Reasons Not To Kill The Senate Bill

[ProSense]

Reasons Not To Kill The Senate Bill

Over at Firedoglake, Jane Hamsher outlines 10 reasons to kill the Senate health care bill. The comprehensive list relies on the competent work of FDL’s team of health care bloggers and some of the critique is not without merit; other points are overstated. For instance, the claim that “many will be forced to buy poor-quality insurance they can’t afford to use,” is a bit baffling. The newly uninsured would have access to a minimum benefits package that is far more comprehensive than the available options in the individual market. Two-thirds of these “forced” Americans would pay less for more substantive coverage, not more. And the poorest Americans would have their out-of-pocket costs capped.

Hamsher claims that the bill “allows insurance companies to charge people who are older 300% more than others.” This is true, but it’s a massive improvement from the status quo, which allows insurers to charge older people as much a 11 times more for equivalent coverage. The 3:1 ratio may be excessive but it also recognizes that older people use more care than younger people and permits insurers to attract younger applicants with lower rates. Finally, the argument that “the cost of medical care will continue to rise,” also misses the point. National health expenditures will naturally increase, but under the Senate bill, they will raise at a slower rate.

On the whole, Hamsher is right to argue that the Senate bill is a deeply flawed piece of legislation which, as Paul Krugman observes, “we’ll spend years if not decades fixing it.” In fact, “with few exceptions, sweeping initiatives in the U.S. system start small, are often flawed, and then are expanded, sometimes improved, sometimes not.” Medicare began as smaller program that was expanded to cover “hospice benefits, mammograms and pap smears to detect cancer, and most recently, under the Republicans, prescription drugs.”

Fixing something that’s broken is better than not having anything to fix. Buying a fixer-up home is more appealing than remaining homeless for the next 10 to 20 years. In time, you’ll be able afford to change the tile in the bathroom or fix the leaky roof patch, but for the time being you’ll have a place to sleep, eat, and keep warm. A newer house would have caused less problems, but it — like the Senate health care bill — was simply out of reach.

The top 10 list isn’t reason to kill the bill, it’s reason to improve it in the years to come. After all, the choice isn’t between passing this bill or a better bill — it’s between passing this bill or nothing at all. Seen in this context, the Senate health care bill provides an adequate foundation for transforming the system in the years to come.

Here is a graphic representation of the choice lawmakers face:

[Cleita]

1. Still trying to polish

that turd are you?

[depakid]

2. Does that surprise you?

Guess that public option wasn't so important after all... nor were any of the other reforms that were laid out so enthusiastically in previous posts.

[ClarkUSA]

5. Doesn't surprise me you're high-fiving the "turd" thrower.

Guess you don't like FACTS, either. Failer rhetoric is so much more your thang.

[depakid]

12. Certain folks based on postings lose credibility regarding policy matters

That's what happens when one never deviates from the party line (whatever that party line might be- or whether it's inconsistent with previous positions). If you commented on substance more often, you might know that.

[ProSense]

14. Certain folks never had any. n/t

[ClarkUSA]

15. Look in the mirror.

That's what happens when one never deviate from the anti-Obama line (whatever that anti-Obama line might be - or whether
it's consistent with previous positions that were held by a candidate one supported in the past). If you preferred FACTS over
Failer rhetoric more often, you might know that.

[depakid]

20. Yep- I've NEVER supported Obama's calls or written ANYTHING that might disparage the left

:rofl:

Certain folks on the other hand- well, let's just say the posts and the spin have become abundantly predictable on any fiven topic or policy discussion.

Which is why they lack credibility- they evince no independent set of core values, attitudes and beliefs. The only goal is to promote whatever the administration's line of the day is.

[ClarkUSA]

3. The real "turd" is the one you just emitted. Guess you favor Failer rhetoric over the FACTS.

Bitterness doesn't become you.

[CreekDog]

6. thank you for your post

i learned lots!

:boring:

[bigwillq]

4. I wonder how those 23 million feel?

Under the bus again.

[ProSense]

8. Well,

the figure includes about 8 million undocumented immigrants, which is no different from most countries. Undocumented immigrants in this country are treated under emergency Medicaid.

Covering 96 perecent of Americans is a really good start.

[bigwillq]

10. I wonder how those 15 million feel?

:shrug:

[ProSense]

11. Maybe you don't know this

but some people will initially fall through the cracks and some people will opt out.

Expect the numbers to increase over time.

[bigwillq]

13. Let's hope the numbers increase

I just want all Americans to have affordable and effective health care.

[Hello_Kitty]

17. But I thought everybody has to be in the plan or it won't work.

Do those 23 million people not get sick or have accidents?

[bigwillq]

18. No one really knows

the bill isn't even finalized yet.

[ClarkUSA]

7. I have family members who'll benefit immediately from HCR. Those who want this effort to fail...

... can go to hell.

[silverweb]

9. Far from finished yet, far from adequate.

But a beginning.

:kick:

[Garam_Masala]

16. 3 critical and foul smelling items you left out...

Sure they can't refuse you or cancel you but they can hike your
premiums without any regulation. So, what happens if you can't
afford the freeking premiums? Fine? IRS? Jail?

Middle class employee covered by employer health plans will see
their cost go up due to tax on "cadillac" plans which includes
many unions and many white collar workers.

With no drug re-importation, big pharma will keep jacking up
prices on top of the double digit increase in 2009.

[ProSense]

19. You don't know the answer to this

"So, what happens if you can't
afford the freeking premiums?"

People have been discussing the mandates and penalties ad nauseum.

As for the rest:

"Middle class employee covered by employer health plans will see
their cost go up due to tax on "cadillac" plans which includes
many unions and many white collar workers."

That's completely inaccurate because premiums are capped. Also, how would premiums go up if the tax is on excessive premiums?

With no drug re-importation, big pharma will keep jacking up
prices on top of the double digit increase in 2009."

Obama still has time to work on this.

[TomCADem]

21. Thanks For That Explanation!

It is nice to get some facts, rather than some Ad Hominem one line post such as "Cheerleader!" or "Corporatist!"

[SpartanDem]

22. A picture worth a thousand words