@JamesMorrison,
JM wrote:
Quote:I refuse to believe that you really believe that pablum. You have been witness to this thread and all congressional republican's suggestions to make our health care system more realistic and better such as interstate insurance competition, the abolition of community rating and guaranteed issue, tort reform. We all have seen the liberal Democratic idea of 'Bipartisanship' in the votes for Obamacare: one Republican vote (out of how many) in the House and none in the Senate.
1.“ such as interstate insurance competition”
From Kaiser Health News:
Republicans Still Opposed Baucus Plan, “Even Though Some Elements Of Their Ideas Are Embedded In The Plan;” Policy Expert: “You Can See The Negotiation Process Here, A Bipartisan Process In This Bill.” Kaiser Health News reported that, “Republicans denounced the Democrats' latest health care proposal"even though some elements of their ideas are embedded in the plan. The Senate Finance Committee bill unveiled Wednesday by chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., contains several provisions that were inspired by Republicans, including testing new ways to handle medical malpractice cases, creating avenues for consumers to cross state lines to buy insurance and immediately launching a high-risk pool that would cover people with pre-existing medical conditions… ‘This isn't everything Republicans wanted, but it isn't everything Democrats wanted either,’ said Elizabeth Carpenter, associate policy director at the centrist New America Foundation in Washington. ‘You can see the negotiation process here, a bipartisan process in this bill.’” [Kaiser Health News, 9/16/09]
Baucus Proposed Measure
To “Allow For The Purchase Of Individual Health Insurance Across State Lines.” Sen. Baucus’ chairman’s mark proposed that, “[s]tarting in 2015, states may form ‘health care choice compacts’ to allow for the purchase of individual health insurance across state lines…. Once compacts have been agreed to, insurers would be allowed to sell policies in any state participating in the compact.” [Revised Chairman’s Mark, Page 16, 10/2/09]
The GOP plan would have allowed Americans to purchase insurance across state lines, but it provided nothing for driving down insurance premium costs such as it would have done with a "Public Option".
All the ability to purchase across state lines would have done would be to allow the big insurance companies the opportunity to drive out any smaller insurance companies.
2.“ the abolition of community rating and guaranteed issue”
From the NYT:
Sen. Baucus “Did Not Win Support From A Single Republican Despite Tailoring His Proposal To Be Less Costly And To Extend To Reach Of Government Less Than Other Health Bills Moving Through Congress.” The New York Times reported that, “[t]he chairman of the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday unveiled his long-awaited plan to remake the nation’s health care system and insure millions of Americans. But he did not win support from a single Republican despite tailoring his proposal to be less costly and to extend the reach of government less than other health bills moving through Congress…Mr. Baucus’s bill is the least expensive of five major health care bills moving through Congress.” [New York Times, 9/17/09]
3.“tort reform”
From American Chronicle:
GOP´s Tort / Malpractice Reform Proposal: All claims against any doctor would have needed to be filed within three years, and it capped damages at $250,000. Their plan says that no matter how bad the malpractice claim was, $250,000 is the cap on the liability. This definitely didn´t sound like an appropriate dollar amount if someone died or was maimed for life through a real malpractice claim…? There is no tort reform such as this in the Democrat´s plan.
The Republican plan would have done nothing regarding "pre-existing conditions" or for stopping health insurance companies from cherry-picking the healthiest of individuals for coverage at the expense of others. This failure would have left millions of Americans ineligible for coverage and would have continued the crisis facing families across the country. (Remember, the majority of America´s mortgage foreclosures and personal bankruptcies are due to catastrophic illness and the families´ lack of insurance.)
The GOP proposal wasn't real reform. It was more of a document that the Republicans had to put out just so they could say that they had some sort of health care bill.
And of all the above GOP proposals, how would they have been implemented?
The Republicans did not have one single plan for the execution of their proposals.
And finally, it's about the money:
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued an analysis of the alternative health care bill from the House Republicans.
The GOP plan would have saved the federal budget deficit $68 billion over 10 years and on average reduce insurance premiums compared to what they would be under current law. This all sounds pretty good, but its success would still have depended on trusting the private insurance companies, which to date has been a total disaster. The Democrat´s bill will save $150 Billion over those same 10 years.
