Healthcare costs

[lizbud]

Susan Estrich was once a campaign manager for Michael Dukakis - which puts her out there on the left. She is a Professor in the USC Law School. She also writes a couple of columns each week.

Here is her take on the current health care reform -



source

The AMA supports health care reform. If the Senate & Congress stop
giving news conferances & sit down to read what the bill is about, they
wouldn't be giving knee-jerk reactions.

[Lady's Human]

The AMA supports health care reform. If the Senate & Congress stop
giving news conferances & sits down to read what the bill is about

If the Congressional Reps haven't read the bill why in hell are they doing ANYTHING with regards to it other than reading the bills?

This (and the last) Congress should be recalled en toto for their ineptitude.

If you haven't read the bill, how can you debate it or vote on it?

[Grace]

If the Congressional Reps haven't read the bill why in hell are they doing ANYTHING with regards to it other than reading the bills?

This (and the last) Congress should be recalled en toto for their ineptitude.

If you haven't read the bill, how can you debate it or vote on it?

Agree.

I am not opposed to health care reform. I am opposed to rushing full-speed ahead when those voting are not well-informed.

Congress hasn’t read the proposal – neither has the President. He was asked a question and didn’t know the answer.

What is the rush? Why can they not take the time to get it right the first time?

As I said before, Medicare didn’t happen over night – why should this plan?

[RICHARD]

I have to disagree with the call on this thread for our reps to read the bill-

Osmosis worked for me when I was in school, whywon't it work for passing and voting for legislation?

This is nothing but 'feel good' plan to fool the country into making us feel like we are cared for by the government.

The people who currently work, or have in the past intimately know about the problems that the HC system has.

And they also know that the 'system' is well past the point of throwing money at it for it to be reformed.

It's nothing more that a "LOOK, I care because I put money into it".

Money is good, but a little thought would be better?

[Puckstop31]

As I said before, Medicare didn’t happen over night – why should this plan?

What does your gut tell you? What does it say to you when politicians are screaming "hurry, hurry!", before they even know what is in the bill... OR at least are willing to SAY that they know what is really in the bill.

The CBO has been clear on what it means if this bill becomes law.

[cassiesmom]

What does your gut tell you? What does it say to you when politicians are screaming "hurry, hurry!", before they even know what is in the bill... OR at least are willing to SAY that they know what is really in the bill.

The CBO has been clear on what it means if this bill becomes law.

It tells me that a bill thrown together quickly probably won't offer the best possible solution. I can't imagine that the August deadline will be met because there are so many stakeholders - doctors, hospitals, insurers, patient advocacy groups. I bet the AMA and the American Hospital Association have powerful lobbyists and I know the insurance industry does! Changing health care in America is a tough question.

[blue]

ShrubCo was demonized for signing the Patriot Act into law even though none of the senators or congressmen read the act that they voted to enact into law.

Why is anybody suprised that OHB is pushing for the HCR bill, whatever it is called, to be passed without anybody knowing whats in it?

I dont want .GOV telling my doctors what level of treatment I get and niether should anybody else in this country.

Tort reform and making medical insurance a non profit industry would go a long way to reforming health care in the USA.

[Lady's Human]

Tort reform and making medical insurance a non profit industry would go a long way to reforming health care in the USA.

If you mandate that medical insurance become a non-profit industry who is going to provide med insurance?

I've yet to see anyone start a company NOT to make money.

[Puckstop31]

My...My...

http://www.breitbart.tv/uncovered-vi...ate-insurance/

[lizbud]

If the Congressional Reps haven't read the bill why in hell are they doing ANYTHING with regards to it other than reading the bills?


If you haven't read the bill, how can you debate it or vote on it?

You would be amazed who really reads the language of any proposed bill.
(or maybe You wouldn't) They have staff that brief them on "facts".

[Lady's Human]

It wouldn't amaze me in the least.

I sincerely doubt that many sitting congressional representatives read much, if any of the legislation that they vote on. I doubt that congressional staffs function much different from military staffs.

If they were required to read the bills they write, they wouldn't have time to vote on anything other than the budgets.

[RICHARD]

It wouldn't amaze me in the least.

I sincerely doubt that many sitting congressional representatives read much, if any of the legislation that they vote on.

Do they at least look at the pictures?

[blue]

Do they at least look at the pictures?

They get issued pop up books.

[Grace]

It wouldn't amaze me in the least.

I sincerely doubt that many sitting congressional representatives read much, if any of the legislation that they vote on. I doubt that congressional staffs function much different from military staffs.

If they were required to read the bills they write, they wouldn't have time to vote on anything other than the budgets.

On the subject of reading the bill - John Conyers, D-MI, spoke at the National Press Club last Friday, the 24th. This is his take on reading the bill -

Conyers Sees No Point in Members Reading 1,000-Page Health Care Bill–Unless They Have 2 Lawyers to Interpret It for Them

During his speech at a National Press Club luncheon, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Democratic Congressman John Conyers (D-Mich.), questioned the point of lawmakers reading the health care bill.

“I love these members, they get up and say, ‘Read the bill,’” said Conyers.

“What good is reading the bill if it’s a thousand pages and you don’t have two days and two lawyers to find out what it means after you read the bill?”

[Lady's Human]

In which case they should not be voting on it until taking the two days and speaking to the lawyers.