The Insurance companies are just overblown inefficient greedy profiteering middle men.
Canada has SINGLE PAYER. Far more efficient. Covers all Canadians since 1969 and guess what?
Only 3% is spent on administration out of every dollar spent on healthcare. In the U.S. it’s 30% and it’s spent indiscriminately and inefficiently by INEFFICIENT INSURANCE VULTURES.

The GDP share of healthcare in Canada is..8%
The GDP share of healthcare in U.S.A. is..18%

Why?
There’s nothing socialist here. The people are being screwed and Obama got away with stepping on his promise for single-payer like mud. He’s shamefully in the pockets of Big Pharma/Big Insurance Fradusters.

THe Baucus Bill is no change. It’s crazy and unpredictable and it will not work. It’s undemocratic. Everyone should be made to pay for this out of their taxes and big corpo’s should pay most of it. Every citivilzed DEVELOPED COUNTRY has Universal coverage!

U.S. is #37–one ranking below Costa Rica.

but–thank God–one ranking above SLOVANIA!

Obummer did nothing. That’s why he mocked Hillary’s far better solution that covered everyone back in March 2008 and misrepresented her policy in a fraudulent Harry and Louise brochure.

she told the jerk: “SHAME ON YOU BARACK!”

I think there’s gonna be 200 million echoing this..

Baucus says he’s solved the funding problem, but his solution brings up another big problem. He plans on taxing so-called Cadillac or gold-plated health insurance plans, but he defines that at $8,000 per year in premiums and above, as Jazz Shaw noted yesterday:

COST: Under $900 billion over 10 years.

HOW’S IT PAID FOR: Fees on insurance companies, drug makers, medical device manufacturers and insurers. Tax of 35 percent on insurance plans costing more than $8,000 for individuals and $21,000 for families, applied to premium amounts over the threshold. Cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. A fee on employers whose workers receive government subsidies to help them pay premiums. Fines on those who fail to get coverage.

Baucus wants to tax the overall cost of the plans, not the portion that employees pay through payroll contributions. The average plan premium in the US is over $4800 per year for individuals and $13,300 for families. The Kaiser Family Foundation report does not detail the distribution of plans over $5788/$16,000 respectively, but 18% of individuals and 20% of families have this more expensive coverage, which means that Baucus’ taxes will almost certainly hit more than the top 5% of families and individuals.

Update: The Hill reports that the Baucus plan will cut Medicare:

Baucus’s measure would cost $856 billion over 10 years — far less than the $1 trillon-plus bills approved by four other congressional committees and less even than Baucus’s previous estimates. The price tag also falls below the $900 billion limit set by President Barack Obama.

The new costs would be fully offset by reductions in Medicare spending and by generating new revenue from an excise tax on health insurance companies that sell plans that cost more than $21,000 for families and more than $8,000 for individuals. Insurers, pharmaceutical companies, medical-device makers, clinical laboratories and hospitals would also pay fees.

Gee, didn’t Barack Obama claim that Medicare cuts were a “myth”? Why, yes he did:

Robert Kocher of the National Economic Council debunks the myth that Health Insurance Reform would be financed by cutting Medicare benefits.

I wait with bated breath for Obama to denounce Baucus as a mythmaker, and for Jimmy Carter to denounce him as a racist.

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/09/16/snowe-bails-on-compromise-obamacare-bill/

Senate’s 10-year health fix would cost US $856B (AP)
AP – Sen. Max Baucus on Wednesday brought out the much-awaited Finance Committee version of an American health-system remake — a landmark $856 billion, 10-year measure that starts a rough ride through Congress without visible Republican backing.

Truthfully it’s none of your damn business how much someone else makes. EIther you buy their product or you don’t.

1. 13%-Share of family income that the pla envisons middle class families will pay n remiums BEFORE co-pays, deductible and cost-sharing.

2.Will broadly expand Medicaid.

3.Create new state insurance marketplaces, or exchanges, allowing comparison shopping. All companies would have to meet new, starit rgulations.

4. Senators in boht parties question whether insurance will be affordable to those who need it most.

Whatever, it is still socialized medicine. I, personally don’t want any parts of that. Boxer made mention of Cubans in that video. At DC on Sat. there were a lot of Cubans and people from other Latin Ameican countries. They are strongly warning against socialized medicine. Some Cubans said they have to take ther own bed sheets to the hospital!!

Baucus is suppposed to be giving a news conference on his plan at noon EST.

At his clinic, the fees for services were posted. I was dumbfounded. The physician fees were well in excess of what any private insurer would approve for similar work. Social work services: $85 per quarter hour. That is not a typo. Why is the govt approving these outrageous fees? Aren’t they supposed to be motivated by a non-profit motive?

Now the money spent is not an issue for my relative, since he has none, and is effectively on the dole. However we as taxpayers should know why the provider is reimbursed by the feds at such inflated prices.

In addition to the racked up fees, here’s what you can look forward to when you have no choice but to use the public option:

A revolving door of physicians. Have you established a rapport with a doc that knows your case and has identified appropriate treatment? Too bad, you lose, next time you go to the clinic you find a new guy assigned to you. Support personnel – the appt makers etc who are disinterested, rude, make decisions above their positions, the list goes on and on.

I believe some form of health care reform is in order, however it needs to be accomplished in a thoughtful manner that will provide a better outcome for those most at risk. And the mad rush by Pelousy and company is not going to do the job.

Then when the opportunity presents itself, he/they will switch out the lesser version for what he really wants. That is the Alinsky way: “People won’t remember how you got elected or how or if you got things done – just that you did get elected, but won’t remember or possibly ever know what you accomplished.”

I hope it helps

WOMEN WITH INTELLIGENCE AND EXPERIENCE,MEN WHO SUPPORT THEM AND COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY ALWAYS

PUMAS,BUBBAS,EQUALISTS, AND THOSE PEOPLE RULE

destroy all traces of capitalism in health care

I disagree, some will always profit from human fraility.

I think those of us who know in our guts that this bill should not be passed have been doing our best. What makes me tired are the other millions of people who are clueless, uninterested, and tend to go with “whatever.” I know so many of these people who just can’t be bothered with issues after the elections are over. How many times does one knock his/her head against a brick wall before giving up trying.

That’s their strategy, I know.

I’ve expressed my concerns to my senators and representative. I’ve forwarded information. I know the people whose minds must be changed simply do not read it.

Highlights:

“Two-thirds, or 65%, of doctors say they oppose the proposed government expansion plan. Four of nine doctors, or 45%, said they “would consider leaving their practice or taking an early retirement” if Congress passes the plan the Democratic majority and White House have in mind.
More than seven in 10 doctors, or 71% — the most lopsided response in the poll — answered “no” when asked if they believed “the government can cover 47 million more people and that it will cost less money and the quality of care will be better.”

Lots of interesting information on pages 2 and 3 of the article too. And tomorrow, IBD will run an article on why doctors oppose the plan in their own words.

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=506199