Romney praises socialized medicine!

[Landslide Lyndon]

Is this guy stupid or does he think everyone else is?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/07/30/romney-praises-health-care-in-israel-where-strong-government-influence-has-driven-down-costs/

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney had some very kind things to say about the Israeli health care system at a fundraiser there Monday. He praised Israel for spending just 8 percent of its GDP on health care and still remaining a “pretty healthy nation:”

     When our health care costs are completely out of control. Do you realize what health care spending is as a percentage of the GDP in Israel? 8 percent. You spend 8 percent of GDP on health care. And you’re a pretty healthy nation. We spend 18 percent of our GDP on health care. 10 percentage points more. That gap, that 10 percent cost, let me compare that with the size of our military. Our military budget is 4 percent. Our gap with Israel is 10 points of GDP. We have to find ways, not just to provide health care to more people, but to find ways to finally manage our health care costs.

Romney’s point about Israel’s success in controlling health care costs is spot on: Its health care system has seen health care costs grow much slower than other industrialized nations.

How it has gotten there, however, may not be to the Republican candidate’s liking: Israel regulates its health care system aggressively, requiring all residents to carry insurance and capping revenue for various parts of the country’s health care system.

Israel created a national health care system in 1995, largely funded through payroll and general tax revenue. The government provides all citizens with health insurance: They get to pick from one of four competing, nonprofit plans. Those insurance plans have to accept all customers—including people with pre-existing conditions—and provide residents with a broad set of government-mandated benefits.

[Senator Sbane]

A version of the bismarck model is the way to go. It would be great if a Republican grew some balls and proposed it but I'm not holding my breath.

[Governor Maxwell]

Willard Mitt Romney everyone... Once again proving that HE doesn't even know where he stands. What a massive and utter fool this guy is.

At least Sarah Palin seemed like she had conviction.

[Lief]

A version of the bismarck model is the way to go. It would be great if a Republican grew some balls and proposed it but I'm not holding my breath.

Obamacare is designed to eventually evolve into the Bismarck model.

[Sibboleth]

A version of the bismarck model is the way to go. It would be great if a Republican grew some balls and proposed it but I'm not holding my breath.

Obamacare is designed to eventually evolve into the Bismarck model.

You mean its for industrial workers only?

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I think everyone shares a desire to get costs down as Mitt Romney stated and I don't see any endorsement of anything specific within the Israeli plan here. Is doing nothing the only position consistent with opposing Obamacare, now? I must say that is a ridiculous notion.

I see elements that have a certain amount of promise and others that are somewhat less so.   

[milhouse24]

If you want mandatory health care, then why don't you try to get the individual states to pass it? 

Is Massachusetts the only state with healthcare?

That's pretty weird that the rest of the 49 states don't want universal health care. 

Universal health care might be managable for small countries, but many Americans feel that what is a good plan for Massachusetts might not be a good plan for someone in Alabama. 

[bgwah]

A version of the bismarck model is the way to go. It would be great if a Republican grew some balls and proposed it but I'm not holding my breath.

Obamacare is designed to eventually evolve into the Bismarck model.

You mean its for industrial workers only?

You're so smart and witty! Thanks for the contribution.

[Stranger in a strange land]

Well you have to admit, Romney was in a tough spot here: his choice was basically to say "Socialized medicine is good" or "Israel is wrong." No wonder Mittbot couldn't compute.

[Fuzzybigfoot]

I think everyone shares a desire to get costs down as Mitt Romney stated and I don't see any endorsement of anything specific within the Israeli plan here.

And we all know that the results don't say anything about the methods used.  

[Comrade Funk]

Maybe Romney can praise Iran's or the whole continent of Africa's healthcare.

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

A version of the bismarck model is the way to go. It would be great if a Republican grew some balls and proposed it but I'm not holding my breath.

Obamacare is designed to eventually evolve into the Bismarck model.

You mean its for industrial workers only?

You're so smart and witty! Thanks for the contribution.

Bgwah, I really do like you, but you're not going to win with Al.

[BlueSwan]

Well, it is an established fact that EVERY single country on earth that utilizes a universal publically funded health care system, has far lower costs than the US. 8-11% of GDP is pretty standard for European "socialist" economies. Or in other words: about half of what the US spends.

Basically, "socialized" health care is am economic no-brainer and really the only morally defensible system in a civilized country.

[Senator Sbane]

The kind of messed up thing is that the US government already spends as much on healthcare as most of the countries of Europe and covers maybe 1/3rd of the population.

[Stranger in a strange land]

Well, it is an established fact that EVERY single country on earth that utilizes a universal publically funded health care system, has far lower costs than the US. 8-11% of GDP is pretty standard for European "socialist" economies. Or in other words: about half of what the US spends.

Basically, "socialized" health care is am economic no-brainer and really the only morally defensible system in a civilized country.