10 September, 2009

Your Daily Dose of Health Care Reform Stupidity

Have I mentioned lately how glad I'll be when reform is passed and there's no longer such a volume of egregious stupidity to chronicle on the way to its passing? Have I mentioned how much I'm dreading the tsunami o' stupid sure to accompany the next piece of vital legislation? Better opposition, please - and I'm including Blue Dogs in that.

I'd also like to see Ben Nelson get his arse kicked out of the Senate. Anyone who won't pledge to stand with his caucus against a Con filibuster deserves no less. Where's a good sex scandal on the Dem side when we need one?

Speaking of sex scandals, David "Diapers" Vitter's needing some cash for his campaign. He's using lies and bullshit about health care reform to beg for it. We expect no less of a man who preaches family values while wearing diapers with prostitutes.

Meanwhile, Rep. Paul Broun thinks his constituents should answer their own damned questions regarding how to get insurance companies to pay for necessary treatment. The party of ideas strikes again.

That was almost as idealicious as Rush Limbaugh's assinine idea that health care wouldn't be as expensive if consumers paid for it out-of-pocket. He's back on the hard drugs, isn't he?

Those arguing against the public option should take a look at what happens to insurer profits if a robust public option doesn't make it into the bill. I don't know about you, but pumping another half-billion dollars into already bloated vampires isn't my idea of reform.

Brings to mind a good point:
Amanda Marcotte gets to the heart of the matter:

The people who value human lives over corporate profits aren’t the ones who should be required to explain ourselves. Our argument is sound. We believe all people are equal, and that the rich’s wallets are therefore not more important than your lives. We’re the ones who stick by the principles of our founding documents, and we’re the ones who steadfastly maintain that human life is valuable, even if the human holding it isn’t a rich insurance company executive.

It’s the people who are putting corporate profits ahead of human lives who need to explain themselves. They’re the ones who should be asked why corporate profits count more than lives.
Absofuckinglutely.

And speaking of dollars, fiscal scolds should take note: Obama's plan will cost right around a trillion dollars over ten years and is, for the most part, paid for. Bush's tax cuts, on the other hand, cost close to 2.5 trillion dollars, and were most definitely not paid for. This does not include the two wars and the giveaway to drug companies that were also not paid for. So excuse me if I don't believe a single fucking word you assclowns say about fiscal responsibility.

Finally, a big shout-out to Anthony Weiner, who can't see how he'd vote for a bill without a public option. I heart Anthony Weiner.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

My wife has long struggled with her weight, but during her last pregnancy 11 years ago she had gestational diabetes, which came back after the birth, along with a slow thyroid. As a result she is on about 6 or 7 different drugs, some over the counter, like asprin (blood thinner), most prescription.

The NHS means those in England who are not exempt have to pay £7.60 (call it 10 bucks) per prescription. Because she will die with out thyroxin etc she has an exemption. Otherwise we would be looking at £50+ a month in the subsidised charges (My mum once moaned about the cost of my dads drugs, then the pharmacist told her the actual cost! She shut up after that).

Life threatning condition- free.
Over 65- free
Still at school- free
Low income - free
Stupid enough to put your back out at work- £15 for diazapm and pain killers (ok- that was me- spent 5 days sleeping as a side effect of the diazapm, but very relaxed when awake- the 'valium' thing was a side effect they discovered).

Not sure what would happen if we lived in the US. We are both civil servants (=federal employees) so might be ok- depending on how it works over there, but I have a sneaking suspicion that in most normal cases she would be uninsurable, plus the cost of the drugs.

Now I know if you have the insurance/money then the US systems IS the finest in the world- the hospitals are more like hotels. But for those who don't have that money...? I wonder if my wife would already be dead.