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Health Care Plan - Opposition Battle Lines Drawn

by Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke | June 14, 2009 at 07:48 am

387 views | 4 Recommendations | 3 comments

President Obama, as a candidate, promised that he would ensure that every American was covered by Health Care. He was particulary concerned about the 40 Million uninsured. There is also the fact that Health Care is not portable.

In recent statements he said that he wanted a bill, for signature, on his desk by July 31st of this year. As recently as Saturday in his weekly radio address he was saying that he wanted to transfer some 5 Billion Dollars from Medicare and Medicaid. This has received a lot of comments from the US Chamber of Commerce as well as Pharmaceutical Companies and Doctors.

Health Care, particularly Universal Health Care is a complicated issue, which should be approached with cautious planning. I doubt that it can be planned in a couple of month.

There are many examples of Universal Health Care in the world. None of them are perfect, but can be studied and improved upon. Canada's Health Care System is mandated under then National Health Care Act, administered by individual provinces within our Federation.

Although Universal Health Care is a noble cause, I believe Health Care administered at the Federal level would become a nightmare as there are different needs for jurisdictions across the country. At present Administration officials estimate the cost at around 600 Billion Dollars, others estimate the cost in the Trillions.

Obama intends to create a Health Board, which some believe is the model borrowed from the UK, a National Health Board, which decides what procedures can be covered based on costs.

The bottom line is that at this time no viable plan is in place for Health Care Reform and the Administration would be well served to take their time and develop something that works, administered regionally.

The Huffington Post View

Part of the problem seems to be that Obama hasn't spelled out what he wants in a public plan, even as he expresses strong support for the idea. His health secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, said Friday that Americans need a new government-sponsored insurance plan to guarantee choice and competition especially in rural areas. "What the president feels is important is to have some competition and to have a choice," Sebelius said at a round-table discussion in Omaha, Neb.

The government already has a public plan for the elderly Medicare. And there's Medicaid for the poor.

But a government plan for middle-class workers and their families would be new.

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recommend This comment thread is now closed

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 08:41 on June 14th, 2009

Thank you for this Roy. If not done properly this could be the straw that breaks the camels back. This is not something that can be done without a good plan.

Shirley O (not verified)

at 06:29 on July 16th, 2009

Now is the time to get it touch with your senators and let them know how you feel. If opposed as I am, let them know all the reasons why and that you will not vote for them if they approve this plan as currently written. As a small business owner, we are currently suffering "big time" and cannot afford more taxes. We also want to keep the insurance plan we currently have and it's only a matter of time before we lose that option. We also do not want our handicapped son to lose any of the Medicaid he currently receives (disabled from birth). Obama wants to rush this through like everything else so that the senators don't go home for the summer break and hear what WE, THE PUBLIC, really wants.