> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
> [mailto:owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com]On Behalf Of Marta Russell
> Seconldy private insurers cherry pick - they don't want people with chronic
> illnesses. That is why we have MediCAl to begin with.
Which is the point of everyone under the Bradley plan automatically being eligible for the Federal system of health care plans to avoid such cherry-picking.
> Bradley's plan is not "universal". Who are the 5% that Bradley's
> plan leaves out?
> Not worthy citizens or what?
And 16% are not covered now. So an additional 11% of the population covered looks pretty good. Again, Bradley's plan is not heaven on earth but it's an improvement.
If there are points where some people who presently have services might lose them under a new plan, that is the place for activists to fight for modifications, but it's not a reason to torpedo a plan to increase coverage and funding for health care.
> Gore has pointed out that Bradley's vouchers would be about $150 per
> person -- too> little to buy into anything but the lowest quality HMO out
there or
> plans with high deductables and limited benefits.
$150 per person per month is a quite reasonable amount-- not the lowest possible amount since I have personally paid less as an individual who did not even have the advantage of group pooling. If you have info showing that $150 per month (or $5000 per family) cannot buy a decent plan under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, that might argue otherwise.
>The rich would continue to have
> Cadillac care
> while those with a Bradley voucher would be fighting to just get
> standard care.
Which would be an improvement for all the uninsured that don't even get to fight for standard care.
> Well you are toying with many people's lives by thinking this can
> happen...Its an illusion dude.
Ah, so all we can do is defend the status quo? By this logic, the very existence of Medicaid and Medicare are illusions, since they could not have happened, since they are just reforms.
The fact is that if lefties attack every issue they can on broad proposals like Bradley's health care plan, they just play into the marginal incremental poll-driven politics promoted by Clinton. If large proposals for massive expansions of health care spending are going to be savaged by Right and Left, then the safest political spot will be in the status quo middle.
-- Nathan Newman