Posted on 11/27/2009 12:37:42 PM PST by Michael van der Galien
In the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi’s version of the bill designed to implement President Barack Obama’s overhaul of the American health care system (and in the process provide coverage to 30 million currently uninsured Americans and possibly illegal aliens) passed, but immediately came under fire for being too expensive. Pundits predicted that a similar version would not pass in the Senate.
Harry Reid’s Senate version of the bill had Reid’s progressives looking at what could be cut from the House’s plan in order to make the bill more financially palatable. Since Senate Democrats seem to enjoy spending other people’s money just as much as House Democrats do, they naturally didn’t find too much. One of the things they did ultimately select, however, was the elimination of those subsidies that had been allotted to financially assisting medical residents in becoming primary care physicians and general surgeons.
By eliminating these subsidies and placing more of the financial burden on future physicians, Reid and his minions reasoned that they could keep their version of the plan under a trillion dollars, thereby making its passage in the Senate more likely. The Senate version passed, and Reid and his progressives gloated before the state-run media’s TV cameras.
Both versions had one serious flaw in common: they both failed to address what a Fox News report has identified as the premier health care challenge currently facing the nation: the severe shortage of physicians.
In fact, finalizing either version of the bill will make the shortage of physicians worse.
Republicans are so weak and stupid. They let that demo-jerk get away with saying “The Republican plan is don’t get sick and if you do get sick, die quick.”
When that’s EXACTLY what the public option will provide all of us.
Are Republicans brain dead... or just over-fed?
They’re enacting a contract.
If they demand payment for service, we demand service within an reasonable time.
From page 25 of the House bill:
INSUFFICIENT FUNDS.—If the Secretary estimates for any fiscal year that the aggregate amounts available for payment of expenses of the high-risk pool will be less than the amount of the expenses, the Secretary shall make such adjustments as are necessary to eliminate such deficit, including reducing benefits, increasing premiums, or establishing waiting lists.
The GOP sits quietly by because they have the best of both worlds. They can assume the position of resistance with confidence this massive tax bill will pass and then they will have plenty of new tax revenue to buy votes and stuff their own pockets just like the dems and they didn’t have to take any heat for passing it.
Your answer is depressingly correct.
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