Health Reform: Let's Work on Drug Costs and Premiums

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This is the main reason I like www.usnews.com. Fascinating posts.
http://lessgrittiness.blogspot.com/2010/03/enterpriser-fuzziness-less-liner-video.html

Suzette of AL 11:51AM March 14, 2010

Nice post. www.usnews.com is greta.

Jarrett of AL 11:41PM March 10, 2010

TO POINT OUT A MISCONCEPTION ABOUT US SENATE RULES. EVERY PIECE OF LEGISLATION PASSED BY THE SENATE ONLY REQUIRES A SIMPLE MAJORITY OF 51 VOTES. IN THE CASE OF A TIE OF 50/50 THE VICE PRESIDENT CAN ,IF AVAILABLE, CAST THE 51st VOTE. OTHERWISE, A TIE IS CONSIDERED A NO PASS. THERE IS THE ARCHANE RULE (FILIBUSTERING) THAT REQUIRES 60 VOTES TO CUT OFF DEBATE ON A BILL. SO 41 SENATORS CAN PREVENT A BILL FROM COMING UP FOR AN UP OR DOWN VOTE. ONCE DEBATE HAS BEEN CUT OFF IT ONLY TAKES 51 VOTES TO PASS. RECONCILIATION IS A RULE THAT LIMITS DEBATE ON BILLS THAT FIT CERTAIN CRITERIA. SO IT'S NOT POSSIBLE FOR THE MINORITY TO PREVENT AN UP OR DOWN VOTE ON THOSE BILLS.

TRUTHMONGER of OR 11:30AM March 04, 2010

Just a point of correction to Dr. Healy's comments. The health reform bill included a "invincibles" plan available to those 30 or under that in fact had fewer requirements. It was thoughtfully proposed to both acknowledge that this population had less need for comprehensive coverage and would be lower cost as a result. They would be far superior to Florida's unsubsidized private insurance program for the uninsured. That progaram only has about 5000 people in it. Well we can't know for sure but it seems even those who are desperately uninsured realize that these plans were a poor value. Sure, they are only about $50 but have high copays and annual caps as low as $25K and lifetime caps as low as $50K. Proposed Republican for the prohibition of any standards may need to more choices in the marketplace but it is highly likely that they won't be good ones.

Tim of NJ 2:04PM February 11, 2010

Get used to sticker shock on outrageous premiums increases for health insurance.
Customers are going to stuck paying for the billions it cost health insurance companies to kill health care reform. Yes sir you get to pay for the intense viagra advertising found here to buy off the opinions of squirrels like Healy.
There was a ton of money spent making sure that Americans pay dearly for any health care, and for any effort to regulate to sleazy industry bankrupting America.
More than 20 cents on every dollar spent in the US will go to pay for health care and the US Government pays more than half of all health care costs. Maybe Healy would have us get rid of the IRS and pay taxes directly to the health insurance companies to subsidize overpriced doctors.
Its going to be cheaper to get health care in Mexico anymore and you get expect better treatment, thanks to snakes like healy.

Sam of MA 1:12PM February 05, 2010

Addressing health care reforms by strictly going after insurance premiums is treating the symptom and not the problem.
People pay insurance premiums to their health plans. The health plans use the premiums to pay physicians, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and other health care providers for their services.
Inpatient care. MRIs. Prescription drugs. People are paying a small percentage of the actual cost of the service. Nobody sees the true cost of their health care. All they see are rising insurance premiums.
It starts at the actual cost of the service. Premiums can only be addressed if the true drivers of rising health care costs are addressed: waste, mis-use, fraud, inappropriate health care, duplication of services, unhealthy lifestyles, inefficient delivery of services. Start at the basics, and only then will the rising trend of insurance premiums will begin to slow. People are looking at the premiums as the cause because it’s the easy way out.

JCF of NY 12:10PM February 04, 2010

I guess since the Health Care lobbies have cut back on their Million Dollar a Day lobbying efforts to kill any health care reform, this pretentious vamp can act like she doesn't have a boot in the game.
Doc Healy has been a stalwart opponent of any health care reform all last year so her phony posturing here must be some kind of joke. Been there, done that, don't believe a word you say anymore.
You are a fraud. Your staunch opposition to cleaning up the US health care mess does not go unnoticed. You have no credibility after pandering to the health care monopolies out to kill any and all health care reform.
The gig is up, no one believes you anymore and no one believes you care about reducing any health care costs except anything that might infringe on the profits of the health insurance and drug companies. Really all this gal has left to write about is why middle class doctors shouldn't pay more taxes just because they make a whole lot more than 250k.
Don't bother writing about health anymore, maybe join the other political hacks in the opinion section - who like you have sold their soul defrauding the American people.

Carl of 12:11AM February 04, 2010

When health care reform actually had a legislative chance earlier this year, Dr. Healy opposed it in every form and iteration that was discussed. Now that we probably can't pass anything, she is shooting her mouth off about what we should do. You cannot just "control" the drug companies in America without an over-arching "deal" any more than you can fly to the moon. If smarty-pants Healy's Republican buddies would have voted for this, it would have been done in the Bush years---or maybe the Carter, Reagan, Bush I, or Clinton years.
As for "leaning" on the insurance companies to reduce their premiums by letting them write substandard little trick policies that cover near nothing and sell them with ads like the Aflac duck----well, if you like marketing over substance, fine.
I don't and Dr. Healy, herself, knows better but won't tell you. Pants on fire.

Muser of NM 9:46PM February 03, 2010

Why should the folks in Sweden and France get name-brand pharmaceuticals at lower costs than those of us in the States? It's absurd to re-import drugs (who's gonna oversee this to make sure that some fly-by-night internet retailer in Japan isn't just selling fake Chinese drugs?). The EU nations and Canada and Japan (where living standards are comparable to ours) should help carry the costs of pharmaceutical development. It'll help even things out..they'd pay a little more and we'd pay a little less. I have no idea how to implement this..but I'm confident that it could be done if there were the will to do so.

SoCalGal of CA 6:56PM February 03, 2010

How is Reconciliation any LESS of a gimmick than the FILIBUSTER? Please spare me the heartburn. As many as 50 millions Americans have no health insurance. This is an unconscionable and inexcusable failure for the wealthiest country in the world. The GOP has blocked this for 100 years. Our European allies rightfully mock us for our hypocracy and inhumanity.

Mark Mulligan of WV 12:24PM February 03, 2010