Comments about ‘Obama's health care 'reform' illusion tells us what we want to hear, not what we need to hear’

The CBO projects that health reform will cut over a trillion dollars from the deficit over the next two decades. It is far from perfect, but not as bad as Mr. Samuelson suggests.

True, true and true.

The fact that the Democrats have not included Tort Reform tells me this has NEVER been about solving the problem and simply about political ideology.

Estimates vary but Tort Reform would save health care anywhere from $15 billion to over %100 billion a year! That is real money.

Let's go with a very modest $25 billion a year. This alone would cover 25% of President Obama's latest proposal. That is huge!

And the Democrats won't talk about. Oh, sorry. They have include a fraction of dollars to create a panel to discuss and review the issue in years to come. Translation, buried and not to discuss. Trial Attorneys provide the largest bulk donor group to the Democratic Party.

This is just horrible! Obama has not been about change for the better. Just change to some radical version of an english speaking Soviet Union. He is an ideologue.

Too bad!

Amen to that.

Dead on.

at the bottom of the pile of manure is that the old folks on medicare are overusing the system. I know some old folks that have spent at least 500,000 on their bodies. IMHO most of the operations, etc and long hospital stays were unnecessary and will not extend their lives. Their innards have been through cat scans and mri so many times, and they love to look at the pictures. The doctors tell them that an option is doing nothing, no way for these old narssacists. These people never made 500,000 in their entire work life. Sad, my granddaughters will still be paying for the bill for these old carcasses.

BO's healthcare reform is about smoke and mirrors. The real problems of healthcare costs are not being addressed and the citizens know it, regardless of what BO promises.

I know that Universal Health Care is a disaster because of all of those massive grass roots efforts in other democratic nations to get rid of their Universal Health Care systems. No, wait ...

The CBO estimated tort reform (which already exists in many states--Utah being one of them) would save $54 billion over 10 yrs.

Far from your ridiculous numbers.
BTW How's it working in Utah? Has is significantly decreased "defensive medicine?"

Actually Utah is known as the best run state in the union, so many of our practices and reforms are working out for us.

Of course socialist countries do not get rid of their socialist programs once instituted. They just ride them to the end of the line, when the system collapses.

Tort reform is already on the books in 33 states. If it could produce the massive savings you'd say, we'd be seeing it by now. "Tort reform" is just Republican code for "do nothing."

"The CBO projects that health reform will cut over a trillion dollars from the deficit over the next two decades."

Ever hear the phrase "garbage in, garbage out"?

To "@JMT | 9:01 a.m." Read the article "Does Medical Malpractice Affect Access to Medical Care?" at Emergency Physician's Monthly. In that article they quote and list various medical journals that show how tort reform lowers the cost of health care AND keeps doctors in practice.

Also read "Medical Malpractice and Access to Care" in Emergency Physician's Monthly. It describes the benefits that Texas had through their tort reform efforts.

So what of my situation? My mother (59) has to take heart meds that are very expensive and my dad (65) must work into his 70s no matter what to keep the insurance. We are middle class people with no help in sight.

So many of these fools criticize and jab at this administration and do nothing to help the issue of health care. On the other side, the administration does not want to listen to republican counsel or incorporate their ideas. We are no longer a nation united. We are blue or red that only care about individual agendas and to push who we want into power. Our own legislature passes only slaps in the face to Obama and ignores key issues. Where ever you stand, we are going about this the wrong way. Without working together nothing of benefit will happen to my family or our country. Shame on all of us for not working together.

The comment at 9:18 is an excellent illustration of the conservative ability to look at the success of Universal Health Care and see the failure they wish to see, and to look at the failure of for profit private health insurance and see the success they wish to see.

you didn't answer my question: Has tort reform decreased the practice of defensive medicine in Utah?

Did I say anywhere tort reform would do NOTHING?
Republicans exaggerate the cost savings of tort reform.


read; "Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Study Downplays Impact of Medical Malpractice." and
"Hype Outraces Facts in Malpractice Debate"
USA Today

One more question:
If a Dr. performed a kidney transplant on your child with a mismatched donor and your child died as a result--would $250,000 be a fair compensation for your loss?

Hey Alan, work with me and help me do it my way because I am right. We'll get along just fine.....Unity not Diversity!

lowonoil

What good would a grass_roots effort to get rid of a universal healthcare systems in the nations where they have been established do???

That's the whole point... once these type of entitlement_progams are established... there's no getting rid of them, because the population becomes lazy and addicted to someone else taking care of it for them AND the illusion that it's FREE!!!


Anyone who complains about the quality or mechanism of the Government_issue healthcare are told they are welcome to pay for PRIVATE_healthcare (just like they are in today's gov_issue education systems, Social_Security, etc) BUT the catch is... You don't get to stop paying for the Gov-issued system. Just like the people who have no intention of using the Social_Security, gov_schools, etc, and do it on their own (grass_roots)... You don't get to stop paying for the gov-issued system do you? Nope, if you want to start a grass-roots effort and do it on your own... you still are forced to fund the government system and pay double for it, if you don't trust the governemnt to do it right and do better on your own (grass_roots).

@Alan J: What's wrong with your dad working into his 70s? Most people are far healthier in their 70s today than people in their 60s when social security first started. The only way to make medicare and social security solvent is to raise the age of eligibility, and the sooner the better.

So pardon me if I don't shed a tear for your dad working into his 70s. What about all the young families struggling to make it who are burdened with high taxes so their elders can have a nice 30 year retirement? That's who I feel sorry for.

Tort Reform is bogus. It doesn't work so drop it. Texas has it, health care is just as expensive here. What it does is antagonize Dems because of the trial lawyer lobby that supports them. It's a dumb talking point. Checks and balances are good. The crime is that the same insurance guy who sells health care also sells malpractice insurance. "gasp" let's call it a conflict of interest. Should be illegal but it isn't.