The Impact of Obamacare

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What you hope for is the occasional instance of government health care done consistently well...what you'll get is government health care the way it's done in New York state. $60 billion a year for Medicaid. Ten percent of that stolen right off the top. Another ten to thirty percent is at best redundant, at worst additional fraud. Every year. Twenty billion goes -poof-.
And the clincher? New York's Medicaid program is bigger than the next two largest state programs combined...and it STILL misses covering more than a million eligible New Yorkers. You can thank the Obama-backing SEIU for a lot of that, but you can also thank pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and nursing home operators too. They buy the state legislature, Republicans and Democrats alike...and make sure they stay bought.
And seeing as spending-wise DC has Mario Cuomo-style liberals in the majority and Pataki/Brunos in the minority, the stage is set for a nation-sized serving of New York-style waste, fraud and incompetence.

Brian of NY 8:01PM November 25, 2008

When it comes to healthcare, yes, "THERE IS AN AVERSION TO RISK". What free market capitalists haven't figured out is that there are somethings not best left to the free markets. Given that we tend to highlight our largest fears, I think Mr. Ponnuru does this very well... His real fear: "it would also move American politics permanently leftward." When it comes to the free market of ideas, I'm afraid that you are both intellectually bankrupt. The freemarket system is not working and the people are responding to just that!

DJ of MD 2:24PM November 25, 2008

I just came across this blog post that references this mindless blurb:
http://rustyidols.blogspot.com/2008/11/fear-of-universal-health-care-planet.html
As a Canadian, I can safely and in good health tell you that you are out to a very fancy corporate lunch.

Alex of 1:34PM November 25, 2008

Best overall healthcare system in the world? France.
http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html
Let's face it -- conservatives have been in power for the past 8 years and the overall quality of our healthcare system has dramatically decreased because the costs have increased dramatically and less people are insured. Millions of Americans are not getting the care they need, and the rest of us are paying for it.
So yeah, we are more than ready for Universal Healthcare.
Bill
Small Business Owner, AZ

Bill Boissiere of AZ 11:27AM November 25, 2008

If the private sector can deliver health care so much more efficiently than the government can, why does private Medicare coverage cost the taxpayers MORE than traditional government medicare coverage? Could it be he cost of spreading the wealth around the insurance industry?

Andy of NY 10:53AM November 25, 2008

Yes, the "inevitable" failures of nationalized health care. These would be the same "inevitable" failures that lead it to have such high approval rates in countries like the UK, Japan, Canada, Switzerland and Germany, no doubt. I wonder how WWII vets and Congressmen feel about their nationalized health care? I suppose those staunch paragons of freedom must just swallow their shame and suffer through it with the stoic constance of a true citizen.
What, exactly, about this prevents its opponents from admitting that it works? Surely, it can't be the cost considering that the US spends over 25% of its GDP on health care, whereas the highest percentage spent by any nationalized system is the 16% of Britain.

Julian of TX 10:33AM November 25, 2008

The conservatives have been in charge for a while now and they did not solve the health care problem. Instead they showered favor on the health insurers and other big power and big money interests in this equation. The result is a system that does ration right now! 47 million are left out due to cost. Thousands each year are bankrupted due the horrors of major illness in their family. A cruel double attack on the family from these family values conservatives, the irony. In what warped universe is that a success? Conservatives have been doing nothing but grease the wheels for the rich and powerful while the middle class takes it on the chin or worse. Good riddance do nothing conservatives, you didn't deliver, your market didn't deliver, you are worthless and your ideology is toxic. It is very clear that the people want this solved not spun and messaged and apologized for. Conservatives don't have any ability to work for the best interests of the country or the majority of Americans. That is why Obama is going to the Whitehouse to fix the mess that the GOP made of this nation.

Mr. Smith of AZ 10:26AM November 25, 2008