[lbo-talk] Obama?

Shane Mage shmage at pipeline.com
Fri Sep 11 07:35:58 PDT 2009


On Sep 11, 2009, at 9:00 AM, Max Sawicky wrote:


> OF COURSE a switch to single-payer, which I favor, would be
> disruptive.
> You are switching from a myriad of benefit schedules,
> deductibles/copays, and provider reimbursement to a unified one. You
> are setting up a new, gigantic reporting/reimbursement system.
> Deciding how to do this would be an adventure all by itself.
>
But what about that *old* "gigantic reporting/reimbursement system" known as Medicare? When I switched from private insurance to Medicare I experienced no disruption at all. Of course, if everyone were to be brought under it Medicare would need to improve incrementally it's coverages and reimbursement rates. Which in any case it should do today, yesterday no longer being possible. If everyone were brought under an improved Medicare the tax system (now an even greater disgrace to the human race than when JC made his immortal comment) would indeed have to be revised drastically in order to recapture the private-insurance money now wasted on bureaucracy and profits and "executive" loot.

Obama, with his no-tax-increases/balanced-budget obsession is clearly an enemy of such change. He is also, as his Repugnicon heckler said, a liar. The question though is which statement is a lie: that his plan will not cover any illegal immigrants (the one Mr. Wilson called him on) or that under his plan no person will be left to suffer and die because of lack of health insurance?
>
> On Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 6:33 PM, Chuck Grimes <cgrimes at rawbw.com>
> wrote:
>> On Thu, 2009-09-10 at 12:48 -0700, ken hanly wrote:
>>> How did he rat out the CBC? I thought that Obama might take a
>>> moment to correct the constant misrepresentation of the Canadian
>>> system on US TV ads.
>>>
>>> Is it even true that a single payer system would disrupt the
>>> health care people already have, except perhaps to make it cheaper
>>> and more efficient?
>>> It would certainly disrupt the vested interests that make the US
>>> system so expensive and inefficient.
>>
>> Is it true single payer would distrupt...? No. You`re right. That
>> went
>> straight passed me. I missed that. What a slime.
>>

Shane Mage


> This cosmos did none of gods or men make, but it
> always was and is and shall be: an everlasting fire,
> kindling in measures and going out in measures."
>
> Herakleitos of Ephesos



More information about the lbo-talk mailing list