Hillary Clinton Is Clueless About Health Care

[ThomWV]

Ms. Clinton's Health Care program was just explained by her Health Care Adviser on C-Span this morning; Ms. Clinton has no health care plan at all. Ms. Clinton has an insurance plan not a health care plan. Apparently she either does not know or is not willing to face up to the fact there is a difference. This country certainly doesn't need more insurance plans. We need health care with no insurance involved what so ever.

I have never been a fan of Hillary, I admit that but before this morning I could have easily given her my vote. After all, she is a Democrat. However after hearing the in depth explanation of this critical campaign issue I find her approach simply unacceptable. She is giving lip-service to this critical national matter and that alone speaks to an out of touch politician.

[Bitwit1234]

1. Oh boy oh boy

And here's comes Mighty Mouse Obama to save the day. He is the one for
free speech
less taxes
no wiretapping
bombing Iran
wonderful wonderful health care
better roads
better bridges
bombing Iran
better pie in the sky
bombing Iran

HAVE I LEFT ANYTHING OUT...SINCE YOUSE GUYS ALL KNOW WHAT HILLARY CAN AND CAN'T DO, I WONDER WHERE YOU LEFT YOUR CRYSTAL BALL.

[NavyDavy]

2. ain't that the truth

[ThomWV]

8. I'm afraid I missed your point. Mind explaining?

What has Obama got to do with Hillary's lack of a healt care plan? What's that list of other shit about? What are you trying to say?

[jgraz]

15. I'm sorry -- are you looking for a point in a bitwit post??

:rofl:

[Heywood J]

25. Seconded.

He's sometimes fun to watch. But other than that, you're asking for too much.

[Whisp]

31. Turded.

lots of nitwit stuff from that character.

[Sparkly]

3. Insurance is involved in Edwards and Obama's plans as well

In fact, as far as I know, the only one who doesn't maintain for-profit insurance companies is Kucinich.

Are they all "clueless?"

[madrchsod]

7. yes they are

dennis`s plan is to well thought out so no one thinks it`s worth a shit.

[Selatius]

9. That's because nobody gives the idea of socialism a serious consideration.

That's probably why the US lagged behind the rest of the industrialized world in terms of health care access for all. It is automatically discounted and removed from serious policy discussions, but it works in Europe. It's an actual working example people could draw from but don't simply because of the label and Cold War/pro-capitalist propaganda programming.

[Sparkly]

10. Then I suggest "All But Kucinich are Clueless about Health Care"

would be a better subject line.

[RaleighNCDUer]

13. YES!!!!!

[Skidmore]

4. Yup, Hillary learned something alright....she learned that

she needed to hire Harry and Louise as campaign staffers.

[madrchsod]

5. she`s insuring the insurance companies

it`s not about fundamental health care change in the usa it`s about protecting the insurance companies. it`s a cruel sick joke on the american people who desperately need health care that they can afford. she resurrected the corpse of her last failed health care plan and we are not supposed to notice the rotting flesh?

[rAVES]

6. Bulls eye. She's shilling for the big guns... fuck the american people.

[OzarkDem]

11. Her plan includes a publicly funded option like Medicare

Her plan does have goals of insuring everyone and it offers the option of enrolling in a publicly funded program she describes as similar to Medicare. It also provides the option of purchasing the same health care plan that members of Congress have, in addition to the private insurance option. It also requires drug companies to negotiate discounts with Medicare, a big cost saver.

My concern with it is that it may be enacted piecemeal and with lobbyist pressure in Congress, many of the best parts could be bargained away, possibly destroying the entire effort. Its the same problem for any candidate proposing anything besides a single payer system. The key is how strong the candidate will be in trying to move their agenda through Congress.

On edit: another concern may be that the Medicare-like option could be watered down with means testing - allowing only low income people to choose it.

Link to her plan

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/healthcareplan/americanhealthchoicesplan.pdf

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

12. Semantics...

Im no Hillary fan but if every american had good health insurance the 'plan' would take care of itself. My job does not give me a health care plan it gives my insurance and that insurance is used to see a doctor who gives me a healthcare plan..

lets keep the govt as out of healthcare as we can..

[RaleighNCDUer]

14. And when you lose that job, you're fucked.

Health care should NOT be dependent upon private insurance. Period.

Even a 'medicare-like government program' for those who cannot afford insurance cannot work because the private insurance sets the rates and costs of healthcare - all that does is force the government to pay private insurance-determined costs with our tax dollars.

A government-run programs with the government being the single payer is the ONLY way to bring down costs and provide healthcare for everyone, without imposing extraordinary costs on either citizens or on companies mandated to provide insurance. Such a system, as works perfectly well in most of the industrialized world, eliminates private insurance completely, covers everybody, and reduces overall costs withouth reducing quality of care - it in fact ensures that the kid working at Burger King gets just as good care as the corporate executive. Is that not a proper goal for a democratic, egalitarian society?

[jgraz]

16. Cigna's CEO made 20 mil last year while letting a 17-yr-old die of liver failure

That's what private insurers get you. They need to be taken out of the equation.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

17. If I lost my job and the govt stepped in and gave me insurcace

How am I in trouble?

[Heywood J]

26. Sure, they'll give you COBRA, but

expect to pay the full share and for most people I've heard talk about it, I hear it's something like $700+ a month. That's not the government giving you insurance - it's them forcing the company to let you stay on.

You end up in trouble when you don't have an extra $700 laying around each month that you just don't know what to do with, especially when you're now unemployed. I can't say I know anyone who does.

[uppityperson]

28. What gvt steps in and gives you what insurance?

What are you talking about? If there universal insurance, or now? What insurance does the gvt give those who lose their jobs?

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

19. And I dont think telling people there can be no private market

is the right solution. Sorry Im not for nationalizing industries to the point where people cant go in and try it themselves.

[OllieLotte]

23. I agree wih you.

You and I are a small minority here.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

24. People love throwing out hte baby with the bathwater..

Private ownership, property and industry (when properly regulated) can be a tremendous wealth builder and when taxed appropriately it can provide services (like education and health care)...

[Heywood J]

29. Nobody's said you can't buy

better insurance once the basic standards are met. Single-payer health care covers everyone for basic expenses, regular doctor visits, screenings, medically necessary (non-cosmetic) procedures, etc. No one has yet to say that there isn't room for insurance on top of that. Even in Canada, where socialized medicine exists, there's still room on the top for companies to make money selling insurance that covers prescription drugs, physiotherapy, better hospital accommodations, etc. They're still in business.

There's your wealth builder - but in the meantime, everyone receives a standard of care under single-payer. That doesn't happen right now when basic health care is delivered by companies with a profit motive.

I should also point out that industries like insurance are experts in paying as little tax as possible. Good luck trying to get money out of them for education or social services.

[sandnsea]

18. They all have insurance plans

because we're not going to convince those who have near free insurance with extensive coverage to give it up for a bureaucratic Medicaid plan.

[Enrique]

20. no insurance?

single-payer health care is insurance. Medicare is insurance. Social Security is insurance.

The debate about health care is a debate about health insurance.

I don't think Hillary is the clueless one.

[Heywood J]

27. The problem with your statement is that

your three examples are not profit based. Her plan, and many of the others, seem to be entirely profit-driven, forcing people into the hands of insurance companies out to make a profit on human misery.

This is a gigantic giveway to the insurance industry. Can you tell me how single-payer health care, Medicare, or Social Security are constructed in a similar manner to locking people into funneling their money into CEO coffers?

[Enrique]

32. I agree with you, but not with the OP

I favor the single-payer model.

The OP says he wants no insurance whatsoever, which I disagree with.

[undeterred]

21. Its a plan which guarantees high salaries for her donors

and mandates high rates for patients. Its for profit not for patients.

"We need health care with no insurance involved whatsoever."

:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[Froward69]

22. Hillary got bought

By the insurance lobby. Mandatory for profit insurance is not the way to go. that where they want to go and Hillary will continue to cash those checks. the ones we will fund Directly under her "plan".

profit needs to be removed.

[napi21]

30. You may be missing a few things.

The way I understand her plan, it would offer a number of options similar to those now enjoyed by our Gov't employees. It also would offer a buy into medicare if you chose to do so.

What I think you are missing is that it would be impossible to jump from the chaos we have now to something like everybody gets medicare. I think Hillary learned that back when she tried to push a radical change plan years ago. Way too many Americans are scared of the unknown change and the whole program would die! To promote a plan like the one she has would give people a chance to see the difference between insurance company plans and being part of medicare. If most everyone sees that the medicare plan works well and is cheaper for them, I think you'd have a lot of people opt for it, but it would be THEIR decision! People don't like to be told, here's the way it's going to be!