Thursday, March 18, 2010

Why ObamaCare Will Be Good For You!!

Several of you have asked, how exactly do the Democrats plan to sell this health care monster to the public? Well, believe it or not, they do have a plan. A little while ago, they started circulating the game plan. Here it is. At the end, I’ll tell you why it won’t work.

The Democrats will, of course, start by letting you know that. . .

The current system is broken. Greedy doctors and evil insurers have stood too long in the way of much needed reform. In fact, the current system was heading toward bankrupting our country, and it left millions of Americans to die without health care. Even those who had health care were just one job change away from losing their benefits or one rotten insurer away from being left hung out to dry.

Notice that the first sales point has nothing to do with the new bill, it’s just an attack on the existing system, and not even an honest one. The fact is that only around 2% of the American population cannot get insurance, for financial reasons or because they are uninsurable. Bankruptcy puts a floor under your debt burden. Few doctors are greedy, at least not as much as the people wanting to take what they have. And it’s the misguided Medicare program that is going broke, not the country as a whole. We could fix that without punishing everyone else. . . but where’s the fun in that?
Next the Democrats will tout the benefits of their monster: Access to affordable care for the poorest of Americans and for people with pre-existing conditions!
Of course, the poorest already get Medicaid, so this is false solution. Secondly, they fail to tell you that unless you’re poor, then you will be paying more for health insurance or you’ll be fined. As for pre-existing conditions, yes those people will be covered. . . by you. So rather than finding a real solution that problem, we’ll just hide it.
This bill closes the gap in the Medicare Part D Drug Benefit!
Yep, by bankrupting the rest of Medicare and killing Medicare Advantage. Think of it this way, this is like fixing that too tight shirt, the one with the buttons you can’t close, by ripping a huge whole in the back of the shirt. Problem solved. . . Democratic style.
This bill puts an end to Medicare fraud!
Hurray! Just like how we ended murder when we made it illegal. Of course, you might find yourself slightly inconvenienced as the boys at the FBI start calling you about your bills because they’re doing a random audit and they think you or your doctor just might be criminals. But that’s a small price to pay for the end of fraud.
This bill prohibits insurers from requiring prior authorizations, and establishes an effective appeals process for coverage denials and claims!
Oh yes, more for trial lawyers to do! How sweet it is.
This bill protects your choice of doctors.
Which is actually an odd claim to make, as this isn’t really a benefit so much as a “it could have been worse, hurray!” Of course, there is the other problem too, that by “protects” they mean wiping out something you have now, but soon won’t.
There can be no lifetime or annual limits on coverage, you can never be turned down, you’ll never grow old, and you can always eat oatmeal.
Ok, you got me here. I can’t possibly see how it’s going to hurt anyone that everyone can now get as much “health care” as they want. Speaking of which, where did I put that prescription for daily therapeutic massage? Oh, and little Michael wants another nose job. . . and a sex change. Fortunately, those things grow on trees now, taxpayer funded trees.
This bill extends coverage to children until they turn 26.
Ok, we’re hitting the bottom of the barrel here. But at least, this will be great if you have an unemployed 26 year old living with you. . . the American dream at its finest.
”Free” prevention benefits.
That’s right, it won’t cost you a penny toward your deductible. So if you believe in the free lunch, then you’re in luck . . . and you’re a fool.
And best of all, the government will be looking out for you.
Yep, with the efficiency of the post office, the heart of the IRS, the manners of the DMV, and the budgetary restraint and fairness of Congress. You’ll love it, or else.
So why do I think the public isn’t going to buy this? Hmmm. Well, I can’t really come up with a reason. Maybe Marjorie Margolies can help. She was a freshman Democrat who lost her House seat in 1994 after voting for Clinton’s budget. She recently confided to the world that she thought she was safe because she had reached a point where she could explain her vote “in a fairly coherent cogent manner” in about “four minutes.” Unfortunately, she adds, her opponents figured out how to explain her vote in a few seconds: “she raised your taxes.”

I wonder how many minutes it will take for Democrats to go through the arguments above? And how long it will take to say, “they raised your taxes, drove your doctor out of practice, made you a criminal, destroyed Medicare, and raised your health care bill.”

Hmmm. A genuine poser. . .

19 comments:

Tennessee Jed said...

Andrew - while it is hard to interview this president, Fox's Brett Baer did a credible job yesterday. The chutzpah of the president in implying that if you are not for his "program" you are for the status quo is unbelievable! I have never seen Charles Krauthammer, who I greatly admire, so disgusted with blatant lying by the president. There are a lot of people who don't want to be bothered with the facts and want what Obama says to be true.

My concern, of course, is that Democrats are so tied to this opportunity there is no end to what they will do to jam it through. My other concern is, if it passes, it will be hard to repeal.

AndrewPrice said...

Jed, As I noted the other day, lying has become a way of life for the Democrats ever since the 1980s, when they learned that the public simply will not accept their positions if presented honestly.

In terms of wanting this, most of the Democrats certainly want to force this through. But not all. Right now, they still don't have the votes -- though that may change. But they will pay a huge price for it in November and they will never have the votes to do the part 2 that they want to "reconcile" this bill with the Senate.

I'm not as concerned about repealing. First, that gives the Republicans a great slogan and purpose -- Repeal the Bill. It will provide some discipline.

Secondly, the bill will collapse under its own weight.

CrisD said...

Yes, I already posted at Big Govt. that the ONLY explanation for the vist to Fox last night with SOS was to begin the promotion. I couldn't stomach it b/c I felt like I was in a POW camp and my captors picked the most admantly opposed to lick their boots.

StanH said...

It would be better to kill this parasite before it attaches to the host, that being said, I look for this monstrosity to get through. But, like Frankenstein’s monster, the villagers have their torches and pitchforks at the ready, and will kill the monster (healthcare) in an unceremonious slaughter starting in 11/10. I prefer to view this as an opportunity, we have ‘60s radicalism in plain view, and we need to kill it off once and for all, like Frankenstein’s monster!

AndrewPrice said...

CrisD, It certainly does have the feeling of a hostage situation or a prison camp doesn't it? This should end in November, but until then, it's extremely upsetting.

AndrewPrice said...

Stan, Good analogy about the pitchforks. A lot of the idiot Democrats who got tossed out in 1994 said that they knew people were upset by the Clinton budget, but they didn't think people would "respond the way they did." This one is many, many times worse. You can just feel it in the air. The last time, people were upset. . . this time they're furious. In fact, honestly, I'm surprised there haven't been more death threats the way this thing is going.

Writer X said...

Obama must be feeling desperate if he visited FOX News and yet the more he talks, the less convincing he becomes. There were many portions that made absolutely no sense. Hawaii had an earthquake? Who knew. Obama also sounded as defensive and combatative as I've ever heard him. He did everything but stomp his loafers. But I think it's crystal clear now to most people that the aim is governmental takeover, not health insurance reform. He didn't do himself any favors appearing on FOX.

I wouldn't want this guy running a garage sale, much less overseeing health care.

Great post, Andrew! You know more about healthcare than the congressional representatives in my own state.

StanH said...

The anger in this country is palpable and growing. Passage of deathcare will only further feed the rage. It is never a good idea to go against the will of the governed it can turn ugly. I hope the remedy can be found in the ballot box.

BevfromNYC said...

I think the pitchforks may come out sooner than November. If this thing passes, there may very well be a major convergence on D.C. that will make attendance at the inauguration look sparse...

patti said...

andrew, while the enormity of this situation makes me want to collapse from the vapors, i refuse to let them have such a dispassionate win. they will have the fight of their lives on their hands if this thing gets to barry. possibly *the* fight of my life.

AndrewPrice said...

Thanks Writer X! You should have your Congress people call me, I'll be happy to fill them in.

You're right about Obama, he sounds very desperate. I'm thinking it was a mistake for them to tell him that this could decide his presidency. Apparently, he can't handle pressure. Gee, who knew? (**rolls eyes**)

AndrewPrice said...

Bev, I hope so. I think would like to see the people make the Democrats's lives very difficult for doing this to the public.

AndrewPrice said...

Patti, that's the way it shold be. We can't let them just do this. People need to make life as difficult for possible as these people.

Unknown said...

Andrew: In a fit of optimism, Krauthammer called Obama's appearance on Fox "his last campaign speech on health care." Not bloody likely. The MSM acted as if Baier was being rude for interrupting the Liar-in-Chief. It was an interview, and Obama consistently dodged the questions or lied in the answers. Rather than allow Obama to turn the interview into another one of his interminable stump-speeches, Baier did what any good interviewer would do. He demanded answers, not empty words and lies.

This is the camel's nose under the tent. Obama denies that this is the first step to single-payer socialized medicine, and yet all his statements prior to the election indicate that he wants single-payer, and if he can't get it right away, he'll settle for getting it in increments by destroying competition. "Canada didn't have single-payer in its first plan, but they got it eventually."

As for stealing the money from Medicare Advantage, Obama claims that it just means "people will have to pay for it instead of just applying for it." What the hell does he think retirees have been doing for the past forty-five years? Giving the money to the government out of their innate generosity? It's a classic shell-game. And it's a lie. People of retirement age paid their entire working lives involuntarily into a system they knew was going bankrupt so that this lying S.O.S. could take it away and give it to people who haven't worked a day in their miserable lives.

AndrewPrice said...

Well said Lawhawk. I concur on all counts. It's funny how one journalist is enough to trip up the greatest communicator ever isn't it?

And you're right about Medicare -- what have people been paying into the system for? Apparently, they were pay so that Obama could make his left flank happy by regulating insurance companies. Funny that I never saw that on my pay stubs before.

Joel Farnham said...

What will it take for the Democrats to drop this healthcare debacle? Already they know it is anathema to the people of the US.

This will now destroy the Democrat Party for the next two elections. Passage of the bill will destroy the Democrats for decades if not forever. Calling someone a NAZI is devastating. I wonder, if in the near future, calling someone a Democrat will be just as bad.

AndrewPrice said...

Joel I think it's going to take forced retirement to make them stop. And it's coming, it's just not coming fast enough.

Anonymous said...

You should write ads for the Republicans! I can't see the public buying into this crap from the Dumbocrats. Can you?

AndrewPrice said...

Anon, No, I can't see the public falling for this. The Democrats think that their low poll numbers are because they just haven't explained it well enough yet, and but they're living in a fantasy world. The public understands this bill, which is why they are so upset.

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