2012 Presidential Election

[Randolphkeys]

Did the Secretary of HHS swear to this oath? It will be her and her department making policy decisions, not doctors.

I think you have vastly underestimated the collaborative element between the government and insurance companies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient...dable_Care_Act

[Spectre]

In 59 Philadelphia voting divisions, Mitt Romney got ZERO votes. ZERO out of 19605 voters.

Well shucks, they must love what Democratic control has done for their city as much as Cleveland and Detroit do.

[Maximus]

What would you have recommended, out of curiosity? I still haven't been able to come up with a legitimate solution. If the goal is to get everyone with pre-existing conditions affordable coverage, how would you go about achieving it?

I'm not smart enough to answer that. For pre-existing conditions I guess I'd just pool them, cap their premiums, have it run by private entities and have the govt help fund it..we're talking less than 1% of the population. The "low risk" group that are happy with their plan and healthcare would have their premiums fall since the "high risk" people are no longer part of their group. I also think it's ridiculous to have it tied to an employer...it should be portable so you dont lose it when you change jobs. Create competition, that's how you drive down costs every time.
I know it's not that simple, but that's the gist of something I think would be better than this 2900 page abortion called Obamacare.

[MattyIce8]

As a nephew of two surgeons, you get to hear a lot about how the health care system works. A lot has already been discussed in the thread. The wait times will sky rocket. People will come in force sore throat and other minor illnesses that are usually just treated with bed rest. Unfortunately the new health care system also favors physicians assistants over physicians/surgeons, causing less people to become physicians. Not to mention this thing is going to just destroy any part of our economy that we still have left. To quote the legendary Nancy Pelosi, "We have to pass the bill, so you know what's in it." It still baffles me, because nobody knows exactly what is in this thing, yet most people seem to be all for this travesty of a bill. The people want health care, the people are getting this health care with all of its damaging effects to our economy with it.

On a side note, I realized after the election that any sense of nationalism that this country had is gone. It's no longer about the country or our country's future. It's all about individualism and selfishness. "Obama will continue to give free contraception and birth control"... I'll vote for him, yet I can buy a condom at gas station for 99 cents. "Obama is going to give ME free health care"... Cool but what about the future of the country after this thing completely bankrupts us. It kills me knowing that my kids are going to have this enormous debt crisis on their plates. We use to be a country of hard work and self-responsibility, but are now a shadow of our former self.

end rant

[southernflyer]

I think you have vastly underestimated the collaborative element between the government and insurance companies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient...dable_Care_Act

Effective by October 1, 2012
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will begin the Readmissions Reduction Program, which requires CMS to reduce payments to IPPS hospitals with excess readmissions, effective for discharges beginning on October 1, 2012. The regulations that implement this provision are in subpart I of 42 CFR part 412 (§412.150 through §412.154).[89] Starting in October, an estimated total of 2,217 hospitals across the nation will be penalized; however, only 307 of these hospitals will receive this year's maximum penalty, i.e., 1 percent off their base Medicare reimbursements.

My mom had this happen to her last week. She was having some problems and her doctor told her to go to the hospital and would be admitted after thinking the issue might have had something to do with her heart attack at the beginning of the year as well as other heart problems. So she went to a Cleveland Clinic hospital to the ER, was checked out and told instead of admitting her into the hospital, to go home and come back if the situation was worse. The ER doctor told her that they would be in trouble if they admitted her and released, then had to come back again and be readmitted. It had nothing to do with her well-being, but the rules set forth under ObamaCare.

This is after earlier in the year (after the heart attack) when she was "in observation" in the same hospital for 3 days to skirt the Medicare rules, but she was never technically admitted into the hospital.

[cavman]

I'm going to get so many free condoms that I'm going to start doing balloon animal shows for children. +1 Jobs for Obama.

[southernflyer]

What would you have recommended, out of curiosity? I still haven't been able to come up with a legitimate solution. If the goal is to get everyone with pre-existing conditions affordable coverage, how would you go about achieving it?

I think a more effective way of people getting insurance is to stop having employers subsidize it. Have each citizen shop for their own insuranc. It would equal the playing field for each person, so they aren't penalized because they work for a business owner with 10 healthy employees compared to a large company with 75,000 employees. Having the employer stay out of the whole process would be better for employer and the employee. Having medical files in my office under lock and key in two cabinets, it is difficult to always remember a file isn't left on the desk, or always close and lock the door when I know I will be out of the office for 3 minutes. Have tax credits, rebates or deductions for a certain amount per adult and child, and you could still create a voucher program for people under a certain income level. You can even base it on income if you want to have a "needs-based" deduction. I think most perople would be shocked that their $250/ month insurance is more like $600/month with the employer portion included.

I think a catastrophic coverage option that doesn't pay for normal occurances of just "being sick" is better than making everyone pay more so I can have a $25 copay to see the doctor and the doctor then bills my insurance another $107. Have pre-existing conditions be covered at a 25% increase from years 1-4 so by the fourth year, they would be 100% covered.

I would rather get the $4,000 my employer puts towards my health insurance and not have to choose from the 3 options they have negotiated. I could go to Aetna, Blue Cross, United Health Care, etc. and have my own choice of plans based on my needs. If they had 100 million new potential enrollees, they would offer competitive prices and favorable options.

Then if I decided to leave my job, I wouldn't have to worry about losing my health insurance like I do now. I wouldn't have to worry about getting laid off and pay up the nose through COBRA until I lose it after 3 months. I know at least five people at work that would retire tomorrow if this system was in place. They aren't 60, so they can't bridge their insurance through our retirement package yet. They work the bare minimum and are the least motivated employees because they are hanging on for insurance. Then we could hire five new workers to replace them.

[Maximus]

Who's going to get one going for Ohio?

White House website deluged with secession petitions from 20 states

Posted By David Martosko On 11:53 PM 11/11/2012 @ 11:53 PM In DC Exclusives,DC Exclusives - Original Reporting,Featured,Politics,US,Yahoo! Linkbox | No Comments


How would Old Glory look with 30 stars instead of 50? As far-fetched as it may sound, the White House might soon be forced by its own rules to examine the question.

On Nov.7, the day after President Barack Obama was re-elected, the White House’s website received a petition asking the administration to allow Louisiana to secede.

If 25,000 people sign the petition by Dec. 7, it will “require a response” from the Obama administration, according to published rules of the White House’s online “We the People” program.

The Louisiana petition has collected more than 12,300 signatures in four days. A separate effort from Texas has 15,400 supporters.

Similar petitions from 18 other states began arriving Nov. 9, bringing the total — for the moment — to 20.

The White House website publicly displays petitions that have attracted at least 150 signers.

“Michael E” from the New Orleans suburb of Slidell penned the initial proposal — the website doesn’t provide last names — in which he asked the Obama administration to “[p]eacefully grant the State of Louisiana to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government.”

His entire petition consisted of excerpts from the Declaration of Independence.

“Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,” one portion read, “that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and institute new Government.”

“Micah H” from Arlington, Texas submitted the petition on behalf of the Lone Star State.

“The US continues to suffer economic difficulties stemming from the federal government’s neglect to reform domestic and foreign spending,” he wrote.

Texas, he added, “maintains a balanced budget and is the 15th largest economy in the world,” making it “practically feasible for Texas to withdraw from the union.”

What began as a pair of parallel stunts appears to have gathered steam. Other than Louisiana and Texas, states with secession-related petitions pending on the White House website now include Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Three states — Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina are each represented by two competing petitions.

While most of the petitions mimic the Louisiana effort’s tribute to the Declaration of Independence, Montana’s and Florida’s focus on the same quoted line from Benjamin Franklin: “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”






The petition to let Texas secede from the U.S. to be reviewed by the White House

Monday, November 12, 2012

Well, Texas, you have done it.

As of 3:40 p.m. ET, more than 25,000 Texans have already signed the petition on The White House website to let Texas peacefully secede from United States of America and “create its own NEW government.”

The petition, created on Nov. 9, argues for secession, stating:



According to The White House, the petition must reach 25,000 signatures within 30 days in order to be considered.

“If a petition gets enough support, White House staff will review it, ensure it’s sent to the appropriate policy experts, and issue an official response,” explains the website.

[Randolphkeys]

Please, Max. Tell me you aren't defending this bat shit craziness.

[JiggleIt]

I will say on Texas's sake...it probably would do better off on it's own. Texas handles their shit.

[Randolphkeys]

I will say on Texas's sake...it probably would do better off on it's own. Texas handles their shit.

I don't know if you passed elementary school or not, but Civil Wars don't end well.

[billmac91]

I will say on Texas's sake...it probably would do better off on it's own. Texas handles their shit.

I've always laughed at how successful Texas is as a state. One of the largest, yet by in large, Republican states in the country. And you compare it to it's closest counterpart in terms of population and size, California, and how bankrupt and ridiculous it is. It's really, really, really comical.

[Maximus]

Please, Max. Tell me you aren't defending this bat shit craziness.

Ummm....no. Just found it entertaining.

[billmac91]

I don't know if you passed elementary school or not, but Civil Wars don't end well.

The Civil War was a cause worth fighting. Several hundred thousand Americans lost life fighting for the independence of slaves. You think the US government could rally enough US military to bomb Texas over seceding from the US? A peaceful secession? No way....the US Gov't would look insane forcing a state that wanted to secede to stay in the union by using force.

And I can promise you, a shitload of Americans would make a move to Tejas. It's thriving for a reason....

[Maximus]

I don't know if you passed elementary school or not, but Civil Wars don't end well.

They said "peacefully"...it wasn't a declaration of war. Just a polite request.