Other than the sliding scale for payment, this is my favorite part about Biden's healthcare program

[jillan]

He rewards insurance companies to stop screwing us over and for stopping fraud:

Joe Biden would stop the race to the bottom in providing health care benefits by:

Establishing a federal reinsurance pool to reimburse employers, insurers or associations (including voluntary employee benefit associations) for 75 percent of catastrophic health costs (those exceeding $50,000 per individual) for active and retired employees and their families.

To participate in the rebate program, employers would have to cover all employees and apply best practices to chronic disease management.

Private insurers in the individual market would have to demonstrate that they operate an effective high cost case management system.

He also has a whole plan to hire more nurses.
Anybody who has ever experienced a hospital stay or a serious illness, knows what a crucial part nurses play in healthcare.

[jillan]

1. A short video of Biden discussing healthcare:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jilpix0_6P8

[ret5hd]

2. Get the insurance industry out of my doctors office!

[jillan]

3. One step at a time. Biden is putting the screws to them.

[youthere]

4. Kick for Joe!

[jillan]

5. I like having you around

[Think82]

6. kick for Joe

[CTyankee]

7. Great ideas! I'm not sure they are in the other candidates' health care proposals.

But you know what? I think they WILL be eventually in the health plan of the Dem candidate who wins the WH in 08. Taken together, the Dems have the best thinking going on modernizing our ridiculous health care situation.

Great ideas!

[gateley]

8. I'm always impressed with how much though he seems to have given to the

issues, and more importantly, how much thought he's given to the solutions.

[CTyankee]

11. He'd be a fine president, but I worry that if he is our candidate he won't be

very well known out there. It's hard for me to tell, cuz I am such a political nut like lots of us here at DU. I don't think we can imagine voters who don't keep up with stuff like we do. But so many don't. It worries me, how to break through the ignorance shield of SO many voters in the U.S.

[gateley]

12. If he gets good results in Iowa, he'll get more coverage - if nothing more than

the "surprising showing of Joe Biden". And the more coverage, the more people will get the opportunity to hear and see him. That's my hope and belief.

I don't know how well known Jimmy Carter was before Iowa, but he became well known enough to become President.

It's so discouraging - not just with Biden, but with all the "non-top tier" candidates, that it's the lack of funding responsible for their relative obscurity.

Biden - and others - are in favor of campaign financing. It's only fair to US, the voters, if the candidates have to play with the same rules.

At this point, I'm going with my heart and who I fervently believe is the most qualified and the PERSON I want to see in the White House. If he doesn't get the nomination, I'll shift my focus to who would be best to beat the R's.

But until then, it's been exciting watching the awareness and support for Biden grow! :bounce:

[CTyankee]

14. My son in law is a consultant in political work and one of his clients is Biden. He really likes him

So I have been hearing a lot about him and his views on things. I am intrigued by him. He has a great mind but I sometimes wonder about his previous problem (was it an aneurism?). I am not up to date on that, obviously.

We'll see what we will see. Biden is great and may be best in a Sec. State slot.I don't know for sure.

[PatSeg]

15. In 1992, I wondered who the HELL is that guy from Arkansas?

It doesn't take long to become known once a candidate starts to get some traction, which usually happens in Iowa.

[CTyankee]

22. I remember thinking the same thing! I even remember the photo

that appeared on page 1 of the NY TImes when BC was campaigning in New Hampshire. He was wearing a light blue winter scarf, draped very attractively around his neck. He was stunningly attractive and I started to pay attention at that time...

[PatSeg]

25. Yes, he was and YOUNG too

after twelve years of boring old guys! He reignited my interest in politics and got my daughter's generation excited. And Hillary was refreshingly outspoken and intelligent, hardly a typical candidate's wife.

[rucky]

24. Whoever is the nominee, healthcare will improve in America...

IF (and this is a big if) we have the right person who can get the plan through - without it becoming an insurance racket in the process. Biden has the best track record of pushing through Big and Workable plans (see Iraq, Violence Against Women, etc). He'll manuver around the corporate pressures. Nobody owns him, but for some reason he doesn't draw the fire that other non-corporately-owned candidates seem to. People on both sides of the aisle feel they can work with him, and the way he develops plans before presenting and negotiating is more effective than watering down legislation before it's drafted, just because you think it will pass that way (then it doesn't).

[CrispyQ]

9. Biden is a true statesman & would make a great president.

I'm so impressed when I listen to him speak. You can tell he loves our country & wants to get it back on track. Also, he seems to stay above the fray in this mud slinging between other dem candidates. He knows how to disagree without tearing the other person down. We sure could use more of that in this country!!

k&r

:hi:

[AlecBGreen]

10. me like!

very nice-uh!

[demommom]

13. kicking for us

[Gloria]

16. That catastrophic pool idea sounds familiar---something like it in

Kerry's plan from 2004?

[jillan]

19. I -think- it's in every Dem candidates plan this year.

[eridani]

17. And if you don't have the first $50K?

And what does he plan to do about the insurance oompany practice of denying as many claims as possible? "Coverage" doesn't mean jackshit if your claims are denied.

[jillan]

18. That was for the insurance companies and employers - not the individuals.

Read that part again.

[eridani]

20. Where does it say anything about what you do when your claim is turned down? n/t

[jillan]

29. Your claim won't be turned down. All Americans will be insured.

[eridani]

31. This is just bullshit

Did you see SiCKO yet? The whole damned movie is about people who HAD INSURANCE, but whose claims were turned down. You can play that idiot Charlie Brown role with private insurers as Lucy if you want, but you can just leave the rest of us, who want health CARE, not insurance, out of it.

[Vinca]

21. How about we cut the insurance companies out completely and

go from there? They should not be rewarded for not screwing us. they should be run out of business. The insurance companies are no better than common criminals. You want to send the guy who breaks into your house a bonus if he promises he won't do it again? Universal, single-payer healthcare and nothing less. Biden's a smart man - I would expect a far better plan from him. Maybe his list of campaign donors will explain why he's making nice with the insurance companies the same way he did with the credit card companies.

[Froward69]

23. patience

Biden is not receiving "niceties" from insurance nor credit card comps
check it out...
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/select.asp?Ind=F03

[Vinca]

27. $81,775 from "insurance" companies.

The credit card companies aren't on the list, but I'd be awfully surprised if they hadn't sent large piles of cash, given he's from Delaware and they're from Delaware. Not picking on Biden alone because they all do it, but $80,000+ isn't chopped liver.

[Froward69]

28. The credit card companies

Are placed within the comercial banking list. granted he has recieved some monies, but it pales in comparison to what others have recieved.

[PatSeg]

30. They obviously don't want him to be president

In spite of what critics may say, Biden is not particularly corporate friendly as a rule and corporations know that. Any senator will try and encourage any industry that brings jobs and money to his/her state.

[murbley40]

26. kick