A Republican offers single payer as his alternative to the Affordable Care Act.

[kpete]

The New York Times just published an article (likely to appear in the Sunday print edition) entitled "Conservative Georgia District Urges G.O.P. to Keep Up the Fight", which looks at public sentiment in Republican Tom Graves's district (GA-14). Graves, you may remember, was the original sponsor of the Defund Obamacare Act, which currently has 150 co-sponsors among the House GOP. Yes, it's actually called the "Defund Obamacare Act."

These four paragraphs particularly struck me:

Mr. Tripcony, the surveyor, said he underwent heart surgery not long ago without health insurance, “a bad blow.” He has been making payments against the cost. He had heard of the online marketplace for insurance that opened on Oct. 1 under the Affordable Care Act.

“I just don’t trust it,” said Mr. Tripcony, who has an equal distrust of President Obama. “I don’t like him, and I don’t feel comfortable with anything he’s got to do with.”

Mr. Tripcony said he had a better idea for a system to provide health care at a fair price. “I think it should be the same for everybody,” he said. “One big company, whether owned by the government or private.”

Informed that he had described the single-payer system that Mr. Obama abandoned when Republican critics called it socialized medicine, he said, “Yeah, I know, it’s crazy.”

Yep, that was a Republican offering single payer as his alternative to the Affordable Care Act.


MORE:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/06/us/politics/conservative-georgia-district-urges-gop-to-keep-up-the-fight.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&src=twr&

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/05/1244562/-These-Four-Paragraphs-Embody-So-Much-of-What-Is-Wrong-with-Our-National-Debate-on-Health-Care

[DireStrike]

1. I couldn't stand it. I would have punched the guy in the face.

Their stupidity is hurting millions.

[leftstreet]

2. “I think it should be the same for everybody”

Yep

[The Magistrate]

3. Jesus Wept, Ma'am

"My god, man, slap yourself and think!"

[bluestate10]

4. Darryl Lying Sack of Shit Issa also proposed a Single Payer type system.

For me, I would gladly pay $5,000 more per year in taxes for full medical and dental coverage, doing so would save me over $4,000 annually and the government would gain the advantage that my contribution will go unused except for physicals and can be used to help people that need extensive medical care today.

[pangaia]

6. I think the same way you do.

But, egad, the millions of people who have that 'screw the lazy' attitude.
I have a good friend, a wonderful cabinet maker. Not highly educated, -but a great father, husband (well, once he got rid of his first wacko wife..:&gt - open minded..doesn't follow politics-- sole proprietor. etc.

We were talking yesterday and I told him my take on the present attempt at a coup. We talked about ACA, Medicare (he's about 42, I am 69), health insurance. lots of stuff.. he said he was uncomfortable with the gov giving 'welfare' to the people in the city (upstate NY), and he said, rather uncomfortably, 'you know, the black people.'
This was really interesting, because I think the comment was just something ingrained..like a loose hangnail, that he hasn't totally cut off yet. He is a good human being.
Then he mentioned all the people in his area, very rural area, small town out past the burbs, who collect welfare, food stamps, etc. And that they get more $$ from the gov than they could working.
So I asked him the obvious question, what color are they?
White. Duh , huh.
He is right about the welfare vs job thing in this case.. and we all know the situation with that. But he didn't. So I explained for example, that McD's Walmart, many/most service jobs pay less than a living wage. So he and I have to pick up the 'welfare.'
It went on for a while. very good conversation. If he has been anything, it has been a republican. but after I explained how I, at least, see what is going on, I don't think he will ever vote for a repub again.
So that's one for our side. Maybe he can win his wife over. :&gt

[IrishAyes]

8. GOOD ON YOU !!!!!!!!!!

[pangaia]

30. Aw, shucks..

Thanks.
If everyone on 'our side' could win over just ONE repub--just 1 teenie, tiny itty bitty one.... think of the results...

[FreakinDJ]

9. Well of course we have so many on Welfare and Food Stamps

Because for the last 30 some odd years we have been shipping jobs overseas at an ever accelerating pace. People don't like to think of these nasty little details.

But RATpubliCons have 1 major flaw in their logic ... and please do use this in your next conversation with your friend.

They always want to blame the "Little Guy". They choose to ignore the MultiNational Corps. outsourcing millions of good paying American jobs. Who also use the Tax Avoidance Schemes made available to them by outsourcing to pay little or No Taxes.

They have thrown the Hard Working Americans on the Unemployment/Welfare/Food Stamp roles. Used Tax Loopholes they paid corrupt politicians/lobbyist to incorporate into the tax code to cheat the system,

... and wait for it

.... wait for it ...

Its the worker's fault

[L0oniX]

13. ^this^

[pangaia]

29. Right.. I forgot to include

that little bit of info in my post.
I also let him in on on the corporate welfare 'secret.'

Didn't get to the off shore tax havens or overseas jobs, etc.
Didn't want to overload him. Plus, I had to get some work done on a Saturday.

[Roland99]

5. PNHP proposal for Single Payer!

http://www.pnhp.org/facts/single-payer-faq

7% tax on employers
2% add'l tax on employees' paychecks.
no deductibles
no co-pays

A universal public system would be financed in the following way: The public funds already funneled to Medicare and Medicaid would be retained. The difference, or the gap between current public funding and what we would need for a universal health care system, would be financed by a payroll tax on employers (about 7%) and an income tax on individuals (about 2%). The payroll tax would replace all other employer expenses for employees’ health care, which would be eliminated. The income tax would take the place of all current insurance premiums, co-pays, deductibles, and other out-of-pocket payments. For the vast majority of people, a 2% income tax is less than what they now pay for insurance premiums and out-of-pocket payments such as co-pays and deductibles, particularly if a family member has a serious illness. It is also a fair and sustainable contribution.

Currently, 47 million people have no insurance and hundreds of thousands of people with insurance are bankrupted when they have an accident or illness. Employers who currently offer no health insurance would pay more, but those who currently offer coverage would, on average, pay less. For most large employers, a payroll tax in the 7% range would mean they would pay slightly less than they currently do (about 8.5%). No employer, moreover, would gain a competitive advantage because he had scrimped on employee health benefits. And health insurance would disappear from the bargaining table between employers and employees.

Of course, the biggest change would be that everyone would have the same comprehensive health coverage, including all medical, hospital, eye care, dental care, long-term care, and mental health services. Currently, many people and businesses are paying huge premiums for insurance so full of gaps like co-payments, deductibles and uncovered services that it would be almost worthless if they were to have a serious illness.

[dotymed]

18. For-profit medical insurance companies

prey on and often (when there is no profit to be made) kill people.
The ACA prevents much of that, but universal health care is the only humane system. Vision and dental are vital too. The rest of our health is dependent upon this.

Does Medicare cover dental and/or vision?
My BC/BS has very limited coverage, mainly preventative.
As a heart patient I know how gum/ tooth health affects my overall health.
IMO, even contemplating universal health care (complete care) is the epitome of evil. It should be a right that requires no thought.
Also, wealthy Americans should take pride in paying taxes on a progressive scale. They have "made it", often through inheritance.
I cannot fathom the "I've got mine, fuck the rest" mentality. It is pervasive and encouraged in "our" country.
This is a sociopathic view of life.
Corporations (now considered people) are quickly destroying America. FDR threatened to pack the SCOTUS in order to get Progressive legislation passed. Is it still possible to do that?
Sorry for the jumble of idea's presented.......stream of consciousness.

[Buns_of_Fire]

7. Naturally, it took a personal medical emergency to point it out to him.

So long as it's happening to one of those people, it's of no concern.

Ah, but when it's his sweet ass on the line, well...

[IrishAyes]

10. I see that all the time.

But while compassion and a sense of enlightened self-interest come naturally to some, others must be taught. If possible. What might seem to us a natural condition of the human soul frequently isn't. Yes it's appalling, but we must light candles even if we continue to mutter curses under our breath.

Of course you've seen me use my little candle to set someone's hair afire, maybe it's unavoidable on rare occasions; but that's not really the highest road to take even when they badly need illuminating.

[B Calm]

11. +1 With cons it's all about me, me, me!

[L0oniX]

12. Racist asshole!

“I don’t like him, and I don’t feel comfortable with anything he’s got to do with.” Yea that says it all.

[awoke_in_2003]

21. Yep, he is a ratfucker. nt

[LWolf]

14. I'll take that offering.

It's about health care, not about party wars. At least, not for me.

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. 'health care at a fair price. "I think it should be the same for everybody"' could mean 1 cash price

for insurance - so, unlike payroll tax contributions for Medicare, which are proportional to your salary, everyone (of the same age, at least) would pay the same. That would not be what the rest of the world thinks of as 'single payer' - Canada funds its system through taxes, like Medicare.

[BumRushDaShow]

16. Whatever the President does, they MUST do the opposite!

And there you have it.

They are so foaming-at-the-mouth hating him that they would try to sell single-payer as "their" idea.

[ffr]

19. Damn straight!

[GoCubsGo]

17. Works for me. n/t

[ffr]

20. How about the house pass the bill after re-opening the government

And we can go from there.

See? I'm compromising.

[lonestarnot]

22. LMAO!

[Turbineguy]

23. Maybe the reason republicans hate it

is because they suspect other republicans will just game the system.

[KansDem]

24. "One big company, whether owned by the government or private."

I'd go along with half that suggestion...

[SoutherDem]

25. Typical

It is amazing how many people decide if they like something because who is supporting it. The same exact thing switches between bad and good just because of the party which proposed it.

Think of the polls which show people hate the ACA (AHA, Obamacare) but also show they love what it does if asked point by point or those who say they like the ACA better than Obamacare.

If bills were proposed without the sponsors name or party attached who knows what would happen.

[gopiscrap]

26. OMG I wouldn't trust a gop plan for all the money in the world

[tridim]

27. One big, private, unregulated single-payer company. That's a teabagger wet dream, not single-payer.

[thesquanderer]

28. THERE's the compromise. Scrap Obamacare for Single Payer.

Finally a win/win scenario.

[chill_wind]

31. :-) +1

[kestrel91316]

32. + 1 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000

[Doctor_J]

33. They 're only against heritage care because Obama is for it

They should be thrilled that the president came up with it. If he had instead fought for sp in 2009-10, the dems would have picked up seats in 2010. Obama s embrace of Big Insurance rescued the gop.

[tavalon]

34. Wow, teh stupid, it burns

I frickin' hate agreeing with one of those rats. Yes, let's just go single payer. Monday.

[SammyWinstonJack]

35. heh