Comments on: Cohn: Like Bush, McCain’s health care plan is a ‘disaster.’

By: MCMetal

MCMetal — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:09:59 +0000

McInsane = Doesn’t know jack about the economy , his health care plan is a disaster , wants to stay in Iraq for a century , and wants to start attacking Iran immediately ; partially out of his friendship with that turd Zionist , Loserman .

And this is the best the GOP can come up with ?

I could find a friggin’ popcorn vendor at a local carnival that is more worthy …………………..

By: JMOHR

JMOHR — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 20:59:25 +0000

Get your heads on straight. Health care is only for the wealthy elite. Those who fail to fall within the top 1% of the economy deserve only the illusion of health care. We will give you a policy when you are healthy. The insurance company will drain your finances for years and then drop you at the first significant illness. But why would we want those who are not wealthy (thus morally inferior since wealth is the only real measure of one’s moral value) to become anything more than objects of scorn and suffering. Who else would we have to laugh at?

By: Mikey

Mikey — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 19:17:09 +0000

#9, I agree. It would be too easy for an insurance company to comply by offering insurance to everyone if there are no minimums of what that insurance covers. I don’t believe any candidate’s plan addresses the health care problem effectively, at least from the info available.

Labeling it “universal health care” when it’s actually just “insurance for everybody” with too many holes is a misnomer.

By: And the beat goes on

And the beat goes on — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:13:20 +0000

#4 missmolly – I agree it has to be a transition to a single payer system but I think initial guidelines would also have to include boundaries on how much can be charged in addition to accepting everyone. A fews years ago the California Public Employee Retirement system refused to grant a contract to a local HMO because they would not negotiate their costs to meet what others were charging. Remember that many employers negotiate with employee unions for health care costs – what the employee will pay and what the employer will pay. If only the higher priced companies are willing to submit their plans initially, then we are still screwed. This past “bargaining season” my husband’s employer got ticked off about something so they only offered employee only coverage or family coverage. My husband and I could be saving about $600 a month if they had not taken employee and spouse coverage off the table. Yes, do things gradually but make sure we all start out on a level playing field.

By: tombaker

tombaker — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:08:34 +0000

He doesn’t have coherent plans for anything – even his Iran war fantasy, because he never expected to get this far, and no one else expected him to, either.

By: RUCerious

RUCerious — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:58:11 +0000

More McBCuasihn

By: Buckie Boy

Buckie Boy — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:57:52 +0000

Uh, ok, for once and for all get this straight, EVERYTHING Regressives do is wrong, or a crime or both.

Bush/Cheney
Hague Trials ‘09

By: IgnoranceIsNotBliss

IgnoranceIsNotBliss — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:22:14 +0000

â€œAfter the war, McCain would have been eligible for medical care from the Veterans Administration. As a member of Congress, he can get insurance through the federal employeesâ€™ plan; when he turned 65, he became eligible for Medicare. It may have escaped McCainâ€™s notice, but those are all government programs. And, if that care is good enough for him, then why not everybody else?â€ from Cohnâ€™s piece

Not to mentioned that he doesn’t have to pay a dime for since it comes out of our pockets.

By: missmolly

missmolly — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:20:21 +0000

I donâ€™t think any of the candidates will eliminate for-profit health insurance companies.

Comment by tom â€” March 5, 2008 @ 11:10 am

I agree — at least not right away. It will require some kind of “bridge” program; something that will move us closer to a single-payer system while providers can adjust to being players within that system.

Sort of like how Clinton (Bill) couldn’t eliminate the “no gays” policy of the military right away — he had to implement the “don’t ask, don’t tell” compromise as a bridge.

One of McCain’s points in his health care position is that he wants to promote more competition among providers. While additional competition works to keep prices down in many industries, it won’t work with health insurance. In order to make a profit as it is, a for-profit insurance provider has to deny claims and cherry-pick their insureds. More competition will just exacerbate that problem.

A proper bridge program would start out by not allowing insurance companies to refuse people and setting firm minimum guidelines on what must be provided. And that’s just the beginning.

By: leftcoast

leftcoast — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:12:43 +0000

“After the war, McCain would have been eligible for medical care from the Veterans Administration. As a member of Congress, he can get insurance through the federal employees’ plan; when he turned 65, he became eligible for Medicare. It may have escaped McCain’s notice, but those are all government programs. And, if that care is good enough for him, then why not everybody else?” from Cohn’s piece

Absolutely!

By: tom

tom — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:10:46 +0000

I don’t think any of the candidates will eliminate for-profit health insurance companies. However, the democratic approach would properly regulate this industry that has been running wild for decades by eliminating the perversities of the market — premium-shadowing, anti-selection, fragmentation of risk pools, proof of insurability, etc.

More than anything, the republicans have hurt themselves by exposing their complete ignorance of health care, economic, tax policy, telecommunication and any other issue and their inability to understand the proper role of regulation. McLame is no exception.

By: McWars

McWars — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:04:22 +0000

Republicans hurt themselves more by even pretending to care about health care issues.

Wake me when all for-profit insurance companies are eliminated.