Posts Tagged ‘Health Care’
Courtesy of WikiCommons
We here at USDemocrazy are trying are hard (a novelty for us) to follow the recent health care hullabaloo that took place in Washington on Saturday night (check it out here).
In the midst of sleeping, eating, diligent research, we learned the health care bill the House passed on Saturday is upsetting a few people.
For a start, pro-choice advocates are none too pleased with the bill as it doesn’t allow coverage for the controversial practice of abortions.
We here at USDemocrazy are just trying to keep are heads down, as fingers are being pointed and kitchen sinks are zinging through the air. We don’t have any answers to the health care bill/ abortion debate, but one of these people may do…
Courtesy of WikiCommons
Yea, but… Iran Hints at Changes to Uranium Plan Backed By U.N.
I smell a fight comin’…“a quiet revolt is brewing against a different public insurance program — a plan to create government insurance for long-term care.”
This man could be a genius…“An Illinois man has admitted banking more than $470,000 in paychecks from a New Jersey company he never worked for.”
Thanks to Wikicommons.
Is there somewhere cheaper we could eat? Iceland can’t afford McDonald’s, waist lines rejoice.
Now with a public option. Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader, is 100% sure that the health care bill will have Fedicare.
I’ll tell you soon. Obama to make Afghanistan strategy decision by November 11.
There’s a lot of talk about fixing health care in America today. One of the areas of concern is the many medical mistakes that transpire in hospitals with disastrous results. Check out the cartoon above and tell us if you think the artist is mistaken! ( cartoon by KAL)
Thanks to Wikicommons.
We at US Democrazy love a full plate (especially on Thanksgiving) but President Obama seems to have taken (or rather been given) more than his share of problems.
To help you keep track, we have a maddening menu of Obama’s plate full of problems. …read more.
Courtesy of NY Times
We at USDemocrazy get good use out of our TV remote.
But we were certain our prized remote was broken this weekend. It seemed on every channel we changed to…BAM!…. there was President Obama being interviewed!
Thankfully it wasn’t our well-worn remote after all. …read more.
We at USDemocrazy like to speak out (especially when it’s our turn to wash the dishes). So the question is: when does speaking out become too out spoken?
That’s a question Representative Joe Wilson, of South Carolina, has heard since he shouted his feelings (“You LIE!” to be exact) during President Obama’s speech on health care (see video above). …read more.
Living Green: Using your microwave is greener than using your oven.
Top ten unconventional indicators of the economic recession. To whet your appetite, men’s underwear sales is on the list!
Could health care reform be for the worst instead of the better?
Keep that naughty stuff out, Google!
Obama is controversial on gay rights. He can do neither all good nor all bad.
Mapping viral videos: Not even internet entertainment can escape major analysis.
“One Nation Under Medicare” is a daunting proposition.
One must bow to royalty… and the US President? Brian Williams shows respect. (A lot.)
Well, America, when a company goes bankrupt… sometimes you gotta make some cuts.
Cut ‘em a break! Obama looks out for small businesses and others in his health plan.
15
Three-and-a-half Questions: UMBC Professor of Political Science Roy Meyers
by kaltoons 
Three-and-a-half Questions!
Welcome back to day two of this week’s first ever session of Three-and-a-Half Questions!
Today’s guest is esteemed UMBC Professor of Political Science Roy Meyers. Dr Meyers ia an expert on government budgets and budget politics. We were in the middle of asking him about the current debate on health care policy… (USDemocrazy insights in green.)
2. Health care was supposed to be on the Obama administration’s first year list of “things to do.” What’s happening on Capital Hill now?
A lot. That’s because many believe that this is the year that major health reforms will finally pass. Hallelujah!
So here’s my prediction: by December, I expect that President Obama will have signed the “Kennedy-Dingell” health reform bill. (I’m hoping that Senator Kennedy will still be battling brain cancer when it is signed).
Rep. Dingell, the dean of the House, has been a long time advocate for a national health insurance system. His father, also a Washington politician first proposed a similar Health care bill in 1933.
Why do I say this year? We were going to ask you that…
President Obama has a lot of things going for him. He is a highly capable President with an electoral mandate. He has a first-class team of White House advisors, starting with Peter Orszag and Nancy DeParle. He also has a large margin of Democratic votes in both the House and Senate.
Obama also has very significant cooperation between powerful committee chairs in the Senate. (A bit less of this in the House, but Speaker Pelosi will crack some heads.) We’d like to see a video of that.
Most importantly, The Health care industry is now trying to cut a deal with the government. Back in 1992 when President Clinton tried to promote health care reform interest groups demolished his plan through effective advertising and lobbying .
So, times have changed…
True, Monday’s press conference with President Obama was only the latest evidence. Now hospitals, doctors, and pharmaceutical companies are pledging to help control costs.
Why might I be wrong? Come back tomorrow to learn more….
QUESTION:
What is the surest way to make a healthy person sick?
ANSWER:
Ask them about their health care.
Yes folks, health care is back the news… and this time it isn’t about swine flu! Er… we mean H1N1 virus…)
Just this week, President Obama met with business leaders in health care to talk about trimming their mega-huge budgets.
The health care community is acknowledging their mega-huge problem and, as the Washington Post says, are:
Volunteering to “do our part” to tackle runaway health costs, leading groups in the health-care industry have offered to squeeze $2 trillion in savings from projected increases over the next decade, White House officials said yesterday.
So we’re all on the same playing field, right? Congressman Patrick Kennedy from Rhode Island posted on the Huffington Post, that:
The recent outbreak of the swine flu serves as a stark reminder about the need for comprehensive health care reform in this country. Every citizen in this country should have access to affordable, high quality health care.
Affordable, high quality health care! Who can argue with that?!? How do we get it!?!
That’s where the arguing starts…
Janet Adamy at the Wall Street Journal gives her thoughts here on one option, taxing health care to sustain health care:
The idea of taxing employee health-care benefits to raise money for an overhaul of the health system is gaining strength in Congress, although it drew criticism from Barack Obama when he was campaigning for president.
The NYTimes released their editorial on the situation. They say there is a middle of the road plan, and that’s letting the government toss its hat into the health care plan system:
It should be possible to design a system in which public and private plans could compete without destroying the private coverage that most Americans have and for the most part want to keep.
One thing is for sure. What we’ve got now just isn’t going to cut it in the long run.
Former Clinton budget adviser Matt Miller, referring to the talks between President Obama and health care businesses, weighs in over at the Daily Beast:
Even if this goal were achieved over the next decade, America’s health-care system would still be radically inefficient compared other advanced nations.
So, what is the path ahead for health care? The path will be about as straightforward as the Burma Road (pictured below for all you history enthusiasts).
But where will it lead? Have any ideas?
Thanks to Wikicommons and GIMP.
Ever since H1N1, we at USDemocrazy have been feeling a little sick. Don’t worry it’s not the flu, rather the doctor’s bill that came in after our check-up. (We didn’t think so many zeros could fit in one line…)
Luckily, Dr. Obama has a cure for what ails us. The President, working with hospitals, drug companies and doctors, has come up with a plan to save TWO TRILLION DOLLARS over the next decade on health care costs.
But right now, the details are as skimpy as a hospital robe.
Don’t worry… that robe reveals enough information to raise eyebrows.
Those opposed are gearing up for an all-out political brawl. They are particularly riled by the high initial costs to implement the plan. (Apparently you’ve got to spend money to save it.)
But it’s not that all of Obama’s critics are up in arms. Paul Krugman (a Nobel Prize winner in Economics) is both optimistic and skeptical. He points out,
Remember that what the rest of us call health care costs, they call income.
By “they,” he means the health care industry.
Matthew Yglesias, is a little more hopeful…
Whatever kind of backstabbing these industry groups may or may not do in the future, they won’t be able to take back the fact that once upon a time they stood beside the White House in agreeing that it’s possible to achieve massive cost-savings without compromising patient care.
But don’t take their words on it. For great coverage of the blogosphere’s take, check out Andrew Sullivan’s overview, here and here.
So should we be excited about this proposal? Or are there better ideas? (Don’t look at us, our thoughts are as skimpy as a hospital robe too…)
Health care headlines heckle Hillians! Obama rallies support.
The Pope heads to the Holy Land. We hope the hat doesn’t make him sweat.
Cheney chooses the bigger man… I’ll take one Limbaugh, pelase.
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night… shall keep the Postal Service from hiking prices!
Merci, WikiCommons
It’s all about AIG…and boy could it be expensive!
Team to tackle tumultuous task… of Health Care!
Would you like fries with… your Miranda rights?
