to do what he says within the budget restraints we currently must live within. He also has failed to resonate with those of us who believe that costs (both plaintiff and defense’ costs) must be reined in. He simply doesn't understand what must be dismantled and how ridiculous his “throw the baby out with the bath water” approach sounds.

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

The money will come from hard-working, honest individuals who work at a job or have a business, and will go to people who will gladly vote democrat.

[Sig Sauer P220]

Paid on the backs of any remaining taxpayers, and of course the printing machines.

[Iron Munro]

How does Obama plan to pay for the healthcare plan he's pushing?

ANSWER:

Typical White People

[Honorary Serb]

.....Still, the president’s comments about the savings available in Medicare were disingenuous....

And will lead to rationing of health care for seniors, denial of needed care, and DEATH!!!!

Sarah Palin is right, and the LIAR (and murderer) is Dear Leader!!!!

The REAL issue, which is being missed by most people on both sides of the obamacare debate, is that both rationing and increased taxes (not to mention a monstrous national electronic records system to spy on you and your doctor) are unnecessary for REAL health care reform:

http://www.newmediajournal.us/staff/dicintio/2009/08282009.htm

We need to tear up and destroy all existing health care bills in Congress, declare a moratorium on any Congressional action on health care until January, and to start over, using the approach on the linked article.