tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549014273673757900.post2819894462784437351..comments2023-02-28T08:51:03.395-05:00Comments on Putrid Pundits: Think we have a "do nothing" Congress now? Just wait until Sean Hannity's wish comes true.Jamiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09852957599195434721noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549014273673757900.post-73993044837726757662010-02-22T17:01:57.657-05:002010-02-22T17:01:57.657-05:00Tort Reform = Diversionary tactic. This is nothin...Tort Reform = Diversionary tactic. This is nothing more than a distraction from the main issue of health care reform (as opposed to health insurance reform). Tort reform would save, according to the CBO, about $41 billion over the next ten years. That might sound like a lot of money but that alone is not going to get us anywhere close to where we need to be. It's also not going to get the Republicans to sign on to the bill.<br /><br />Crossing state lines - While this might seem like a great idea, and "Anonymous" points to car insurance as proof that it works, to make this work for the people Congress or the States would need to create an enormous bureaucracy to police the insurance companies that are going to start popping up to take advantage of new markets. One of the concerns is who will be responsible for holding insurance companies accountable? It's one thing if they have a physical presence in your state that the State AGs can go after, it's quite another if they're located in Duluth.<br /><br />Where "Anonymous" and I concur is that we need to involved Congress, or, open up Congress's health care plan to the people. In fact, let's go a step further. Everyone seems to like Medicare (even Republicans who used to cut it every chance they got are strong supporters of it now) so let's open it up to people under 65. How about everyone over 55 can get it? Or how about 45? Hell, let's just open it up to everyone. This also feeds into the last bullet point of fixing Medicare and Medicaid. There would be no greater motivation to protect a program like Medicare than if EVERYONE was able to enroll in it.Jamiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09852957599195434721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3549014273673757900.post-63199282743796000842010-02-22T16:32:40.946-05:002010-02-22T16:32:40.946-05:00Ahhhh - if you could only blame the 'do-nothin...Ahhhh - if you could only blame the 'do-nothing' Congress on Republicans.<br />Unfortunately, you mention the blue dog Dems and their alliance with Republicans - SO EVEN YOU KNOW THAT IT'S NOT ONLY REPUBLICANS!<br />I say "Thank God" for the impasse in Congress. The healthcare bill(s) is/are ludicrous. We simply can't affordd it AND there are so many other options available which have been discussed over & over again - to no avail.<br />Repeat:<br />NEED TORT REFORM! Silly lawsuits are killing us - too bad the government is filled with lawyers (instead of businessmen) who want this gravy train to continue.<br />SELL INSURANCE ACROSS STATE LINES - it is already done in the car insurance industry - which works!<br />DEVISE A PROGRAM (catastrophic illness only) FOR THE SMALL PERCENTAGE WHO HAVE NO HEALTH INSURANCE - leave the rest alone!<br />INVOLVE CONGRESS IN THE PROGRAM - OR LET US HAVE THEIR PROGRAM <br />FIX MEDICARE & MEDICAID FIRST - then we will believe that something equitable can be doneAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com