Missing Link

Healthcare Debate: A Schoolyard Brawl



Posted: Sunday, August 09, 2009

by Missing Link

It is an interesting feature of the current health care debate that what we are actually debating is so ill-defined by both sides. Oh, both Democrats and Republicans both agree that health care needs a makeover, but that's about all they seem to have in common on the issue. Or do they? From where I sit there aren't enough details on either side to even make a comparison on their approaches.

The lack of details is somewhat maddening. I don't know what the Democrats are working on and that could simply be my laziness. The information may well be out there but like most busy people I need it fed to me in comprehensible bites because I am not likely to wade into the bill language.

Likewise, the Republicans aren't laying out their plan. No details, and folks, just not liking the Democratic plan isn't a plan at all; especially when there isn't a plan not to like except the fact that it's from the Democrats.

So there's nothing to bite into and the debate is degenerating into a really ugly affair. You've got Rush Limbaugh calling Nancy Pelosi the equal of a Nazi for crying out loud. Is that necessary or even helpful?

So what do we have? Nothing, nada, bupkus except a schoolyard brawl. Obama is a smart guy, he sees this happening did he anticipate this level of disruption? Did he want this level of divisiveness? is this some huge miscalculation on his part? Should he have laid out the plan from A-Z, slapped Boehner's cheeks and thrown down the gauntlet?

I want to see a leadership change on Obama's part in this debate, hit us with the facts and just the facts man. I want a series of online videos about the specifics of your plan and I want brochures, and I want them soon.

I really need health care but I really don't want the insurance company lobbyists dictating the format of it. I also want the opportunity to see what the Republicans have too so I can compare the options.

I want some leadership from the Republicans. I want them to lay out their plan in a series of videos and in simple, easy to read brochures. Even the insurance companies can do that for us. They show the plans and the costs and the benefits. They should be embarrassed to show us, but they do it.

So Democrats, I want no more vague platitudes about "organizing healthcare". Republicans, I want no more mud-slinging to cover the fact that you don't want to outline a plan either. Come on kids, let's get our collective s**t together on this, it's too important. And you, Rush Limbaugh, wash your mouth out with soap and take a time out; you're really taking yourself way too seriously dude.

This Article has been viewed 1,242 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)
» left by Anonymous
 2 years 287 days ago.
I agree ~ googled the other day and the date of the last post by the whitehouse was Feb 09 but with no detailed specifics except the following plus statements about what they have done for Cobra and Children's Health Insurance:
 
- $1 billion for prevention and wellness to improve America’s health and help to reduce health care costs;
 - $1.1 billion for research to give doctors tools to make the best treatment decisions for their patients by providing objective information on the relative benefits of treatments
 - $500 million for health workforce to help train the next generation of doctors and nurses.
 - reduce long-term growth of health care costs for businesses and government
 - Protect families from bankruptcy or debt because of health care costs
 - Guarantee choice of doctors and health plans
 - Invest in prevention and wellness
 - Improve patient safety and quality of care
 - Assure affordable, quality health coverage for all Americans
 - Maintain coverage when you change or lose your job
 - Learn about the fundamental health insurance consumer protections included in reform which is the following.

THE SECURITY YOU GET from health insurance reform:

  • No Discrimination for Pre-Existing Conditions
  • Insurance companies will be prohibited from refusing you coverage because of your medical history.
  • No Exorbitant Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Deductibles or Co-Pays
  • Insurance companies will have to abide by yearly caps on how much they can charge for out-of-pocket expenses.
  • No Cost-Sharing for Preventive Care
  • Insurance companies must fully cover, without charge, regular checkups and tests that help you prevent illness, such as mammograms or eye and foot exams for diabetics.
  • No Dropping of Coverage for Seriously Ill
  • Insurance companies will be prohibited from dropping or watering down insurance coverage for those who become seriously ill.
  • No Gender Discrimination
  • Insurance companies will be prohibited from charging you more because of your gender.
  • No Annual or Lifetime Caps on Coverage
  • Insurance companies will be prevented from placing annual or lifetime caps on the coverage you receive.
  • Extended Coverage for Young Adults
  • Children would continue to be eligible for family coverage through the age of 26.
  • Guaranteed Insurance Renewal
  • Insurance companies will be required to renew any policy as long as the policyholder pays their premium in full. Insurance companies won't be allowed to refuse renewal because someone became sick 
 
 
yet they want participation in calling our local congressmen to help push through the plan.
 
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.