ER doctors say Goodman’s ‘uninsured’ claims are ‘reckless.’
ER doctors say Goodman’s ‘uninsured’ claims are ‘reckless.’
On Wednesday, John Goodman, who was an architect of Sen. John McCain’s health care plan, made the audacious claim there are no “uninsured” people in America because Americans have access to emergency rooms. The American College of Emergency Physicians has issued a statement calling Goodman’s statement “reckless“:
“We urge the McCain campaign to rethink the reckless suggestion by Mr. Goodman that the tragedy of uninsured patients can be erased by the magic of emergency departments,” said Dr. Lawrence. “Emergency physicians can and do perform miracles every day, but taking on the full-time, medical care for 46 million uninsured Americans is one miracle even we cannot perform. Access to care in the emergency department is no substitute for the comprehensive health care reform policy that should be at the heart of the platform of any presidential campaign.”
The McCain campaign has claimed that Goodman’s “philosophy on health care” is “clearly out of step with John McCain.” But as The New Republic’s Jonathan Cohn has noted, McCain’s health care plan “is perfectly consistent with Goodman’s statements, which have represented mainstream conservative thinking on health care these days.”
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Of course, Goodman’s claims are reckless… they’re also mean-spirited, cruel, insane… after all he is a GOOPer.
August 29th, 2008 at 9:56 amHospitals that take a lot of uninsured ER drop-ins go out of business if they aren’t reimbursed somehow. This guy’s an idiot. One more McCain advisor who says something insulting and wrong. Then the McC campaign tries to distance John from them.
August 29th, 2008 at 9:57 amI can’t imagine that goodmans message would be welcome by Americans at this point. I can’t imagine that mccain would want to be associated with such a message either but he is after all offering no change.
Many are however going to hear the message from Obama last night that he will push for health care for all Americans and that is a message that many have been waiting years to hear.
With the economy where it is and the health care crisis just getting worse, I just can’t imagine that this will bode well for the gop. It shouldn’t
August 29th, 2008 at 10:04 amMcLame a campaign that no one seems to be speaking for Remember they said the candidate wasn’t speaking for the campaign Yes we need these BUFFOONS running the country
August 29th, 2008 at 10:07 amDaaaaamn – did I call it yesterday or what?
August 29th, 2008 at 10:08 amAnd to think I used to like John Goodman, especially when he played Linda Tripp on SNL.
August 29th, 2008 at 10:08 amThe McCain campaign has claimed that Goodman’s “philosophy on health care” is “clearly out of step with John McCain.” But as The New Republic’s Jonathan Cohn has noted, McCain’s health care plan “is perfectly consistent with Goodman’s statements, which have represented mainstream conservative thinking on health care these days.”
Goodman’s statement was ridiculous but perfectly consistent with GOP philosophy. While most Americans realize our healthcare system is badly broken it actually works perfectly for the wealthy. As long as you have enough money to move to the front of the line, you’ll get the best healthcare in the world, at everyone else’s expense.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
August 29th, 2008 at 10:16 amhussein toasterhead Says:
Yes you did toasterhead. I just wonder if this will be made public. Not enough people are getting this kind of information.
August 29th, 2008 at 10:17 amkjk
August 29th, 2008 at 10:19 amACME_Democrat Says:
kjk
The most coherent posting of yours to date.
August 29th, 2008 at 10:20 amThis ‘health care policy’ costs us more each year than it costs all other countries who have high-quality national health care policies.
In a Democracy, the government is the people, so the Conservatives who want less government, want less self-rule. Idiots.
August 29th, 2008 at 10:23 amWayne A. Schneider Says:
And to think I used to like John Goodman, especially when he played Linda Tripp on SNL.
Or when he was the Commanding General, Marine Forces, Pacific, who promoted Gomer Pyle (Jim Nabors) to Honorary Corporal.
August 29th, 2008 at 10:23 amMcCain’s campaign has come out with some outrageous statements, like we’re in a “mental recession” and we’re nothing but a bunch of “whiners” (the guy who said this was supposedly dismissed from the campaign), another guy claims that nobody is uninsured because they can always go to an emergency room (the campaign claimed this guy didn’t speak for the campaign), and McCain himself claims that Iraq is a peaceful and stable nation (but, of course, McCain doesn’t speak for McCain).
McCain’s obvious lack of any grasp on reality reminds me of Ronald Reagan. I remember vividly one time when Reagan did a press conference with the want ads of a newspaper, claiming that there were many help-wanted ads in there and that anybody who wanted a job could just answer an ad. He was completely clueless that most of the ads called for specialized skills, that there were far more people looking for work than there were jobs available, and that for each job opening, there were enough applicants to overwhelm the employer posting it.
The Republicans are keeping alive their tradition of being out of touch with reality. I just hope people are able to see it this time around.
August 29th, 2008 at 10:30 amThe American College of Emergency Physicians has done America a service by making it officially clear that they cannot handle the burden of 46 million uninsured.
The increasingly older population alone in this country calls for a renewed healthcare system. Obama’s call last night for making the same plans available to members of congress available to everyone else is just what I wanted to hear.
You see, fixing healthcare really isn’t that difficult or costly. We’re not out to make a carbon copy of Canada’s or Britain’s system, but keeping innovation intact, encouraging others to enter medicine out of an obligation to humanity and not on a commercialized mindset of making $300,000 right out of medical school, and bringing access to EVERYBODY.
Demand can be met and ills can be remedied if we PUT OUR MINDS TO IT.
August 29th, 2008 at 10:33 amWhat an incredibly careless and ridiculous comment from Goodman – typical, though. A repugnican who can’t see anything from his ivory tower.
August 29th, 2008 at 10:33 amRead the Data it speaks for itself!!
More than 84 percent (250.4 million) of U.S. residents were privately insured or enrolled in a government health program, such as Medicare, Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (S-CHIP).
• Up to 14 million uninsured adults and children qualified for government programs in 2004 but had not enrolled, according to the BlueCross BlueShield Association.
• Nearly 18 million of the uninsured live in households with annual incomes above $50,000 and could likely afford health insurance.
In theory, therefore, about 32 million people, or 68 percent of the uninsured, could easily obtain coverage but have chosen to forgo insurance. That means that about 94 percent of United States residents either have health coverage or access to it. The remaining 6 percent live in households that earn less than $50,000 annually. This group does not qualify for Medicaid and (arguably) earns too little to easily afford expensive family plans costing more than $12,000 per year. However, they could afford the limited benefit plans that are gaining in popularity
Most Uninsured are able to afford insurance but are healthy and feel they do not need it. Your stat is just a convenient political ploy to mislead the public to your political ideology. One of the biggest problems is the publics ignorance on how the health care system really works.
August 29th, 2008 at 10:37 amHands down Walter Sobchak from “The Big Lebowski” was John Goodman’s high water mark.
August 29th, 2008 at 10:40 amWhereas what we have here? A bunch of fig-eaters wearing towels on their heads, trying to find reverse in a Soviet tank. This is not a worthy adversary.
DieNowForPeace Says:
Hands down Walter Sobchak from “The Big Lebowski” was John Goodman’s high water mark.
August 29th, 2008 at 10:40 am
_______
A fantastic role in a great movie, though I have to hand the award to his brilliant insanity in Barton Fink.
August 29th, 2008 at 10:52 amI would contend that your stats are for that purpose alone. I don’t think people in America need stats to know that the health care industry in America has brought us to a crisis.
If you want to contend that there is no health care crisis then you probably think that our economy is doing just fine too. You probably have stats to back that up too.
August 29th, 2008 at 10:56 amFred Says:
Do you know how cheep and easy it is to get covered for major medical care? I know you don’t because you have swallowed the Democrap’s political propaganda hook, line, pole, boat, and the lake it sits on.
August 29th, 2008 at 11:01 amDo you know how cheep and easy it is to get covered for major medical care
So stupid you are, yes? (think of Yoda’s voice).
If you’re single, young, employed and in top health, you’re close to being correct.
If you’re uninsured, or unemployed, or have a pre-existing condition, then, just TRY to find “cheep (sic) and easy” coverage.
August 29th, 2008 at 11:09 amAs a matter of fact I do. I pay 1300 dollars a month to cover myself and my wife for what is called an excellent policy. It is more than I have ever paid for car payments, house payments and utilities all combined per month.
as for your link. It was written by a conservative with a right wing slant…the guy even wrote agains ship so you have no credibility at all.
to read more conservative articles by the same guy you use as a reference go here.
We should all have the same health care that Cheny has:
Cheny Care
You are talking out of a right wing playbook that is easy to debunk. Try again if you have the heart.
August 29th, 2008 at 11:10 amHey, ACME?
August 29th, 2008 at 11:22 amStill in college?
Ever heard of ‘pre-existing conditions?”
There are millions of folks out there who are doing OK financially but are functionally uninsurable. I know many such.
Do you know how much it costs to get individual as opposed to group–say, if you’re starting a business? In many cases, it’s twice as much as a mortgage. And it goes up by 20% a year.
And anyone who uses the word ‘easily’ in connection of the health care industry is either a college kid or is working for them.
Acne is a hit and run troll like jk. He can’t respond because he has already made himself look like a fool and can’t push it any further. Sad, sick little puppy.
August 29th, 2008 at 11:25 amIt’s true that if you go to a hospital in the USA without health insurance they will try to save your life. And if you have worked for 30 years to pay for a house they will then take it from you and put your family on the streets to pay the bill.
August 29th, 2008 at 11:32 amNo, he’s not ashamed Fred. He’s gone to another thread to earn some more “McCain Points”. Yes, folks, it’s true that the McCain campaign is awarding points to followers who post untrue garbage on internet discussion threads; these points can be cashed in on merchandise…
August 29th, 2008 at 11:45 amnickrhoward Says:
the gop is getting shortchanged on this one then.
August 29th, 2008 at 11:49 amCue the commercial:
While ERs provide episodic care and are the most expensive medical care available, McCain says they should go out of business by providing uncompensated care in order to replace Medicaid and Medicare.
Picture of car dringing around in the rain with the passenger having a heart attack.
When McCain drives the hospitals out of business, where will you go when you need healthcare ?
August 29th, 2008 at 12:13 pm