Has Bernie Sanders pulled a fast one?

[wurzel]

It is reported that to get Sen. Sanders vote Reid has agreed to put $10B in some kind of "community health clinics". If by this Sanders means government financed and run local health centers, like the ones he sponsored for the Vets, then this is a real winner. Imagine how cost effective they will be. How visible and popular they will be. And the possibilities for future expansion.

[valerief]

1. That's good but when the repubs are in the WH and have control of Congress next, the community ctrs

will be easy kill. That's why real healthcare reform instead of the insurance company Christmas present would be better.

I guess it will help some people live a little longer and that's good.

2 trillion for war. 10 billion for people.

[wurzel]

6. Once they are operating they will be very hard to close.

These will be local community clinics. Once they are established they will be very hard to close down even by the Repukes. It will be too public.

[valerief]

7. I remember community centers from the seventies. They closed. nt

[wurzel]

9. This is not the seventies.

They were closed in the name of "privatization". I think people have seen where that led. I would think every Congressman will want one in his district.

[valerief]

11. So if they reopen the repubs in power will close them again. We need real healthcare reform. nt

[Autumn Colors]

10. If they are financed with gov't money ....

and an incoming Republication administration cuts off said money, there's a good chance many will close, popular or not.

[murphyj87]

15. Americans have short life expectancies...Canada 81, US 78

Americans have short life expectancies compared to most nations, especially nations with universal health care (including all other industrialized nations). Canadians have universal health care and an average age of 81. Americans have insurance-run and rationed health care with 1 in 3 Americans having access to health care like people in the third world resulting in an average lifespan of 78 for Americans.

[peacebird]

2. I hope so! That would be a glimmer of hope at least...!

[aquart]

3. Ah. More emergency rooms for people who can't get care.

Sounds like they don't expect the insurance industry to give the American people the standard of care any European takes for granted.

But they still want to pass this deformity of health care on to the American people.

[wurzel]

5. These clinics could be the "seeds" to what we all want. n/t.

[valerief]

8. I like that. US Health Deform. nt

[murphyj87]

14. And every Canadian

Any Canadian politician who would even whisper that he/she wanted to institute American style insurance-run health care for Canada, that politician would not only lose, but they would be wiped out and their political career would be irreparably over. Depending on the poll, 92% to 97% of Canadians see US health care as inferior and wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. Contrary to American myth, we have excellent health care, better than what most Americans have.

[udbcrzy2]

4. That would be a good thing to have n/t

[kestrel91316]

12. Here in CA we have community health centers in very poor areas.

In order to get service there, you have to be on welfare or unemployment or disability. If you are one of the working poor with any assets whatsoever you can't get care there. They bury people in a mountain of paperwork from what I've heard.

[EVDebs]

13. They're already very popular ... but

funding them as 'non-profits' is what's hurting in this economy right now. The Govt. needs to fund them more or do the single-payer or 'Public Option' with govt but the monied interests (banks, insurance, big pharma) prevent this and want 'status quo'

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

16. Yep and Ben Nelson got the feds to cover medicaid costs for Nebraska forever.