Very very interesting old article on Bush's pill program, look who is chiding republicans on how the cost estimates were too low, and look who also criticised the program as being 'too stingy' Politics is a cesspool http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9328-2005Feb8.html It's a bit early for assessing the CBO prediction but there are voices that claim Bush actually did it right, if you are going to give out freebies. LOL, dubya may be a better liberal than liberals http://healthcare-economist.com/2007/10/17/prescription-drug-coverage-and-elderly-medicare-spending/
unplugging from life support is not euthanasia. The problem is if it's my money, so I should be part of the decision. If not, then economics will eventually make the decison for you- nobody will get life support.
Sure......MASSIVE tort reform, get fully RID of the vaccination courts, and get Americans more DIRECTLY involved with paying for their own health care (3rd party payer methods EXPLODE health care costs for all......almost as inefficient as a fully government controlled system). *** 3rd party payer dependent methods are a very costly way to handle the predominance of health care for Americans. *** Government controlled health care is the WORST method humanly possible to handle health care for Americans. NOT until Americans are MORE DIRECTLY INVOLVED with paying for about 90% of their typical year to year health care expenses will the costs EVER GO DOWN.........PERIOD!!!
In the case of this bill the CBO claims it to be budget neutral, how can that be? They are incorporating a NEW cost into the budget, unless it is 100% funded from cuts within the existing budget, it increases. It is that simple. Now you are going to tell me that the cost is covered by raising taxes, which is true, but the budget still INCREASES. Then there is the double counting of medicare funds, and the fact that the 10 year CBO estimates include 10 years of funding with only 6 years of payouts. This is the equivalent of saying 1+1= something other than 2. So yes I doubt the CBO estimate, you should as well.
So why weren't all this measures implemented all this time while the health care system was dragging the economy down?
Let the budget increase, atleast it will have some useful effect on the economy as well as on the lives of people. We didn't see such rhetoric over legislation when it was contributing to the deficit. As for the CBO estimate,its fine to doubt it but why then doubt it only for the worse? Since we can see from previous instances, they tend to underestimate savings and overestimate costs quite regularly.
Just an example of the need for accountability to stop somewhere. I took a stress test, treadmill for 10 minutes with EKG attached that was 1500 dollars and nothing revealed. Now they tell me I need another this one costs over 4000 dollars and noone would have volunteered the cost had I not asked. Cost of procedures is the microbe in the room.
No it will have a negative effect on the economy. Public sector jobs are financed by taxes, they are a drain on the economy. Obviously tax cuts without spending cuts will increase the deficit. As for the CBO estimate, maybe doubt was not the right word, let me re-phrase. I think the CBO estimate is a giant fucking lie. Also what is your problem with rhetoric if it is FACT.