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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 1250 Views
Meh - 22/03/2010 09:07:27 AM 575 Views
Re: Meh - 22/03/2010 01:53:43 PM 536 Views
I know what you mean. I love hearing that the "majority" are against this. - 22/03/2010 01:57:15 PM 687 Views
surveys are crap anyways. - 22/03/2010 01:59:39 PM 507 Views
That's ignorance speaking. - 22/03/2010 02:02:46 PM 546 Views
well yah. Sorry, I wasn't meaning to say surveys as a whole are nonsense - 22/03/2010 02:09:42 PM 483 Views
Some are a plurality, some are a majority.... - 22/03/2010 04:01:56 PM 598 Views
But most of them with a high/low don't go into enough detail - 22/03/2010 09:24:29 PM 628 Views
A question? - 23/03/2010 01:11:07 AM 548 Views
I accept that there are situations where leaders must go against popular opinion - 23/03/2010 02:53:00 AM 591 Views
on the other hand *edited stupid spelling error* - 23/03/2010 03:09:47 AM 720 Views
On a certain level I do agree with you - 23/03/2010 05:14:24 AM 504 Views
I was thinking about this after posting - 23/03/2010 12:12:17 PM 519 Views
Ahahahahahahahaha - 23/03/2010 12:57:17 PM 663 Views
why? *NM* - 23/03/2010 03:37:00 PM 271 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 571 Views
damn you phonetics. - 23/03/2010 03:50:33 PM 825 Views
As Emo Philips would say - 23/03/2010 04:32:52 PM 604 Views
I always laugh when I see someone say people are "retarted" *NM* - 23/03/2010 03:51:46 PM 350 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 978 Views
A step in the wrong direction. - 22/03/2010 10:38:31 AM 670 Views
didn't realize it had - 22/03/2010 11:49:36 AM 532 Views
I am happy for it - 22/03/2010 11:55:10 AM 531 Views
The Bill passed? - 22/03/2010 12:27:36 PM 634 Views
I think with the saturation coverage it has been getting people are just worn out *NM* - 22/03/2010 01:27:59 PM 294 Views
hollah that. *NM* - 22/03/2010 01:58:47 PM 237 Views
Yes. - 22/03/2010 02:38:03 PM 542 Views
Re: No posts on the bill passing? - 22/03/2010 01:39:14 PM 557 Views
I chose to read about it first at the NYT, then the WSJ, then the Economist. - 22/03/2010 01:43:07 PM 733 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 544 Views
The Bill won't get repealed. Whatever happens in November. - 23/03/2010 12:17:21 AM 538 Views
There are 18 incumbent Dem Senate seats; 41+18<67. - 29/03/2010 11:15:29 AM 537 Views
I am worried. The official reports show that it will actually erase some debt. But . . . - 22/03/2010 01:39:26 PM 659 Views
I think reform had to start now. - 22/03/2010 02:27:11 PM 716 Views
That's a good column. - 22/03/2010 02:44:56 PM 629 Views
I think the problem highlight what I don't like about this bill - 22/03/2010 03:20:54 PM 553 Views
Re: I think the problem highlight what I don't like about this bill - 22/03/2010 03:33:31 PM 522 Views
Let's be realistic here at least.... - 22/03/2010 04:16:23 PM 540 Views
I hope your house is built on fimrer foundations then your reasoning - 22/03/2010 04:25:49 PM 536 Views
I'm not worried, there are lots of ways to pay for the bill. - 22/03/2010 05:36:39 PM 465 Views
You should worry about cost control (AKA the only real reason for healthcare reform to begin. ) - 23/03/2010 07:02:24 AM 637 Views
bingo - 24/03/2010 03:45:48 AM 672 Views
Next question: WTF do we do about it? - 24/03/2010 04:00:39 AM 551 Views
sadly probably not a damned thing... - 24/03/2010 04:20:45 AM 529 Views
I worry the day is coming when the Bastille is stormed. - 29/03/2010 11:06:31 AM 619 Views
It is a good start - 22/03/2010 03:01:08 PM 506 Views
Re: It is a good start - 22/03/2010 04:13:28 PM 524 Views
Heh - 22/03/2010 04:21:22 PM 569 Views
Re: Heh - 22/03/2010 04:32:30 PM 521 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 621 Views
I really like what GRR Martin wrote in his blog. - 23/03/2010 09:55:11 AM 643 Views
I agree with him - 23/03/2010 12:14:47 PM 552 Views
I would say it is rather weak point - 23/03/2010 01:12:43 PM 529 Views
Erm... - 23/03/2010 01:39:58 PM 623 Views
I am pleasantly surprised - 23/03/2010 04:14:52 PM 479 Views
Exceptions? - 24/03/2010 05:08:17 AM 483 Views
I haven't been following it too closely - 23/03/2010 02:10:39 PM 663 Views

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