Over at the Huffington Post, Michael Millenson walks us through McCain’s plan to end employer sponsored coverage, noting that it would apply faith-based economics to one seventh of the US economy, and pointing out that its as radical a ploy to foist on the innocent bystander American people as any bomb-thrower ever cooked up.
It’s vintage Millenson: erudite, an airtight argument, gleefully presented, and making no apologies for its partisanship. A fun and informative read.
See also: An analysis of the about-face the McCain camp made suddenly regarding funding for his health plan. He’ll now keep the payroll exemption and cut $1.3 trillion from Medicare and Medicaid to pay for his tax subsidies.
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Sorry to come into this so late, but this “analysis” is far short of Michael’s usually high standards. No data, but rather an adjective-laden ad hominen attack. Sounds like a campaign statement more than a dispassionate analysis. Ron Wyden also dismantles employer based insurance. Is he also an irresponsible radical? Lots wrong w/ McCain’s plan, but you wouldn’t learn much about it from this post.
Wow, any partisanship I show is for realistic solutions to heathcare. Unfortunately Republicans cling to the failed ideology that the unregulated private sector is still our savior. Democrats usually have a hard time finding any backbone to frame the correct issue and advance their position. Both rely on corporate lobby cash that citiizens have allowed to pervert the system and prevent good policy. But since you seem to want to discuss “common points” I’d be glad to hear some.
Actually, Wow, this is not correct. The failure to make policy advances has little, if anything to do with partisanship. It has to do instead with the influence that Congress has allowed special interests to have over policy through policy. I write regularly on Bob Laszewski’s blog, and if you’ll check back, you’ll see that I explain this in great detail.
Holy crap – does anyone post any thoughtful comments other than partisan drivel? Bob Laszewski’s policy blog is fantanstic, as Brian pointed out, and avoids a lot of partisan rankle that people like Peter, Alison and Brian spew out on these comments.
We’re not likely to change our health model in the U.S. when we have partisans so focused on making snide remarks and caricaturing the other side rather than finding common points we agree on and move forward.
There is a need of health maintanance budget for more advanced medical research to provide more healthful facilities in American states. Now let’s see what’s new American President would introduce Health care budgetary policies for American Public.
Alison,
The Health Care Blog isn’t Fox News, so you may be unfamiliar with the format. On this site, we have a tendency to print many political persuasions of authors, nearly all of them well-known and highly credible. The important criteria are clear thinking and solid facts. No wild assertions get through on the posts, which is why its so widely read by the professional health care community.
The idiot to whom you refer, Michael Millenson, is a former Chicago Trib reporter, nominated several times for the Pulitzer, who wrote a 1997 book called Demanding Medical Excellence that was hailed as a landmark book on quality, and can be safely considered to have helped usher in the quality/safety movement that pervades health care now. While his humor may be occasionally suspect, his facts and arguments never are.
Finally, your rants notwithstanding, to my knowledge Mr. Obama has never advocated government-run health care. His plan would use the existing commercial health plan system, but with some significant modifications that would extend coverage and help us get better control of unnecessary services and cost. A good non-partisan site to read about this in some detail is Bob Laszewski’s Health Policy and Marketplace Review at http://www.healthpolicyandmarket.blogspot.com/.
But you should probably go now. I think I hear Rush and Ann Coulter calling your name.
alison, I see the Republican blog lurkers are active.
So, if you say government can’t contain spending then that includes the last 8 years of Republican government?
If you hate the idea of non-medical decision makers gaining control of our healthcare then how do you feel about insurance companies making your healthcare decisions?
As for, “most of the financial community agrees”, would that be the same financial community that is costing the taxpayers trillions of dollars as a result of their “good” business judgement and honest practices?
Well, Obama wanting government to run our healthcare is the scariest thing I ever heard. Government has proven that they can’t contain spending and I hate the idea of non-medical decision makers gaining more control on our healthcare. This will cost more than McCain’s plans and most of the financial community agrees. I would never trust anything coming from the radically irresponsible Huffington Post. Why post this idiotic blog on your site?
“McCain’s call for radical cuts to Medicare and Medicaid will undermine their vital role in our health care system, putting affordable health care out of reach for millions of seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families, and driving up the cost of health insurance for everyone else.”
Sara Palin would argue, it’s the “Christian” thing to do. Typical Republican cost cutting, take from the least advantaged, give to the most advantaged, and get lots of campaign donations and lobby jobs in the process. Don’t worry, it’ll trickle down.