Krugman is a "Corporatist"...LOL!

[SkyDaddy7]

This article has to really piss off the loonies who refuse to accept the fact it takes "VOTES" to pass "single Payer" or even a Public Option...And even Krugman thinks the current HCR is worth passing!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x219252


My Favorite quote, "... If the votes were there, I would much prefer to see Medicare for all."

[sandnsea]

1. Nobody can afford Medicare premiums

I just do not understand these people touting this Grayson Medicare bill. Medicare premiums, at cost with no taxpayer contribution, would be expensive. It is not an answer.

There has to be a subsidy, whether for private insurance or a public plan. A sliding scale IS a subsidy. There will need to be increased taxes to help pay for it.

Why do these people pretend otherwise? And why do they pretend that the only corporate money in health care is in insurance. It's everywhere. Managing the payment of health care is what insurance does. It will have to be done by someone, whether private or government. The government is not just going to write checks. Sickness and treatment will still have to be verified. There will still be fraud.

I just don't understand why people think government is any more of a utopian answer than private business or even a nonprofit. They're all bureaucracies with human flaws and trappings.

[quiet.american]

2. Sandnsea - glad to see you say this - I thought it was just me! Well said. nt

[goclark]

3. I was wondering that too ~ If it was that easy

why did it take all this time to suggest ~?

I respect Grayson a lot but is it workable?

[quiet.american]

4. I like the guy, too - all that I can conclude is that he put it forward as a kind of "now, STFU" --

-- to those DEMANDING the option to buy in to Medicare, or else nothing at all. Once they get want they want, (assuming it would pass) they would see it does not mean what they think it means. Especially since, as sandnsea pointed out, there are no subsidies included in his legislation:

‘‘(d) TREATMENT.—An individual enrolled under this part pursuant to this section shall not be treated as enrolled under this part (or any other part of this title) for purposes of obtaining medical assistance for medicare cost-sharing or otherwise under title XIX.’’.

But, some may prefer to actually pay Medicare premiums at cost, rather than give a dime to insurance companies, even though they probably currently have insurance through an insurance company....

[sandnsea]

5. Yes, buying a govt plan should be an option

They shouldn't have to give money to insurance companies, the same way the people who hate govt shouldn't have to give their money to a govt plan. Let them operate with the same rules and see who does a cheaper and better job. I suspicion they'll both come to the same conclusion, health care costs a lot of money.

[Moosepoop]

7. Here's the Medicare rates for 2010

http://questions.medicare.gov/cgi-bin/medicare.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2260

Looks like full cost for Part A is currently $461.00, and Part B is $110.50, so a total of $571.50 per month (also some deductibles and copays). But how would it work under Grayson's plan? He's got a range of age groups, with the younger age groups paying higher premiums than the older ones. So how would that work??

Would the older folks stay at the current rates, and the younger ones have higher premiums than that? How high could they go for the youngest groups?

Or would it get evened out with the older folks paying less than they are currently?

I don't have any experience with Medicare yet, and have no clue how, where, or even if prescription drug coverage would be available with the Grayson bill. Would that be more premiums to figure in?

[SkyDaddy7]

6. I totally agree!

I am actually on Medicare right now but I was declared permanently disabled due to a spinal cord injury...Big difference!

About a year into my nightmare (after my spinal cord injury) my insurance company dropped me. I can't tell you how scary and simply wrong that was. However, to make a long story short I had to get a divorce from my wife so that my income was just my Social Security Check or we would NEVER EVER BEEN ABLE TO AFFORD Medicare, period!

The cries for Medicare for all are simply emotional cries aimed at hurting insurance companies...I HATE insurance companies but we have to be realistic about what we do...I think many can't see beyond that. This is why they hate Obama because they simply can't see reality like Obama can! It is almost like trying to teach evolution to a creationist!!! LOL!