Salazar & McCain propose commission on health care

[Thom Little]

Lawmakers looking to control health care costs that have left 46 million Americans without medical insurance should seek advice from experts and statesmen, Sen. Ken Salazar said.

"Our current health care system costs too much, it covers too little, and it hampers health care quality," Salazar said Tuesday during a briefing at Colorado College.

Salazar, D-Colo., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., are proposing a national commission that would study the number of uninsured, the rising cost of health care, and the effects on people and businesses.

Salazar envisions a 10-member commission split between Democrats and Republicans, including health care workers and people with backgrounds in government service.


http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CO_SALAZAR_HEALTH_CARE_COOL-?SITE=VARIT&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2005-11-23-20-21-27

[aquart]

1. oh, goody. a study. while we die.

and how much will the study cost?

[Charlie Brown]

2. This may cost McCain the nomination

Republicans have never budged on offering relief for healthcare and never will.

[lostnfound]

4. It's the one thing that might restore their popularity.

I was just thinking today about how they killed Hillary's healthcare plan because they knew it would make the Democrats too popular. And it dawned on me that if they were smart, they would try to accomplish something on this before the next election.

There should be some corporate support for it, because corporations don't like paying the high medical premiums either.

[leftstreet]

5. M.c.C.A.I.N. I.S. D.A.N.G.E.R.O.U.S.

I live in a "purple" state. I see it happening all around me. If a Dem doesn't stand up NOW about health care, Repubs will be in power forever.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

14. true to a point, but 10x better than a shrub in hand.

[Demeter]

11. Neither the GOP nor Corporations Are Smart, Though

They are totally ignorant of how an economic system works, the limits to growth, and exploitation and history. This will go nowhere until the GOP is destroyed (and by their own hand: isn't it sweet?)

[ljaycox]

17. What???????

"They are totally ignorant of how an economic system works, the limits to growth, and exploitation and history. This will go nowhere until the GOP is destroyed (and by their own hand: isn't it sweet?)"

These people know very well how an economic system works--very much more than you or I do; as a matter of fact, it is the ONE thing I am sure they know. They may not care much for the welfare of others. They may have a really shitty value system, and they may be generally pathetic human beings----but, they know this system and the history of it stone cold. Stop underestimating people, you sound arrogant and silly. By the way, who are these "they"s that are so ignorant of the workings of an economic system ---all the rich people?

[Demeter]

18. They know only one thing: Greed

And greed only goes so far. When there are no little people to buy the products, because they have been eliminated by Big Business, then Big Businees will cease to exist. When hungry hordes of the dispossessed riot in the streets, the Oligarch empires will break into shards.

Consider it as the difference between slash and burn farming versus sustainable farming. The first gives a small profit for a few years, and lays waste to the earth for decades. The second can operate indefinitely and sustain whole cultures for eons, until some slash and burn politics destroys it (like the US in Iraq, say).

Pile all the money in a few hands, and those hands will be cut off, after the economy of the world crashes. It is a well-documented, oft-repeated cycle. The whole point of public education was to spread this knowledge and keep such destructive patterns from developing in the New World. But somewhere along the way, the best-laid plans got trashed. Probably at Groton, Andover, and such places. Not to mention Harvard, Columbia, and that ever-popular alma mater of Bushes: Yale.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

3. Medical experts?

Like T.V. doctor Bill Frist?

[izzie]

6. And in the end the govt. will have to take it over.

Every modern country has had to do this. Some day people will wake up to the fact that the rich will not build hospitals, make new drugs and machines, and that it takes a lot of money from all to do it so all should have the use.It is like roads. No rich men in town are putting in roads or fixing the pot holes. My town tax is doing that. Can any one recall reading how lights got all over this country? Rich men did not do it. That is a hint.

[DavidDvorkin]

7. The final commission report

Will recommend a nationwide insurance system run by the existing huge insurance companies. Every American will be required to buy health insurance. The poorest will be offered some kind of help paying for the premiums. Medicaid will be eliminated.

Problem solved!

[depakid]

8. Just watch the Republicans try to co-opt this issue from the Dems

and watch more than a few Dems go right along and hand it to them on a silver platter, like my congressional rep did in voting for the Medicare scam.

[booksenkatz]

9. But, when Hillary proposed it, it was SOCIALIST MEDICINE!!! nt

[bemildred]

10. We don't need another goddamn commission.

Stop stalling and give us a national health care system.
Lots of countries have them, copy one.

[lovuian]

12. Ways to make Republicans richer!!! Hillary tried to do that

and they blocked her!!!

[Overseas]

13. MEDICARE FOR ALL -- while we study healthcare problems for 15 more years,

let's institute Medicare for all for the immediate crisis. And the isurance companies will have to bid for supplemental care contracts with the fancy people.

[cosmicdot]

15. Sen. Salazar, let me introduce you to Reps. Conyers & Kucinich

don't they communicate with their fellow Hill members, or do they just operate in their only little personal agenda bubbles?

I'll be writing Salazar for the first time to introduce him to Congressman Conyers and Congressman Kucinich.

http://www.kucinich.us/issues/universalhealth.php
http://www.house.gov/conyers/news_health_care.htm
http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=1623

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. McCain gets it

He seems to know what the American public needs and wants.

I still don't like him or trust him, but I am REALLY glad there aren't many more repubs like him. He's smart. He has his finger on the pulse of the people he serves.