Will healthcare reform pass this year?

[memphis]

Doubt it.

[fezzyfestoon]

I honestly don't think so.  It's unfortunate in principle, but I'm not that bent out of shape because a) we don't have the money right now and b) the plan was pretty shoddy and hastily formed.

[Person Man]

Let's just put it this way- It's now or never. We are on the edge of the "J" in terms of Health Care costs.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I honestly don't think so.  It's unfortunate in principle, but I'm not that bent out of shape because a) we don't have the money right now and b) the plan was pretty shoddy and hastily formed.

Yes, but also look at when the modern state health services were formed in European nations.  Things were MUCH worse than what we face now.

We're just 1) Lazy, 2) Totally paralyzed in fear of the possible (though unlikely) political fallout.

[Person Man]

Well, if it had to be much worse in Europe for them to fix their system, maybe when Healthcare totally bankrupts the country in 2022, we'll be more on it.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Well, if it had to be much worse in Europe for them to fix their system, maybe when Healthcare totally bankrupts the country in 2022, we'll be more on it.

The idea that the reform shouldn't be enacted because we can't afford it is ridiculous because we can't afford NOT to enact reform.  The point is that we can reduce costs and use those reductions to insure those not currently insured.

The NHS in Britain began in mid 1948, after a crippling post-war recession.  1947 was not a good year for Britain.. and yet they were setting up their national healthcare system.  They had an unusually nasty winter in 1946/47 followed by residual food shortages and rationing, the crippling recession, a reduced young male population, and badly damaged infrastructure in and around London.

[Mint]

In current form? No. Now with that said I think there's a fairly high probability that they'll pass a 'toned down' version of it regardless of what the public thinks. Especially with the insurance industry already on board with 'individual mandates.'

[Middle-aged Europe]

What do you mean by "healthcare"? Stop spewing government propaganda immediately! It's a deathcare! Any government plan including a large-scale euthanasia program is actually a deathcare.

[??????????]

Let's just put it this way- It's now or never. We are on the edge of the "J" in terms of Health Care costs.

Yes, because the medical system has fallen apart since Obama took office.

[opebo]

Let's just put it this way- It's now or never. We are on the edge of the "J" in terms of Health Care costs.

Yes, because the medical system has fallen apart since Obama took office.

You are kidding, right?

I have no idea if anything will pass, but I tend to doubt it.  The medical mafia has too tight a control of the phoney democrats.

[anvi]

It's beginning to look like they will pass a bill with no public option, but with co-ops and mandates.  If this is the form of the bill, I think it will get signed by Obama in late September or early October, with a sizable majority in the House and somewhere between 60-70 votes in the Senate.

A few comments on this version of the outcome.  A bill with no public option but with co-ops will fail to bring about any desirable changes in America's health care system.  Like the current Massachusetts plan, it will nominally cover more people, but will not bring down their premium costs, it will not bring down health care expenditures in the U.S. at all, but rather raise them by increasing utilization without cost-control measures, and it will put the typically ineffective co-ops in the hands of the current insurance companies.  In addition, the final bill may drop the clause about coverage for VOLUNTARY end-of-life consultations, which means that the Congress and administration will buckle on a good provision just because it was possible for political opponents to tell gross lies about what it entails.

In short, the final bill will be one in which the Obama administration basically caved on its major and most effective commitments, and handed over even more control of heath insurance coverage to insurance companies after months of railing against them. 

[Person Man]

Let's just put it this way- It's now or never. We are on the edge of the "J" in terms of Health Care costs.

Yes, because the medical system has fallen apart since Obama took office.

...and how is that? It just sounds like something you wouldn't say if Obama had an R next to his name, provided everything else about the man.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Let's just put it this way- It's now or never. We are on the edge of the "J" in terms of Health Care costs.

Yes, because the medical system has fallen apart since Obama took office.

...and how is that? It just sounds like something you wouldn't say if Obama had an R next to his name, provided everything else about the man.

I'm pretty sure he was being sarcastic.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Let's just put it this way- It's now or never. We are on the edge of the "J" in terms of Health Care costs.

Yes, because the medical system has fallen apart since Obama took office.

...and how is that? It just sounds like something you wouldn't say if Obama had an R next to his name, provided everything else about the man.

I'm pretty sure he was being sarcastic.

I think he was too.  And I don't think it'll pass this year - most likely next year though.

[War on Want]

For some reason when I saw this poll, I thought healthcare reform with a public option. Whoops.

[Person Man]

Well...we have support and open-mindedness at this point. I think we will be alright, albeit the other side of the aisle is going to have a hissy fit.

[??????????]

Well...we have support and open-mindedness at this point. I think we will be alright, albeit the other side of the aisle is going to have a hissy fit.

Yes, keep an open mind.

"The public option is the only way!" "Pass the bill now now now or else!" "If we don't do it now the medical system will fall apart!"

[War on Want]

Well...we have support and open-mindedness at this point. I think we will be alright, albeit the other side of the aisle is going to have a hissy fit.

Yes, keep an open mind.

"The public option is the only way!" "Pass the bill now now now or else!" "If we don't do it now the medical system will fall apart!"

There is plenty of open mindedness about what is in the public option and how it is implemented...

[Person Man]

It appears that we have no other choice but to do a public option. hmmm...

[Frodo]

Democrats seem resigned to going solo on this. 

[Vepres]

If it fails to pass because of moderates and blue dogs, the Democrats are dead in 2010. I'd give it a 50/50 chance at this point.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

If it fails to pass because of moderates and blue dogs, the Democrats are dead in 2010. I'd give it a 50/50 chance at this point.

The Blue dogs should either stop being so crappy, or join the founders of the Blue Dogs, Tauzin and Hayes in the Republican party.