Instead of McCain’s gang of eight, Susan Collins seems to be stepping up to find a solution to the impasse. Two specifics are being floated – getting rid of the tax on medical devices and tightening eligibility for getting the Obamacare subsidy – there was already talk of reducing the write off if you got more subsidy than you were entitled to and have to pay it back because you underestimated your income.
Implicit in that proposal is the acknowledgement that Obamacare is not going to be repealed, which is what I strongly said before the 2012 election. Even if Republicans won every senate race, they still didn’t have the votes to override a presidential veto. Instead Republicans lost seats in the Senate.
The path to Republican victory is to sit on the sidelines and let Obamacare crash and burn and keep reminding people not 1 Republican voted to create it. While this is happening, they need to be preparing an alternative like a Medicare early buyin for early retirees. Health Insurance companies are not on the list of most people’s favorite companies.
The Medicare buyin has a lot of negative consequences – I can think of two people I know who continued to work until they turned 65 specifically because they needed medical coverage until they became eligible for Medicare. Putting even more people into Medicare will further distort the cost shifting from Medicare/Medicaid low reimbursement rates.
The real problem is the overconsumption of medical care with the patient out of the payment loop. Outlaw medigap coverage and force people to pay the deductibles and copays and you’ll start to get a handle on costs – and you’ll also get thrown out of office.
What about all the exemptions? Was there any talk on quashing that?
An alternative path to Republican victory would be to actually bring up for a House vote, The American Health Care Reform Act, H.R. 3121. It is a “pragmatic, practical, and portable free-market alternative to the current health care system” that also repeals and replaces ObamaCare. It would never pass the Senate, but would be a positive answer to the current law, that is not even being complied with as we speak.
Summary at:
http://rsc.scalise.house.gov/uploadedfiles/rsc_hc_bill_-_2_pager.pdf
Essentially it has all the benefits of ObamaCare, and is based on competition in a free market, which is a major shortcoming now that actually drives up the cost under ObamaCare and hires lots more public employees. It addresses all major concerns such as portability, reforms medical malpractice laws, allows families and individuals to deduct health care costs from their income, expands Health Savings Accounts, covers pre-existing conditions without the downside pitfall in ObamaCare, and no federal funding of abortions.
Since the leadership will not even allow it to come to a vote (do not want a ‘No’ vote on the RINO’s voting record) then it is a moot point. This would answer critics who say the R’s have no alternative plan, although they do. It would also allow the R’s to actually have a strong issue to start campaigning for 2014, now.
So the truth is the RINO’s want to lose the current battle. Yes, they positively do want to lose in the hopes that the American people will wake-up, blame the coming train-wreck on the Democrats and vote the ‘right way’. Attempts to take the Republican Party away from the RINO’s is impossible in the current atmosphere.
Sorry to be so blunt. Rush gets a failing grade from me on this issue. He needs to just face the fact that no large federal program aimed at increasing entitlements has ever been repealed or even been truly fixed. All are based on spending borrowed money today to be paid back with future earnings, which will never happen, even in a trillion years. There could be a default on the Debt, yes, but that is the only way it will ever be wiped-out.
Then there would be an epic battle to regain our lost sovereignty.
The most important thing about Obamacare is the ultimate goal is to take control of Health Care regulation from State Insurance regulators to Federal control. States that decided to not create a state exchange have already ceded control to the Feds – they just may not realize it yet.
The “magic” of Obamacare is that much of the cost shifting and change to the way insurance is written requires no Federal funding. That’s different than saying there is no cost.
That was the magic of Romney care – you don’t need a new tax and a cash flow through the government. You just tell employers they have to provide it and avoid the govt middleman taking a cut.
There will never be a free market for healthcare. Get into a car accident and find yourself unconscious and lying on the side of the road. You are in no position to shop around for the most cost effective doctors and most cost effective ambulance.
Good points above. I do not disagree.
So, going back to the health care issue, ObamaCare. If people would just believe Chief Justice Roberts’s ruling that actually ruled it’s mandate, relative to the commerce clause, was unconstitutional, we could be on our way out of the mess by now. Roberts struck down as unconstitutional, the Obamacare idea that the federal government can force states into complying by withholding Medicaid funding. Also, Robert’s also ruled that Congress can’t compel American citizens to purchase anything, ever. That notion is now officially and forever, unconstitutional. So, if the House had just stuck to the idea that no funding for ObamaCare would be allowed the IRS could not collect any so-called fines.
Of course it is obvious the RINO’s agenda is truly NOT at odds with da ObamaNation. They are just running a ‘dog and pony’ show and we are about to be Fluked, with no protection!
Obamacare (now that I see the rates) ends the need to shop around. Since they are not allowed to consider your health status, by definition they have to give everyone the worst possible rate because of guarantee issue.
Welcome to the high risk pool – the water’s warm!
That’s exactly what I found. Welcome to Feed the Beast. Feed it money and it grows into an unstoppable monstrosity. Perhaps only those who need, or think they will soon need medical care are going to sign-up. The young, healthy, single, childless folks won’t sign-up.
Susan Collins (RINO) wants to get rid of the tax on medical devices. So, it must be assumed, by a cynic like me, she is working for the producers of medical devices. That’s OK, but then she should step down as a public representative and declare herself to be a Lobbyist. And, if she is promoting the tightening of eligibility for poor folks who need the Obamacare subsidy maybe she needs to look at the un-Affordable premiums being charged to folks with regular jobs. Susan Collins is a RINO who would never vote for the American Health Care Reform Act, H.R. 3121, because it would help elect and also re-elect anyone who runs for Congress.
What happened to the Constitutional requirement (Article 1 Section 7) that all revenue bills must originate in the House of Representatives? Why are the Senate and the President wasting time on this, when the Senate is not permitted to initiate a revenue bill? Therefore the Senate bill must involve spending limits only, and not affect taxes (revenue). Any Senate-initiated repeal of the medical device tax is unconstitutional.
Senators, the citizens of America have a question for you: Have you ever read the U.S. Constitution?
“Pay no attention to those men behind the curtain- I am OB, the great and powerful!!”
http://www.usconstitution.net/constfaq_q125.html
How much are we paying per tomato for this? Wouldn’t it be cheaper to buy them at an Albertsons or Cocso?
http://nypost.com/2013/10/14/squirrels-nuts-for-first-ladys-garden-during-shutdown/
Maybe it would be cheaper to eat the squirrels.
Perhaps we could open the yard up to the EBT folks with zero balances?
We’ll have to give them free Amtrak tickets. It’s not fair that people in DC should get free tomatoes and not everyone