Re: [Marxism-Thaxis] A healthcare time line
CB: >>We like constitutional crises, in general, but that sounds like a hokey militia/Confederate/states rights Tenth Amendment theory, like the Confederates and segregationist put forward. Michigan's Attorney General is trying to sign on to something. There's something of a political exorcism, purging of the rightwing taint , in all this healthcare hullabaloo. The reactionaries are jumping out of the wood work. Healthcare is like a Full moon of the political season. Ideological wherewolves flash their teeth and reveal themselves for what they are.<< It looks like it so far, except I can't for the life of me figure out how it violates states' rights. Is any state more entitled to make 'individuals' (that's us, but also small businesses with the legal status and corporations) buy for-profit health care than the federal government is? It might get to the Supreme Court because a group of AGs in some states (with Utah leading the charge--yeee haww, they rebelled against the feds before the Civil War) take it to court. But I still can't see how it is a violation of states' rights, and since the SC is so pro-big-business, it may well decide now is the time for all good individuals to buy a duff insurance policy. One of the biggest problems I notice with health care in the US--and I'm not unique in so noting--is that the system has so inflated the costs, it makes basic health care inaccessible. So many people would benefit from having better basic access. Instead the current system subsidizes extravagant amounts of tests and treatments on a few at the expense of the many, while cutting out upwards of 80 million people, depending on how you slice it and dice it. When I was in Malaysia, a developing country with a lot of government involvement in the economy, I noticed that one of the cheapest and fastest ways to get basic care (for one thing, to have a professional decide if you need to see a specialist) was to go to a small clinic, usually operated by a Chinese doctor in a shopping center, and pay cash. For the small things like this, it was always cheaper than the deductibles and the pain of filing. OTOH, Malaysians use the system to get things like treatment of life-threatening illnesses and major operations done. I went there to find out if I had a seasonal 'tropical flu' or something more serious like malaria and dengue (all three are common during the rainy seasons). A doctor like that probably has more diagnostic experience than the ones in the big hospitals. More later about the situation in Japan. CJ ___ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
Re: [Marxism-Thaxis] A healthcare time line
CeJ wrote: > End most tendentiously. > > > 1. Does it aim or can it achieve? > 2. Extending federal plans to 30 million does not come anywhere near > close to universal coverage or universal access to insured health > care. > 3. Directs federal subsidies towards and into the unsustained pricing > bubbles centered on cost of prescription drugs (the profits of the > pharmaceutical companies) and health care provision (the HMOs). > > So the coverage is not anywhere near universal, and, as O. himself > said, you can't extend coverage without curbing costs (i.e., ending > the bubbles). > > Even if the Repugs don't re-take control and repeal all this, we are > now set up for 5 more years of bubbles in drugs and HMOs, subsidized > by the bond-writing ability of the federal government. ^^^ CB; Bubbles _always_ burst. When this one bursts, it'll real socialized medicine, like a real Swedish model, not a bailout. The worst , the better ! ^ > > Meanwhile, if the economy turns down again and severely, look for up > to 50 million Americans to lose their coverage (many of whom won't > know they are out until they have to use it). > > The only way this could result in a public option and universal care > would be if an HMO goes bust like an investment bank--or auto > maker--and the federal government has to take over ownership of it. CB: See above comment ^^^ > > Finally, the bill seems to have created the possibility of a > constitutional crisis in that people will question whether or not the > federal government has the right to force you (or fine) to buy health > insurance (duff policies at that) from for-profit HMOs. Now the HMOs > aren't going to fight that--hell, they want the money from that too. > So what will squelch any challenge to the constitutionality of it all > is simply that the HMOs would cut off funding to any party that did > challenge it. CB: We like constitutional crises, in general, but that sounds like a hokey militia/Confederate/states rights Tenth Amendment theory, like the Confederates and segregationist put forward. Michigan's Attorney General is trying to sign on to something. There's something of a political exorcism, purging of the rightwing taint , in all this healthcare hullabaloo. The reactionaries are jumping out of the wood work. Healthcare is like a Full moon of the political season. Ideological wherewolves flash their teeth and reveal themselves for what they are. > > I have to agree with Biden: health care reform this time around? Big > fucking deal. Or was Biden for once in his life not being ironic? > > CJ CB: Well, I'm glad he said "fuck" on national tv /internet. That's a good sign (smile) > > ___ > Marxism-Thaxis mailing list > Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu > To change your options or unsubscribe go to: > http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis > ___ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
Re: [Marxism-Thaxis] A healthcare time line
We can now add a new line to the time line: removed special deals, increased subsidies for previously mentioned duff policies, and got rid of loopholes affecting sick children. We can also add a new line to a different time line: kept university enrollment bubble going. (AP) Finalizing two major pieces of his agenda, President Barack Obama on Tuesday sealed his health care overhaul and made the government the primary lender to students by cutting banks out of the process. Both domestic priorities came in one bill, pushed through by Democrats in the House and Senate and signed into law by a beaming president. The new law makes a series of changes to the massive health insurance reform bill that he signed into law with even greater fanfare last week. Those fixes included removing some specials deals that had angered the public and providing more money for poorer and middle-income individuals and families to help them buy health insurance. -- CJ Japan Higher Education Outlook http://japanheo.blogspot.com/ ELT in Japan http://eltinjapan.blogspot.com/ We are Feral Cats http://wearechikineko.blogspot.com/ ___ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
Re: [Marxism-Thaxis] A healthcare time line
End most tendentiously. 1. Does it aim or can it achieve? 2. Extending federal plans to 30 million does not come anywhere near close to universal coverage or universal access to insured health care. 3. Directs federal subsidies towards and into the unsustained pricing bubbles centered on cost of prescription drugs (the profits of the pharmaceutical companies) and health care provision (the HMOs). So the coverage is not anywhere near universal, and, as O. himself said, you can't extend coverage without curbing costs (i.e., ending the bubbles). Even if the Repugs don't re-take control and repeal all this, we are now set up for 5 more years of bubbles in drugs and HMOs, subsidized by the bond-writing ability of the federal government. Meanwhile, if the economy turns down again and severely, look for up to 50 million Americans to lose their coverage (many of whom won't know they are out until they have to use it). The only way this could result in a public option and universal care would be if an HMO goes bust like an investment bank--or auto maker--and the federal government has to take over ownership of it. Finally, the bill seems to have created the possibility of a constitutional crisis in that people will question whether or not the federal government has the right to force you (or fine) to buy health insurance (duff policies at that) from for-profit HMOs. Now the HMOs aren't going to fight that--hell, they want the money from that too. So what will squelch any challenge to the constitutionality of it all is simply that the HMOs would cut off funding to any party that did challenge it. I have to agree with Biden: health care reform this time around? Big fucking deal. Or was Biden for once in his life not being ironic? CJ ___ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
