Kennedy Fails to Prolong Senate Medicare Bill Debate

Bloomberg.com ^ | November 24, 2003 | Bloomberg

[CyberCowboy777]

Cheering for Teddy - but for reasons not comprehendible to him!

He wants the package bigger!

[doug from upland]

Better headline:

TED KENNEDY CAN'T DRIVE MEDICARE BILL OFF BRIDGE

[HoundsTooth_BP]

(Hopefully the RATS will fall to Conservatives in the 04 election. Ted Kennedy, Tom Dacshle, Nancy Pelosi and other RATS are in that number. :)

What conservatives? Apparently, whatever name they wear does not matter. They are all on the same page of bigger government, more taxes, like the internet, etc.

[m1-lightning]

AS explained by the Democrats themselves during the debates over the conference report: The budget allowed for $750,000 billion. $350 billion went to Iraq. $400,000 went to Medicare.

[CDHart]

"Where are they now?"

A very good question. I am heartily sick of the socialist bunch running this country, and that includes Democrats, Republicans, and whoever else is involved. Bulldoze the whole mess into the Potomac and start over again.

Carolyn

[el_texicano]

So, forgive my ignorance on the matter, but would you care to expand on how this bill is good, bad, or neutral???

[CyberCowboy777]

The system is inherently flawed due to unfair global markets. A market like ours pays for the extent of research so that socialized medical systems like Canada’s can get cheap drugs.

Competition is necessary for a free market to be successful, but how do you force those ideas on those in the global economy outside your control?

The drug manufacturers cannot stop selling to other systems of management and the cost of R&D is high. Someone has to give.

We do not want government funding of R&D, the inefficiencies would delay products, we do not want government subsidizing low-income prescriptions and we cannot force other nations to play by the same rules. It is a catch-22 if your goal is all things to all people.

[4CJ]

Shall it be that if they can't afford medicines they will just have to suffer pain or even die sooner than they should have to? If you'd rather not pay so much in taxes, what do you suggest these seniors do who simply cannot afford medicines?

COMPETITION reduces costs - not socialism. IMHO, three extraordinary things contribute to higher medical costs: legal fees thru litigation, prescription subsidization by America (vs. other countries), and compliance costs brought on by accepting insurance itself. The first can be remedied but never will, the second could be equalized, and the third could be brought about by standardizing coverage.

Our local family practice had to employ more full-time employees simply to process insurance claims, and the malpractice premiums have caused them all to abandon ob-gyn/delivery practice. I now pay over $600 a month now for a group plan, more than that in taxes. If this legislation passes taxes will go up, if not this year, in 5 or ten. So will insurance costs, as seniors drop off private insurance plans. Not to sound apathetic, but it's going to get to where myself and others like me cannot afford insurance, so guess what? We all pay even more. It's the wrong solution.

[Capitalism2003]

61-39
GOP just won another vote intended to block the bill..

[doug from upland]

Ted planned to get drunk at the local pub to celebrate a victory. His plans haven't changed, but he will be getting drunk to drown his sorrows instead.

[Tallguy]

Yet another government attempt to 'solve' a problem that really isn't that serious -- the cost or availability of prescription drugs. Of course this will hasten the financial collapse of the Medicare System.

[4CJ]

I am heartily sick of the socialist bunch running this country, and that includes Democrats, Republicans, and whoever else is involved. Bulldoze the whole mess into the Potomac and start over again.

That deserves a BUMP!

[CyberCowboy777]

The only way to win this battle is to introduce real free market idea to the health care system.

That includes the ability to buy drugs from Canada.

Unfortunately the culture has been set with 50 years of Medicare and decades of Social Security. The ever-growing population dependant on the system would vote out ANY politician that tried to restructure the system.

The die has been cast and until the taxpayers without the dependants are squeezed hard enough the system will grow. Or they will vote for their own portion of the public coffers until the system collapses upon itself.

This IS the system the Fore Fathers warned US about.

[HoundsTooth_BP]

The GOP see a win, win here. Where will people like us go? To the dems.

[Capitalism2003]

How can we reverse the march to socialism? Elect more people like Ron Paul... or some of these guys to office.

[Lizavetta]

What so many fail to realize is that whatever the government subsidizes grows and becomes more expensive. Next year's and next generation's drugs and medical care will be even more expensive, the legislators will pass more gazillion dollar bills to 'help the seniors', and the cycle will continue.

And what so many - not all of course - but many of today's seniors are going through in terms of medical problems is their own damn fault by not taking care of themselves. Whether by eating, drinking and smoking themselves into diabetes, heart disease, cancer and a dozen other illnesses it galls me that they expect others to cough up the money to pay for their stupid life choices.

[m1-lightning]

It's got a lot of ups and downs. Denny Hastert himself said it wasn't perfect but where problems arise, they will have to go back into session to fix them. At least the little old lady who's income relied on her husband's retirement who is now passed away can get reasonable insurance for prescription drugs. $600/year for full coverage if she is below, I believe, roughly $12,000/year income for example.

[Peach]

I find it difficult to believe that dozens of articles are incorrect in their reading of the bill, or that the AARP has been unable to convince their membership that this bill is a good thing.

[Peach]

Dog -

From your lips to God's ears. You won't get flamed by me, naturally, but it's a bill I think we'll live to regret.

[m1-lightning]

The only way to win this battle is to introduce real free market idea to the health care system.
That includes the ability to buy drugs from Canada.

For those of you who haven't read the bill:

SEC. 804. IMPORTATION OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

`(b) REGULATIONS- The Secretary, after consultation with the United States Trade Representative and the Commissioner of Customs, shall promulgate regulations permitting pharmacists and wholesalers to import prescription drugs from Canada into the United States.

`(c) LIMITATION- The regulations under subsection (b) shall--

`(1) require that safeguards be in place to ensure that each prescription drug imported under the regulations complies with section 505 (including with respect to being safe and effective for the intended use of the prescription drug), with sections 501 and 502, and with other applicable requirements of this Act;

`(2) require that an importer of a prescription drug under the regulations comply with subsections (d)(1) and (e); and

`(3) contain any additional provisions determined by the Secretary to be appropriate as a safeguard to protect the public health or as a means to facilitate the importation of prescription drugs.