‘Top Line’: ‘Mini-Revolt’ in Congress on Health Care

I'm so ashamed of the Democrats who are fighting this healthcare process. I can only think that they are giving in to the ever powerful health lobbies who are profiting from the status quo, and are refusing to protect their constituancy.

In order to show that the universal health care spending must be deficit neutral, the W.H. has been applying pressure on the health care industry to show enough saving to cover all the uninsured 46 m people. So far the total amount of savings promised by the health care insurance industry and the hospitals is still far below the amount estimated by the Congressional budget office , which is about 1.6 billion dollars for the ten years. There is no way to get the doctors to agree they will charge less for their service, possibly due to fact that many young doctors had to borrow large sum of money for their education and the economy is so bad that even many
well to do medical doctors have lost heavily on their savings

What makes any sane person think that the government can manage health care. Look at what the government has done to Social Security, Medicare, Public Housing, and now AIG. With this kind of a track record they have proven that they aren’t even capable of successfully operating the local burger stand. To start with where will the money come from and not cause an increase to the government debt any more than it is? In his first 132 days in office Obama has increased the debt of the government by 694.2 Billion dollars. At this rate he will increase the debt of the Government by 1.9 Trillion dollars in his first year alone and 7.6 Trillion dollars by the end of his 4 year term in office. If he is elected for a second term with the same rate of spending then the government debt will increase by 15.3 Trillion dollars. Since the debt owed by the Government was 10.6 Trillion dollars when he took office an additional 7.6 Trillion will almost double the debt in just 4 years to 18.3 Trillion dollars and at the end of his second term it will have increased to an unthought-of 26 Trillion dollars. The interest alone on this amount of debt will consume more than half of the entire federal budget. This does not even include what Obama wants to put into healthcare which has been estimated may actually cost upwards of 1.6 Billion dollars. This is money that the Government does not have and cannot conceivably have without raising taxes to the point where everyone in the country will be paying a much higher tax rate than they are currently paying. No matter how you want to put it any healthcare reform will require government involvement which will lead to required government spending so the money is an important issue, if it’s not there then healthcare will have to wait until such time as it is available. Obama promised change but this is ridiculous he makes all who came before him look minor on their spending while in office.

Time to stop spending and do what should have been done long ago, cut spending which is not specifically authorized in article 1 of the constitution. There is NO money for healthcare, there is NO money for education reform or any other dreams in the upcoming budget. Look at what the government has done to Social Security, Medicare, Public Housing, and now AIG.

When Medicare was created in 1965, benefits were relatively limited and retirees paid a substantial percentage of the costs of their own care. In 1965, Congressional actuaries expected Medicare to cost $3.1 billion by 1970. In 1969, that estimate was revised to $5 billion, and it actually came in at $6.8 billion. Things have gotten worse since, and Medicare today costs $455 billion and rising. Medicaid was intended as a last resort for the poor but now covers one-third of all long-term care expenses in the U.S. -- that is, it has become a middle-class subsidy for aging parents of the Baby Boomers. Its annual bill is $227 billion, and so far this fiscal year is rising by 17%. Schip was pitched a decade ago as a safety net for poor kids, Schip is now open to families that earn up to 300% of the poverty level, or $63,081 for a family of four. Any new federal health plan will inevitably follow the same trajectory, no matter how much Senators might claim they've guaranteed otherwise. The Lewin Group consultants estimate that 119 million people who now have private insurance could potentially be captured by the government under the Obama public option. This is on top of the 90 million already in Medicare or Medicaid. This would guarantee a spending explosion that would over time lift federal outlays as a share of GDP into the upper 20% range or higher. This health-care debate isn't like the "stimulus" bill, which was largely about short-term spending and deficits. This one is about whether to turn 17% of the U.S. economy entirely and permanently into the arms of the government.

Congressmen do not have FREE health insurance. Their employer is the federal government and like many employers, it provides him with an insurance plan from a private insurance company. Congressmen have been required to get their health insurance in this manner since passage of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1983. In this case the federal government utilizes the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) plan to provide a choice of different private insurance plans to choose from, The federal government as the employeer pays a portion of the monthly premium and the Congressman as the employee pays the remainder. The Congressman is responsible for any copays or deductable payments when service is provided by a healthcare provider.

The governments only other involvment with the FEHB is to negotiate rates and benefits for each plan once a year. If you want to get educated just Google FEHB and go to the site and see what the differnt plans are. If the government were to open these plans to the public the monthly premiums for a family plan would roughly be between $425.00 and $1300.00, for an individual the monthly premium would roughly be between $177.00 and $550.00. One of the differences in the plan costs is the level of benefits provided and the amount the patient pays when receiving healthcare. To me this would be a viable option as the government would not have to make a large outlay to open these plans to the public and they already negotiate the cost and benefits each year with the plan providers.

I am so tired of the have-nots expecting the hardworking "haves" to pay for EVERYTHING, including the hardworking doctors that slave and sacrifice for YEARS to get that degree. Really, what use are the have nots that we should all sacrifiice (again, and again) for their slovenly wellbeing?? I don't want another British nanny state.

The overhauling of the health system is just a pile of c**p...if congress really wants to help the American people with health care..they,themselves, would give up their exclusive (Congress & Senate only)health benefits, and receive the same as every other American...using Medicare and/or insurance....I promise they would come to a quick and benefical solution to the health problems in this country. If the results of this 'elected' body effected them as it does those they 'say' they represent...many things would be different.

Pinkkitty, those "have nots" make up both the employees and the customers of the "haves" that own the businesses. Without them, the "haves" would have nothing themselves.

Democrat's sure are in a big hurry to get all this ***t passed. I guess they figure they can only blame it on Bush for so much longer......

This hard working "rich" American deeply resents the notion of being forced to pay for the health care of others. I am sick of being told that this is the price of being successful. If people like me have less money to spend, jobs for others will be fewer and will pay much less.

I contribute vastly more to this country than I get out of it. And yes, if the law allowed it I would just leave, but as it currently stands, with my assets, I would not be able to escape taxation for 10 years. This is tyranny.