The Heritage Foundation - Leadership for America

August 13, 2009 Debbie in AZ writes:

There is so much waste. As long as we continue to give free healthcare to those who are not citizens and do not pay into our tax system, hospitals have to charge those who pay-for-services or have insurance MORE. This constantly drives up the cost of healthcare.

No one wants to say it, and they keep focusing on Americans, but it is the sheer number of illegals here that is driving up the cost of healthcare. That, and those who misuse the ER’s of this country, and anyone who works in medicine knows this.

August 13, 2009 How is government-run health care working out in Canada? « Wintery Knight Blog writes:

[...] Vancouver Sun story was linked at Unambigously Ambidextrous and the Heritage Foundation. (H/T [...]

August 13, 2009 Albert Campbellsville KY writes:

Debbie as im sure you know it isnt just health care.Welfare,food stamps,education,untaxed and taxed jobs,public housing,crime(street gangs and drug smuggling to name but e few)free rides to work in california,the cost of incarceration and the general hispanicization of our entire nation.God bless sheriff Joe.This will be the future of uor health care system if hussein is not defeated.

August 14, 2009 MIAMI ANTI-OBAMACARE PROTEST ECLIPSED OBAMA TROOPS – 08/13/09 at Senator Bill Nelson’s office « FactReal writes:

[...] Free Speech GrowsOn the Fed, the Journal’s Reader’s Deserve BetterVideo: Gunner Hawkins UpdateHow’s That Government Run Health Care Working Out Canada?Cash for Clunkers: Robbing Peter to Pay PaulTownhall Downfall: Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) Admits [...]

August 14, 2009 Linda Carlsbad, CA writes:

This is America, not Canada, why are we even debating government run health care? Isn’t that a socialist society way of doing things? I thought we are a free county where we have the freedom to buy what we want! Stop the take over by the socialists of our health care, stand up for FREEDOM!

August 14, 2009 Jerry from Chicago writes:

Yes, there are reforms that can be made to Health Insurance provided by private insurance companies and there can be reforms made in the delivery of health care by doctors, hospitals, clinics and pharmacies. Many of these types of reforms have been submitted in the form of alternative bills created by Republican legislators. When they were submitted, these legislators were told “we won, you lost, we are doing it our way”. Then the Dem’s complain try to say that the Republicans are the “party of nope”. They spew this nonsense to the press, who for the most part, spread these lies.

We do not need to eliminate private health insurance plans or insurance companies to effect these reforms. Yes, Mr. Obama has said that “his” plan doesn’t try to eliminate a private option. There are two problems with his statements:

1) they are constantly contradicting. He can be seen and heard on video tape telling an audience that he favors a single payer system. Today he says “his” plan wants only to provide competition to private insurance plans.
2) What is “his” plan? Is it the plan outlined in House Bill 3200 (all 1,018 pages of it)? Is it the 600 page Senate bill? Is it a combination of the two? He doesn’t know, because he hasn’t read either. Just as with the 1,100 page, $800 billion dollar Stimulus Bill (the one with the 9,000 ‘earmarks) he didn’t read that either. But by God, it had to be passed immediately or there would be hell to pay. Well it did pass within six days of Mr. Obama receiving it and there is still hell to pay, not to mention the Chinese and our kids and grandkids. It worked so well that unemployment increased and it whetted the Congressional appetite to ask for another.

Mr. Obama’s administration would have you believe that the health care systems in Canada and England are superior to ours. They don’t like to talk about the people who can’t get transplants, or pacemakers because of their age. They don’t want to talk about cancer patients who are told they need to wait six months or more to receive treatments. They don’t tell you how many Canadians have to come to the U.S. to get life saving treatment they can’t get at home. Instead, they like to tell us that 70% of all Canadians like their plan and wouldn’t want to give it up for a private health system. It’s a well known fact that 20% of all those covered for health insurance are responsible for 80% of all the claims. Maybe the 70% of the Canadians they spoke to are those who are healthy, not the 20% who are really in need of threatment.

August 14, 2009 RG St Simons Is writes:

I have yet to see any discussion of tort reform in the health care issue. There can not be any meaningful effort to bring down the cost of health care without tort reform. Doctors and hospitals perform test after test on the patient. All of these cost money and maybe some are only performed as a CYA, so that, in court, the defendant [doctor] can testify the he ran every test possible.

August 14, 2009 Susan on Long Island writes:

It was no bipartisan effort, unfortunately.
Obama said, “My hope is we can do it (health care plan) in a bipartisan fashion….”
Didn’t he know Pelosi had the Democrats shut the Republicans out?
And where in the Constitution is heath care an enumerated power of the federal gov’t?
Take a look. You won’t find it.

August 14, 2009 Bill Towns, Richmond, VA writes:

Of course it would be defeated because they dont want any part of giving us any control in making our own healthcare decisions! All this bill is about is gaining complete control over virtually every behavior we make. It’s certainly not about improving the Healthcare system. There is not one single thing in this bill that will do any good! The way to fix our healthcare system involves giving the consumer more control over their healthcare choices, similar to how the auto insurance industry works. We dont use our auto insurance to cover basic service to our vehicle such as oil changes and tune-ups nor do we need medical insurance for routine visits to the doctor. Insurance should just be for high-dollar catastrophic events only! The way to do this is to push the features and benefits of Healthcare Savings Accounts which offer a high-deductible low cost way of insuring yourself and also a way to save for smaller expenses.

August 14, 2009 Jerry from Chicago writes:

To Susan on Long Island — You are correct. Nowhere in the Constitution is health care an enumerated power of the government. Further, no where in the Constitution is health care an enumerated right of the people. The Constitution guarantees us the right to pursue happiness, it doesn’t guarantee happiness itself.

To RG St Simons — You are also right. Tort Reform is a must, if health care costs are to be brought under control. No one in Congress or the Senate, or the President himself, has even suggested any sort of tort reform.

Here, the first thing that could and should be done is to rechannel Punitive damage awards. The legal theory behind Punitive damage awards is to punish the offender monetarily to prevent further conduct of the type that is being punished. Punitive damage lawsuits would not have to be eliminated, but plaintiffs and their attorneys would be precluded from taking any part of the Punitive damage award. Such awards could be channeled into Medicare or Social Security. There is no problem with keeping Compensatory damage lawsuits and Medical Malpractice lawsuits for losses and reasonable legal fees. This would reduce malpractice insurance premiums paid by doctors and hospitals and would eliminate the need for doctors to practice “defensive medicine” and of ordering every concievable test when diagnosing and/or treating a patient.

Pre-existing condition limitations/exclusions could be legislatated out of practice for both individual and group Health policies (insured or self-insured).

Obama says he wants to provide a government option, in addition to private health care options, in order to keep the insurance companies honest. What I want to know, is who keeps the government honest? Mr. Obama is being disingenous (less than honest) when he talks about the government health plan competing with private health care options. Government health plans have access to all the funding they need through taxes, it doesn’t quite work that way for private health care plans. Private health care plans must rely on premiums paid by employers and the individuals being covered. Unlike the government, employers and individuals do not have access to unlimited funds. Under House Bill 3200 (often referred to as Mr. Obama’s plan) the government would set the rules, the scope and the limits of coverage. The government would have the right to price their health plan option at insufficient rates (low-balling) making private plan rates uncompetitive and driving private plans out of competition. Once the competition was gone, what would stop the government from charging whatever it wanted in the form of taxes? Nothing, that’s what. Then, there would be no private coverage to turn to as an option.

Do you really think that those in Congress, the Senate and the White House are abouve such tactics? Do you trust those in government that have called us Nazis, racists, evil mongers, un-American and hired shills off wealthy right-wing organizations to not to do this???

You have to love the fact that those who paid ACORN operatives to fraudently register non-existent voters, whose leadership came out openly for Obama, are the ones that want to label townhall audiences paid shills. It’s ok for George Soros, the behind-the-scenes billionaire to fund ACORN, “Move On.Org”, a variety of liberal blogs and organizations. I don’t recall his name, but there is a guy who appears on the Sean Hannity show as part of his “Great American Panel”. This guy is affiliated with the Democratic party and has been critical of the townhall audiences being part of a paid mob to disrupt the speeches of Senators and Congressmen in favor of the administrations Health Care proposals. He said he was sure the townhall audiences were plants, because in his former life he was part of an organization that paid people to do the same thing, and he was proud of it. That’s like saying “I was a crook, so I know one when I see one”. And this guy is supposed to be a credible source of information?

Don’t fall for the line that Canada’s, or England’s, or France’s, or Cuba’s health care system is better than that of the U.S. Not even Michael Moore believes that crap.

August 14, 2009 Lynn B. DeSpain writes:

It doesn’t. That is why Canadians come to the United States for Medical Care of an Intensive nature.
Hozro

August 15, 2009 Albert Campbellsville KY writes:

The simple fact is that any time the gov gives out money there are strings attached.One example is highway funds states have to do what the feds say or they dont get the money,health care has to be the same.

August 15, 2009 Bobbie Jay writes:

I just don’t understand why people of this country would think government should make their personal choices, and choices regarding the children they themselves brought into the world.

I don’t understand why they would give up or not want to take on this duty to themselves and why give up the freedom to do so? Not only that, say goodbye to your private records under government care.

It is a part of living and being free to take on and live up to personal responsibilities of ones own existence without dependence of the government… I don’t understand why 46 million people would want to take that from everyone else.

Of course there are exceptions. But 46 million? When having it is a choice? And that’s what makes this deceptive. Rules out crisis! Get people on their own two feet. Independence! That’s Strength in America!

There is and will continue to be more to this bill then what meets the eye unless someone steps in to kill it. Please come about!

August 16, 2009 Mimi, Oregon writes:

Debbie, I couldn’t agree with you more. The illegals have abused and made a mockery of our country. I also think Obama fully plans on giving illegals medical coverage no matter what he says. He doesn’t have a very good track record on keeping his word.

P.S. Love your Sheriff Joe!

August 17, 2009 Shep5543 writes:

Come on guys. Be fair. We need the illegal immigrants for which we will grant amnesty and social programs in exchange for their vote. Re-election is the primary concern, not the healthcare of you selfish Americans. The political class must get more powerful and wealthier. How do you expect that to happen if they don’t have the extra illegal immigrant vote. Now you be a good subject. Get back inline. Wait for your turn to receive your monthly alotment of government granted food, money, healthcare. If you’re lucky the government will subsidize the purchase of your next car, or forgive your late mortgage or credit card payment. Now that’s what I call freedom.

August 17, 2009 Canada Govt.-Run Health Care System Needs Reform « NWI Patriots Blog writes:

[...] H/T The Foundry [...]

August 19, 2009 Tully, Flyover Country writes:

What the heck is a “medically necessary elective procedure”? If it’s “medically necessary,” it’s NOT elective.

They will be cutting 10% or more of all their MEDICALLY NECESSARY surgeries. Period. How lovely if you’re in the 90%. If you’re in the 10%, nice knowing you.

August 19, 2009 Jerry S. Dickinson, Las Vegas, NV. writes:

Of all the money doled out for “stimulus” wahat is our return? If an Italian American had created such a deal he and all his cousins would be in jail. Instead we have these morally challenged, intellectually starved liberals touting a recovery.
Now,take 25% of the stimulus money and direct it towards a 2,000 mile block wall. Just the material order would cure unemployment in the southwest. Simultaneously begin an aggressive campaign of deportation. Any and all who have overstayed, entered illegally, lied whatever, see ya. Now not only have we given a great boost to employment, we have reduced drug trafficing,weapons transfers, kidnapping, murder.
Explain to me, a simple bumbkin, why that approach was not offered.

August 19, 2009 Marshall Hill MI. writes:

Many are Crippled for life while waiting for Care!

August 19, 2009 How’s That Government-run Health Care Working Out Canada? | Conservative Principles Now writes:

[...] Last week we passed along the news that the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority is considering cutting more than 6,000 surgeries to make up for a $200 million budget. British Columbia Medical Association president Dr. Brian Brodie called the proposed surgical cuts “a nightmare.” [...]

August 26, 2009 dghfdgfjkfhjka, canada writes:

this article is taken totally out of context. what the heritage foundation didn’t point out - this came up while searching for something else, and i’m less than surprised that the heritage foundation would take something out of context - is that canadians are constantly fighting against these cuts, which are largely pushed by powerful private medical interests to, you guessed it, discredit the system. it’s a perfect little scam if you have the power to do so. first, cut funding; then, claim the system is insufficient. well, of course it’s insufficient. it’s been starved of funds! the solution? well, they’ll claim privatization. most canadians would claim the better solution is to increase funding and to stop voting for those that would cut funding for the purposes of politicizing the issue. there are other ways to raise the cash.

british columbia just put a steep carbon tax in place. recession or not, there’s no reason it should be cutting these services.

like you’re going to post this…i wouldn’t trust the heritage foundation to tell me what time it is when i’m standing underneath the peace tower with a pair of binoculars.