Oct
23

Nativists and Ignorami

I’ve been scratching my head over GOP legislators’ affirmation of Pres. Bush’s S-CHIP veto. From a political perspective, and is there any other in Washington, that move looks to be a sure loser. But the GOP’s own pollsters found two issues – immigration and ‘socialized medicine’ that convinced them otherwise .
That is political demagoguery of the worst kind – the bill specifically bans coverage of illegal immigrants, requires coverage of the poorest kids first, and severely restricts coverage for kids in families with incomes above 3x the poverty level.
Fortunately, it looks like the ‘R’s in Congress are starting to have second thoughts about their position on S-CHIP.

Continue reading Nativists and Ignorami


Oct
22

What’s wrong with ‘Socialized’ medicine?

It depends on your definition, which depends on your objectivity.
This being an election season, GOP candidates are tripping over themselves to condemn any Democratic candidate’s platform as ‘socialized medicine’. Great soundbite, but what exactly does that mean?
And are the Clinton Edwards Richardson and Obama platforms ‘socialist’ approaches to health care?
Not exactly.

Continue reading What’s wrong with ‘Socialized’ medicine?


Oct
16

Those damn immigrants

Taking our jobs, robbing our stores, staring at our womenfolk, speaking them funny langwidges, and using lots of health care. It’s no wonder the dam’ US of A is hurting, with all them furriners here.
Can’t speak to the jobs, robs, or staring, but I do know the complaints about illegal immigrants using lots of care and driving up our costs are wildly overstated.

Continue reading Those damn immigrants


Oct
15

The Faux Canadian

A fake email from a fake Canadian has been circulating in cyberspace. It purports to help we Americans understand the problems inherent in mandated universal coverage by exposing the dark and dirty secrets of Canada’s dysfunctional health care system.
The complete debunking is provided below, but here are the key points
— each province has slightly different plans, with different funding mechanisms.
–These may or MAY NOT require payment of premiums or copays.
–Illegal immigrants are NOT covered by most provinces.
–Waiting lists have been declining for most services in most areas for the last several years.
–Most provincial plans cover almost all drugs, with some (relatively minor) exceptions.
Here’s the complete debunk of the faux Canadian email.

Continue reading The Faux Canadian


Oct
12

The GOP disconnect

What’s missing from Sen. McCain’s new health care proposal is also absent from those put forth by Giuliani and Romney – any connection to the real world of the middle class. Their programs are heavy on tax policy with a dollop of FDA streamlining, accompanied by lofty paeans to the free market and reliance on individuals’ ability to make the right choices.
What they don’t do is increase the availability of insurance, reduce its cost, or address exclusions for pre-existing conditions. Yet these are precisely the problems faced by voters today.

Continue reading The GOP disconnect


Oct
8

Their own worst enemy

Health reform is coming. This looks to be a huge win for private insurers – millions of potential new members signing up for mandated coverage. Unless, of course, the industry proves itself completely incompetent.
That’s a real possibility.

Continue reading Their own worst enemy


Oct
4

Bush’s real S-CHIP solution

Pres. Bush has been unfairly maligned by the ‘drive-by media’. He does have a cogent, well-thought-out, reasonable approach to solving the problem of uninsured children.
You just have to listen to this.


Sep
28

The Economist on W’s sinking of SCHIP

The ‘Economist‘ (an intelligently conservative publication) finds fault with Pres. Bush for his stubborn refusal to expand S-CHIP, you know W’s losing it.
Here’s a quote from their piece (sub req)
An aversion to government-run health-care programmes and new taxes–a tobacco-tax increase would fund the SCHIP expansion–may also be driving Mr Bush’s opposition. Or he may simply be trying to re-establish his credentials as a fiscal conservative.
Whatever the truth, the White House has made an inauspicious start of its fight with Congress over federal spending.