Posted on 11/17/2007 6:22:10 AM PST by Spiff
Since the Clinton Administration's ill-fated attempt to introduce government-run health care to the United States, mountains of paper have been produced analyzing our nation's health care system. And while Republicans and Democrats have spent countless hours debating themselves, the one group that has been left out of this debate is the American people.
With 47 million Americans without some kind of health coverage, and millions more worried they will lose what coverage they have, one Governor knew the time for talking was over. What Governor Romney proved is that you can apply conservative principles to ensure that all people have access to affordable health insurance. Instead of theories, Governor Mitt Romney got results.
Since the passage of the Massachusetts plan, Sally Pipes has found refuge in the commentary pages, where she has consistently twisted every statistic to fit her "Sky Is Falling" mentality. What she fails to recognize is this key fact: the Massachusetts health care plan is working.
In a bit of irony, the same article where rival campaigns attack the Massachusetts health care plan also notes that "the law appears to be working." More people are signing up for private insurance plans. As of November 1st, more than 200,000 formerly uninsured state residents have signed up for coverage. Families who once worried what would happen if a loved one fell ill, now have the peace of mind that comes with having a health plan of their own. No other candidate, in either party, can point to this kind of record.
It should be a shock to no one who believes in deregulation and individual choice that premiums are falling as competition is introduced into the health care market. As a result, today, in Massachusetts, residents can obtain comprehensive, quality health care insurance for as little as $175 a month.
In bringing free-market forces to Massachusetts, Governor Romney has won the praise of conservative organizations. One of the primary supporters of the Massachusetts plan was the Heritage Foundation. They have said, "Those who want to create a consumer-based health system and deregulate health insurance should view Romney's plan as one of the most promising strategies out there." The Club for Growth stated that "Governor Romney deserves credit for proposing a plan that encourages individually-owned health insurance…"
One of the groundbreaking ideas in the Massachusetts plan is something called the "Connector." While some have tried to mischaracterize its purpose, what the Connector really accomplishes is that it provides a mechanism for people to purchase their health care plan with pre-tax dollars. Why is this important? When purchased through the Connector, that same $175 health care plan mentioned above now costs about $110 per month. While $65 may not mean a lot to people in Washington or New York, for a family working to make ends meet, $65 can help pay for groceries or gas for their car. As the Club for Growth stated, the Connector "does dramatically facilitate individually-owned health insurance plans by enabling individuals to purchase health insurance with pre-tax dollars and choose from a number of competing private plans."
Sally Pipes also questions the spending requirements of the Massachusetts plan. The response is simple – there are no new taxes required. As part of the Massachusetts plan, Governor Romney redirected nearly $1 billion that was already being spent to reimburse hospitals for providing free care to instead help individuals purchase their own insurance. According to the Club for Growth, these subsidies "encourage individual ownership of private health insurance" that "may lower overall costs." By redirecting existing funds, Governor Romney crafted a plan making private health insurance more accessible without more government spending.
For too long, Republicans have shied away from this debate. We've chosen to speak in broad platitudes and theories about how health care should work. We have ceded this issue to the Democrats because if anything, what the Clinton Administration proved was that the topic was too hard to solve, too complex to talk about, and any solution was too expensive.
Governor Romney rejected those tired excuses. Instead of talking, he chose to lead. Of all the presidential candidates, Republican or Democrat, Governor Romney is the only candidate with a record of achievement in this area. He is proud of his record and the work that was done here in Massachusetts.
Health care reform is easy to talk about. It would have been the path of least resistance and one that has been well worn for too long by people in both parties. Governor Romney could have chosen that path. He didn't. He chose to lead. He chose to be a bold reformer. And I can think of over 200,000 reasons – and counting – why that was a good choice.
Sally Canfield is Policy Director of the Romney for President campaign.
Deconstructing Pipes
Sally Canfield
(Mitt Romney's Real Health Care Record)
15 November 2007
TownHall.com
First comment on the article at Town Hall...
| orlandocajun writes: | Thursday, November, 15, 2007 3:23 PM |
| This is weird... | |
| Now we're getting politican commercials on Townhall? | |
From the Washington Times, 4/6/06:
The Massachusetts health care plan "is a Frankenstein's monster of tax penalties, expanded government-insurance programs and unfunded mandates," a Times editorial states. According to the editorial, the "fault of this bill is that it really isn't 'consumer-driven' at all," but "[p]erhaps the biggest laugher here is that we're somehow supposed to be impressed with ... Romney's observation that the bill simply applies the state's auto-insurance thinking to medical care." The editorial adds, "The state's auto insurance market is an overregulated nightmare. It's so bad that even Geico and Progressive don't offer plans in Massachusetts. A lizard would choke on it."
There are good parts and not such good parts to the bill that was passed. He's freely admitted that. He is not interested in pursuing anything like that nationally. He's freely admiited that as well.
Are people being deliberately disingenuous or are they truly uninformed when they act like they don't know that? Hmmm.....
If people want to become informed as to Mittt’s actual proposals, they can go to Mitt’s website and see the plan he is proposing --> Health Care Briefing. It looks more like the original plan he proposed in Massachusetts BEFORE it was altered.
Further, it's important to note that the only thing that saved the citizens of Massachusetts from Hillarycare -—outright socialized medicine —- was Mitt. He brokered the best compromise a conservative could hope for in that ultra liberal state.
Americans want health care reform and they want it NOW. If you don’t want Hillarycare — you better come up with a plan. Which Mitt did. In a more conservative setting, his proposed reforms will work out even better.
Republicans are downright stupid if they think they can ignore this issue. Mitt is not stupid. He realizes the Mass plan is not perfect. He said he’s waiting for other states -— especially more conservative ones -— to put forward their own plans and see what happens. He’s admitted there is room for improvement.
Romney is coming up with innovative ideas and free-market alternatives to the European-leaning solutions the libs are offering. Romney gets it. Others, apparently, do not
What planet are you on? They could do anything they wanted, and did. Where do you think the spending came from? From the House?
Oppose the President? Bush didn't say boo. He never even vetoed a bill until this year. There was nothing to oppose.
Gee, Mitt gives keys and whiskey to drunks and an accident happened. Who would of thunk it?
So, Mitt gets all the credit for paving the road to government hell, and none of the blame. Slick.
Already posted. And as I pointed out on the other thread, the writer of this article is Romney’s chief of propaganda.
“Sally Canfield is Policy Director of the Romney for President campaign.”
That’s the disclosure at the bottom of the article. Google her if you want to know more.
“...Massachusetts was altered when the 85% liberal legislature...”
[Gee, Mitt gives keys and whiskey to drunks and an accident happened. Who would of thunk it?]
You are sooo backward, Mitt’s plan will be improved 100% once it gets to the MORE ENLIGHTENED drunks in Washington, like Ted Kennedy. And Mitt WILL BE READY to work with Ted, cause Mitt is a doer, not a whiner!
Everything Mitt touches turns to Gold, doncha’ know!
You ought not to limit your options in anything in life.
Bush’s plan was/is superior. Granted Bush can’t sell anything, even when it’s good.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/stateoftheunion/2006/healthcare/
Mitt's plan made things better in MA. It reduced government regulation of insurance, allowing companies to offer policies that covered fewer medically unnecessary procedures (like hair restoration) and that had higher deductibles and copays. It also created an exchange for insurance policies (like an NYSE is for health insurance) which makes it a lot easier to shop for policies.
Yes, his plan slaps a penalty on freeloaders who choose not to buy insurance. And I say good.
If you don't buy insurance, Federal law allows you to skip out of an emergency room without paying and stick the rest of us with the bill. Hence if you don't have insurance, it is perfectly reasonable for the state to force you to put money into an interest-bearing account that can only be used in case you pull such a stunt.
Mitt has nothing to apologize for. He is proud of his plan, and justly so.
There's a reason the Heritage Foundation endorsed it.
So what? An argument's validity rests on its merits, not on the identity of the author.
Mitt can be happy. Forever. Because no matter what happens, he’s gone, and I am here. I am an inheritor of his child. But, for Mitt, it will always be a day in the legislator hospital when after congress with the Democrats, a bright and shining plan was brought fourth. It happens, she looks good, you're wanting to do, something.
I have full faith and credit that the legislature will begin to ‘tighten up’ the plan. That the various parties will public choice it. That, over time, various adjustments, modifications, rent seeking will vice and plier it into Quasimodo.
Massachusetts, The Rules.
1. Nothing on the level.
2. Everything is a deal.
3 No deal too small.
Maybe in talking occupations. In sciences they must be proved by empirical data, i.e, they got to work. Elegance and aesthetics aren't proof.
I think that about covers it.
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