Senate GOP launches health care attack

[Old Coot]

Source: Politico

As President Barack Obama tried to sell the American Medical Association today on his health care overhaul, the top Senate Republicans launched a familiar line of attack.

They warned of rationed medical care, lack of patient control and government bureaucracy.

“The American people will not stand for rationed health care,” Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl said Monday. “We believe that a one size fits all approach is the wrong approach."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, in a floor speech scheduled for this afternoon warned that what Americans "don’t want is a Washington takeover of health care along the lines of what we’ve already seen with banks, insurance companies, and the auto industry. Americans don’t want a government-run system that puts bureaucrats between patients and doctors."




Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/23749.html

---

The article states that they introduced a bill today that keeps the feds from using "comparative effectiveness research".

[John Q. Citizen]

1. We want single payer, sillies. Get used to it.

[DontTreadOnMe]

2. The GOP is just getting in the way...

Can someone start up the steamroller, NOW!

[madaboutharry]

3. Mitch McConnell is a moron.

Doesn't he know that there are already bureacrats between patients and doctors? They are the SOBs who run insurance companies and hospitals.

[Amonester]

9. He doesn't know that. His taxpayers-paid plan insures him...

he will never see any treatment 'refused' and discarded for the rest of his life.

Ain't that rich...

[msongs]

4. here I thought dems were in control of congress and the white house. oh well nt

[Cleita]

5. Somebody needs to call them liars everytime they open their mouths. n/t

[xchrom]

6. who is it this time millie and pete --

gloria and jacob -- millicent and ikabob -- sonny and cher?

[Bigmack]

7. Some people I've talked to ....

say they would actually rather have a bureaucrat from the insurance companies involved in medical decisions instead of a government bureaucrat. I point out that the insurance companies have a profit motive where the government doesn't. People have been so anti-government brainwashed that they think the government is evil and inept while anybody out to make a buck is more efficient and somehow cheaper for the consumer. I have pointed out to people that Medicare's admin costs are much less than private plans, and have been told to my face that I'm wrong.

Stupidity abides.

[BlueJazz]

11. ...And the sad truth is the difference between the "Take" of Insurance Companies..

...and a Government is not even close...something like 3 to 4 percent for Government and 27 to 36 percent for Insurance Co.

[humbled_opinion]

13. I think they are afraid, as I am...

That the government will make too many demands on the people. i.e., your overweight and you are at risk of the following conditions you must lose weight or you will be a non-compliant patient.

Sometimes those things are harder said then done. I really don't want Uncle Sam telling me what I can and cannot do to my own body. Thats the scary part.

A better example, what if some future Republican administration deems it unhealthy to have sex because of the spread of disease and they state it is a patients responsibilty to ensure they do not get an STD and if you show up with one we will not treat you.

That fits a Repuke Conservative utopia on so many levels it is scary.

[Bigmack]

17. Your comments make you a case in point...

The insurance companies will drop you like a hot rock if you have pre-existing conditions. To raise their bottom line, those conditions could be obesity, high cholesterol or BP that's uncontrolled or whatever the bean counters say.

I don't believe the government is my friend, but I do think it does a better job on many things than the predatory capitalists do.

[humbled_opinion]

20. Not True...

Insurance Companies do not drop you. They Charge you more. People are not Uninsured because they choose to be, they are uninsured because they cannot afford the cost.

Bottom line we can keep everything good about American Health care and just focus on Insurance cost reduction or subsidize those that cannot afford it.

[Bigmack]

24. Subsidizing just takes tax money...

and hands it to the insurance companies. Do you want your tax money going to a health insurance exec making millions a year? CIG proved that some insurance companies (yes, I know they weren't health) just can't handle all that money without fucking up. I know people whose coverage was dropped... dropped as in no longer available.

[Cleita]

19. Republicans like to scare you about that, but actually it's the

private plans that demand this prevention. That way when you get sick, even though it might be genetic or work related or any other number of reasons like pollution, they can deny your claim. A government plan by it's nature covers everyone and they can't deny health care. The repukes don't want you to think about this.

[humbled_opinion]

21. Yeah you will think differntly if

The Next Repuke administration decides that Women given Birth Control through Government Health Care means that if they become Pregnant they were a non-compliant patient and therefore will be denied the abortion they seek.


This is such a scary scenario on so many levels. Bottom line Government intursion in personal decisions is a BAD THING. Supporting a Government run Health Care system has massive potential to backfire on so many progressive issues.

[humbled_opinion]

23. Did I forget to mention

I served in the Military and believe me if you did not comply with their requirements especially in weight control and prevention you were punished. What will this country be like if the government punishes us because we just can't seem to lose the weight?

[humbled_opinion]

15. Another point...

I was in the military and they have the equivelant of Government health care and it sucks. Besides they make the rules and force you to oblige if you don't oblige you are punished. I don't want that in America.

[Bigmack]

16. NOT equivalent ...

Remember military Justice? Same with military Medicine.

The insurance companies do exactly what you say the government would do... they make up the rules, then enforce them selectively. Medicare is working just fine.... I have my regular docs and all the good stuff.

[elehhhhna]

8. they intro'd a bill today that keeps the feds from using "comparative effectiveness research". WTH?!

[w4rma]

10. The Republican leadershp and the insurance lobbiests know that the research will be against them.

Better to keep most Americans ignorant and stupid to try to keep their easy money train.

[humbled_opinion]

14. I don't know I listened to President Obama today...

It really struck a nerve with me when he talked about the requirements on people ensuring they are living healthy lifestyles. Now I am not against eating right and living right but it sure does scare me when the government can decide if what I do is healthy or not...

It opens the door to government control on so many levels and there may not always be a Democrat in the White House.

[santamargarita]

12. It's called: "The Republican Health Care System"...

that's how I call refer to what we have now.

[Arkana]

18. "GUBMINT BUREAUCRATS! RATIONED HEALTHCARE! SOCIALIZED MEDICINE!"

My God, do these guys have a skip in their record?

[humbled_opinion]

22. Sorry...

I happen to agree with them to some extent. Government has no business telling us what we can and cannot do with our bodies.

We may regret the day that we supported such a vast intrusion into our privacy.

[meow2u3]

25. What the GOP doesn't tell the American people

They really want rationed health care, as long as it's Big Insurance that's doing the rationing. Repukes want to keep insurance rates -- and profits -- sky-high and deny the benefits they claim to provide as long as they can get away with it.