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Well, the House health reform bill -- known to Republicans as the Government Takeover -- finally passed after one of Congress's longer, less enlightening debates. Two stalwarts of the single-payer movement split their votes; John Conyers voted for it; Dennis Kucinich against. Kucinich was right.

Conservative rhetoric notwithstanding, the House bill is not a "government takeover." I wish it were. Instead, it enshrines and subsidizes the "takeover" by the investor-owned insurance industry that occurred after the failure of the Clinton reform effort in 1994. To be sure, the bill has a few good provisions (expansion of Medicaid, for example), but they are marginal. It also provides for some regulation of the industry (no denial of coverage because of pre-existing conditions, for example), but since it doesn't regulate premiums, the industry can respond to any regulation that threatens its profits by simply raising its rates. The bill also does very little to curb the perverse incentives that lead doctors to over-treat the well-insured. And quite apart from its content, the bill is so complicated and convoluted that it would take a staggering apparatus to administer it and try to enforce its regulations.

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Moar.

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American health care - in terms of international standards implemented by the World Health Organization the health care system within the United States is rated 72nd overall.
These standards are centralized on the right to health care and are based on accessibility, fairness, efficiency, cost, and quality. Life expectancy in America is 42nd in the world (WHO) and the infant mortality rate is no doubt highest in the industrialized world.
Despite these unfortunate statistics and figures America continues to outspend every other country in the world by a very margin in terms of funding and one is left to ask the question: where is this money being spent and why are Americans seeing some very poor results?
At least 15percent of the overall population of America is completely uninsured, a further substantial portion of Americans are under insured in terms of cover and insurance policy and a number of cases are being brought on daily basis before the courts over insurance-related conflicts and battles.

By reading Obama's proposal for reformed health care in America we learn the following:

- There is universal agreement that there are huge flaws in the current American health care system

- Public assisted healthcare is an option and only an option, it is no way mandatory and there is very little comparison to the Communist health care systems of the former USSR, China or even North Korea.

- The only way to get these reforms through is via bipartisan support from both major political chess pieces - the Democrats and the Republicans. Why the big fuss? Are Republicans so concerned that their willing to label the guy an Anti Christ and a disguised Communist? Based on what substance exactly?
Are these party politicians not united under the flag of the UNITED States of America for urgent improvement and reform in health care? What was the Republican alternative to the health care crisis? Let the economy fix it?

if you want my personal opinion I believe the Republicans are stalling on this issue because they know very well that the large private corporations that are providing the current health care facilities are going to buckle when this reform is eventually pushed through.
Sadly however, over-profited American corporations are a big reason why the recession occurred in the first instance - with profit comes greed and with greed there is a constant desire for revenue regardless of the method used. Off shoring was a very popular tool in down-sizing employment costs and avoiding business taxes and the repercussion of this in the short-term was a boom in unemployment...

Health care can only be addressed through a bipartisan process - if the fundamental flaws of corporate greed and selfishness are not addressed soon, Americans will continue staring down the barrel of below-average health care and unsatisfactory responses.

Worst part is when it starts to fail, the GOP will use it as an excuse to blame the entire idea, when they're one of the biggest reasons the bill is in such a sorry state to begin with!

What's left of the public option is so neutered I'd be more surprised if it didn't fail.

Post edited at 10:34 am on Nov. 9, 2009 by Stormblazer

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Religion: Atheistic agnostic, political independent
Polyamory FAQ Relationships

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- The only way to get these reforms through is via bipartisan support from both major political chess pieces - the Democrats and the Republicans. Why the big fuss? Are Republicans so concerned that their willing to label the guy an Anti Christ and a disguised Communist? Based on what substance exactly?  
Are these party politicians not united under the flag of the UNITED States of America for urgent improvement and reform in health care? What was the Republican alternative to the health care crisis? Let the economy fix it?  

if you want my personal opinion I believe the Republicans are stalling on this issue because they know very well that the large private corporations that are providing the current health care facilities are going to buckle when this reform is eventually pushed through.

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The bill CAN pass without bipartisan support. The Republicans don't have the numbers to fight it. The fight is really between Democrats and Democrats. If these proposed reforms really have the vast support of Democrats as we are supposed to believe, then a bill would have flown through Congress and been signed into law months ago.

Post edited at 10:39 am on Nov. 9, 2009 by mikeg80

stop listening to the rich insurance companies sponsoring the anti-reform campaign. the insurance company has been burning our families for decades. it's time for it to stop.

we're the last first world nation to not implement healthcare coverage for all it's citizens. the buck stops here.

Obviously when the government is making laws which say I MUST be a consumer in a 'private' industry it is 'taking over'.

Insurance companies gave obama lots of money so now they will make lots.

Soon it will be illegal to not take anti depressants too, lol.

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O` tru apothecary!
Thy drugs are quick.
Thus with a kiss I die.

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the house bill is pretty good. the senate bill i think will also be good in it's on way. the senate is not as liberal and will keep the final bill that's reconciled from the house and senate version from being so radical that it does all these supposedly horrible things to america.  

stop listening to the rich insurance companies sponsoring the anti-reform campaign. the insurance company has been burning our families for decades. it's time for it to stop.  

we're the last first world nation to not implement healthcare coverage for all it's citizens. the buck stops here.

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No dude this bill isnt free coverage this is 'everyone must BUY health insurance whether they want it or not."

I don't qualify for the public option, 90% of the nation WILL NOT qualify for it.

The buck Starts here (for big farm and health insurance companies)

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O` tru apothecary!
Thy drugs are quick.
Thus with a kiss I die.

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the house bill is pretty good. the senate bill i think will also be good in it's on way. the senate is not as liberal and will keep the final bill that's reconciled from the house and senate version from being so radical that it does all these supposedly horrible things to america.  

stop listening to the rich insurance companies sponsoring the anti-reform campaign. the insurance company has been burning our families for decades. it's time for it to stop.  

we're the last first world nation to not implement healthcare coverage for all it's citizens. the buck stops here.

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The Conservatives fucked this bill up beyond recognition.

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Quote: from PrideAndJoy at 4:42 pm on Nov. 9, 2009

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The Conservatives fucked this bill up beyond recognition.

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Really? How so? Show me.

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Quote: from Forever Angel at 3:44 pm on Nov. 9, 2009

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Quote: from PrideAndJoy at 4:42 pm on Nov. 9, 2009

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The Conservatives fucked this bill up beyond recognition.

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Really? How so? Show me.

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By causing it to be watered down and by making it impossible to introduce actually useful reforms.

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