Obama put on the spot about funding for healthcare

[Rooster]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009...st-heads-west/

About time, I have been asking now for a while how will we pay for this.

One option, he said, is to eliminate subsidies to insurance companies and instead shift the subsidies to low-income Americans to help them buy insurance.
The president said two-thirds of the cost could be covered in such ways, by "eliminating waste and inefficiencies."

How about we do the above anyway to lower premiums. If he says we can pay for it by eliminating waste and inefficiencies, lets go ahead and do that anyway.

[Guisslapp]

Wouldn't removing subsidies for insurance companies make the policies more expensive?

[SicemDawgz]

That's the idea.

[dawgmom]

.. eliminate subsidies to insurance companies and instead shift the subsidies to low-income Americans to help them buy insurance.

I'm wondering what subsidies he is referring to because I am only aware of the "subsidies" to Medicaid HMO's. Not what I would call a subsidy. It's a contract for services provided to the Medicaid population. And that is state, not federal anyway. Anyone know??

[TYLERTECHSAS]

So, the question is, "How did it get this far to begin with?" One answer is that Obama and the left wing of the Dems do not really understand America and what has made her great. Which begs the question, "do they care?" It also shows how naive they are about the pulse of this country and how even now they still don't get it. Note even the first words of this article from the liberal biased media "Bowing to Republican pressure". Bowing to the GOP my butt! This was the true American people ,in force, raising hell in these townhalls. Nobody bussed them in like Acorn does.

All the Dems know is that they don't yet have the votes. They won't stop until their will is forced upon us in some form. After all they are the elite and all knowing idealist and therefore know better than you and I what's best for us. Narcissist all of them.








RETREAT: TEAM OBAMA DROPS 'PUBLIC OPTION'

[PawDawg]

I'm wondering what subsidies he is referring to because I am only aware of the "subsidies" to Medicaid HMO's. Not what I would call a subsidy. It's a contract for services provided to the Medicaid population. And that is state, not federal anyway. Anyone know??

Isn't it amazing how he uses these "subsidies" to fit whatever argument he is taking up a the moment? He's like a fart in the wind.

[TYLERTECHSAS]

Isn't it amazing how he uses these "subsidies" to fit whatever argument he is taking up a the moment? He's like a fart in the wind.

Probably one of the best descriptions I've heard of him. We all pray he does well in leading America but on his current path I hope he's more like "Dust in the wind". That wind smells like a nasty toot right now though.

[daybreaker3]

RETREAT: TEAM OBAMA DROPS 'PUBLIC OPTION'

This is exactly why the Dems need to say "**** bipartisanship" and pass through a bill that will actually DO something. Because anything they do in the name of bipartisanship is then headlined like that by all the far right media.

Not to mention, they didnt DROP it yet. They "appear ready to drop it".

But hey, why let facts get in the way? It hasnt stopped you guys before.

[techman05]

I'm wondering what subsidies he is referring to because I am only aware of the "subsidies" to Medicaid HMO's. Not what I would call a subsidy. It's a contract for services provided to the Medicaid population. And that is state, not federal anyway. Anyone know??

Maybe he is referring to the supplementary plans that some people carry to absorb costs that one plan won't cover.

[Guisslapp]

This is exactly why the Dems need to say "**** bipartisanship" and pass through a bill that will actually DO something.

They said that along time ago. The only thing that is causing them to change their tune now is their evaporating public approval ratings.

[TYLERTECHSAS]

Dems/Libs do have the votes to pass their crappy bill as they have the majority. They are just finally running scared, as they should be due, to the American people not wanting this total sham to happen. If Obama ( he told a total of 21 lies that were counted at his townhall the other night) and is ilk were truly honest with JQ public they might be able to pull it off. But no....Obama wants to take us all for chumps and naive like his support/voting base. But the American people (Independents, of course REPs and maybe a few DEMS) are starting to see right through this phoney and his ADM lies.

[weunice]

They said that along time ago. The only thing that is causing them to change their tune now is their evaporating public approval ratings.

And because anyone with sense who has paid attention the last few decades has noticed that ramrolling legislation by pretending you have a mandate from the American people is a good way to get the American people to say, ummm OK we don't like you guys in power and have massive resets in midterm elections and whatnot. Most voters know that in 2 years Democrats are looking at Republican gains, or worse, in 4 years they are looking at a Republican president if they don't do something without considering a plan that 70% of Americans back instead of just the 51% that got them elected.

The problem is major parties often lose sight of that and go for that mandate language which appeases a "base" of about 30% if Americans but which pisses off the moderates. In they end up screwing themselves.

[glm47]

This is exactly why the Dems need to say "**** bipartisanship" and pass through a bill that will actually DO something. Because anything they do in the name of bipartisanship is then headlined like that by all the far right media.

Not to mention, they didnt DROP it yet. They "appear ready to drop it".

But hey, why let facts get in the way? It hasnt stopped you guys before.

look who's talking.

[PawDawg]

Maybe he is referring to the supplementary plans that some people carry to absorb costs that one plan won't cover.

Yes Medicare supplements is the only thing it could be.

Now this co-op thing...

It will be sold as "competition" to the existing insurance company plans. FYI, (you'll never hear a politician say this) many exsisting companies are "not for profit". BCBS of Louisiana is a not for profit and the major expense passed on to policy holders is the expense passed on to BCBS by docs and hospitals from Medicare and Medicaid reimbursment shortages.

If these new co-op plans receive a larger reimbursement than the current profit and not for profit providers the plan is tainted. I expect it to be. Ultimately these co-ops will be government run and controlled by politicians. We'll be no better off unless they are forced to compete on a level playing field.

[dawgmom]

Yes Medicare supplements is the only thing it could be.

Medicare supplement is private insurance, not a subsidized program. The Medicare HMO/PPO's are private as well, but again, maybe he is considering the contract a "subsidy". The HMO/PPO is at full risk for the care of the insured. The govt pays a per head fee for the HMO/PPO as the provider. If that is what Obama is calling a subsidy... that's really misleading.

The new co-op discussion is just an attempt to step down the language to something that sounds neutral. They are trying to regroup to something that sounds better than Government-run Healthcare to appease the angry masses. It is still a battle. Healthcare isn't the problem; insurance companies are not the problem. Medicare needs a fix and we need tort reform. The real problem is entitlements and the cycle it has created for the people in it. It wasn't intended as a way of life. Teach a man to fish, you know?