Posted on 12/05/2008 10:05:05 PM PST by FocusNexus
In between the tree trimming and gift-giving, President-elect Barack Obama is inviting Americans to spend part of the holiday season talking about health care -- and report back to him.
As he gears up for major health reform legislation next year, Obama is encouraging average Americans to host informal gatherings to brainstorm about how to improve the U.S. system.
The sessions, which could take place at a party, over a Menorah-lighting or at the annual Christmas cookie bake-off, are to be held Dec. 15 to Dec. 31. Former senator Thomas A. Daschle, Obama's point person on health, will attend at least one and prepare a detailed report, complete with video, to present to the next president.
In addition to the house parties, Obama's transition Web site, Change.gov, is collecting thousands of comments on health-care reform.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
1. Make health “benefits” taxable as income. (And you better damn well lower tax rates to offset this).
2. Require medical providers to disclose their complete fee structures (who’s getting which discount).
That’s it. With government ending market distortions, and a well informed consumer base, the market will fix the problems.
I’d like to shop for an MRI on Google like I do for a new camera.
2. Require medical providers to disclose their complete fee structures (who’s getting which discount).
Well since YOU asked:
TURN BLUE
PS. (Thanks for asking Lil' Tommie!!)
Don’t socialize it
I’ll see ya down there.
“Grouping obese people together and letting them share the elevated costs of their health care, caused primarily by by their voluntary fork-in-mouth disease, would be a great place to start, IMHO.”
###
Precisely.
In one fell swoop, we have included both personal responsibility for one’s behavior, AND strong financial incentives to properly manage one’s own health without offloading the penalties for misbehavior to others.
Put the entire healthcare system under the Attorney General where it belongs. Take two aspirin and a nap.
Here’s my suggestion I submitted (with an address that’s not mine...). Not snarky at all. Not at all....
In order to tackle health care, how about we get a real leader with his own ideas, vision, and political courage instead of some empty suit (that would be B. Hussein Obama) who needs to do the equivalent of running out of his building to ask the man on the street how to do his job because he’s in over his head to tackle this issue?
“However, if we don’t get a handle on this obesity issue and soon, in a few years we’re going to look back and realize that the cost of health care now is dirt cheap. “
Sad to say, although health care will cost more, Social Security will cost less.
Keep the government out of it for starters, with the exception of imposing some sane limits on lawsuits which are driving up costs.
But, but, but... I thought Barak was ready to implement change on day 1.
Actually, this is very good news for those opposing socialized health care.
It means that either: they don’t know what to do so they propose this phony “public consultation” as a stall tactic; they don’t intend to do anything and are using this “consultation” as a stall until they find the right time to break the news.
Pretty much everything wrong with American healthcare can be traced to Ted Kennedy.
And just wait until that “do it for Ted” healthcare bill he’s writing in his hospital room gets introduced. Oh, boy.
Here is my suggestion.
Have everyone form into two lines. First line says “Free Cheese” the second line says “Cheese you have to work for”. Shoot everyone in the first line.
Yeah? Well, first remove those latex gloves and then maybe we can talk.
We should welcome this type of entertainment. After Foreign Policy, and the Economy, this will be the third item that he is going to fall on his face on. At the most he’s going to come up with something very meagre. I foresee free mammograms and flu shots, but that’s about it. It can’t be done without some major pain. Hillary should know, she already tried it once and failed. Let us watch and see him flounder.
“How about, I want a free-enterprise, competitive, capitalist health care system that will give me the best value for cost, like we have now?”
Possibly because that is not what we have now? Does the term “third-party payer” ring any bells?
DONE!
I went to that site, and told them I want insurance companies to be able to sell policies across state lines, nationally, so I can shop for the best deal.
I also said that I want to have insurance companies offer a more “ala carte” type policy. I am not of child bearing age anymore, so I don’t need maternity care or pediatric care.
I then said that I want more of a choice.
See what they do with that one....(I am guessing the trash bin) LOL
Yet I want to express my ideas (like save the US Constitution, etc).
Maybe they won't pay attention to us; but we need to have our say.
What if they are flooded with conservative ideas? That might have impact.
We need to fight. We are the last generation to fight this because we remember what it was like before socialism took over.
I like your spirit sir/ma’am! Very admirable.
Keep it up.
There is a LOT to be said for encouraging some of the sad sacks around here.
Make Health Care a right, not a duty.
And make it so I will never have to pay for my health care. Make government and rich people pay for me.
Those are MY ideas!
Hope you like them Obama!
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