Can We Get Something Straight?

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

When the GOP talks about a "Big Government Takeover of Health Care," our response should be that this bill does not address Health Care, per se, at all. How doctors and nurses go about doing their job is not going to change in the slightest. Private practice physicians will remain private practice physicians. We did not institute a British-style National Health System.

What this bill does is change some of the basic ground rules for obtaining health insurance, but before that GOP starts bleating about a "Big Government Takeover of Health Insurance," lets remember that there is no Public Option in this legislation. Only in some very minor ways (a modest expansion of Medicare) does this bill change who provides your health insurance -- unless you HAD NO HEALTH INSURANCE, in which case it changes it a lot. But we did not institute a Canadian-style Single Payer System.

For all the sturm und drang (look it up) among the conservatives, this legislation could not be any more modest. Which is not to say that it's not very important and historic. For about 30 million people, these "modest" changes are literally matters of life and death. But for all that, what Congress just did is create a (somewhat) more regulated health insurance industry and not a lot more than that.

So the Teabaggers can just calm the hell down.

[Zenlitened]

1. Very good point. K&R. - n/t

[Lerkfish]

2. excellent point!

[progressoid]

3. If the GOP calmed down and read the bill, they'd probably like it.

It's hardly a liberal piece of legislation.

[Dappleganger]

4. That would require them to have reading comprehension...

something which I sincerely doubt will happen in my lifetime.

[Cha]

9. Yes, and not have a fatwa against

the President.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

5. Not liberal in the way that most of us here would define it

Give my druthers, I'd abolish the Health Insurance Industry altogether. Let them go the way of the local blacksmith.

This legislation is so insanely modest in its scope that you would have to be insane to oppose it -- at least for the reasons that THEY'RE opposing it.

[Sebastian Doyle]

25. The only way this is "Liberal" is if you're Australian.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Party_of_Australia

[Orsino]

24. Those who need it would like it.

Those in charge don't give a damn, and wanted only for the Democrats to lose to them.

[Clio the Leo]

6. I had been asking that to DU'ers a lot lately....

... "this is not REAL health care reform!" .... "what do you think the doctors and nurses are doing wrong?" ..... "crickets...."

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

7. There's huge confusion around here...

About the difference between "health care" and "health insurance." People have been posting for months that this legislation does nothing to provide "health care" because it's all about health insurance.

It makes my head hurt. Providing affordable health insurance allows access to health care.

And then there are those who are MORTIFIED to learn that once they have health insurance, they'll have to meet a deductible. Like this is some shocking new development -- I've been meeting a deductible on my health insurance plan every year for thirty years now.

Geez, welcome to the real world.

[Number23]

13. The "it's not health CARE reform, it's health INSURANCE reform" argument is baffling

The US is recognized for having some of the most cutting edge, advanced health CARE in the world. Why would we want to reform that??

The issue is that because of the greed and corruptness of insurance companies (and to a lesser extent pharmaceutical companies), too many people are being denied ACCESS to that care. Which is why the reform was needed in the first place. I really don't understand why some people here on DU ('cause let's be real -- this is the ONLY place I've seen this argument) seem to be working overtime to get these two issues confused.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

21. This is really about "access" to health care....

Having the best, cutting-edge health care system in the world doesn't mean jack if you can't afford to use it. This bill, flawed though it is, provides access to ten of millions of people who didn't have it before.

[Fire1]

23. I THINK that's what #23 said. n/t

[Number23]

26. Thanks, girl.

:)

[Tailormyst]

8. I wish it was a big government takeover of healthcare.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

10. Me too....

But here's the thing. If your car is broken down by the side of the road and it's pouring down rain and the next gas station is 10 miles away, do you turn down a friendly stranger who offers to take you half-way there? Do you stand by the side of the road, not willing to budget until someone comes along to take you all the way to the gas station?

This bill isn't perfect, but it gets us halfway home. Last night, the United States Congress enshrined into law the concept that healthcare is a basic right for all people.

That's not nothing. That's a big something.

[Tailormyst]

11. For me there is no gas station and no nice guy standing there.

This won't help me get healthcare. I'm happy for the people it will help, but I hope those of you scolding people who are not cheering take a step back and realize this is health insurance reform and not health care reform. I also hope you will join us in fighting for TRUE health care for ALL people regardless of how much one can afford to pay an insurance company.

Who knows, perhaps when the reality of this all sets in it will force people to realize they need single payer, non- profit medical care.

[DrToast]

12. Newsflash: They know this

[ibegurpard]

14. yeah, you do that

i'm not going to be out defending this corporate giveaway for you.

[MarjorieG]

15. GOP means takeover by any regulation, gov't responsibility of any kind.

[Puzzler]

16. Agreed. It's essentially some insurance industry regulations.

If a wingnut complains about having an industry regulated by "big government", just point out that without government regulations, the movie and TV industry would be free to show anything... including dreaded "wardrobe malfunctions". Seems to me that the wingnuts were screaming for government regulation then.

[lonestarnot]

17. And shut the fuck up while they're at it!

:evilgrin:

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

18. Well....You know....That goes with out saying

But let's say it anyway!

[lonestarnot]

19. Been saying it for months on end.

I give myself the creeps sometimes too. :P

[eridani]

20. You've just described exactly why it's a lousy bill n/t

[Odin2005]

22. The RW hysterics over the lame bill are very ammusing.

[Sebastian Doyle]

27. yeah they are.

We should be so lucky to have the bill they're bitching about. It was never even on the table.