Health care overhaul may cost about $1.5 trillion

AP ^ | 3/17/09 | RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR

[anniegetyourgun]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Guaranteeing health insurance for all Americans may cost about $1.5 trillion over the next decade, health experts say. That's more than double the $634 billion 'down payment' President Barack Obama set aside for health reform in his budget, raising the prospect of sticker shock at a time of record federal spending. Administration officials have pointedly avoided providing a ballpark estimate, saying it depends on details to be worked out with Congress. The White House had no immediate response to questions Tuesday.

Still, the potential costs are raising concerns among Republicans and some Democrats as Congress prepares to draft next year's budget. "We shouldn't just be throwing more money on top of the present system, because the present system is so wasteful," said Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, the ranking Republican on the Budget Committee.

[BenLurkin]

Why fix what ain’t broken?

[SpaceBar]

Ever since about October they throw that “t” word around like it’s nothing. A trillion here, a trillion there...

[Patrick1]

Be cheaper to split a trillion among 300 million Americans to go buy their own private health insurance and save half a trillion.

It is hard to believe it will cost 1.5 trillion dollars to guarantee everyone bad health care.

[Tarpon]

Should we demand to know what is broke? Item by item.

[Diogenesis]

"Hospital patients 'left in agony'"
"Patients were allegedly left screaming in pain and drinking from flower vases on a nightmare hospital ward.
Between 400 and 1,200 more people died than would have been expected at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust over three years, a damning Healthcare Commission report said.
The watchdog's investigation found inadequately trained staff who were too few in number, junior doctors left alone in charge at night and patients left without food, drink or medication as their operations were repeatedly cancelled.
Patients were left in pain or forced to sit in soiled bedding for hours at a time and were not given their regular medication, the Commission heard.
Receptionists with no medical training were expected to assess patients coming in to A&E, some of whom needed urgent care.
Sir Bruce Keogh, medical director of the NHS, said there had been a "gross and terrible breach" of patients' trust and a "complete failure of leadership".
The Healthcare Commission's chairman Sir Ian Kennedy said the investigation followed concerns about a higher than normal death rate at the Trust, which senior managers could not explain.
He said: "The resulting report is a shocking story. Our report tells a story of appalling standards of care and chaotic systems for looking after patients. These are words I have not previously used in any report.
"There were inadequacies in almost every stage of caring for patients. There was no doubt that patients will have suffered and some of them will have died as a result."
Julie Bailey, 47, was so concerned about the care being given to her 86-year-old mother Bella at Stafford Hospital that she and her relatives slept in a chair at her bedside for eight weeks.
She said: "We saw patients drinking out of..."

[TurtleUp]

The frightening part (and it’s amazing that I can find something more frightening than health care brought to us by the same people who brought us the Motor Vehicle Administration, the IRS, and the other government “services” than make us cringe) is that $1.5T is the initial estimate of costs. I don’t want to imagine what the real dollar cost will be before they start rationing care.

[Mr. K]

Applying the ‘rule of ten’, that says any government spending estimated ends up costing ten times as much, means that it will actually cost $15 TRILLION

[Steely Tom]

Sure, another trillion. What the hey.

[ari-freedom]

“Guaranteeing health insurance for all Americans may cost about $1.5 trillion over the next decade”

to ‘lower’ costs...

[RetiredArmy]

Say goodbye to that remaining 24% of your money that you had left after the gov’ment took the other 76% in taxes.

[screaminsunshine]

Wrong. They always lie about the cost. Triple3 it at least.

[Nachum]

The List, ping

For all on the ping list:

Links to the site are now appearing on articles and other onservative websites. Thanks to all who contribute to keeping the record and noticing. I believe that this will contribute to the loyal opposition.

[COgamer]

The present system is disasterous, but I don’t trust Obama or his cronies anywhere near it.

[COgamer]

““Guaranteeing health insurance for all Americans may cost about $1.5 trillion over the next decade”

to ‘lower’ costs...”

There’s an argument to be made that insurance is what’s raised all the prices in the first place. Look at Lasik versus things insurance plans actually cover. Lasik has gotten cheaper and cheaper, and everything that IS covered has just gotten more and more expensive,

[Bubba_Leroy]

A few trillion here, a few trillion there, before long it starts to add up to some serious money.

[tbw2]

A trillion here, a trillion there - soon it will add up to funny money.

[dervish]

“White House budget director Peter Orszag told the House Budget Committee earlier this month that the president’s $634 billion fund is “likely to be the majority of the cost.”

“Majority” means 51%.

“Economist Len Nichols, who heads the health policy project at the New America Foundation, said he calculates that guaranteeing coverage will cost $125 billion to $150 billion a year, when fully phased in. “

That number is total BS. “New [Socialist and bankrupt]America Foundation.” I’m happy withthe old America.

[lowbridge]

bump

[dervish]

US cancer survival rate is 20% higher than in the UK. That costs.