Nov 06 2009
“…a dismaying abdication of responsibility”
The Republicans so called health care plan is an absolute joke. It leaves 52 million people uninsured, only reduces premiums through reduced coverage (thanks, I can do that myself) and it does not ban the practice of denying or reducing coverage because of pre-existing conditions. As Andy pointed out, it even reduces the deficit less. It’s DOA, and only good for the Republicans to pretend they are doing something other than being obstructionists.
On the other hand, all the insurance industry wants is there. State regulation would become moot, pre-existing conditions stay, ability to sell high deductible, bare-bones plans full of small print and arbitrary malpractice caps.
It’s an outrage that these politicians claim to represent the American people. By now we are used to seeing them wrap themselves on the flag and talk about principles and values and plumber Joes, while in reality they push for the interests of the industry instead of the people who they are supposed to be working for.
It is an abdication of their responsibility not only as elected officials but also as participants in the political process, being the counter-balance the opposition is supposed to provide. There are good things missing in the Dem proposal, and you would expect the Reps to introduce those in the debate if they were being honest. For example, if they believe so much in the free market, why aren’t they proposing measures to end price opacity and encourage consumer shopping for medical services, beyond augmenting ineffective HSAs that the majority of the population wouldn’t have access to anyway.
Any honest Republican that believes this is reform is either ideologically blind or too lost in the fight for political power to care for anything other than scoring a “hey look, we have a plan and saves money!” propaganda blow.
