Posted on 06/13/2009 8:06:08 AM PDT by reaganaut1
The White House said Saturday that President Obama intends to pay for his health care overhaul partly by cutting more than $200 billion in expected reimbursements to hospitals over the next decade — a proposal that is likely to provoke a backlash from cash-strapped medical institutions around the country.
Mr. Obama has insisted that his plan will not add to the federal deficit, and he had already set aside in his budget what he calls a $635 billion “down payment” toward the overall 10-year cost of the overhaul, which is expected to top $1 trillion. But Republicans and some Democratic legislators have been pressing him for details on how he would cover the rest. On Saturday, he used his weekly Internet and radio address to do so.
Mr. Obama said he had identified “an additional $313 billion in savings that will rein in unnecessary spending and increase efficiency and the quality of care,” bringing the total to nearly $950 billion. He did not offer a specific breakdown, but advisers said that in addition to the more than $200 billion in lowered hospital reimbursements, the president expects $75 billion in savings over 10 years by getting better prices for prescription drugs, and $22 billion in other savings.
“These savings will come from common sense changes,” Mr. Obama said in his address. “For example — if more Americans are insured, we can cut payments that help hospitals treat patients without health insurance.”
He added: “If the drug makers pay their fair share, we can cut government spending on prescription drugs. And if doctors have incentives to provide the best care instead of more care, we can help Americans avoid the unnecessary hospital stays, treatments, and tests that drive up costs.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Geesh, no one will want to work in the healthcare industry.
They will bring in some of the jihad doctors like they do in Britain.
Obama is an utter fool, and the Times is no more than his propaganda sheet.
He wants to bankrupt the hospitals, so he can take them over.
“Mr. Obama said he had identified “an additional $313 billion in savings that will rein in unnecessary spending and increase efficiency and the quality of care,” bringing the total to nearly $950 billion. He did not offer a specific breakdown, but advisers said that in addition to the more than $200 billion in lowered hospital reimbursements, the president expects $75 billion in savings over 10 years by getting better prices for prescription drugs, and $22 billion in other savings.”
I’ve never read so much horse sh*t in my life. Obama shovels it and the NYT prints it, pathetic.
Notice that he WANTS the drug companies to PAY MORE - which is STILL a “cost” ....
And the “estimates” are overly optimistic and totally ridiculous.
“If the drug makers pay their fair share, we can cut government spending on prescription drugs. And if doctors have incentives to provide the best care instead of more care, we can help Americans avoid the unnecessary hospital stays, treatments, and tests that drive up costs.”
That’s a lot of IF’s that ain’t gonna happen, and shouldn’t happen. I spent thousands of dollars and countless hours to obtain my nursing license. Never did I desire to be a government employee. I guess soon Obama will require me to assimilate into the Borg, willingly or not willingly.
“If the drug makers pay their fair share”
Watch biotech stocks, already in trouble, plummet.
The guy doesn’t get it....The money tree has been cut down...Folks are hurting...He wants them to hurt more??
Looks to me that the cost savings are like the jobs saved by the stimulus. There is no way to identify which ones they are so you can claim any number.
Odd way to refer to an Unconstitutional government takeover.
They get these numbers from the same source as the “number of jobs saved” they have no credibility. Their revenue forecasts will be high and their savings forecasts will be high. Most government is inefficient and ineffective.
They will lie about the cost, and the actual costs will be triple the estimates. He could address subsidizing the uninsured if he thinks they need the coverage and leave the rest of us alone.
One reason that doctors are ordering more tests and more care is the fear of a malpractice suit.
I’ve seen this happen with my family physician. As soon as you have a simple complaint you’re on your way for plenty of tests. His practice has just given up delivering babies because he felt they were tempting fate. He’s never been sued but felt that delivering one more baby that wasnt “perfect” could change it all.
Kind of like the so called banks’ “stress test” that assumed a worst case 8.9% unemployment rate. What a joke.
Hey Barry, here’s an idea. How about tort reform? Doctor’s have to order all sorts of tests just to cover their asses from being sued by some slimy lawyer. Maybe that will bring down, or at least slow down, the rise in medical care. Oh wait. Silly me. The trial lawyers are big contributors to your Party.
‘Nuff said.
Once the government has power over medical decisions, you are property of the state.
Just ask yourself...another Post Office, another DMV....?????
Hmmm, he does seem to be taking on the trappings of a didactic dictator...
Paying for the nationalized health insurance is a big problem but it’s not the biggest.
THE BIGGER PROBLEM IS OUR LOSS OF CHOICES AND FREEDOM!! And that’s what we ought to be harping and fighting against!
Not only will the government be controlling our health care choices, but anything else that impinges on, such as the food we can eat, our lifestyles (risks you can take), etc, etc.
This, together with the cap-and-tax laws which will give them control of cars we can drive, thermostat temperature, how fast we can drive, how much toilet paper we can use, the size of our houses, etc, etc, we will have lost most of our freedoms.
And once these bureaucracies are set up, with all their constituencies and special interest groups in power, it’ll be next to impossible to roll them back.
“...more than $200 billion in lowered hospital reimbursements...”
If anyone thinks cutting reimbursements to hospitals won’t impact quality or availability of care, they are dumber than this pretend president.
Best thing that could happen to health care in America is to get the government clear out of the industry. Double digit inflation in the industry didn’t start until the feds got their hands into it almost fifty years ago.
It’s time to take back the country.
From the White House..”Ladies and Gentlemen, I am going to show you the greatest healthcare plan ever made. It slices, it dices, and it chops costs you wouldn’t believe. It won’t rust, bust, crack, peel, or smells bad in summer. It normally sells for $399.99,but you can have it for $19.99, today. If you call now, I, the President of the United States, B.Obama, will throw in another one, FREE!”
All the taxes in the world will not be enough to pay for universal health care. And yet that is what the government believes and is trying to get YOU yo believe.
How is taxing taxpayers into oblivion going to decrease their health care burden if taxpayers have to wind up paying through the nose 0 and continue to pay through the nose - forever - to fund the damn thing.
Do the math. It’s an insanely stupid more big government idea.
He’s just spewing meaningless words to get what he wants...more control, more power.
I would hate to see the funding flow-chart on where the money was going to come from.
It would look like a nightmare and make no sense at all.
HMMM. perhaps we do need a flow char to see this monster.
All of this is going to fall like a house of cards.
Right out of Ayn Rand.
It's not "this," it's us.
Where are they going to get the money?
The government will simply take all of our money and wealth, every last dime and at the point of a gun if necessary.
Then the government will provide to every American just what they barely need to survive.
Sound familiar?
Think back to Russia in the 60’s.
This is so convoluted that it makes my head spin!
Right now, they only reimburse hospitals 71% and doctors 81%. How can he reduce it even more? They’re already losing money on Medicare patients!
where is that BIRTH CERT.?
Democrat + Cut = LIE
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