That is what is wrong with Both parties. Make each bill stand on it's own. Stop tacking on all your pet projects. Make a doctors bill, Make a transportation bill. Make each one stand on it's own. That's whats wrong with we allow all these congressman and senators to add projects to bills so we end up paying more in earmarks than the bill was to start with

Since WHEN did one single Republican stop the Obama administration from doing exactly what it wanted to anyway ???

This is merely another trick to try to make the Republicans look bad. When Obamacare is rammed through, it will have massive cuts to Medicare to help pay for it. The bottom line, Barack Obama and his cohorts in Congress are merely playing political football.

By the way, the AMA DOES NOT SPEAK for most doctors. The majority do not want government takeover of healthcare in this country.

It is Chicago Politics at it's finest

I can't help but to wonder if public defenders in the US have taken a pay cut? Definitely not!! Why? Because we have nearly all elected positions held by attorney's.

Please America, let's start electing people into office that are NOT attorney's. I don't care if they are democrat, republican, black, white, or green. If they are an attorney - don't vote for them! This is what's wrong with our country. Wonder why healthcare is so expensive? Well, if we didn't have an attorney on every corner wanting to sue over every little thing, then maybe the malpractice insurance would not be so high! This also applies to business liability insurance, auto insurance, and the list goes on. The attorney's in this country are getting richer while the rest of us are struggling. It will continue to be this way, because they make laws to best suit their profession.

This is why a torte reform will NEVER be passed unless we vote people to office other than attorney's!!!

And who better than doctors or ordinary citizens to decide what needs to be done to better our health care in America. I am hoping more health care professionals start running for office!

This is a sliver of the $200+ Billion "doctor fix" that the Democrats intentionally stripped out of the health care bill to make it come in closer to Obama's target number.

Yes, folks, that's $200 billion annually to solve this problem - not part of $10 billion.

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2009/October/20/stabenow-and-doc-fix.aspx

As the article says, this legislation has been around for months. It's NO ONES fault but the Democrats that this deadline has come and gone and this issue is not resolved. They have a 79 seat majority in the House and HAD a filibuster proof majority in the Senate until three weeks ago. They just blew it off, because they're so caught up in their underwear on their other big spending, NEW projects. This boring old issue was ..... boring and inconvenient.

They also stripped it out because to say out of one side of their mouth that they're going to "cut" Medicare by $500 billion, then out of the other say they're adding $200+ billion BACK IN, really makes no sense at all.

It also points to the total fiscal instability of the ENTIRE health care bill as designed by the Democrats, because half the funding - cuts to Medicare - is basically not achievable. AND they double counted these cuts in the first place.

Now their dishonesty and scheming is coming back to bite them in the arses, and its Bunnings fault?

Sorry, AP, your bias is blatant and transparent - and just plain incorrect.

Prag as usual you're wrong. Bush did not fund the fix he needed to in his administration. This is not Obama's fault. Yes, it's Bunnings fault for holding up the temporary fix...sheesh. One person bungled the whole thing up, and the republicans were apologizing all over the Sunday news shows promising to fix it.

JIM...yes one republican held this up....

Not to mention the good Senator from Alabama who single handedly held up numerous Obama appointees until it came out in the news and his colleagues rebuked him.

Eric, you're so lame with your cheerleading.

Obama's been in office for 14 months. Whether Bush dealt with it or not became irrelevant 14 months ago.

During that 14 months, Obama had a Democratically controlled House and Congress, by wide, filibuster-proof majorities.

And they not only did not deal with it, they made every effort possible to make it "go away" in the context of the health care debacle because it was inconvenient.

You are the one who is wrong, and you're wrong because you're trying to defend the indefensible which will always fail.

Look, I'm Republican, and it was one Senator, Bunning from KY, who stopped this dead in it's tracks. The reason I know that is simple, today I can count on a 21.2% reduction in what I get from Medicare for every patient I see. It's not just doctors who have suffered this decrease, it's any health care provider. If this is not taken care of immediately I will have to lay off staff from my office because I can't afford them. My average profit margin on a Medicare patient before this cut was approximately 12% after cost. With this cut I loss 3% for every Medicare patient I see. This has to stop and we can't let partisan politics get in the way when we are talking about stop gap measures to keep programs like Medicare going. If this continues, no doctor or therapist will be able to treat a Medicare patient because to do so will cost them money; it's just that simple. Tuesday is the next time this measure can go in front of the Senate for a vote; I hope they see this must pass.

Greg, I would point out that if you were making a 12% profit on a Medicare patient, you're actually exceeding the profit margin that the dreaded, demonized insurance companies operate on - by about a 600% margin.

Personally, I have no problem with that because I understand that you provide a valuable service and went to school for probably a decade or better at a cost of several hundred thousand dollars in order to be able to provide that service. You should be compensated well for your time and efforts, and I would guess if all your patients provided only a 12% margin you probably wouldn't bother - and I wouldn't blame you. But that actually illustates a point I've been attempting to relate to people, the cost shifting that occurs between government patients and privately insured patients.

Just a heads up - anticipate a bunch of raging liberals coming after you accusing you of making money off of suffering. They apparently think you should be some sort of philanthropist, or a martyr who doesn't deserve to live a good life based on the fruits of his extensive work in a difficult field.

I agree this needs to be fixed. Too bad the Democrats couldn't be bothered for the past year.

Pragmatic, the reason I can't afford this type of cut is because I already see 20% of my patient load pro bono. I really felt I was providing the best service I could and keeping the best balance I was able between privately insured, Medicare, and those without any means to pay. Medicare patients make up approximately 30% of my patient load. That will be 50% of my patient load who I will see completely pro bono or without meeting a brake even point. I will truly be forced to lay off staff which means I will have to see more patients with less staff just to stay at the same level I was at 4 years ago. All this while my cost for everything, including my insurance cost, go up. When will this stop?

Greg-353890

I'm a retired physician, currently being relicensed here in Michigan due to the shortages. The problem we all have is this is just more and more borrowed money to keep a dying industry alive. I'm sure that this will be passed. Unlike many others I'm with Bunning on this. This is not about the money, the money is there. This is about the principle of HOW are we going to pay for all these hidden/camouflaged costs. This is not the only legislation in Medicare/Caid/VA etc. that is piggybacked on other legislation. This is where all the confusion occurs. The inefficiency of the legislation and management thereof is what concerns many of us. And to think that the plan is to allow them to do this with 1/6th of our GDP should be alarming. If you have read the Bills the money is spread out among multiple different levels of other social programs and entitlements including Social Security, education, the military and numerous others. This is WHY they can never reign in the costs of all the waste, fraud and abuse. Hell most of the time no one can figure out who's paying what let alone know if it's being paid correctly!

I've been involved in the Health Care Reform discussions here in Lansing. You're right, we can't allow stop gaps to continue, this is the biggest insult. It does continue. Until they put the Doctor Fix and all the other issues on the table in broad view the system will continue to corrupt itself. We can't keep spreading medical care costs out amongst multiple different legislations with attached pork. The system is too complicated by itself, let alone either carrying other earmarks or being earmarked on different legislation, to allow this to continue.

But hey, that's how it's done in Washington.

On February 12, 2010, Obama signed House Joint Resolution 45, which contained a provision reinstating statutory PAYGO rules^[22].

so how many seniors are cons willing to kill ? as the party of no ?

unless of course it's war .. then they are all to happy with that , just not in funding the health of the troops when they get home.

but yellow sticker on their car ? yep supportive .

U.S. Medical Prices Highest In the World

/healthcarereformmyths.org/HealthcareReformMyths.php#A51">">

Ripley8 and Eric-913730 - You guys never cease to amaze me. These medicare cuts were dreamed up in the 90's. Who was running the show then? Wasn't it Bill Clinton, the guy who cut spending? He is the one who had these medicare cuts written into law. He took credit for budget deductions that were really never there. They were "projected", meaning they would start after he was gone. Congress doesn't want to cut money from people because of a past administration deeds. This is the same trick the dems are using now with their so-called reform. Many of the cuts that they say are going to save all the money are going to be left for a future congress to enact. IT WON"T HAPPEN. These are just accounting tricks to pass legislation now even though they know full well it won't happen. You dems are the party of "projected savings", or lies, which ever you prefer.

Why not just repeal the law? Since it's routinely waived anyway, seems like it would the most efficient way to deal with the problem.

I still question why one person can block any legislation. That problem also needs to be dealt with, not that it will be.

Greg: I urge you and other physicians to please run for office. We need to get health care in this country operating better than it currently is. If we get at least a good amount of people elected that truly have an interest, it will give us a good start. I don't trust attorney's/politicians to fix this problem - they have a history or protecting their sources of revenue (lawsuits) and have seem to be clueless with the healthcare situation. I am over them buying votes and ignoring a tort reform. It has to happen. Attorney's have doctors, businesses, and insurance companies at their knees. We have to fight back.

I grow tired of talking about this nonsense. I wish the media would just report the news rather than championing this BS. Whatever, I'm done with this topic. I'm gonna go make fun of the global warming people; apparently it is causing the sniffles now.

I am on Medicare, if I have to go into the Hospital I have to pay over a thousand dollars upfront,

I had to go have a test & the radiologist charged $125.00 Medicare paid 37.50

The pathology lab cost $75.00 Medicare paid $17.50

I had to have minor surgery on my foot, The Hospital charges $980.26 Medicare paid $524.65

About 3 years ago before I had to quit work we had an employee that had an accident & had to have stitches. The emergency room Bill was $6686.39. I called the hospital and told them if they wanted their money they would have to charge me what the insurance would pay. They reduced the bill to $3128.20 I paid the bill in full and they did not seem unhappy at all.

Hospitals get no more from Insurance Companies than Medicare pays. They whole billing system to cash customers is ridiculous unless you twist their arm

If hospitals can accept about half what the hospital bill is, why do the hospitals bill that much in the first place.

For a regular visit to my doctor the cost is $115.00 Medicare pays $54.89 & I have to pay $30.00

My doctor has already told me if the S.S. payments to him is cut by 21%, He would no longer accept Medicare. He would bill me & you always have to pay right then & I would have to bill Medicare, it takes Medicare 2 to 3 months to pay. How in heck am I supposed to pay that much, then I only get what Medicare pays. Something is wrong with this picture, but then I will know how the Dr. feels.

It's a little funny to read the remarks about not disrupting the medicare payments, when the present health care bill in the senate and house does that very thing. The dems just want to make it permanant. I don't know who they think they're fooling.

senator bunning wants cuts to pay for the bill, and he does have a point.

We can start with 10 billion in federal money going to Kansas, that should balance things out.

oops:

I meant we can start by cutting ten billion from any federal money going to Kansas to help balance the budget.

For those defending Bunning and/or debating the Medicare cuts to doctors, there is much more in the bill. The bill passed in the House unanimously & had 99% support in the Senate before Bunning blocked it's passage. For all the suffering that will be caused by Bunning, his reply was "tough s**t." He was also pissed off that he was missing a college basketball game to block the passage.

· Last week, Democrats and Republicans came together in the House to pass an emergency bill that will temporarily extend benefits for American workers and small businesses. It showed that in times of great need, our elected officials can still set aside their differences to do right by the American people.

· But just when we thought we were seeing progress, we have been confronted with a disappointing return to tactics that could be harmful to the American people, with Senator Jim Bunning blocking the extension of several critical priorities for middle-class families.

· The consequences of this blatant, partisan obstructionism at a time of economic need could not be clearer, and will be felt starting today:

o For the first time in 20 years, thousands of construction workers across the country aren't at work today and major road projects are halted.

o 2,000 employees at the U.S. Department of Transportation are furloughed at a time when vehicle safety problems are threatening lives on our nation's roads.

o Federal reimbursements to states for highway and transit projects--on the order of hundreds of millions of dollars each day--will stop, which could force a halt in construction work and layoffs of construction workers in the middle of worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

o An estimated 500,000 workers who lose their jobs will be ineligible for subsidies to cover the cost of health care over this month. Over the rest of 2010, an estimated 5 million workers will be ineligible for the Recovery Act COBRA subsidies that cover 65% of the cost of coverage. Without this assistance, many of these families will be forced to join the ranks of the uninsured.

o Nearly 3,000 businesses this month will be denied access to the loans they need to run their businesses, to pay their employees and vendors, and to create new jobs.

o 400,000 individuals who cannot find work will lose their unemployment insurance. And within a month, that number of Americans who lose benefits will increase to 1.5 million and within two months nearly 3 million Americans will have lost their benefits.

o If Congress fails to act quickly, payment rates for doctors in Medicare will be cut by 21.2 percent. These cuts will substantially impair doctors' ability to maintain care for Medicare patients. This will affect 600,000 doctors nationwide, including 8,105 in Senator Bunning's state of Kentucky.

· There's nothing wrong with someone taking a principled stand for something they believe in, but Senator Bunning voted to extend these same benefits in 2008. And over the past decade, unemployment insurance extensions have been passed as emergency measures under Republican and Democratic Congresses alike. So what we're seeing right now is politics at its worst. It's a perfect example of why so many Americans are fed up with Washington.

It's interesting that so many use the term Government take over, imagine if Medicare, and Medicaid was to fail, people need to realize that the well is drying up, people say well lets try to fix the situation with the fraud that will save X amount of dollars, I don't get it, how many years has that been going on, why was the problem not addressed years ago, see it all comes back to that Let's wait and see attitude, and now the Republicans wants the American people to wait yet again, while they piece meal a fix that could take another 10 years, that's why we are here today, the American people can't wait anymore, just like the campaigns they ran they are trying to scare the people of America, if they don't fix the problem now vote them out come November .... Enough of these games it's plain to see they don't want to do their jobs they are only campaigning for another term, What have they done for the American people but hold up any sort of progress .....

pull all farm subsidies out of Kansas NOW!

If it passes and is a disaster at least you will be credited for action vs inaction. Really ????

I'm sorry, but I do not to ACTIVELY support a disaster.......or even inactively. I do agree with you, however, this 2700+ page bill, this gargantuan monstrosity is indeed a disaster. Medicare is broke. Social Security has one foot in the grave. The U.S. Postal Service is failing.

So now, you think we need to gamble the future of my children on another government failure ???? Where's the track record ???

JIM - Blah, Blah, Blah.....same old tired Republican talking points that only serve to scare people and contribute nothing to the solution. Very simple fixes for both Medicare and Social Security. Health care reform is needed now and should include a Medicare for all with "everyone" included in the system as they are now when they pay into Medicare for seniors. The Medicare system would be made whole probably immediately as younger healthier people start paying into the system for their health care. Of course there would be an added premium on top of what we pay for seniors but I suspect it would be quite a bit lower than what most people are paying now in premiums. The Medicare for all would be for a basic health insurance package as the seniors get. If someone wanted further benefits they could purchase a supplemental package as seniors do which would be regulated by the government to provide certain benefits as is required now for seniors purchasing Medicare Supplemental Plans. As for Social Security....raise the retirement age to 70, change the formula for benefit increases to less generous formula, increase the FICA tax by a 1/2 percent for both employees and employers. Sorry but your "the sky is falling" rant is just way too old.

Too bad Congress isn't even CONSIDERING anything you're advocating, laurie.

They've been putting off dealing with this ONE problem for literally months, and techinically years. You think these Democrats, who love to offer up a tit to anyone they think will vote for them and are in the process of trying to jam through ANOTHER tit, are going to yank a tit out of anyone's mouth that already has it?

Wow.

PragmaticToAFault - I submit to you that as far as Social Security goes, the Congress will adopt something very close to what I have put forth. They will not want to gut the SS program or turn it over to privatization. As far as Medicare For All. The Democrats would love to go for something like that but Republicans and Blue Dogs won't want to step on the insurance industry's toes in such a blatent fashion. But I think it's the most logical solution to this whole problem.

LOL. As much as the Social Security plan might make sense, the Democrats won't touch this with a ten foot pole - and I think you know that.

The Republicans might, and then they'll get called every bad name in the book for sticking it to the seniors, praying on society's most vulnerable, and etc.

Not enough Democrats supported the public option to keep it alive, what you're talking about "Medicare for All" is basically that. And you blame the Republicans? Blue Dogs, maybe, but the Dems themselves couldn't get it done - the Republicans couldn't have stopped anything if they wanted to - or they would have a long time ago.

I blamed both the Republicans and the Blue Dogs for not supporting a Medicare For All approach. I think you are wrong....the Democrats will most certainly consider those conditions for saving SS. Let's see who is correct. The fixes I suggest would have nothing to do with current seniors. This would apply to all future retirees.

Laurie,... just seems like we can not find enough people who want to pay for those who are not working,Or will not work to earn enough to pay their own health care.,Maybe if you would just chip in 30% more of your salary we could get another person who is on the cuff a visit to the doctor.

stormerF - Most people already pay into Medicare through payroll taxes. I'd be willing to be that a majority of people would agree to a Medicare For All system whereby they pay for their insurance through a payroll tax. It would be cheaper than what they are paying now for private insurance. That's because the pool would be exceptionally large. Open your mind and consider the possibility of that. It would only be a basic plan, everyone would be covered and additonal benefits could be purchased through a supplemental plan like seniors do now provided by private insurers with regulations as what would have to be in those plans as is currently the case for Medicare Supplements to seniors.

Laurie,

"Very simple fixes" you say. Raise taxes you say. Change the formula to a less generous increase... ? Raise the age. Basically, you have admitted it's not working now, so the liberal tax and spend mentality has come home to roost again.

Let's see you also make comments like probably and "I suspect" in your wonderful analysis. I suspect Medicare is broke now and PROBABLY social security will be soon.

If you are going to try and argue, you should try to see the point. Virtually every social legislative initiative done by our government is mismanaged. I DO NOT WANT THE FEDERAL BUREAUCRACY SCREWING up healthcare. Got it ?? The "simple fix" mentality of yours is just the same old B.S. we are tired of. Throw another bandaid on it.

Quick pass something....doesn't that spell Patriot Act?

Action for the sake of action is in fact more dangerous than inaction in some cases.

Sen Kyl, if you truly feel this way, you & your colleagues should kill this bill instead of just delaying it's passage!

A debate on the Senate floor Monday over unemployment compensation crystallized, at least for a moment, the divide between the two parties in Washington.

Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, the Republican whip, argued that unemployment benefits dissuade people from job-hunting "because people are being paid even though they're not working."

Unemployment insurance "doesn't create new jobs. In fact, if anything, continuing to pay people unemployment compensation is a disincentive for them to seek new work," Kyl said during debate over whether unemployment insurance and other benefits that expired amid GOP objections Sunday should be extended.

and KYl is another partisan idealogical idiot.

KY for the jelly that you will need as KYl sticks it in

You are correct in that. My doctor of 20 years has refused to take medicare. It was great for him when Ford was paying $12500 a year for my insurance that I only used once a year for a check up. He actually encouraged me to come in for other stuff. Now that I'm on medicare I have a letter telling me I have to find another doctor.

Cut payments to the providers and increase and mandate payments by the patients. Do not mandate that the insurance companies pay our medical bills. It was the payment of our bills they were denying along with coverage. Only the coverage, the taking of our premiums is being mandated by this administration. Isn't this what the corruption insurance companies were already committing? Now Congress and the President are doing the insurance companies work for them, helping them rob the American people, just as they helped Wall Street and the bankers.

If dealing with insurance companies raises the doctor's rates 40%, then my $100 bill should be really $60. Yet this administration says keep the 40% and give it to the insurance companies. Somehow to this administration rationalizes that adding $40 to the bill cuts healthcare cost. Talk about fuzzy math.

The insurance industry is this administration’s Halliburton and Blackwater, Xe. It should only be patient and provider. Why are the insurance companies involved? How did healthcare reform become health insurance?

It is up to the people and the providers to join and revolt.

Someone obviously does not understand PAYGO

House considers pay/go bill

By Humberto Sanchez CongressDaily July 22, 2009

The House Wednesday began consideration of pay/go legislation that would require that any new tax and mandatory spending bills that would add to the deficit be offset. On a party-line vote, lawmakers approved the rule for the bill, 243-182.

Democrats argued passage of the bill would be an important move toward fiscal discipline. House Budget Chairman John Spratt cited pay/go as a key reason for the drop of the deficit in 1990s, and noted after its 2002 expiration, the deficit swelled.

I suspect doctors will be somehow be forced to take Medicare patients. I can see that coming. Then, they will have to charge non- Medicare patients more.

There is no way our country can afford all that is on the table for Obama's health care proposal. We may need a reform, but it comes from the direction of lawsuits that drive the cost of health care and hospital visits out the roof. I doubt that will happen....look at all the attorney's we have running this country!

Jankins - Sorry but you're the one with the Blah Blah Blah. Another Republican rant that means absolutely nothing with no means to back up anyting you're saying. Just an opinion of yours and quite frankly it means nothing except to you. The Obama administration has gotten plenty accomplished, you just choose to ignore the facts. Problem is facts have a tendency to not go away.

Prove him wrong.

Prove your claims.

What exactly has the Obama administration done that hasn't made things worse?

Don't say the stimulus because our grandchildren will be paying for that, and the built it to spend out almost half the money right before the elections.

Don't say TARP, because that was actually signed by Bush, and when the people of this country have had just about enough of it - he keeps doling out money. Another pile of cash to AIG, Fannie needs another $15 billion. It was a bad idea in the first place, and he just keeps on keepin on.

Don't say the Patriot Act, he just renewed it last week.

Don't say he closed Gitmo, because it's still open.

Credit card legislation? Everyone got screwed by that, pretty much, since rates and fees are higher almost across the board NOW than they were before, since the stupid Democrats gave the credit card companies almost a year to do whatever they wanted.

Unemployment continues to rise, and business in a position to hire aren't, because they have no idea what their costs of doing business are going to be if Obama's agenda manages to eek its way through Congress.

Meanwhile, jobs are still leaving because he hasn't dealt with NAFTA. Illegals are still draining our resources and filling jobs on work visas, while 16 million Americans are unemployed or underemployed.

Most of what I just typed is common knowledge, and stories supporting it have appeared right here on MSNBC. But let me know if you haven't been paying attention and need proof.

Prag --- The jury is out on the Stimulus Plan....sorry but again it's just your opinion on whether this has worked or not. There are plenty of economists and others who say it has. Equal Pay Legislation signed earlier in the 2009 year, Very good legislation. Expanding federal health insurance programs for children. Obama administration effected some cuts in wasteful spending ie F-22 fighter jet program and others, nominating the first hispanic woman to the Supreme Court, a public lands bill allowing 2 million more acres to be declared wilderness, credit card reform, Family Smoking and Prevention Act which regulates the sale and distribution of tobacco products, the Save America Act giving young people and seniors the opportunities in public service, the easing of restrictions on Stem Cell Research.

Jankins seems to me you are the one crying not I. I'm just stating facts and putting forth some solutions that might work. You are just a name calling whiner baby.

At least someone has the Balls to stand up and say you can not spend what you do not have. Especially after passing the PAy Go Bill,where you must pay as you go,and stop borrowing to spend.

Jankins - It's a shame but you make no good points only name calling which leaves you open for the same. Make some good points with solutions and you won't open yourself up to ridicule.

laurie -

Nothing you mentioned as "accomplishments" has had any impact whatsoever on the major issues facing this country

Nanny state legislation, ie the children's health care bill, the ridiculous smoking laws, and saving chump change on a fighter plane program? Yea, whatever.

The credit card bill, as I pointed out and as was documented on MSNBC last week, actually made things worse for the vast majority of people.

The stem cell thing, I actually with. That and sending more troops to Afghanistan. I would have preferred leaving immediately, but if you're going to stay in, stay IN and stop the dithering. Two things, in one year, from a president I voted for. Not good. The polls pretty strongly indicate, I'm not alone on this.

He's off in the weeds.

Prag - I bet he changes his strategy going forward in dealing with Congress. But we shall see. I agree that some changes didn't amount to much but some were good. I've left my opinion open as to how I think he is doing......one thing for sure....we need health care reform and definitely not what the Republicans have to offer. It's just more of the same. Quite frankly, if they manage to stop the legislation, they will NEVER bring up any solutions on their own. They like things just the way they are. They are in the business of limiting benefits to people not expanding them and if they could, they would do away with Medicare (vouchers for seniors....LOL good luck) and Social Security (privatization as quick as you could blink your eyes...maybe social but security would be gone for most seniors).

laurie,

You seem to forget about the mindless spending and the massive amount of federal bureaucracy created by this takeover. Even MSNBC said, in recent weeks, that the health care bill would result in the creation of 150 new agencies.....per MSNBC laurie.

Of the government, by the government and for the government. Soltions are out there but the quick fix mentality of the liberal mindset is to just have the federal government take it over.

The Democrats bill will bankrupt this country, because it does NOT address the COST of health care - which is the foundation for the cost of health insurance.

Spare me the litany of things you think that bill will do, because some of them taken individually have merit.

The problem is, and this is why the American people are rejecting this bill, is when you roll it into a TRILLION dollar bill you claim is going reduce the amount of money spent on health care? It doesn't even make sense. When you add in 100 new government agencies, carve outs for states and special intrest, backroom deals with pharma and the unions? No one cares any more, the Democrats mucked up the works so bad.

The bill should fail, because it is a bad bill. Something needs to be done - but doing this is worse than doing nothing.

Prag - I disagree. Doing nothing would be a disaster. Quite frankly the problem is the for profit nature of health care. All other wealthy nations have figured out in order to keep the costs down profit must be taken out of the equation. When the American people finally scream "uncle" and that's pretty close to happening now, then and only then will the government realize we need to go to a not for profit national system. Sorry if you don't like to hear that but that is the only way to get costs under control. For all those that scream rationing, I have some bad news for you. We are all getting rationed health care. That scenario is only going to get worse as health care becomes less and less affordable and health care services get cut back either by us as well try to save money or by or employers or by the insurance companies as they give us less and less benefits. Then all the right wingers here can set their hair on fire because socialized medicine is coming here.

On February 12, 2010, Obama signed House Joint Resolution 45, which contained a provision reinstating statutory PAYGO rules^[22].

Laurie

You forgot to mention the opportunity for entrance to medical school. Many will not go for a GS-12 salary (sorry guys, I still think on hte old pay scale).

Forget innovation, no profit = no innovation...

Drug costs will go down if other countries start paying for it...

Do you know anyone that is happy under socialized medicine? P.S. If you plan a hospital trip scratch pain meds, not funded in some; scratch sheets, you have to bring your own...btw, I did live in that environment for two years.

I forgot...if you have cancer they will make morphine available so that you die without feeling as much pain.

chris, show me a country, or a person in europe where anyone thinks that the US system is better,

every single person there will laugh their ass off at your suggestion that our system of coverage is better.

what a tool

Maybe we should withdraw all our troops and let these countries take care of themselves...and see how much they like taking care of themselves. Thats the problem we take care of the whole world and they kick us in the teeth. So should we really give a S..T about what other countries think?

Dan

Did I mention that I lived in Italy for two years? That would be specifically one country. I travelled to a dozen others while I was there... that would be 13...

Its not about coverage only either...its also about quality of care for all. Elites still don't go to the clinic.

Better get ready to pay the 1 billion per day the Iraq war just cost us over the past 7 years, and lets not forget the Afghanistan war.

When I think of cutting off my medicare patients, I think first of my dad trying to find a Dr in this kind of climate. I may have to. Its not just medicare cuts that affect this decision. Many of the other private insurers follow with similar reimbursement. Right now I bill about $380,000 per year. (family practice) By the time the write-offs are taken away (contractual payment agreements with our group, by the different insurers) (basically, I can bill whatever I want, but the insurer pays whatever is agreed, usually between 30%, (Medicaid), and 70% (Blue cross)) I have about $210,000 to pay for malpractice 25,000/yr, employees (2 med assistants, (would like to have an RN but can't afford one) Receptionist, billing, insurance contactor, coder (submits codes to insurance co for payment)(2 people split these jobs so education is a must with cross training, which makes them more valuable and costs more for wages, but less for benefits), office manager, building costs, maintenance, cleaning, utilities: patient care items such as gowns, sheets, procedural equipment such as exam tables, stress treadmill, code cart, and meds, immunization supplies. I'm taking home about $120,000 per year, seeing patients for about 38 hours per week, paperwork, such as follow up lab, XRay, documentation of office visits, on-call, follow up on referrals to specialists, trying to stay current on CME with the most current recommendations, refills on meds, especially bothersome due to prior authorization paperwork due to insurance companies (usually private insurers, not medicare as much) which consumes about another 16 hours per week. My most recent rating was done by some insurance co, which determined I prescribe generics 77% of the time, compared to 70% of the time by my peers. I think thats pretty good. I've been in practice since 1996, and my take home pay that year was $112,000. I know many people think doctors and hospital are greedy, but honestly, about a 7 % increase in pay over 15 years is ridiculous! The hospitals and nursing homes are probably in worse shape if they are non-profit, since they absorb more of the uninsured. We can't absorb 40million more patients without more primary care providers, and I don't see a large number of med students wanting to put themselves in this financial hole. Dermatologists- 300,000 take home, no call, no weekends for most. I say skin is the way of the future. I don't think retirement is anywhere in the range of 70 years old for me. I'll probably work til I drop, and hope I can afford my burial. I tell my children they better study hard, get scholarships or plan on a public college for their education, because its not going to come from this measly take home pay.

My thoughts are that we need a single payor system, with the option to buy supplemental insurance. Get the profit out of the insurance co, make everyone pay at least something if at all possible, to enlarge the insureds pool, and use common sense to control costs. Most back pain does not require an MRI on the 1st visit. There should be specific neurological findings or length of time of discomfort before ordering a test that costs $3000 to find out you have degenerative disc disease, that reassures the patient that nothing horrible is wrong, but does nothing for the treatment. Quit doing MRI's on every kneed pain that is typical torn meniscus. The fear of malpractice drive this because 40 million was awarded to one patient because the Dr didn't do an MRI before arthroscopic surgery, cleaned up the cartilage, but didn't know about the osteosarcoma until a few months after the surgery.. Now everybody gets an MRI. Reform malpractice laws.

we should start the paygo provision by immediately eliminating all farm and ethanol subsidies to Kansas

And they continue to vote republican (baffling)

At least the republicans can help the democrats live up to their claim of their new PAY GO bill.

stormerF

Can you people please at some point try to be constructive. this Americas future at stack and you think its all a joke.

here comes the fall of the empire. and you have no one to blame but conservative repugnants to blame.

LOL @ creator.

"can you people be constructive"

followed by name-calling.

You're really an inspiration.

It is call fiscal responsibility,and the Benefits will run out,and since the Democrats passed the Pay go bill. They need to find the money before they spend it.

Oh you mean like the repugnants payed for their war in Iraq, Medicare part D,and their $1 trillion dollar tax cuts. your are so full of @!$%#.

When has republicans ever been fiscally responsible it all a joke on you.

On February 12, 2010, Obama signed House Joint Resolution 45, which contained a provision reinstating statutory PAYGO rules^[22].

Don't confuse them with facts Upstate. One day Obama declares he is going to be fiscally responsible. The next week or so, he changes his mind. Create a resolution, break a resolution.

Barack Obama should be the poster boy for WAFFLE HOUSE !

I thought the reason for electing Obama was for change from the old way things was done. And then I read blogs that keep saying "But...that is what the other party did in the past."

It was a bad idea when the republicans did it and its a bad idea when the Democrats are doing it.

I don't want any cuts anymore than anyone. Esp if it will helps the unemployed or people that are really in need. It is a mess that both parties put us in.

But sooner and not later we will need to make cuts. We cannot say on one hand...stop spending in Washington and then scream...we need the government to fix it. What needs to be done to correct this mess will hurt all of us.

So we shouldn't pay for anything? Let's cut out all medicaid and social security? How far are you willing to go.

eric, there winning, they know if they stop health care medicaid and medicare will soon go broke, and just in time for when they take over the presidentcy and congress so they can just eliminate them, then can work on eliminating social security, oh and unemployment too, which is already broke, they can then give all that money to the rich so they can trickle it down and get all those unemployed jobs.

GER139 - The Republican strategy all along is to say look these programs aren't working let's get rid of them. Take for example Medicare. Several years ago the Congress at the driving of the Republicans insisted on Medicare Advantage, a private Medicare plan meant to compete with the public traditional Medicare. At the time Republicans argued vigorously that a private Medicare plan would cost less. Well guess what? It didn't. The government pays 15 or 20% more into Medicare Advantage in the form of subsidies to private insurers to offer Medicare plans to seniors. So now that Medicare is in trouble, Republicans can turn around and say see Medicare is going broke...it doesn't work....we should end the program. It never should have been instituted. See how Republicans operate? They have tried to do the same with Social Security. They insist on trying to privatize it because they know that will kill the program. They are truly evil people.

bLAH, bLAH, bLAH, bLAH bLAH,

Since it's painfully obvious you're a flaming liberal, how would you be so brilliant as to know what Republican strategy consists of ????? Prove your Bull@!$%# for once. Show us where Republicans have said they want to get rid of these programs. Put up or shut up.

Proof laurie ??? Or just more blah, blah, blah from you.

I suppose you never actually read the article...you know, the part where it was a Republican who stymied Medicare funding?

You know, this is not a place that you come to take a crap. Clean up your act.

An excellent point...

will - and what would you do with the unemployed put them out on the street???? There are things you have to fund whether deficit or not.

Laurie, we can't continue to pay everyone who is out of a job forever. Too many people would ride that and never make an effort to even get a job. I've seen it too much and I know it is so. Used to be, they couldn't make you take a job for less than what you made at your last job and people wanted to milk that unemployment as long as possible. Sure, there are a lot of people out of work and a lot of them are sincerely trying to find jobs. There are just as many who are not.

If the 500 billion cuts to medicare are strictly for fraud, then why do they have to wait for a bill to do that?

laurie--What did they do prior to these benefits? These people will not starve and maybe without handouts they may try harder to earn their own way. We can not finance this program forever as Linda stated. We are giving away far to much money in entitlements with nothing in return.

It is not the people that receive the benefits, it is who receives the cash that any entitlement program is meant. Entitlement programs keep the recipients poor and less likely to take a stance. It takes away the power of choice. In this case the insurance companies are the cash recipients. Let’s stop beating upon each other.

This administration thinks cutting health care costs means giving money to insurance companies to give to our providers. Of course we must pay them to do so. They then cut the amount they give the providers. Cut cost by cutting the cost of insurance companies. What if I give my money to the provider cutting the cost of paying the insurance companies to do so? The provider can now cut the cost of service since they are not losing money to the insurance companies.

The best spending to cut is for what hurts. Nothing hurts like war. Cut from Medicare Bush’s entitlement for the Pharmaceutical companies. If the government was able to cut costs, we would not be trillions of dollars in debt and in a recession. Now they want to run and ruin the finances of the people and place the American people billions of dollars in debt to the insurance companies. We will continue to be in debt to providers as we are now because; the insurance companies will continue to deny payment.

Judging by the polls, they realize they did the wrong thing.

Chuck, don't delude yourself that his ideas are not included. You can bet he has been involved in forming this monstrous bill. He says "put these things in it and I'll sign it".

It's called SEPARATION OF POWERS.

Obama wants none of it. He wants to be dictator and tell his minions Reid and Pelosi just exactly what to do. Sadly, those mindless lemmings are doing just that.

Gosh, You are weird JIM41424. Do you have any other conspiracy clubs you go to?

John---since when does congress need help to make a mockery of itself? I feel it is about time someone stood up and said "ENOUGH OF THIS SPENDING OF BORROWED MONEY!!!!!" Do you have any ideas of how to pay back or pay for all of this??? That is what Bunning is asking. Pay as you go. How can you find a problem with that attitude?

So will? How did Bunning vote for on the Iraqi war? How did he vote on GW Bush's tax cuts when we had finally arrived at point where were paying as you go and even working to bring down our deficit. How has he voted on every pay raise and perk the members of the Senate have gotten in his years in office? It's the hypocracy of all that cry for a balanced budget, when for years they have never even thought of it. It only pops up when a Democratic Administration is running the country. Even your hero Ronny Reagan said deficits don't matter. The problem I have with the attitude is that it comes from folks that have no foundation in honesty or reality.

John---I can not answer all of your questions about the past but today is today. We are in much more do-do than ever before and maybe we need someone like Bunning to point out that we need to be doing something different. You may not like him but try to understand what his motives are and they sure are not for re-elections as are others in congress.

I would rather have a doctor in on this project than all of those lawyers that make up the democratic party.

Please feel free to relocate to another country that represents the kind of freedoms you deserve.

Marine Vet--I will feel free to fight for what the freedoms I deserve in America. Are you suggesting something different? Are you suggesting that all Americans should just fall in line behind the kind of leadership we have in congress now? You approve the fact that congress is hell bent on passing a reform bill most Americans do not want? The American people are saying reform health care but not like the proposed bill. Most Americans are saying stop the borrowing and spending. You say to "H" with what Americans feel and just follow like sheep and if not go to another country???? I would assume by your call name you have served and should know better.