[Jim Robinson]

President Romney: The people are incapable of self-rule. We in government know what's best for them and will force them into our plan. We will whip them into shape.

President Reagan: In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. From time to time we've been tempted to believe that society has become too complex to be managed by self-rule, that government by an elite group is superior to government for, by, and of the people. Well, if no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else?

[rintense]

He only wants these capped so victims of RomneyCare can’t sue the government.

[bw17]

You don’t support capping Malpractice Lawsuits?

Seriously?

[DuncanWaring]

Why not just “Loser Pays”?

[xzins]

The following are excerpts from the reported plan. It's the first I've heard the details. Would you mind pointing out your objections (if any) to the following points? My comments are in red.

Romney's health plan as presidential candidate focuses on a federalist approach in which states craft their own programs. Federalism is ok.

Anyone lacking insurance coverage on Dec. 31 will lose the personal exemption on their state income tax filing next spring, equal to $219. If they remain uninsured into 2008, they will be taxed up to 50 percent of the cost of the least expensive private insurance plan — an estimated hit of at least $150 a month.It sounds like everyone has to buy a health plan. If they don't, then they have to pay more taxes. I see no problem with everyone having a health plan, the same as I see no problem with requiring car insurance, but I'd like to see "self-insured" as one of the options for those who can demonstrate the financial resources.

Later, Romney told reporters the carrot-and-stick approach is necessary to get people to take responsibility for their own health care costs.Again, we require car insurance. But we don't tell everyone which company to buy from. We do have minimum legal coverage limits.

"It's a recognition that people have a responsibility if they can afford insurance to either buy insurance or pay their own way," he said. "It's the ultimate conservative view that people have the responsibility to care for themselves and not to look to government to care for them."I see no problem with people paying their own way. I don't think they should get to have the state (ME) pay their health costs just because they walk in an emergency room and claim lack of insurance.

[broncobilly]

I am in favor of freedom to reject buying insurance if you can answer one question for me. What happens if someone rejects buying insurance but gets seriously ill and is brought into an ER for help. They can’t pay. The hospital can’t turn them away. Who pays the bill? If they are illegal, I would say treat the emergency and then ship them out of the country. What do you do if they are legal citizens?

[G Larry]

Capping malpractice lawsuits is a much better repair of increasing healthcare costs than “Hillary Care”.

[joebuck]

Clamping down on attorney fees and establishing caps in class action cases would accomplish more.

[montag813]

Ronald Reagan was in bed with scumbag trial lawyers like John Edwards? That’s news to me.

[curiosity]

President Romney: The people are incapable of self-rule. We in government know what's best for them and will force them into our plan. We will whip them into shape.

Some people need to be whipped into shape. The difference between a libertarian and a conservative is that the latter recognizes this fact.

Libertarians ignore the fact that people who are irresponsible in their personal affairs impose costs on the rest of us. Conservatives, however, recognize it, and hence they realize that sometimes it is necessary to punish personal irresponsibility.

Hence the need for laws against narcotics. Hence the need to mandate liability auto insurance. Hence the need for truancy laws. etc, etc, etc.

Mandating that poeple buy some minimum amount of personal PRIVATE health insurance is no different than any of the above.

And no, it's not socialist. If we were forcing people to buy it from the government, it would be socialist. But that's not what Romney did in Massachusetts. He's mandating people buy PRIVATE insurance.

This is no less socialist than mandates to buy private auto insurance.

[Calpernia]

Looks like Romney is on the Healthy People 2010 train just like Huckabee.

http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=pressreleases&agId=Eeohhs2&prModName=dphpressrelease&prFile=061024_obesity.xml as retrieved on Aug 15, 2007 18:53:58 GMT.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Executive Office of Health and Human Services
Department of Public Health
250 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02108-4619

MITT ROMNEY

GOVERNOR

KERRY HEALEY

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

TIMOTHY MURPHY

SECRETARY

PAUL J. COTE, JR.

COMMISSIONER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

October 24, 2006

CONTACT:

Donna Rheaume
(617) 624-5006

ONE OUT OF FIVE MASSACHUSETTS ADULTS OBESE

DPH Releases Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Report

The Department of Public Health (DPH) today released the annual Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) report which tracks health risk factors, preventative health behaviors, chronic conditions and emerging public health issues. The report is based on a 2005 telephone survey of over 8,900 Massachusetts residents ages 18 and older. Residents were asked questions about a variety of health topics including smoking, binge drinking, weight and obesity, diabetes, flu immunization, cancer screening, asthma and others.

Highlights from the report include:

• Obesity continued to increase in Massachusetts. One out of five Massachusetts adults was obese (20.7 percent). Massachusetts remains the fifth leanest state in the U.S.
• The gap between Massachusetts and the U.S. numbers for binge drinking is decreasing. In 2005, nearly 16 percent of Massachusetts adults reported binge drinking (5 or more drinks on one occasion) in the past month compared with about 14 percent nationally.
• 6.4 percent of Massachusetts adults have diabetes, which is 14 percent lower than the U.S. Diabetes has been increasing at a rate of 3 percent per year in Massachusetts since 1990. Obese adults are more likely to report diabetes than adults with normal weight.
• 87 percent of Massachusetts adults reported that they have a health care provider in 2005, surpassing the Healthy People 2010 goal of 85 percent.

“The Massachusetts BRFSS continues to be one of the key public health surveillance tools which helps us target resources to meet the needs of residents and improve the health of our citizens,” said DPH Commissioner Paul J. Cote Jr.

According to the Massachusetts BRFSS, adult smoking rates have fallen in the past two decades from 28 percent in 1986 to the current rate of 18 percent, placing Massachusetts below the national average of 21 percent. There has also been a decline in Massachusetts residents’ exposure to secondhand smoke. The statewide Smoke-Free Workplace Law was signed by Governor Romney in July 2004.

Other highlights on tobacco use include:

• In 2005, 18 percent of Massachusetts adults reported smoking, which represents about 850,000 current adult smokers in Massachusetts.
• Adults with less than four years of college reported significantly higher smoking rates.
• Smokers also tend to be concentrated in certain geographic areas of the Commonwealth, including Worcester, Springfield, Fall River/New Bedford, and rural areas of southeastern and western Massachusetts.

“This report demonstrates that we have made tremendous progress in lowering smoking rates in Massachusetts. It also allows us to target our efforts to those groups and communities where smoking rates remain high as we work to reduce the numbers of smokers,” said DPH Associate Commissioner Sally Fogerty.

For more information,visit www.mass.gov/dph/hsp and www.mass.gov/dph/mtcp. BRFSS Data through 2005 can also be found on www.masschip.state.ma.us.

###

###

-----------------------------------------------------

More on Healthy People 2010:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1563271/posts
Healthy People 2010

BTW, to anyone supporting Romney, if he is behind Healthy People, this means NO GUNS. Healthy People 2010 declares guns "unhealthy".

See post 108 for the Occupational Safety and Health section of Healthy People 2010

Looks like Romney is on the Healthy People 2010 train just like Huckabee.

http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=pressreleases&agId=Eeohhs2&prModName=dphpressrelease&prFile=061024_obesity.xml as retrieved on Aug 15, 2007 18:53:58 GMT.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Executive Office of Health and Human Services
Department of Public Health
250 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02108-4619

MITT ROMNEY

GOVERNOR

KERRY HEALEY

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

TIMOTHY MURPHY

SECRETARY

PAUL J. COTE, JR.

COMMISSIONER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

October 24, 2006

CONTACT:

Donna Rheaume
(617) 624-5006

ONE OUT OF FIVE MASSACHUSETTS ADULTS OBESE

DPH Releases Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Report

The Department of Public Health (DPH) today released the annual Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) report which tracks health risk factors, preventative health behaviors, chronic conditions and emerging public health issues. The report is based on a 2005 telephone survey of over 8,900 Massachusetts residents ages 18 and older. Residents were asked questions about a variety of health topics including smoking, binge drinking, weight and obesity, diabetes, flu immunization, cancer screening, asthma and others.

Highlights from the report include:

• Obesity continued to increase in Massachusetts. One out of five Massachusetts adults was obese (20.7 percent). Massachusetts remains the fifth leanest state in the U.S.
• The gap between Massachusetts and the U.S. numbers for binge drinking is decreasing. In 2005, nearly 16 percent of Massachusetts adults reported binge drinking (5 or more drinks on one occasion) in the past month compared with about 14 percent nationally.
• 6.4 percent of Massachusetts adults have diabetes, which is 14 percent lower than the U.S. Diabetes has been increasing at a rate of 3 percent per year in Massachusetts since 1990. Obese adults are more likely to report diabetes than adults with normal weight.
• 87 percent of Massachusetts adults reported that they have a health care provider in 2005, surpassing the Healthy People 2010 goal of 85 percent.

“The Massachusetts BRFSS continues to be one of the key public health surveillance tools which helps us target resources to meet the needs of residents and improve the health of our citizens,” said DPH Commissioner Paul J. Cote Jr.

According to the Massachusetts BRFSS, adult smoking rates have fallen in the past two decades from 28 percent in 1986 to the current rate of 18 percent, placing Massachusetts below the national average of 21 percent. There has also been a decline in Massachusetts residents’ exposure to secondhand smoke. The statewide Smoke-Free Workplace Law was signed by Governor Romney in July 2004.

Other highlights on tobacco use include:

• In 2005, 18 percent of Massachusetts adults reported smoking, which represents about 850,000 current adult smokers in Massachusetts.
• Adults with less than four years of college reported significantly higher smoking rates.
• Smokers also tend to be concentrated in certain geographic areas of the Commonwealth, including Worcester, Springfield, Fall River/New Bedford, and rural areas of southeastern and western Massachusetts.

“This report demonstrates that we have made tremendous progress in lowering smoking rates in Massachusetts. It also allows us to target our efforts to those groups and communities where smoking rates remain high as we work to reduce the numbers of smokers,” said DPH Associate Commissioner Sally Fogerty.

For more information,visit www.mass.gov/dph/hsp and www.mass.gov/dph/mtcp. BRFSS Data through 2005 can also be found on www.masschip.state.ma.us.

###

###

-----------------------------------------------------

More on Healthy People 2010:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1563271/posts
Healthy People 2010

BTW, to anyone supporting Romney, if he is behind Healthy People, this means NO GUNS. Healthy People 2010 declares guns "unhealthy".

See post 108 for the Occupational Safety and Health section of Healthy People 2010

[socialismisinsidious]

Socialized Medicine aka Universal Health Care PING LIST

FReepmail me if you want to be added to or removed from this ping list.

[Tribune7]

President Reagan:

Earlier this year I endorsed the report of my Domestic Policy Council's Tort Policy Working Group. This report contains a number of recommendations, recommendations that include fixed-dollar limitations for certain kinds of awards and the establishment of assurances that liability judgments go to those actually wronged or injured and not to the lining of their attorney's pockets. Now, one of the report's most important recommendations urged our administration to submit reform legislation to the Congress.

This legislation, carefully drafted, has now been introduced in the Congress by Senator Robert Kasten and Congressman Hamilton Fish. It restores the fault standard, which requires that actual fault or wrongdoing must be established in most cases before liability can be assessed. It limits pain-and-suffering and punitive damage awards, awards the amount contingency-fee lawyers could earn, and restricts the joint and several liability doctrine that can force a single defendant to pay all damages even if he is only partly to blame.