Obamacare's Fatal Flaw

Time ^ | August 17, 2009 | Ramesh Ponnuru

[NCjim]

There are two basic points about health-care reform that President Obama wants to convey. The first is that, as he put it in an ABC special in June, "the status quo is untenable." Our health-care system is rife with "skewed incentives." It gives us "a whole bunch of care" that "may not be making us healthier." It generates too many specialists and not enough primary-care physicians. It is "bankrupting families," "bankrupting businesses" and "bankrupting our government at the state and federal level. So we know things are going to have to change."

Obama's second major point is that--to quote from the same broadcast--"if you are happy with your plan and you are happy with your doctor, then we don't want you to have to change ... So what we're saying is, If you are happy with your plan and your doctor, you stick with it."

So the system is an unsustainable disaster, but you can keep your piece of it if you want. And the Democrats wonder why selling health-care reform to the public has been so hard?

[Tarpon]

They still haven’t answered the same question that is being asked over and over — How do you insure 47 million new patients with the same pool of doctors, and save money. Seems like there is serious need for a die-off.

Obamacare, Cliffnotes version: Abort the unborn, kill the old, save money, give money to Democrat supporters. What’s your geezer worth?

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

But when you read the liberal policy analysts, it quickly becomes clear that getting young and healthy people to pay more in premiums than they will spend on medical expenses is the point of forcing them to buy insurance.

That's exactly right...it's another damned Ponzi scheme, just like Social Security and Medicare!

[kabar]

Don’t forget Medicaid, which is bankrupting the states.

[Technical Editor]

If you want to be cheered, go to http://reportcard.cnn.com/ and on the National Results tab, hover over each state to see the grade Obama got.

I am greatly cheered, and I hope you all are too.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Wow! D’s and F’s predominate everywhere! I like it!

[goodnesswins]

WHOA....and...Louisianan’s are REALLY pissed....

[ak267]

ObamaJoker T-shirts
Sarah Palin T-shirts
Obamacare T-shirts

http://www.zazzle.com/aksarben

[Technical Editor]

In nearly every state, a THIRD gave him an F!!!!!!!

There’s hope — real hope — for us, thank God.

[aquila48]

“It gives us “a whole bunch of care” that “may not be making us healthier.” It generates too many specialists and not enough primary-care physicians. It is “bankrupting families,” “bankrupting businesses” and “bankrupting our government at the state and federal level. So we know things are going to have to change.” “

What these idiots don’t get is that WE want to CHOOSE and PAY for whatever health care WE want. WE don’t want big brother telling us how to spend our money, what we can and cannot eat, what we can and cannot drive, etc, etc - in other words, WE WANT THEM OUT OF OUR LIVES!!

We need to get the 10th amendment reinstituded. Where’s our version of the ACLU bringing lawsuits against this unprecedented usuraption of our rights!!!

[expatpat]

Our health-care system is rife with "skewed incentives." It gives us "a whole bunch of care" that "may not be making us healthier." It generates too many specialists and not enough primary-care physicians. It is "bankrupting families," "bankrupting businesses" and "bankrupting our government at the state and federal level.

The fact is that all of these problems could be ameliorated by one action: tort reform, to remove the need for additional tests and remedies.

[freespirited]

It gives us “a whole bunch of care” that “may not be making us healthier.”

So why does life expectancy in the US keep increasing?

Another example of why I have a problem with the notion that this guy is brilliant.

[Danae]

That’s what H1N1 is for.