Free Republic

A Commission has recommended many fixes. Here is an excerpt dealing with Healthcare. Note "End of life discussions for middle age folks". TORONTO - Ontario’s public health care system — the single largest expense in the government’s budget — needs major surgery. “Canada has one of the costliest health care systems in the world which may surprise people who are too accustomed to comparing our record only to that of the United States... . “Despite its high cost, our system does not produce superior results on a value-for-money basis relative to other countries.” Drummond is recommending significant changes — increased...

Dr. Jane Orient has been warning us for over two decades about the bipartisan push toward a nationalized healthcare system. The Tucson physician has been in private practice since 1981 and executive president of Association of American Physicians and Surgeons since 1989. She has written several books including Your Doctor Is Not In: healthy skepticism about national health care in 1994. Orient dates our present trite meme "ObamaCare" back to the Clinton era when Republicans, led by Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, "turned around and implemented on their own some of the very worst features of the Clinton plan."

Internal Justice Department email communications made just days before the House of Representatives passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act show that then-Solicitor General Elena Kagan was brought into the loop as DOJ began preparing to respond to an anticipated legal complaint that Mark Levin and the Landmark Legal Foundation were planning to file against the act if the House used a procedural rule to “deem” the bill passed even if members never directly voted on it. In another internal DOJ email communication that same week, Kagan alerted the chief of DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel to the constitutional...

The editors have it just right on the CLASS Act. The administration’s latest Friday night bombshell was really no surprise at all. (The massive deficit announcement tonight surely couldn’t have surprised anyone either, though I certainly have to admit that getting involved in a war in Uganda is one I didn’t see coming.) Just about every conservative critic of Obamacare pointed to the irrational design of the CLASS Act before the legislation’s enactment. In fact, the administration’s own CMS actuary said it would never work. He was ignored by his employers not because they disagreed with him, but because they...

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) stole a march on the Obama Administration this morning by filing a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court appealing the 11th Circuit’s Obamacare decision. The Department of Justice (DOJ) had announced on Monday that it was not going to ask all 11 judges of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to review en banc the August 12 decision of a three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit that found the individual mandate unconstitutional. This opened up a path to an appeal by DOJ to the Supremes. However, with this petition, the NFIB jumped ahead...

(Reuters) - The legal fate of President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law will likely come down to two Republican appointees on the U.S. Supreme Court -- Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Anthony Kennedy. That would be a familiar role for Kennedy, a moderate conservative who often has cast the decisive vote on the most contentious issues before the nine-member high court divided between conservative and liberal factions.

Voters still want to see the national health care law repealed and remain more closely divided over whether the law will force them to change their existing health insurance coverage. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 53% of Likely U.S. Voters favor repeal of the health care law while 40% are opposed. Those figures include 41% who Strongly Favor repeal and 27% who are Strongly Opposed. (To see survey question wording, click here.) This marks virtually no change from a week ago or from more than a year ago when the bill was first passed. A majority...

President Obama’s defenders are taking to the airwaves to rebut the charge that his actions have caused the dire employment figure we see today. The rebuttals mirror those the President is making, and they sure don’t lack in audacity. Some of the president’s enablers, for example, continue to claim that the unemployment rate is the fault of George W. Bush (even though it has been steadily rising two and a half years after Mr. Bush left office). Others say it is the structural result of deindustrialization. A third excuse making the rounds asserts that stalled talks over raising the debt...

Since 0bamaCare was passed, we have had our insurance contributions raised from $248.00 PM, to $379.00 PM. We have, now, been hit with a deductible of $1000.00 PY per person, whereas before we had none. Our office visit co-pay was doubled to $40.00 per visit...even on visits to renew prescriptions. Our Ins. Co, BCBS, won't pay for in office services such as X-Rays, blood work (other than "standard panels"), and now we can't even go to the same Dr. that offers Colonoscopies, Angios, CT's or...I don't know what else. Now, we have to go to an "Outpatient Center" and pay...

Less than an hour after the Federal Communications Commission approved net neutrality rules, Republican lawmakers began staking their claim in the next potential leg of the debate: repeal. The first calls to roll back the FCC's new net neutrality order came Tuesday from the House's most senior Republicans: House GOP Leader John Boehner of Ohio and Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia, as well as the incoming leaders of the chamber's top tech and telecom committees. The members each threatened to limit the agency's funds or restrict its jurisdiction in the aftermath of the FCC’s vote, with Boehner proclaiming the "new...

WASHINGTON — Russia warned the United States Senate on Monday not to rewrite the new arms control treaty being debated on Capitol Hill as American lawmakers clashed about the politics of ratification in the waning days of the Congressional session. Republican critics of the treaty, known as New Start, offered more amendments to the treaty’s language on verification and launcher limits. But any change to the treaty text would require both countries to return to the negotiating table, and Moscow made it clear that senators had to accept the treaty or reject it as it is, without amendments. “I can...

On Sunday night, after a weekend of wrangling, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) filed for cloture on the New START treaty, setting up a crucial Tuesday vote on whether to end debate. A final vote could come on Thursday. As Josh Rogin observes, keep an eye on Sen. Bob Corker (R., Tenn.) as the clock ticks...

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said that the Tea Party needs to commit to being problem-solvers in the new Congress. On "Face the Nation," Graham was asked about the prospects for bipartisanship come January. "The House is in revolt," he said of the difficulty of extending the Bush-era tax cuts. "People are pissed off in the House at the estate tax. That's going to carry over a bit." Graham said that big government and spending is on the "run and retreat," but that the coming months will test the grass-roots movement that helped turn the tide in the midterm election. "The...

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Saturday that the failed Democratic effort to pass the DREAM Act in the lame duck session dealt a blow to future talks on a wider immigration bill. “It was an exercise to try and taint Republicans with Hispanic voters, knowing that the DREAM Act under these circumstances could never pass,” Graham told reporters in the Capitol after the bill sputtered on the floor. “What they have done on the DREAM Act is hurt overall comprehensive immigration reform,” he said. The DREAM Act, which would give legal status to illegal immigrants who came to the country...

The Senate Saturday repealed the military's ban on gays serving openly in the military, by overturning the policy known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Senators voted 63-33 to advance the bill to the floor, passing a 60-vote procedural hurdle. Final passage Saturday afternoon was 65-31.

Yesterday on FoxNews I heard Geraldine Ferraro say that whoever coined the term ObamaCare was brilliant. She said it took all the negatives of the plan and tied it around Obama's neck. So I know my fellow Freepers will have the answer to the question "Who first coined the word "ObamaCare". Also, since the people clearly regard ObamaCare as negative, how are conservatives going to get us back to FreeMarket Health Care?

"Your guaranteed Medicare benefits won’t change — whether you get them through Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan.” “First of all, if you've got health insurance, you like your doctors, you like your plan, you can keep your doctor, you can keep your plan" President Barack Hussein Obama “Cynics beware, I am romantic about the National Health Service; I love it. … The NHS is one of the astounding human endeavors of modern times.” (Donald Berwick)

Employers and consumers sorting through their health insurance options may see a bump in their rates next year to account for the potential impact of some of the early elements of the federal health overhaul law, according to some health experts. Jeff Sher, an independent health insurance agent and consultant in San Francisco, said he's anticipating employee coverage at mid-size companies to go up 13 percent to 15 percent. "Then we're supposed to tack on several percentage points for health reform," he said. Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/09/BAR91EPHDJ.DTL#ixzz0w8kgn1lF

Cuts to the reimbursements given to doctors who treat patients covered by the state's low-income health care program are raising fears that already declining physician participation will fall even further... The health care and insurance industries fear that a 1 percent cut in Medicaid fees scheduled to take effect Sept. 1 will be the first in a series of cuts as state agencies are asked to trim their two-year budgets by 10 percent to help cover an expected $18 billion revenue shortfall... less than a third of the state's 48,700 practicing doctors accept patients covered by the federal program, according...

Even after the federal health care overhaul is in place, 2 million Californians could still be left uninsured, and the budget-strapped state may find it difficult to absorb millions of others who will suddenly have coverage, experts told lawmakers Wednesday. California has the nation's largest population of the uninsured – 7 million people. Many of the people without health coverage will choose not to buy it – despite penalties – or are in the state illegally and will not be eligible for subsidies and other government assistance, said Marian Mulkey, a senior program officer with the California HealthCare Foundation, during...

With all the tales in the Old Media of the supposed violence committed by Tea Partiers going on since Obama’s takeover of our nation’s healthcare system, I thought it might be instructive to recall how hate-filled the unhinged left is in America today. A year ago, the good folks at Zomblog assembled a great series of photos showing the mental derangement exhibited by the human detritus at those once ubiquitous anti-war rallies that the distempered left hosted so often between the years 2003 and 2009… you know, those anti-war rallies that totally disappeared after Obama took office even as the...

Tom Jensen at Public Policy Polling sums up their polling data in the "Big Ten" midwestern states. If the election were held tomorrow, Democrats would lose big: It's really looking like a brutal year for Democrats in the Big Ten states. Barack Obama's approval numbers in the two places we polled this week- Wisconsin and Ohio- tell the story. He won Wisconsin by 14 points in 2008 but we find his approval there at a net -2 (46/48) for a 16 point drop since the election. It's a similar story in Ohio. He won there by four points in 2008...

Major business groups say President Barack Obama's health care overhaul is a job killer... The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, and groups ranging from contractors to retailers said Tuesday the Democratic health care bills would raise their expenses, while failing to control health care costs.

I've seen an idea floated about here that those of us who live in Deep Blue States and/or Cong. districts should call our Dim senator/rep and demand the bill be killed b/c it isn't left enough. I think the time may be right to proceed.

Los Angeles, CA (AP) -- California officials plan to suspend new enrollments for a program that tests low-income women for breast cancer and to tighten eligibility standards when the program reopens. The Every Woman Counts program won't enroll new clients from Jan. 1 until July 2, 2010, and will restrict enrollment to women over the age of 50 thereafter. Previously, women had to be 40 years old to be eligible for the program. California Department of Public Health director Dr. Mark Horton said in a statement that declining state tobacco tax revenues and increased demand were to blame for cutbacks.

Multiple sources on the Hill have told The Foundry that as early as next week, the Senate could be debating Obamacare. Senate Majority Leader Reid has stated an intention to take the HELP Committee product and merge it with the Senate Finance Committee markup that is expected to be over by this Thursday or Friday. Their plan is to proceed to a House passed non-health care bill to provide a shell of legislation to give Obamacare a ride to the House and then straight to the President’s desk.

Why unions are “Astroturfing” health-care town halls posted at 2:18 pm on August 24, 2009 by Ed Morrissey Share on Facebook | regular view After enraged constituents started showing up at Congressional town-hall forums to oppose ObamaCare, the unions acted quickly to counterdemonstrate on behalf of the Democratic agenda item. In at least one case, union representatives used violence to intimidate and harrass ObamaCare opponents. The same union, which represents a large percentage of government workers and would be presumably immune from any health-care reform action, issued memos demanding volunteers to “drown out” opposition to ObamaCare. But why? This report...

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood assured car dealers Wednesday that they will be reimbursed for the money they have fronted to customers buying vehicles under the Cash for Clunkers program. LaHood was responding to complaints over a backlog of rebate payments. Dealers must cover customer rebates out of pocket and wait for reimbursement from the federal government. Some have said their reimbursement requests have not been approved, leading to a cash crunch. That’s key because dealers typically borrow money to put new cars on their lots and must repay lenders within a few days of a sale. “I know dealers...

Dems abandoning leadership advice By Jared Allen Posted: 08/16/09 01:30 PM [ET] An August in which Democrats were supposed to return home to sell the merits of a universal healthcare plan has turned into one where members are publicly fending for themselves. Some have even shunned the talking points and tactics their leaders encouraged them to use to gin up support for the Democratic healthcare bill as they’ve engaged with sometimes hostile constituents. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) recently lashed out at Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) recommended talking points aimed at the insurance industry, and criticized her approach in a letter...

The Congressional Budget Office has done a good job of sticking to its independent analysis, even in the face of unprecedented attempts to intimidate director Douglas Elmendorf into backing away from his positions on the deficit damage ObamaCare will do. However, Dr. Stephen Parente of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management says that the CBO used outdated models to determine short- and long-term costs of Barack Obama’s health care reform package. Newer and more applicable models that the CBO declined to use show that the actual cost will be more than double the CBO estimates (via Newsbeat1):

Many of the original groups behind TaxDayTeaParty.com are joining together for the Nationwide Recess Rally. This is a collaborative effort to make it known that we will not stand for socialized, government controlled healthcare. Operation Recess Rally On August 22nd, 2009, noon local time, during the break in session, we the people fully intend to hold mass rallies outside of every single congressional office in the country. These events will represent a strong statement that we’ve been pushed to the edge and simply cannot be pushed any further. It is at this time that we will also hand deliver a...

WINTER PARK, Fla. — A central Florida dentist is being sued for allegedly dropping tools down the throat of an elderly patient — twice. Relatives of 90-year-old Charles Gaal Jr. recently filed the suit in Orange County Circuit Court against Dr. Wesley Meyers for neglience. An answering message at his Winter Park office Saturday said he was on vacation. The lawsuit says the doctor dropped an "implant screwdriver tool" in 2006 and a "mini-wrench" in 2007.

Sen. Kennedy's panel advances health care overhaul as Obama keeps pressure on Congress

Last week, White House chief economist Christina Romer told reporters that there are "billion-dollar bills lying on the sidewalk" in America's health care system - apparently there for the taking if only Washington would show the will to pick them up. As a presidential candidate and now as president, Barack Obama has promised both universal access to health care and big savings to taxpaying households. That doesn't make a lot of sense because usually when you buy more of something, the price tag increases, but Washington seems not to have noticed. There's a circular logic to the illogical proposition. Obama's...