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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 1264 Views
Meh - 22/03/2010 09:07:27 AM 591 Views
Re: Meh - 22/03/2010 01:53:43 PM 552 Views
I know what you mean. I love hearing that the "majority" are against this. - 22/03/2010 01:57:15 PM 703 Views
surveys are crap anyways. - 22/03/2010 01:59:39 PM 525 Views
That's ignorance speaking. - 22/03/2010 02:02:46 PM 563 Views
well yah. Sorry, I wasn't meaning to say surveys as a whole are nonsense - 22/03/2010 02:09:42 PM 497 Views
Some are a plurality, some are a majority.... - 22/03/2010 04:01:56 PM 614 Views
But most of them with a high/low don't go into enough detail - 22/03/2010 09:24:29 PM 648 Views
A question? - 23/03/2010 01:11:07 AM 564 Views
I accept that there are situations where leaders must go against popular opinion - 23/03/2010 02:53:00 AM 616 Views
on the other hand *edited stupid spelling error* - 23/03/2010 03:09:47 AM 736 Views
On a certain level I do agree with you - 23/03/2010 05:14:24 AM 524 Views
I was thinking about this after posting - 23/03/2010 12:12:17 PM 535 Views
Ahahahahahahahaha - 23/03/2010 12:57:17 PM 679 Views
why? *NM* - 23/03/2010 03:37:00 PM 278 Views
Because "populous" is not a noun in English. *NM* - 23/03/2010 03:42:16 PM 279 Views
This. - 23/03/2010 03:46:25 PM 587 Views
damn you phonetics. - 23/03/2010 03:50:33 PM 842 Views
As Emo Philips would say - 23/03/2010 04:32:52 PM 621 Views
I always laugh when I see someone say people are "retarted" *NM* - 23/03/2010 03:51:46 PM 357 Views
"Get a life, morans!" *NM* - 23/03/2010 03:55:27 PM 280 Views
I think this is one of them - 23/03/2010 12:49:35 PM 995 Views
A step in the wrong direction. - 22/03/2010 10:38:31 AM 696 Views
didn't realize it had - 22/03/2010 11:49:36 AM 547 Views
I am happy for it - 22/03/2010 11:55:10 AM 544 Views
The Bill passed? - 22/03/2010 12:27:36 PM 657 Views
I think with the saturation coverage it has been getting people are just worn out *NM* - 22/03/2010 01:27:59 PM 301 Views
hollah that. *NM* - 22/03/2010 01:58:47 PM 244 Views
Yes. - 22/03/2010 02:38:03 PM 556 Views
Re: No posts on the bill passing? - 22/03/2010 01:39:14 PM 573 Views
I chose to read about it first at the NYT, then the WSJ, then the Economist. - 22/03/2010 01:43:07 PM 746 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 559 Views
The Bill won't get repealed. Whatever happens in November. - 23/03/2010 12:17:21 AM 556 Views
There are 18 incumbent Dem Senate seats; 41+18<67. - 29/03/2010 11:15:29 AM 555 Views
I am worried. The official reports show that it will actually erase some debt. But . . . - 22/03/2010 01:39:26 PM 675 Views
I think reform had to start now. - 22/03/2010 02:27:11 PM 735 Views
That's a good column. - 22/03/2010 02:44:56 PM 642 Views
I think the problem highlight what I don't like about this bill - 22/03/2010 03:20:54 PM 567 Views
Re: I think the problem highlight what I don't like about this bill - 22/03/2010 03:33:31 PM 535 Views
Let's be realistic here at least.... - 22/03/2010 04:16:23 PM 557 Views
I hope your house is built on fimrer foundations then your reasoning - 22/03/2010 04:25:49 PM 555 Views
I'm not worried, there are lots of ways to pay for the bill. - 22/03/2010 05:36:39 PM 479 Views
You should worry about cost control (AKA the only real reason for healthcare reform to begin. ) - 23/03/2010 07:02:24 AM 657 Views
bingo - 24/03/2010 03:45:48 AM 688 Views
Next question: WTF do we do about it? - 24/03/2010 04:00:39 AM 561 Views
sadly probably not a damned thing... - 24/03/2010 04:20:45 AM 545 Views
I worry the day is coming when the Bastille is stormed. - 29/03/2010 11:06:31 AM 635 Views
It is a good start - 22/03/2010 03:01:08 PM 523 Views
Re: It is a good start - 22/03/2010 04:13:28 PM 539 Views
Heh - 22/03/2010 04:21:22 PM 584 Views
Re: Heh - 22/03/2010 04:32:30 PM 542 Views
Re: Heh - 22/03/2010 08:25:05 PM 605 Views
Sorry, I was out seizing the means of production. *NM* - 22/03/2010 07:43:19 PM 245 Views
You should delve the debate before getting excited. - 23/03/2010 07:22:36 AM 633 Views
I really like what GRR Martin wrote in his blog. - 23/03/2010 09:55:11 AM 662 Views
I agree with him - 23/03/2010 12:14:47 PM 571 Views
I would say it is rather weak point - 23/03/2010 01:12:43 PM 547 Views
Erm... - 23/03/2010 01:39:58 PM 645 Views
I am pleasantly surprised - 23/03/2010 04:14:52 PM 488 Views
Exceptions? - 24/03/2010 05:08:17 AM 502 Views
I haven't been following it too closely - 23/03/2010 02:10:39 PM 684 Views

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