Today's Q for O's WH - 6/25/2009

"The pharmaceutical and health products industry as a whole has, in 2009 alone, already spent more than $66.5 million lobbying Congress. PhRMA, in particular, has come out against plans for a public option for insurance coverage."

"Over the past eight years, some of the largest and most politically active pharmaceutical and health care companies have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on private trips for members of Congress and their staffs."

I have had the same questions as Concerned in OH......why is there a grandfather clause for those belonging to unions whereby they do not have to pay taxes on their private health care but those who do not belong to unions must pay that tax? Really???? It is a good thing that Obama and the Unions despise one another......(do note the sarcasm of course)

jadama, well put.

When the referee and the opposing team are the same entity, it's hard to get a fair shake. That's what will happen to private insurers if there is a public plan. Also, as the government plan will not have to be a for-profit enterprise, and can even sustain losses for some time, it can undercut the private sector and squeeze them out easily. It's rather like what happens when WallyWorld comes to a small town, runs losses on some items to make it impossible for local merchants to compete on price, uses their economy of scale to be able to offer the rest of their merchandisee at very low margins, and runs their smaller, less-well-financed competition out of business. It's the free enterprise system at work, but it ain't pretty.

If there is a public plan component in the health care bill, it will inevitably lead to single-payer government-run health care, which is what most of the president's supporters on this issue want.

This administration is in the business of picking winners and losers. If you play ball with them-acorn, unions,"bundlers' you win. If you don't-you lose. Once the subsidized "public plan" gets going it will squeeze out private plans that can't compete with the taxpayers paying for part of the premiums. Voila! we have government run "Public Plan"for almost everyone except the Obamas and ironically the Kennedy's who can afford to ignore the government's restrictions and pay for what they want.Right now, If I want brain surgery like Kennedy got I can use BC/BS and go practically anywhere and see almost anyone I want and get it. Under Obamacare? Not a chance- no matter what smoke they are blowing our way now. Look to Canada and Britain for what is coming next after the Public Plan squashes private insurers and only the government is left standing. Like going to the DMV? How about that same caring attitude when it comes to your health? Keep after them Jake. You are the only one left who seems to be asking the serious questions for us. The other guys have lost their way -and their credibility.

This all just serves to remind me of what the brilliant PJ O'Rourke has famously said... "If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free."

Speaking of "scorable". Will the Congress Critters opt out of their present health care plan and opt in to the proposed public plan?

More run around the rose garden. Look how the Senate is playing bully in the hearings being held. We are never going to know the true cost,so much for open government.

It's obvious to me that what's happenning to healthcare right now is what happenned to the housing market/financial deriviatives market...getting hit with a highly leveraged position in a major economic stall. Kaiser would rather enslave people to forced labor than go bankrupt. It's bad enough that the banks have got bailed out for trying to enslave us to financial leverage, but now these plans are going for forced income payments, too? Rediculous. Kaiser should go talk with Wells Fargo and Ford, or else GM and Citi.

Just what are the "savings and agreements" that are not "scorable"? Savings can only achieved by mandating a reduction in health care services. At the next opportunity please ask: Would the President, as a demonstration to the country of his conviction on the quality of his health care solution, insist that Congress be brought under the plan as a first step? Yes or No?