Is there any knowledgable Obama supporter willing to describe his health care plan?

[Stinky The Clown]

I have been unable to find any specifics of what will be proposed. I asked this in the other DU forum and got very few replies and the ones I got were pessimistic.

Surely he is planning to start us on the road to single payer. Not all the way at first. I understand that we'll have to wait for that. But this first pass at it will at least lower our individual costs and make sure none of us are excluded .... or canceled when we get sick ..... or be denied care ...... right?

So. Can some of you please enlighten me?

This is a little more meaningful a discussion than the Special Olympics bullshit story. Or what Noron O'Donnell is saying. Or what Mittens thinks. Or Maxine. Or any of the hundreds of "Entertainment Tonight" threads.

[FrenchieCat]

1. Barack Obama's health Proposal

during the campaign.

http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/HealthCareFullPlan.pdf

http://www.kff.org/uninsured/upload/Obama_Health_Care_Reform_Proposal.pdf

The plan to be proposed will be similar in outline....as it is Barack Obama's plan far as he's concerned....unless someone can make a good case for some changes here and there.

He's willing to listen to ideas as long as those doing the talking also listen to what he has to say. What he won't do is to compromise away the key elements of what he envisions as the right plan for the time being for this country.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. I appreciate the links, but those are old

Those are from back in the campaign. I appreciate that his overview positions may not have changed, but he let Congress write the bailout bill. The devil is always in the details and we don't know the details. I'm not sure I feel all that more positive with Sebelius writing this part of his budget.

I'm 62 years old. I have the sense that this is the LAST BEST CHANCE for people my age and older to get serious health care changes made.

[Thrill]

5. Whitehouse.gov

HEALTH CARE

On health care reform, the American people are too often offered two extremes -- government-run health care with higher taxes or letting the insurance companies operate without rules. President Obama and Vice President Biden believe both of these extremes are wrong, and that’s why they’ve proposed a plan that strengthens employer coverage, makes insurance companies accountable and ensures patient choice of doctor and care without government interference.

The Obama-Biden plan provides affordable, accessible health care for all Americans, builds on the existing health care system, and uses existing providers, doctors, and plans. Under the Obama-Biden plan, patients will be able to make health care decisions with their doctors, instead of being blocked by insurance company bureaucrats.

Under the plan, if you like your current health insurance, nothing changes, except your costs will go down by as much as $2,500 per year. If you don’t have health insurance, you will have a choice of new, affordable health insurance options.
Make Health Insurance Work for People and Businesses -- Not Just Insurance and Drug Companies.

* Require insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions so all Americans regardless of their health status or history can get comprehensive benefits at fair and stable premiums.
* Create a new Small Business Health Tax Credit to help small businesses provide affordable health insurance to their employees.
* Lower costs for businesses by covering a portion of the catastrophic health costs they pay in return for lower premiums for employees.
* Prevent insurers from overcharging doctors for their malpractice insurance and invest in proven strategies to reduce preventable medical errors.
* Make employer contributions more fair by requiring large employers that do not offer coverage or make a meaningful contribution to the cost of quality health coverage for their employees to contribute a percentage of payroll toward the costs of their employees' health care.
* Establish a National Health Insurance Exchange with a range of private insurance options as well as a new public plan based on benefits available to members of Congress that will allow individuals and small businesses to buy affordable health coverage.
* Ensure everyone who needs it will receive a tax credit for their premiums.

Reduce Costs and Save a Typical American Family up to $2,500 as reforms phase in:

* Lower drug costs by allowing the importation of safe medicines from other developed countries, increasing the use of generic drugs in public programs, and taking on drug companies that block cheaper generic medicines from the market.
* Require hospitals to collect and report health care cost and quality data.
* Reduce the costs of catastrophic illnesses for employers and their employees.
* Reform the insurance market to increase competition by taking on anticompetitive activity that drives up prices without improving quality of care.

The Obama-Biden plan will promote public health. It will require coverage of preventive services, including cancer screenings, and increase state and local preparedness for terrorist attacks and natural disasters.

A Commitment to Fiscal Responsibility: Barack Obama will pay for his $50 - $65 billion health care reform effort by rolling back the Bush tax cuts for Americans earning more than $250,000 per year and retaining the estate tax at its 2009 level.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/health_care/

[monmouth]

2. As a senior and well aware of the robber barons that insurance companies

are, here is what I do: I have Medicare (Part A) only, it covers Hospital only. I pay my doctor out of pocket when I need to see him. I do enjoy good health and try to live my life in a healthy lifestyle. I'm in my late 60s and know that won't last forever but before they start deducting sums from my SS check, for little to no coverage, this seems to work for me. Since I do enjoy good health, doctor says every two years is fine, anything drastic I go to the hospital. Of course I will be billed and it's much like living in a casino shooting craps, but for now, that's what I'm betting on. My payment by my check to the doctor runs around 3-400 dollars. I get all the blood work, etc. Still far less costly than the deduction they would take. When coverage at a reasonable rate comes along, I'll pay it. Funny thing, social security gave us a nice little increase this year, and then I heard so did an increase in the deductions from social security checks. Screw the insurance companies, I'll eat yogurt instead of cookies and green tea without scotch....sigh...

[firedupdem]

3. I think I know as much as you do. People who are happy with

their plans can keep them. Costs will be reduced for the rest of us and there will be no exclusions for preexisting conditions. I don't know how much more we know until the budget passes.

[CreekDog]

6. Obama wants people to be able to buy into the Federal Health Care system

which insures federal employees (that includes senators and congressmen and Obama himself).

it's group insurance at competitive rates and doesn't discriminate or limit coverage of preexisting conditions.

regarding the cost, Obama said that those with limited incomes who could not afford the premiums would get subsidies so that they could.

in general, employees with the largest plan within the federal system (Blue Cross/Blue Shield PPO --selected by about half of all federal employees) are very satisfied with their care and coverage, among the most satisfied of all Americans.

so, while Congress would write the legislation, Obama's direction regarding what he wants is fairly clear, so you should expect to see this approach.