Kyl: 'No Chance' Health Reform By August

The Republicans do not want reform. They want a system which will put the most possible money into the pockets of the health, insurance and drug companies. Looked at the Medicare Drug Plan they passed under Bush. It had a big donut hole and insurance and drug prices skyrocketed after the first year. It was written by the industry.

Reform will provide good health insurance for the uninsured and under insured. It will deal with people who are excluded because of pre-existing illness. It will deal with rescissions, cutting off paid-up plans when someone gets an expensive illness. I was just reading about another example of that on the KC Star editorial page today.

Congress has the best public option health insurance plan available. Why don't they just vote to let all of us but into that. To do otherwise is to treat their constituents as dirt.

This is really not something that should be rushed through....

As usual the republicans will do anything to keep the health insurence companies and drug company CEO and boards of directors get there 12 million a year saleries and there by keep the republicans that have there wives on these boards getting the kick backs. Im not just ranting either do some research yo will find out that the republicans are getting millions in there pockets to keep things just the way they are. After all the people that voted them into office cant make them rich.

Kyl does not represent the average American, so what he is really saying is there is no way it will be done by August if any of his wealthy constituents will be required to cough up .01% of their millions to do it. He's a typical Arizona corporate tool and, unfortunately, my Senator.

Gauston in DC,
That would be a concern if this really was a 'rush.' Plans for healthcare reform have been in the works for decades. It's not the careful planning that is lacking, it's the political will to actually implement a plan.

"the longer it hangs out there, the more the American people are skeptical" - Yes, I agree. The longer the Republicans put this off the more skeptical I am that the GOP will do the right thing for the American people. Why are the Democrats bothering with trying to negotiate with the them? I am no Democrat, but the longer the GOP leadership plays politics with this crucial issue - the better the worse they look.

Does this mean that if we give up those "notions" about healthcare reform, we'll be rewarded with a cursory torture inquiry?

Consider me skeptical, if not outright cynical.

i can see why some people would be skeptical of a national program. The current medicare program is 50 trillion dollars in debt and they take a nice chunk out of my paycheck. (thank god its not attached to our national real debt) If people think this national program is going to be free, i laugh at them. Its going to come out of all of our paychecks just like medicare.

The Health Reform like the Cap and Tax bill is a major rip off for taxpayers. It's a scam to give demmies and their corrupt buddies more power and more money. This bill will lead to rationing of health care and cost many their lives all while costing taxpayers billions for less service. It's a fricking nightmare.

"emotional venting is repugnant and, if done at all, is best done in private." - If anything folks havent gotten emotional enough. America has the lowest life expectancy and infant mortality rates among technologically advanced countries. People are dying because of our healthcare system doesnt that make you angry? Instead we have politicians playing ideological games. Sure we got to make the numbers work but what about throwing a little compassion into the mix too?

Obama supports the Daschle plan which advocates not treating seniors because they are not worth it. Sorry, but this is a fact. So if your grannie needs Hip replacement, she is out of luck because under socialized care elderly aren't deemed worth the cost to the government. Socialized care is practiced in Canada and hence they have a much higher death rate for things like Breast and Prostate Cancer than the US. Rationed care causes death and costs much much more.

Correction on my last post: I meant to say the U.S. has the highest infant mortality rate among technologically advanced countries (I guess I was getting a little too emotional!).

The health care situation is spiraling out of control and the Dems understand this...the Republicans merely care for their sponsors money account....Medicare and especially Medicaid are exploding! The fact is its a lot easier to treat someone with a regular physician than it is when they wind up in the emergency room with no money and no insurance, and then YOU MUST BY LAW TREAT THEM ANYWAY!!!! THE REPUBLICANS BEING , QUITE POSSIBLY, THE WORST GROUP OF POLITICIANS EVER IN THE HISTORY OF OUR NATION DO NOT UNDERSTAND THIS...You either treat these people at the beginning of their illness with health insurance options that are feasible and reasonable, or you can wait till YOU HAVE TO TREAT THEM LEGALLY AND MORALLY IN AN EMERGENCY ROOM WITH COSTS THAT CAN RUN TWENTY TO THIRTY TIMES WHAT A MANAGED HEALTH CARE SYSTEM CLIENT WOULD COST THE GOVERNMENT.In the end the managed care specialists(the insurance companies) take money right off the top in the billions of dollars and do virtually NOTHING FOR THE PATIENT...NOTHING!!! BUT THE REPUBLICANS BEING ON THE DOLE OF THESE COMPANIES, AND LIKE THE CRIMINALS THEY REALLY ARE, WILL DO NOTHING ABOUT PROVIDING REASONABLE INSURANCE TO OUR PEOPLE.

One of the false analogies that republicans like to indulge themselves in as far as universal signle payer healthcare; the fact that they would essentially be trading their current private healthcare premiums in for payments on universal single payer healthcare and, if implemented as in Canada and Britain, no bill when they leave the hospital.

Should have proof-read better.

One of the false analogies that republicans like to overlook when it comes to universal single payer healthcare; the fact that they would essentially be trading their current private healthcare premiums in for payments on universal single payer healthcare and, if implemented as in Canada and Britain, no bill when they leave the hospital.

Apparently they prefer to be fleeced.

"Socialized care is practiced in Canada and hence they have a much higher death rate for things like Breast and Prostate Cancer" - Where do you get your stats? According to the CDC and thw WHO the Canadians have higher life spans and lower infant death rates than we do. Those stats correlate with good quality, accessible primary care. Primary care detects and treats heart disease, diabetes and other preventable illnesses. If fewer folks are dying of the preventable conditions that means more live to succumb to illnesses that often do not respond to treatment, such as cancer. Epidemiology is a complicated field. I appreciate your attempt to use data, but its important to analyse the data before cherry picking "facts" to back up your arguements.

No, Republicans like Kyl do not want reform. They belong in the company of those who wish to see the Obama agenda fail. It's time we see them for what they are--obstructionists, period. That they cannot see with urgent clarity the need for immediate health care reform, pushes them into the camp of the morally indefensible.

I love how Kyl's so sure about himself, as if the GOP had anything left. Power, credibility, potential. Their party is a laughing stock.

I am 44 year old a conservative who can't get insurance because of two degenerative disks. BUT, I oppose any health care plan until Democrats start talking about personal responsibility. 30% of adults are obese and it seems everyone is diabetic. 20% smoke. Unless people with mostly preventable conditions are going to be spanked (through some form of premium or co-pay) for their lack of discipline, taxpayers can't bail out everyone's health condition. Tax health care benefits...for everyone!!

I don't believe this should be rushed. But we do need healthcare reform. Absolutely.
3 out of 5 bankruptcies are caused by medical bills. Thousands who do not have insurance clog our emergency rooms to get care for minor issues.
Don't people realize that we are already paying for those people with increased premiums?
This needs to get done and a robust public option needs to be part of the plan.

"people with mostly preventable conditions are going to be spanked (through some form of premium or co-pay) for their lack of discipline, taxpayers can't bail out everyone's health condition" - There are strong genetic components to obesity and diabetes (as well as disk disease), how do you suggest we seperate those who have these conditions due to their DNA from those whose conditions relate to lifestyle? Take your disc disease - did you always lift with your legs, have good posture, use a good mattress and ergonomic furniture? Those with preventable illness do need to mind their lifestyles, but they also need access to quality primary care to learn what lifestyle changes can help resolve their conditions.

Most Republicans are better off than Dems financially...Essentially they have rather good health care THEY CAN AFFORD IT....Moreover, if they own stock with Empire, or US Healthcare, or HIP etc they get a dividend off the government as is, since those companies make most of their money off MEDICAID AND MEDICARE....so for Republicans there is really no point in moving on...even if the health care system does collapse for the rest of us, the way they see it, they save on taxes, and when the weak amongst us dies, they get to hire the stronger for less than they paid the guy who died. You see the ordinary people of our nation must begin to understand that the REPUBLICANS SIMPLY CARE FOR THE UPPER CLASSES, THE PRIVILEGED...the rest of us are LOSERS AND SO WE MUST PAY FOR OUR LOSSES WITH OUR VERY LIVES. TO THE REPUBLICANS LIFE IS A LOTTERY..THE WINNER GETS EVERYTHING, THE LOSER GETS NOTHING....THIS REALLY IS THEIR PHILOSOPHY...

"REPUBLICANS SIMPLY CARE FOR THE UPPER CLASSES, THE PRIVILEGED."

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Wow, for a second there I thought I stumbled upon the Democrat Underground.

Seriously, is this a joke or is this poster just an agent trying to spread DNC talking points (i.e. lies).

Republicans are the party of the wealthy? I guess Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, and George Soros are all big GOP supporters then right?

This is just another trick by the libs to try and paint conservatives as "rich" where "rich" can be defined as anyone that makes enough money to pay income taxes.

You cant just give a free total package to all Americans. Not only is it a recipe for financial disaster, it encourages the welfare-state kind of mindset that we have gotten way too involved in already.

What I feel we need to do is very much like France has done. We need to provide some basic-level of services to everyone. To go beyond that, you either need to pay on your own (either out-of-pocket or with supplemental insurance). Those who cannot afford anything would of course get federal subsidies. We then add to this - a large dose of health industry regulation. Insurers have to take everyone at the same costs, and keep those costs down by capping their profits. The health industry itself could be forced to cap billing rates at certain levels, etc. To counter that, we would increase our support of medical school expenses, etc.

What I don't want to see is a system where there are people scrambling to get something for nothing that they have the means to pay for. That has become the "American way" in the past 30-40 years and has got to stop. You can't pay for everyone's coverage if they can afford to pay for it themselves. Its just wrong. Conversely, you cannot expect a small group of individuals to pay for everyone else's coverage either.

This is a complex issue and needs far more time for debate and thought that Obama wants it to have. Like everything else, he wants this done "fast and dirty". Well, the American people deserve better than that. It takes time to overhaul a system. I am totally clueless as to why Congress doesn't opt for incremental reform each year. Why they have to design everything from scratch all at once is beyond me!

I really think that people are a lot more worried about the economy than health care. If you can't afford to eat health care has no meaning. I wonder if all you libs stay up at night thinking about hateful things to say about republicans. We all are Americans but liberals seem to hate what America stands for and what we have done to be the best country in the world. We owe no appologies to anyone.

"REPUBLICANS SIMPLY CARE FOR THE UPPER CLASSES" - I share your frustration, but I think most Republicans are good folks who are just trying to do what they think is best for their families and their country (remember that half of all Republicans support a public option). Now the GOP leadership is a different story. From what I have seen in regards to this healthcare reform debate the GOP politicians seem to be putting narrow ideology above the health of men, women and children. Its very sad.