In which John offers a summary of the health care reform bill that just passed the US senate, discussing the insurance exchange market, pre-existing condition clauses, medicare taxes, and other fine points of the still-under-debate bill. Here’s a good explanation of how the insurance exchanges will look like: bit.ly Thanks to Alan Lastufka ( youtube.com ) for the Ben Nelson asshat photo. About abortion: The senate plan works like this: Policies covering abortion would be available in the exchange market (at least in some states), but those plans would have to collect two separate premiums–one covering everything other than abortion, and one for abortion coverage. The subsidy (available to all families making less than about $88000 a year depending on number of kids) would only apply to the non-abortion policy. If this seems like a hilariously stupid distinction, that’s because it is. Ultimately, it of course doesn’t matter which policy the subsidy goes toward. But then again, every federal program “supports” abortion in some way. For instance, without federally funded highways, it would be impossible for most women to get abortions. All government spending indirectly goes to support all activity in America, but it’s ridiculous to say that, for instance, food stamps encourage meth use, even though sometimes people trade meth for food they bought with food stamps. It’s equally disingenuous to say that this bill will allow federal funding of abortions, unless you’re willing …
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Tags: Abortion Policy, Exchange Market, Insurance Exchange

25 responses to Adorable Puppy Explains Health Care Bill
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I noticed Jaspe fforde in your book case. Made of so much awesome!
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Bring back pre-existing conditions – Vote Republican!
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“The first law of economics is scarcity; and the first law of politics is to ignore the first law of economics.” – Thomas Sowell
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There is no 30 million uninsured Americans. When you remove the 10 million who earn over $75K/year, but don’t want to buy insurance, the 15 million illegal aliens who deserve NOTHING, it is more like 5 million and that group goes in and out of employment, and therefore health insurance in the majority of cases. So we are going to completely unravel the best health case system in the world for a transient 16 percent of the population who can get treated at any county hospital in the nation.
Adorable Puppy Explains Health Care Bill
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Chat with Asian women #lushfmlk.info#
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@jessicamarchi2007 Let me be blunt. First, nothing in the law changes how medical malpractice lawsuits are handled, therefore defensive medicine (i.e. useless tests will continue). Second, you don’t need a death panel, when the law says, “The Secretary of HHS will determine…” among other things, what courses of treatment will be paid for and will not be paid for. The same thing happened with HMO’s doctors were paid more for treating you less.
Adorable Puppy Explains Health Care Bill
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@kbar8888 I’m just going to be blunt… are you really ignorant enough to believe in “death panels”? The federal government will not decide who lives and dies. This is a scare tactic. Legislation addressing this topic ensures that you don’t go to the doctor with a sore throat to be tested for african tripnopsychosis before being tested for strep throat and mono. It’s not about IF anyone will treat you. It’s about HOW you will be treated – using logic and common sense.
Adorable Puppy Explains Health Care Bill
Healthcare Start
@kbar8888 I’m just going to be blunt… are you really ignorant enough to believe in “death panels”? The federal government will not decide who lives and dies. This is a scare tactic. Legislation addressing this topic ensures that you don’t go to the doctor with a sore throat to be tested for african tripnopsychosis before being tested for strep throat and mono. It’s not about IF anyone will treat you. It’s about HOW you will be treated – using logic and common sense.
Adorable Puppy Explains Health Care Bill
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@jessicamarchi2007 Turning the Healthcare system into another AMTRAK will not solve that problem or the problems of people incapable of supporting themselves. It will simply transfer the bankruptcies from individuals to hospitals. The Federal government will gain extraordinary power over “life and death”. Every time the “law” says, “The Secretary of HHS will determine…” it means a bureaucrat will make the decision on what services are covered. You wont go bankrupt, you’ll just die.
Adorable Puppy Explains Health Care Bill
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This made me realize one thing, WILLY IS SUPER CUTE!!! XD
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@kbar8888 Because the leading cause of bankruptcy in the United States today is unexpected medical expenses. Because this health care bill extends coverage to many MORE Americans than just that demographic – Americans who are suffering from bad circumstances (some of which stem from medical problems) and those people shouldn’t be punished because of a smaller, free loading demographic. And lastly, because we pay for healthcare for that 74% anyway – but we call it medicare and medicaid.
Adorable Puppy Explains Health Care Bill
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@BlackLabelEric None of those “other” governments you speak of are better off financially than the U.S. But let me ask you a better question. Why do you believe the govt has a right to make YOU responsible for providing healthcare to someone who does not support themself? 74% of public school freshman in Detroit will not graduate as a result they will not be able to support themselves. Why should you pay for them? I’d really like to know.
Adorable Puppy Explains Health Care Bill
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@kbar8888
Explain to me then why other governments with a higher level of socialized medicine don’t have this problem?
Or more likely it’s that the government protecting Intellectual Property rights of pharmaceutical companies allowing them to charge whatever price they want because for some absurd reason the government thinks its sane and reasonable for drugs people need in order to live to cost 50 dollars a day.
Adorable Puppy Explains Health Care Bill
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@BlackLabelEric Govt is the problem. By separating the patient (consumer) from the doctor (supplier), the govt destroys the market forces that would control prices. But then the govt goal is not lower prices, but control. By standing between the patient and doctor the govt siphons off a tremendous amount of money. All that bureaucracy costs. When govt is involved, prices naturally don’t reflect what the market will bear. Govt can solve that problem, govt creates the problem.
Adorable Puppy Explains Health Care Bill
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@kbar8888
Government spending on health care isn’t the cause then, it’s that the government is refusing to allow generic medicines by way of things like “intellectual property” laws.
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@BlackLabelEric Again, the current cost of healthcare is due to governments, particularly state governments establishing monopolies and protection for insurance companies. Why else did Big Pharma spend $237 K per day lobbying congress? It was to extend their monopoly on biologic drugs to 12 years! What will that cost the consumer. Bottom line: Government cannot solve a problem it creates. The cost of HC has increased with the % govt spends on it. Look at the numbers!
Adorable Puppy Explains Health Care Bill
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@kbar8888
Because the free market is working so well for Amercians right now: your per capita spending on health care is about 15% or so, relative to 10% in many nations with universal health care (the obvious examples being Australia and Canada) yet the quality of your care is at the level where the average Cuban has a longer life expectancy.
Lack of regulation is why America got demolished in the global financial crisis, but better regulation banking systems like Australia stayed solid.
Adorable Puppy Explains Health Care Bill
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@mmmmmdatsgoodsoup Amtrak? Yes it is! All of Amtrak’s preferred stock is owned by the U.S. federal government. The members of its board of directors are appointed by the President of the United States and are subject to confirmation by the United States Senate.
Adorable Puppy Explains Health Care Bill
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Screw your puppy and your bias..
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@kbar8888 no its not.
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@BlackLabelEric The current system could be even better. Subtract the government supplied monopolies, and allow the free market to work, and a 26 year old could buy health insurance for $30 per month instead of the govt proposed $300. But then they would be able to purchase a major medical policy with a $5000 deductible. And they wouldn’t need to pay for things they don’t need. As for the 1 in 5 citizens unable to support themselves, perhaps a job would help.
Adorable Puppy Explains Health Care Bill
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@mmmmmdatsgoodsoup AMTRAK is federally owned corporation. In other words, when they run a deficit, they don’t go bankrupt, the Congress appropriates them a bailout. It occurs each year, and has every since 1971.
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@kbar8888 Are you arguing that the current system is somehow better?
If so, I facepalm in your general direction.
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i have a 14 week westie puppy
go WESTIE’s
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lol @kbar888. .. amtrak is NOT a federal program, social security has been raided for years.
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