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You should delve the debate before getting excited. Joel Send a noteboard - 23/03/2010 07:22:36 AM
I won't take the debate (I simply don't have the time), but I will say this makes me happy for you. America is actually moving in the direction of what I (in my warped, Scandinavian brain, obviously) think of as a civilised country. I did not think that would ever happen.

They tell me Norway has no private health insurance, not because it's illegal, but because there's no market. Making it illegal for an American NOT to buy private health insurance is a far cry from universal healthcare. This doesn't provide care to anyone, it obligates them to provide it for themselves (per the traditional American bootstrap levitation. ) Families earning <$88k/year are eligible for government subsidies that may or may not cover the entire cost, but health insurance will still be private, and the rates will still be set by private insurance carriers.

That's a big problem, because the motive to healthcare reform for several decades has been that costs are rising at a double digit annual percentage (several times the rate elsewhere in the industrialized world) and because they've been doing so for so long existing costs are already exorbitant. Virtually nothing in this bill addresses its primary motivation. The only thing that comes close are insurance "exchanges" in each state, but all those do is (hopefully) remedy the common practice of state legislatures granting a given insurer a monopoly over the states residents. The OTHER bill the House passed, headed for a non-filibustered Senate vote in a few days, would require federal approval for large rate hikes, but apart from that there are no cost controls. None. Not one. But every adult in the country is still required to pay those costs. Again, to give an idea of how expensive that will be, the subsidies to families earning <$88k/year will cost taxpayers $900 BILLION. Another way to look at that is that the private insurers gorging on American illness just had $900 billion dropped in their laps by federal law. Plus whatever it costs people who don't have insurance now but also earn too much to qualify for a subsidy, and plus whatever it costs ABOVE the subsidy for those who do qualify.

Healthcare is rapidly reaching a point where it will consume Americas GDP, because everyone needs it and there's little to no government regulation to either guarantee minimal coverage or limit costs. That, not charity, is the real incentive to legislating reform. Unfortunately, this bill accomplishes next to nothing toward that goal, and may actually exacerbate the problem by ensuring over a trillion dollars in additional revenue for an already ravenous industry.
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No posts on the bill passing? - 22/03/2010 08:22:27 AM 1257 Views
Meh - 22/03/2010 09:07:27 AM 579 Views
Re: Meh - 22/03/2010 01:53:43 PM 539 Views
I know what you mean. I love hearing that the "majority" are against this. - 22/03/2010 01:57:15 PM 689 Views
surveys are crap anyways. - 22/03/2010 01:59:39 PM 511 Views
That's ignorance speaking. - 22/03/2010 02:02:46 PM 548 Views
well yah. Sorry, I wasn't meaning to say surveys as a whole are nonsense - 22/03/2010 02:09:42 PM 485 Views
Some are a plurality, some are a majority.... - 22/03/2010 04:01:56 PM 603 Views
But most of them with a high/low don't go into enough detail - 22/03/2010 09:24:29 PM 636 Views
A question? - 23/03/2010 01:11:07 AM 554 Views
I accept that there are situations where leaders must go against popular opinion - 23/03/2010 02:53:00 AM 597 Views
on the other hand *edited stupid spelling error* - 23/03/2010 03:09:47 AM 725 Views
On a certain level I do agree with you - 23/03/2010 05:14:24 AM 512 Views
I was thinking about this after posting - 23/03/2010 12:12:17 PM 523 Views
Ahahahahahahahaha - 23/03/2010 12:57:17 PM 668 Views
why? *NM* - 23/03/2010 03:37:00 PM 273 Views
Because "populous" is not a noun in English. *NM* - 23/03/2010 03:42:16 PM 274 Views
This. - 23/03/2010 03:46:25 PM 576 Views
damn you phonetics. - 23/03/2010 03:50:33 PM 829 Views
As Emo Philips would say - 23/03/2010 04:32:52 PM 606 Views
I always laugh when I see someone say people are "retarted" *NM* - 23/03/2010 03:51:46 PM 352 Views
"Get a life, morans!" *NM* - 23/03/2010 03:55:27 PM 275 Views
I think this is one of them - 23/03/2010 12:49:35 PM 983 Views
A step in the wrong direction. - 22/03/2010 10:38:31 AM 674 Views
didn't realize it had - 22/03/2010 11:49:36 AM 535 Views
I am happy for it - 22/03/2010 11:55:10 AM 533 Views
The Bill passed? - 22/03/2010 12:27:36 PM 639 Views
I think with the saturation coverage it has been getting people are just worn out *NM* - 22/03/2010 01:27:59 PM 295 Views
hollah that. *NM* - 22/03/2010 01:58:47 PM 238 Views
Yes. - 22/03/2010 02:38:03 PM 544 Views
Re: No posts on the bill passing? - 22/03/2010 01:39:14 PM 564 Views
I chose to read about it first at the NYT, then the WSJ, then the Economist. - 22/03/2010 01:43:07 PM 736 Views
Re: I chose to read about it first at the NYT, then the WSJ, then the Economist. - 22/03/2010 02:01:07 PM 546 Views
The Bill won't get repealed. Whatever happens in November. - 23/03/2010 12:17:21 AM 544 Views
There are 18 incumbent Dem Senate seats; 41+18<67. - 29/03/2010 11:15:29 AM 545 Views
I am worried. The official reports show that it will actually erase some debt. But . . . - 22/03/2010 01:39:26 PM 664 Views
I think reform had to start now. - 22/03/2010 02:27:11 PM 717 Views
That's a good column. - 22/03/2010 02:44:56 PM 630 Views
I think the problem highlight what I don't like about this bill - 22/03/2010 03:20:54 PM 557 Views
Re: I think the problem highlight what I don't like about this bill - 22/03/2010 03:33:31 PM 525 Views
Let's be realistic here at least.... - 22/03/2010 04:16:23 PM 544 Views
I hope your house is built on fimrer foundations then your reasoning - 22/03/2010 04:25:49 PM 539 Views
I'm not worried, there are lots of ways to pay for the bill. - 22/03/2010 05:36:39 PM 471 Views
You should worry about cost control (AKA the only real reason for healthcare reform to begin. ) - 23/03/2010 07:02:24 AM 641 Views
bingo - 24/03/2010 03:45:48 AM 676 Views
Next question: WTF do we do about it? - 24/03/2010 04:00:39 AM 553 Views
sadly probably not a damned thing... - 24/03/2010 04:20:45 AM 531 Views
I worry the day is coming when the Bastille is stormed. - 29/03/2010 11:06:31 AM 622 Views
It is a good start - 22/03/2010 03:01:08 PM 509 Views
Re: It is a good start - 22/03/2010 04:13:28 PM 527 Views
Heh - 22/03/2010 04:21:22 PM 574 Views
Re: Heh - 22/03/2010 04:32:30 PM 528 Views
Re: Heh - 22/03/2010 08:25:05 PM 591 Views
Sorry, I was out seizing the means of production. *NM* - 22/03/2010 07:43:19 PM 239 Views
You should delve the debate before getting excited. - 23/03/2010 07:22:36 AM 625 Views
I really like what GRR Martin wrote in his blog. - 23/03/2010 09:55:11 AM 647 Views
I agree with him - 23/03/2010 12:14:47 PM 555 Views
I would say it is rather weak point - 23/03/2010 01:12:43 PM 532 Views
Erm... - 23/03/2010 01:39:58 PM 625 Views
I am pleasantly surprised - 23/03/2010 04:14:52 PM 480 Views
Exceptions? - 24/03/2010 05:08:17 AM 491 Views
I haven't been following it too closely - 23/03/2010 02:10:39 PM 667 Views

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