Truemors
is reporting from
Member
NP Rank:
NP Rank:
Socialized services work: healthcare
Share: 
by YankeeJim | September 29, 2011 at 03:05 am
67 views | 0 Recommendations | 3 comments
Photos
The outcome is affordable healthcare for all Americans and all Americans will pay for that.
Healthcare, under the Obama approach, is a shared service, administered centrally through dispersed local channels, doctors and hospitals. The expected outcomes include: 1) affordable healthcare for all Americans; 2) lower overall healthcare costs that are competitive with other developed nations; 3) a system that delivers high quality services and continuously improving treatment.
To provide healthcare for everyone, those who can pay more for healthcare would do so by 1) paying more taxes, 2) paying based upon means. If you have no means, then others must pay to pick up the slack. That is where we are at loggerheads.
Congress today has been asked to overhaul the tax system such that there is a single tax for all people and corporations, one without tax breaks. Wealthy Americans and Corporations that are not paying taxes today will pay at the same rate as citizens and all will pay at a lower rate than they do today.
The idea is that such a system will produce more revenue than the current system so that 1) our debt pay-down rate is faster, 2) our revenues will cover our expenses and obligations.
Where national defense and homeland security costs have skyrocketed, these expenses are expected to be reduced so that more revenue is available for social services.
“Survey Says Obama's Health Care Act Partially Increased Costs for Americans
Published September 28, 2011
FoxNews.com
The signature legislation of the Obama Administration, the Affordable Care Act, came under damaging assault Wednesday from a Kaiser Family Foundation survey that found it has already partially contributed to increasing health care costs.
The Kaiser survey helps to shed some light on why so few employers are hiring, as health care costs for employers are spiraling upwards.
The survey found that insurance premiums rose by 9 percent in 2011. Healthcare costs for a single worker went up on average from $5,049 to $5,429, and for a family, costs rose from $13,770 to $15,073, on average.
The survey also found that some provisions of the Affordable Care Act already in place -- including the allowance for young people up to 26 years of age to remain on their parents insurance policy -- contributed to 20 percent of that increase.
But other factors are also contributing to the rising costs of health care. They include the prices of new technologies, research and development for new prescription drugs and the proliferation of chronic diseases like diabetes.
The aging of the baby boom generation is also placing a tremendous strain on the health care system, as baby boomers have begun qualifying for Medicare this year. The survey found that with better treatments and drugs, they may live longer than previous generations and impose huge costs on the system as they age.
The White House, seeking to limit damage from the report, issued a statement on its blog in advance of the reports’ release, accusing it of, "looking backwards."
"When we look to the future we know that The Affordable Care Act will help make insurance more affordable for families and businesses across the country, " wrote Nancy- Ann DeParle, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff.
White House spokesman Jay Carney later defended the provision of the Affordable Care Act allowing 26-year-olds to stay on their parents insurance policies. "That has already had this tremendous impact on young people in America, which we obviously think is very positive," he said. Most other provisions of the Affordable Care Act will not take effect until 2014.
The survey suggests that if costs are going to come down, people will need to live healthier lives. Health information technology will need to be improved, as will efficiency. The survey also calls for greater consumer involvement in health care such as those provided in health reimbursement accounts, where employers contribute to a health account managed by the employee. But the report also acknowledged deep political differences over those accounts, as well as over other proposed solutions.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/...atestnews#ixzz1ZL5xZAIY”
Advertisement
NowPublic on Facebook
What is NowPublic?
NowPublic lets people work together to cover news events around the world.
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (3)
at 03:12 on September 29th, 2011
The aim: affordable healthcare for all Americans is the right idea.
The Obama government that includes a hostile Republican legislature is the wrong environment in which to expect a solution. Obama is doing the right thing by pressing the issue to the Supreme Court because that way we will all know and understand the rules and boundaries such that a true solution can be developed once government is functioning again.
That may not happen until voters purge Congress and start over.
The most that can be expected from Obama is that he will pave the road to improved healthcare. Obama, the road-paver is the emerging legacy theme.
at 04:22 on September 29th, 2011
Partisan tripe. If Obama or the Democrats had any interest in health care beyond using it as a weapon to aggressively expand the role of government, they would encourage debate and be honest in laying out the associated costs. Once again Obama hustles for a solution to circumnavigate any debate or independent review. He's hoping a SC of three of the chosen will grant him a pass. If Obama was open and honest from the start FoxNews wouldn't have any ammo to pursue this file.
at 07:27 on September 29th, 2011
There is no desire by Democrats to expand the role of government for government's sake. There is a desire to provide healthcare for all Americans as a civil and civic responsibility.
I don't necessarily agree that accomplishing this requires any more than an effective administrative and regulatory agency that has the ability to protect against fraud and abuse while ensuring an acceptable level of quality care.