Does it feel, to you, like we're not going to get healthcare reform?

[Shagbark Hickory]

I watched the presidents radio address today like I do most saturdays for my routine refill of hope and it was about healthcare. I tried to deciper it. Listening to parts of it again and again.

After watching the address, It appears as though we are not going to get even a public plan.
He put great emphasis on keeping what you got and getting lower costs.

Then I started thinking. Maybe this is the strategy. To make people think there will be no drastic changes in an attempt to rally support from those in our society that are most likely to be swayed by harry & louise adverts.

So if I'm convinced there will be no real changes and you're convinced then maybe this is exactly where we are supposed to be. If the details come out at the last minute and there is a real reform in the details.

Then again maybe not.

[NightWatcher]

1. reform from people who cash checks sent from insurance companies?

I dont see it either.

[Shagbark Hickory]

2. So you think details of the plan are diminishing because of the corruption?

[Mike 03]

3. Thank you for reposting this here. My apologies for opening a new thread on GD with

a link to your other thread, but this issue is important, and I confess I don't understand it.

Thanks.

[sandnsea]

4. The Swiftboater Socialist Ads

Looks to me like he's hitting back against that. I hate to link to them, but people around here need to get focused on where the real fight is going to take place.

http://www.conservativesforpatientsrights.com/videos.php

[Sebastian Doyle]

7. "Conservatives for Patients Rights"???

Like what? The "right" to die because you can't afford fucking treatment??

[cabluedem]

11. They could at least give us free cyanide pills to end the suffering. nt

[sandnsea]

16. Well 2 months from now

DU will be pissed that the Democrats didn't have the balls to fight these idiots, and will pretend that all of us who tried to sound the warning didn't exist.

[walkaway]

5. We'll be lucky if we can still look forward to Medicare when we're old and gray.

Why would the government pick the People over Big Business?

[Sebastian Doyle]

8. If Zeke "brother of you know who" Emanuel has his way

even Medicare will be gone and/or converted to a corporatist shit system.

[hfojvt]

6. I got this email from David Plouffe

"If we don't get it done this year, we're not going to get it done."

That's how President Obama -- briefing leading Organizing for America volunteers in our health care effort -- described our fight to pass real health care reform in 2009.

Then, yesterday, the President took the next step by writing congressional leaders to re-emphasize his principles for real health care reform, including his commitment to creating a public insurance option available to all.

Now it's up to us to show massive public support for the President's call -- and we have to move quickly. Can you add your name today?

Declare your support for the President's health care reform principles."

the last line is a link to here
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/organizingforhealthcarecall?source=20090604_DP_L

but that pledge does not includ anything about a 'public insurance option available to all'

It's up to those with Democratic representatives to keep the pressure on them. I doubt if my calling or writing my Republicans is gonna do any good.

[Cleita]

9. That's like the used car salesmen telling you that you'd better buy today

because it will be gone tomorrow. I'm not buying it. As a matter of fact the Senate moves so slowly it probably won't be heard until next year.

[hfojvt]

14. not so much about needing to get it done now

but that Obama was pushing for a "public option avaialable to all". That seemed like good news. As for how fast the Senate moves, isn't that a function of the number of people they have shouting 'serenity now!!' at them? They sure passed both Bush tax cuts within a few months, so I know they can act quickly when they hear money talking.

[nevergiveup]

10. I think it is 50/50 whether or not

we will get real reform with a public option. I do expect Obama to hit the road in the next couple of months to counteract the millions and millions of dollars pharmaceutical and insurance companies will be spending on scare ads.

[floridablue]

12. Currently I pay

96 per month per medicare plus the deductible and copay.

My drug insurance has gone 16 per month, 22 per month, to its current 38 per month.

Even the San Francisco plan that covers all costs much more than this. $285 per month I think.

There is no way I see what they are doing better than where I am. I won't be able to afford what they wind up with, and will lose what I have.

[Blue_In_AK]

13. I'm not hopeful.

[rockymountaindem]

15. It feels to me like it's going to get worse instead of better

Mandatory coverage requirements without a public option in which *anybody* can enroll is a step backward. To supposedly soften the blow, they're now talking about creating exemptions for those who would suffer undue hardship by having to pay premiums. That means that the same people who need insurance the most will still be left out. In the meantime, there's talk about forcing employers to provide group coverage, thereby not helping our businesses become more competitive against companies overseas who don't have to worry about health care costs. This is already a big issue and they're not going to do anything to fix that? Then, on top of all, Rahm Emmanuel's brother is the point-man on health reform and he wants a 10% VAT to pay for health care instead of a progressive income tax.

There's so many bad ideas floating around out there they could all combine to create a Frankenstein's monster of bad health care.

[madrchsod]

17. nothing is going to change the way health care is financed

an individual or a family will still spend thousands of dollars each year for the worse health care system in the industrialized world.

yes if obama`s main advisors have their way--medicare will be a thing of the past.

[LWolf]

18. It feels, to me, like we're going to get something worse

than what we've got now.

[valerief]

19. Yes. It also feels like we're losing social security and medicare. But we'll have war! Plenty of war

[janx]

20. Just let me die.

The irony would be worth it.

[Neecy]

21. Depends on how you define 'reform'

What I see coming down the pike is a continuation of for-profit healthcare, except this time we'll get the delight of having it called 'universal' because the government will require us to buy it from industry pirates. They'll wave the threat of a public option to keep our premiums down, which the insurance industry knows is a sop to those of us who really believed in change and will never actually happen. And this, with a Democrat in the White House and Democratic control of Congress.

[Shagbark Hickory]

22. Holy Shit! Yall are in desperate need of a hope refill !!

I am hopeful that a details of a plan that includes a public option will be made available at the last minute.
If they've got all of you guys thinking it's going to get worse, then this strategy is clearly working.
This was too big of a campaign promise to reneg on. It's like saying he's going to end the war in iraq by a certain date and then on that date they end the war in iraq but immediately start a new war in iran.

There will be outrage from both sides if we are forced to buy health insurance. The type of outrage we haven't seen in centuries.