Comments for Franklin Delano Obama »
Posted By Beau7890 9 months, 2 weeks ago in Health & FitnessMost presidents are tacticians, but President Obama is a strategist. His budget suggests that he aspires to be an echo of Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan, harnessing his charisma, vision and political capital to transport America to a different place.
The best measure of that is Mr. Obama’s “down payment” to move closer to universal health coverage from womb to tomb. That is something that Roosevelt also sought, a lifetime ago.
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frctm59 months, 2 weeks ago
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I read this article. Its all the more remarkable coming from the conservative columnist Bill Kristoff. Its refreshing to see some honesty and independence in the conservative quarter. There is no objective measure of our health care system that would defend the status quo.
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Beau78909 months, 2 weeks ago
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You're thinking of Bill Kristol, arch-neocon and staunch supporter of Sarah Palin, who recently lost his column at the NY Times. (The Washington Post is publishing him once a month.)
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This article was written by Nicholas Kristof, who's pretty liberal.-
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Dionys9 months, 2 weeks ago
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"Nicholas Kristof"
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He's very liberal. But very devoted to good works. Our family and his are close friends. His mom's a professor of Art History in Portland, OR. Nicholas is rather well known for his series of articles concerning human trafficking across borders with a particular emphasis on the abuses that stem from that.
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Goppy9 months, 2 weeks ago
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I would strongly urge Propeller-Heads to ignore the heading of this story and read the article. Frankly, I think the author took the wind out of his sails by trying to 'juice-up' the story with this headline.
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It's a compelling story of Health Care in America.
Health Care in America is an International Disgrace.
In my opinion, the decrepit health care system we have is a DIRECT contributor to the demise of our Automobile Industry.
For what is GM today?
GM is the one of the LARGEST Health Care providers in the word.
What is Toyota today?
Toyota is one of the LARGEST CAR manufacturers in the world.
The broken health care system in our nation has put enormous burden on not just GM .... but on ALL American employers.
This burden has actually served as fuel for the downward spiral of our economy.
THAT'S how important Health Care Reform is to our nation and economy.
The ENORMOUS health care costs have been what has crippled our Auto Industry to stay competitive.
Here are some facts ....
- The Auto Industry's very own calculations have determined that Health Care costs add $1,525 to the price tag of each car.
- Toyota paid $1,400 LESS per vehicle on health care. Japan has one of the best health care systems in the world ... and it provides this as universal coverage.
In 2007, GM spent $4.6 BILLION on Health Care. That's more than it paid for STEEL!
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We need to push aside the nay sayers, the 'Sky Is Falling' Freaks, and those who see Socialism in every Government action ... so that our nation can go 'toe to toe' ... in a fair fight ... with other industrialized nations. .... -
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Beau78909 months, 2 weeks ago
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Locky12Comment removed: Spammer, Abusive53 Replies
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Endoscopy9 months, 2 weeks ago
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Yep. Health care in this country is so bad that people from all over the world come here to get better treatment. There was the Canadian MP that came to San Fransisco to get her breast cancer treated. If the Canadian medical care was so great why did she come here? People from other countries that have universal health care come here. Why?
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The statistics given by the organizations leave out an important statistic. Are these deaths of legal or illegal residents? Illegals try to stay away from places that might detect them.-
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Goppy9 months, 2 weeks ago
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Mr. Endoscopy, It's so like you to care more about people living outside our borders than Americans living WITHIN those borders.
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Of course, this is true to form for the 'dyed in the wool' Right Winger.
This is the same group who supported George W. Bush threatening to arrest seniors who traveled to Canada to get cheaper medications.
There is ONE thing I will personally guarantee to fellow Americans .... The Modern Republican will ALWAYS demean the circumstances of Middle Class Americans in favor of Insurance Companies, Big Pharma, .... and Rich Foreigners.
It's one of the touchstones of their Moral Vacancy. ... ... ... Like when they fight against Children getting access to affordable Health Care.
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Locky12Comment removed: Spammer, Abusive
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Goppy9 months, 2 weeks ago
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Hmmm ... perhaps you missed the first 7 1/2 years of the Republican Administration's efforts to DENY expansion of the SCHIP?
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Here ... you can read this story ...
http://www.politicalaffairs.net/article/view/6043/...
I quote from the article....
"Hard line Republicans in the House of Representative last week cheered after blocking an effort to override George W. Bush's veto of a children's health care bill by a margin of about a dozen votes."
So, Locky ... exactly WHAT nation's political scene ARE you commenting on?
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stalemateComment removed: Retracted by user
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truthiness9 months, 2 weeks ago
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no one doubts the skill or technology of the health care industry in America. If you can afford it. This is the critique, the ability to afford.
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most of these statistics, in this article, could only be gathered from trackable people.
is it less tragic if am illegal human dies due only to poverty?
If a Canadian Prime Minister can buy care in SF but an American College girl can't buy cancer care in her home state, doesn't that seem problematic to you?
The Japanese Auto Industry is in better shape than the American auto industry, people like to blame the Unions, but their wages are comparable. And their executives make less. The only place we are putting out significantly more money is health insurance. Doesn't this seem like a bad plan to you?
As to why the Prime Minister came here, it is because we have better doctors. Do you believe the current payment system is the reason we have better doctors? Do you think if that doctor was paid by a single-payer company at a set rate for a procedure he or she would do a worse job? or are you afraid that a person of such skill would never take such a job if it were socialized? If any of these things concern you, than I think you don't know many doctors. Most do their work because it is in them like a calling.
nationalizing the insurance without touching the rest of the industry will prove a medical, financial, and social boon to this nation.-
Locky12Comment removed: Spammer, Abusive14 Replies
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NoWayMan9 months, 2 weeks ago
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oh endo, will you ever get a clue? (btw, we're not holding our collective breath thinking that you will someday)
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nobody doubts american ingenuity, technology and ability when it comes to healthcare. the actual helathcare itself is fine. that's why people come here for specialized treatment.
the problems lie big Pharma and big Insurance who have their eyes squarely focused on the bottom line and not on patient care. thats why you have Americans willing to drive to mexico and canada to fill subscriptions, etc. does that mean canada and mexico have better medicine than we do? no.
the actual standard of care isn't the roblem. the problem is that the profit motive is simply too high and outweighs every other aspect of healthcare. its the profit motive that leaves people out in the cold, forces them to go over the border for meds, etc. its the profit motive that has small businesses closing down because they can't afford to insure their employees at the current rates set by for-profit private companies.
and that's just wrong. the system needs an overhaul. now.-
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beavith19 months, 2 weeks ago
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....the problems lie big Pharma and big Insurance who have their eyes squarely focused on the bottom line and not on patient care. thats why you have Americans willing to drive to mexico and canada to fill subscriptions, etc. does that mean canada and mexico have better medicine than we do? no...
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wrong question. Americans drive to Canada and Mexico to take advantage of the market distorted drug pricing brought on by FDA rules. just the same as Canadians and Mexicans coming here for market distorted health care.
the question is: who's system is better? the answer: false. there is no basis for comparison.
....the problem is that the profit motive is simply too high and outweighs every other aspect of healthcare. its the profit motive that leaves people out in the cold, forces them to go over the border for meds, etc. its the profit motive that has small businesses closing down because they can't afford to insure their employees at the current rates set by for-profit private companies....
hold on, one cotton picking minute.
so THAT'S the problem? how does tort liability fit in? how many ObGyns do we have in excess today? how's about thoracic surgeons? how long do you think it takes to pay off medical school when the blood sucking vampires are riding on their shoulders?
try and hold your breathe before the democratic controlled congress will addresses the tort bar. by all means, though, lets throw that baby out with the bathwater and see what everything looks like after the dust settles.
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DenCuddy9 months, 2 weeks ago
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I blew out my ACL in the spring last year. Yhe total billed amount was $35,000 most of which was denied or reduced. The total amount BC/BS paid out was just under $11,000 which I felt was more reasonable. How much savings would we get if hospitals didn't have to inflate charges to get a reasonable payment? The back and forth paperwork probably cost 1/3 of the whole operation.
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Goppy9 months, 2 weeks ago
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Yuck ... how horrible.
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My biggest fear is that I should have to go to the hospital.
I have my own insurance - nevertheless - I'm aware of too many instances of mistakes ... both medical ... and actuarial.
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Our Medical System is truly Kafka-esque.
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Beau78909 months, 2 weeks ago
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Absolutely.
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Anyone who's ever had major medical problems or required major surgery knows how many bills you receive, how difficult it is to wade through all the charges, and how much time and effort it takes to get through to the people who understand them. You'd think insurers would do that for you, but they're only interested in protecting their bottom line, so their interest in fair pricing stops at their responsibility to pay--if they can pawn the charges on to you, they no longer bother negotiating.
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stalemateComment removed: Retracted by user26 Replies
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Phazeless9 months, 2 weeks ago
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Let's see, we have a system that's broken because of government distortions all the way from forcing the beginnings of businesses taking over the role of health care providers to medicare. So what do we decide to do? Hey, let's turn to the thing that caused the problem and let it finish off the job. Yeah, that's it.
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And it's worked so well where it's been tried. I talked to my Canadian friend about his experiences. I had to dodge when he spit on the ground. He didn't sound too happy. But then maybe he's an exception.-
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