Obama offers Universal Health Care

[Colobo]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070529/ap_on_el_pr/obama_health

Under Obama's proposal, everyone would be able to obtain health insurance, and the Illinois senator would create a National Health Insurance Exchange to monitor insurance companies in offering the coverage. In essence, Obama's plan retains the private insurance system but injects additional money into the system to pay for the expanded coverage.

Those who can't afford coverage would get a subsidy on a sliding scale depending on their income, and virtually all businesses would have to share in the cost of coverage for their workers. The plan that would be offered would be similar to the one covering members of Congress.

His package would prohibit insurance companies from refusing coverage because of pre-existing conditions.

"My plan begins by covering every American. If you already have health insurance, the only thing that will change for you under this plan is that the amount of money you will spend on premiums will be less," Obama said. "If you are one of 45 million Americans who don't have health insurance, you will after this plan becomes law."

In addition to broadening coverage, Obama called for a series of steps to overhaul the current health care system. He would spend more money boosting technology in the health industry such as electronic record-keeping, put in place better management for chronic diseases and create a reinsurance pool for catastrophic illnesses to take the burden of their costs off of other premium payers.

His plan also envisions savings from ending the expensive care for the uninsured when they get sick. That care now is often provided at emergency rooms. The plan also would put a heavy focus on preventing disease through lifestyle changes.

[napi21]

1. That sounds like he copied that plan!

Off hand I can't remember if it's the Edwards plan or the Hillary plan, but it's sure not original!

[Adelante]

6. None of them are "original"

Don't even expect it.

Personally, I am let down. I was hoping for a strong commitment to transition to single payer.

[ultraist]

22. Obama's plan has some similiarities to Edwards

But, Obama's plan is not a truly Universal Health Care plan. Obama's plan does not have a mandate to cover everyone, only children.

[flpoljunkie]

2. Obama will pay for the plan by repealing the "temporary" Bush tax cut for the wealthiest taxpayers

I like the use of the word "temporary Bush tax cuts"--nice job, Obama!

"To help pay for this, we will ask all but the smallest businesses who don't make a meaningful contribution to the health coverage of their workers to do so to support this plan," said Obama. "And we also will repeal the temporary Bush tax cut for the wealthiest taxpayers."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070529/ap_on_el_pr/obama_health

[Silence Dogood]

11. I'm supporting Obama-

but what if a majority of Congress doesn't support repealing the Tax Cut, what then?

no universal healthcare?

[flpoljunkie]

15. If there is not support in a Dem Congress for repealing taxes on top 1-2%, time to throw 'em all out

We will make our voices heard on this, and if we fail to do so, it will be on us--the American people. If we do not speak up, they will not respond.

[Telly Savalas]

23. Congress had no problems authorizing $100 billion without raising taxes

so that we can occupy Iraq for another four months. But I guess it's a different set of standards when it comes to government programs aimed at saving lives instead of destroying them.

[ultraist]

24. Wrong...Obama said he'd wait until they expire

Where did your quote come from about Obama repealing the tax cuts?

This is from the article linked:

"The experts also said Obama could pay for his plan mostly through steps that the candidate has already said he would take — allowing President Bush's tax cuts on dividends and capital gains and on those making more than about $250,000 a year to expire in 2010 instead of acting to make them permanent.

EDWARDS will roll back Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy.

[flpoljunkie]

35. Indeed, he did.

[Fovea]

3. We need single payer unversal health care for all

Not a dime for the insurance companies who helped make this mess.

[Benhurst]

7. Amen!

Not good enough. Surely The World's Only Superpower can do a hell of a lot better than that. Back to the drawing board, Obama.

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[Clark2008]

4. That's not universal health CARE.

That's health INSURANCE.

All of our candidates need to begin separating this in their minds and fast. We need access to health care and need to tell the insurance companies to go eff themselves. They're the biggest problem right now (and my husband SELLS insurance, so I can say this with educated knowledge).

Oh - and Wes Clark was the first to mention using technology to streamline costs - back in 2003.

[loyalsister]

17. lol

Those lobbiests have been walking the halls of our state house since the 90s. Few things are original.

[LWolf]

26. HR 676 is all about health CARE.

I suggest we support the co-author. :D

[Nedsdag]

5. I had a feeling

once Obama released his health care plans, all the vultures in this thread would come out and pick on it like a carcass.

"It's not single payer!" "It's not single payer!" "Obama must be tarred and feathered because he didn't propose single payer."

Well, guess what? He's not. I'm not surprised that he didn't propose single payer. I'm torn over single payer. Yes, I think it would be a great idea; however, with 300 million people in this country, I'm don't know if it will help everyone. I know I'm going to be flamed for this but I don't know what to think about single payer anymore.

[Adelante]

9. I don't consider myself a "vulture"

And I am generally supportive of Obama, but I was hoping for something moving closer to single payer than this. I don't expect it overnight, but there needs to be a national discussion of single payer. He can still make that discussion happen and I hope he does.

[Benhurst]

10. As a native of Illinois, I contributed to his Senate run.

I have been somewhat disappointed by his record; but I do not regret my support and still have hopes he will develop over time into one of our leading senators.

His health plan is not encouraging, however. It's time to stop playing footsie with the insurance companies and bankers.

[flpoljunkie]

16. One problem for changing is most people have health insurance, but it is increasingly unaffordable.

I am not sure there is support for a government run single-payer health care system in this country, as yet. So many have been conned by the "socialized medicine" meme the R's have drummed into our sadly misinformed electorate.

I loathe insurance companies as well. They are in business to make money on their investments (of our money) and their aim is to avoid paying claims. I hope someday we can get to single payer--like all the other industrialized nations.

Sadly, I think a candidate who recommended it now would be crushed by the Rethugs, as well as our corporate media toadies.

[loyalsister]

18. "most people have insurance"

Because they stick it out at a job they, hate, barely like, or dislike.
Some work at the one the love too long so that they can keep it.
Pay for it and it is a strain on their income
Are poor enough to receive medicaid benefits
or as you pointed out in that happy group where all is well and their insurance is not tied to any other aspect of their life that is a negative circumstance.
Other than that the other portion of the insured are
retirement age who are eligible for Medicare.
I'm sure there are people who can pay for it all outright.

Some of the best insured people are the poor and the elderly. The happy group who think this is all easy for everyone is anesthetized or something.

There are a lot of people who are fed up. Businesses are the ones who are really fed up with paying for it.

[Solon]

12. My problem is more pragmatic, this plan will be more expensive, and less effective...

Than Single-Payer, period.

[jefferson_dem]

19. Right. The "purists" step up to lambast a proposal that ensures every citizen receives health care

and establishes a series of requirements on private employers and stricter regulations on insurance companies. From the rooftops... "It's not single payer!" ... so it must be for the status quo, corruption, and corporate interests.

[Solon]

20. Has nothing to do with purity, and everything to do with practicality...

The fact is that these plans are untested, and untried, and frankly, I don't even see how they will reduce corruption, just shift it to a slightly different area, i.e. who can get the most government money. The plan may cover everyone, but if it costs the government 10 times more than necessary to accomplish this, how long do you think the plan will last?

[Misskittycat]

8. I oppose keeping the current insurance-based system. Single-payer

is the only real way to try to get costs under control.

[DemBones DemBones]

13. That's not a universal health care plan. It's putting more money into

the insurance industry, which is already in high cotton.

The only good thing I see is that you can't be refused because of a pre-existing health condition.

[doggyboy]

14. It sounds like "Individual Mandates"

which I do not like. I'll have to read the plan and see what the details are

[AnOhioan]

21. Obama is not proposing Universal Healthcare.....

He is proposing tweaking the status quo. In my opinion, tweaking is not acceptable. Wholesale destruction of the immoral hold the insurance companies have over us is the only solution. Easy? no, but trying is a absolute necessity.

[ultraist]

25. Correct, Obama's plan is not UHC n/t

[Colobo]

27. Whoever tries won't win the presidency... this gotta be gradual.

[AnOhioan]

28. That is a matter of opinion.

In my opinion, you start off asking for what you really want and then negotiate. Starting off asking for half measures assures that what you want will never come into play in its entirety.

[GreenArrow]

30. exactly right

Just look at how the Bush administration has utilized this technique. They shoot for the moon on everything, and usually end up getting it. Even when they have to compromise, they still end up with the better share. The fact that none of the three Dem front runners so far has come out in favor of single payer indicates to me that none of them really support it.

[ultraist]

29. Edwards' plan is Universal

Edwards' plan has a mandate for everyone to be covered (not just children) and the option for single payer. In fact, Edwards plan has it built in for a complete single payer system to evolve.

Obama's does not.

[Cameron27]

31. I'm disappointed, and I'm saying that

as someone who's leaning very heavily for Obama at this point. We need to be moving towards single payer, it may take time, but that's what's needed.

[illinoisprogressive]

32. just saw him on cspan. I knew he was going to use some of his Illinois plan

it's been sucessful and he did some good work on the bill here. I thought he had to use at least some of it.

[MadHound]

33. This isn't single payer UHC

This is supplemental programs, and still leaves a huge burden on small businesses and cracks for people to slip through.

Kucinich is still the only one out there with a real live UHC single payer plan. Once again, he's out ahead of the pack.

[malikstein]

34. Obama's plan is just another bail out

for the insurance industry. The point is not to make sure that everybody has private health insurance. It is to make sure that everybody has health care. Medicare does a great job. Everybody should have it, just like they do in the civilized world.

[mckeown1128]

36. Kick-a-poo