Gregg: Health Care Reform Is A 'Scam On The American People'

[nefariousgovernment]

Politicians here are not trying to pass Health Care bills to "help people", despite what they tell their uneducated constituents (or as they call them 'useful idiots'). The bills we have in the Senate and House were written by the Health Insurance and Pharma company lobbyists to ensure those industries get a LOT more customers and people get a LOT less choice in their lives. The politicians get ever more control over our lives, and the people lose more freedom...typical government program.

[nefariousgovernment]

All want the "needy" helped, but for a country where "altruism" is found thru citizens threatened with violence from gov as it confiscates livelihood to fund their folly. Gov. h.c. is the antithesis of all the US was founded on 'cause our founders knew that gov can't be trusted with too much power. There are better answers to Health Care issues than "bigger government "...With all the economic issues in US we simply can't afford ANOTHER horribly inefficient, gov-run wealth confiscation program.

[megarational]

Republicans are scamming everyone in their plan to kill h.c. reforms as a way of bringing Obama down and trying to get their own worthless GOP asses back in power.

[dlucas90]

I think the scam is as follows: First, big business' and govt get the tax-payer to bail out the finacial / insurance monopolies. Then they turn right around and claim that the monopolies are not competitive enough, so we will "need" a tax-payer funded govt. program to provide competition. The tax-payer is funding "both" sides" of the "competition".

Partisans continue to argue over whether the big business or big govt. should run the show, which is stupid because they are one in the same.

[megarational]

The public option under the House bill would operate not on taxpayer funds but on premiums collected from those that chose to enroll.

A robust public option may be able to offer comparable coverage for lower premiums because it won't have diversions of premium money to mega CEO salaries, advertising departments, media propaganda blitzes, profit, and millions of $ per day for political campaign contributions & lobbying.

[dlucas90]

Oh, so only those who choose this program will have to fund both sides of the competition? Being forced to buy insurance is not going to motivate the insurance monopolies to lower rates, rather it will guarantee that the medical / pharmaceuticals will be able to continue charging what ever they want.

In my way of thinking, insurance is a ponzi scheme that works to raise rates by providing a pool of money to dip from rather than making the charges according to what the average folk can pay for.

[megarational]

How would choosing a public option insurance plan fund the private insurance industry?

[dlucas90]

When anyone pays their taxes they are already funding the insurance / finacial monopolies. Therefore, anyone who pays their taxes and buys a govt. insurance policy will be funding both sides. For those of us who pay taxes and buy a private insurance company will be funding the private insurance companies twice, once on April 15, and again when they pay their insurance premiums.

[megarational]

If you had a robust public option then exorbitant price increases by the insurance companies would lead to loss of customers as more would choose the public option. That's why it would be "real" competition and that's why the insurance companies fight the public option so fiercely.

[dlucas90]

I have a better Idea. Lets not bail out the financial / insurance monopolies and lets jail the fraudsters and take back our money, rather than tyring to set up some BS govt. ponzi scheme to "compete" with the monopolistic, legalized ponzi schemes.

The real issue is that our govt. is in bed with worlds monopolies, and would rather take bribes and or campaign contributions from them instead of prosecuting them.

[megarational]

A very robust public option, that would have the greatest bargaining power by having the largest base, and not prohibiting anyone from choosing it if they so wished, would have great potential to lower h.c. premiums & keep private insurance companies honest. Naturally such a robust public option was killed by partisanship and insurance industry campaign funding, lobbying, & media propaganda.

[dlucas90]

You can not fix the problem of monopolies by creating the ultimate monopoly, a govt. monopoly,

The insurance industry wrote the bill to guarantee customers, just see what Dennis Kucinich says about it.

There is no real partisanship in DC, only fake arguments where both have the same conclusions / agenda but with different rhetoric. The only real two parties is the wall street party and the American Constitution party, unfortunately right now the later is much smaller.

[megarational]

Nothing in a robust public option that operates on premiums, not taxpayer $, would be a monopoly.

If it could offer better coverage at a comparable price people would chose it. If not they would chose a private plan.

Nowhere in the world has something like a public option destroyed the private insur. industry. Even Canada with it's UHC financing (a public option on steroids with legal prohibitions of many forms of private insur.) still has a healthy private h.c. insur. industry.

[megarational]

Why would anyone buy into the propaganda that only in the U.S. would a public option drive the insur. co.s out of business?

[nefariousgovernment]

Wake Up America!!!!

Government is scamming us out of our freedom.

We need people in government that believe in the constitution and the enlightened ideals of our founding fathers.

[megarational]

Over-the-top tea-bagger type slogans don't contribute anything of value to the debate.

[nefariousgovernment]

I'm an uninsured American in the best health of my life. I believe in holistic medicine & freedom to live not forced by government and threat of jail to buy a product I don't want. journalizethis.blogspot

[megarational]

Your freedom ends at the end of my nose. If you don't buy h.c. insurance then if you get sick or injured you end up in the emergency ward, the most expensive form of h.c., paid for entirely by taxpayers & h.c. policy holders.

Also, if get to old age you will be covered by h.c. programs for seniors, so you have a responsibility to be contributing.

[nefariousgovernment]

Your argument is irrational because

- you assume this government monstrosity of "health care" will work despite failure of S.S., Medicare, cash for clunkers, and many more inefficient gov. run programs

- you assume that you may have to pay for me if I don't take part in gov. h.c. yet you are advocating a system that will guarantee you pay for everyone

- I intend to pay for myself because I believe in individualism and freedom

- I do not take handouts journalizethis.blogspot

[megarational]

The heath care financing system you have now is the bloated monstrosity.

As for handouts, where are the handouts if everyone is contributing through the progressive income tax system, the most efficient and already existing infrastructure. It also spreads the cost across the broadest base, & since tax rates are based on income it also ensures h.c. fro everyone regardless of income.

[megarational]

If you are saying that the poor or those who can't afford h.c. insur.will be getting a handout, consider: a) that's what your present system does now, except through the expensive emergency wards, b) the graduated inc. tax financing is more cost efficient - no filing for subsidies, no diversions to private insur. co's for lobbying etc, and c) the alternative is health care only for those that can afford it - a pretty disgraceful ideal for a so-called advanced Christian nation.

[megarational]

Finally, it's still won't be "government h.c." since private doctors & hospitals would still be private.

It would only be a far more cost efficient h.c. financing system.

[megarational]

The problem with people like you is no imagination. The debate should not even be about h.c. insurance. The debate should be on how to most cost effectively provide access to good basic h.c. for all citizens, reduce unnecessary admin. costs and other unnecessary diversions of h.c. $, and still ensure research funding & incentives to maintain a high level of innovation.

If both parties started with that goal, and not some partisan political motives, maybe the U.S would have a better chance.

[nefariousgovernment]

You have a lot more faith in the government than I and most of America have.

For more information please visit my blog at journalizethis.blogspot (dot) com

[megarational]

I don't blame you or any American for not having much faith in government. America's election & political systems are all about money and deep pocket special interests. It's why you are still being hosed by insurance companies. It's why little weasels like Joe Lieberman operates as the paid whore of the many insurance companies headquartered in his state.

[nefariousgovernment]

America is a great country! The State-Run Media and Public Education is brainwashing us and the rest of the world into focusing on flaws instead of realizing the Truth.

The Truth is America is a Great Country founded on honorable and altruistic principles that have been corrupted by people seeking power over the past 100 years.

It is entitlements like government run health care that have been the tools used to brainwash people into believing a "Nanny State" is better than a Republic.

[megarational]

"Yeah yeah , rah rah, USA, USA! "

The only wealthy nation without all citizens having access to basic h.c.

Makes you proud does it?

Wing-nut.

[jasonsadventure]

no judd gregg is actually one of the good guys, but the republicans are whipped-up into an irrational, hypocritical rhetorical frenzy created largely by the hate-filled, lunatic right-wing of the party.

their insanity can only be cured if they excise the crazies on the right, cause the nuttieness has infected almost all of them.

[WadeBlazingame34]

Jedd Gregg is a straight up d-bag.

[SabuPtolemy]

If this useless goober thinks health care reform is a scam on the American people - let him give up his coverage right now! The same coverage he doesn't want the average American to have. Another GOPher hypocrite!

[Zakdayak]

Amen to that, he shouldn't get Gov't healthcare if we can't get it!

[blair227]

The only scam on this country are ignorant repupes.

[WinterHaven]

Medicare is runing out of money even without health care reform. If this passes it will run out of money a LOT LOT SOONER!

[megarational]

Actually, the bill increases Medicare stabilization funding, extending the life of Medicare by 10 years.

[zidmt]

This is what I heard from his diatribe: "Fear, fear health care reform, fear, blah blah blah, FEAR, this health care reform will kill seniors...FEAR IT."

[codediporpal]

@zidmt

The irony is that Republicans don't want socialized health care, yet they claim to be the champions of socialized health care for seniors, protecting them against Democrats. Mind boggling.

[yokokurama11]

hes right for the wrong reasons. the healthcare bill is pretty weak to me and favors private insurance.

[mintvagoo]

Sounds like Gregg has conservative dick-throat-- was McCain blinking uncontrollably?

[WinterHaven]

Actually he's right-this will force private insurance to insure EVERYBODY-morbidly obese, chronic lungers and heart disease, HIV/AIDS, cancer, etc., will cost about a million dollars PER PERSON to treat. This will be passed on to the public. You will be forced to relinquish half, if not more, of your paycheck to pay for your health insurance, under threat of the Feds fining and imprisoning you. This health care reform is extortion, and using Gestapo techniques.

[codediporpal]

@winterhaven. Umm... guess what, you already had those people in your insurance pool, and you get to pay for their unhealthy ways or bad luck, even before this bill. The uninsured for the most part are young, and children. Hardly the most costly.

[WinterHaven]

Not true-many companies do NOT offer health insurance, and if you are self employed, they reject them. CHILDREN ARE already covered by States and federal level. And if a person is too sick to work or illness interferes with thier performance, the company simply fires them or gets rid of them so your "point" is quite moot-and they lose their insurance.

[megarational]

Yeah, winterHaven, have you forgotten that those morbidly obese, chronic lungers etc. that can't get insurance presently are forced to use the emergency wards, the most expensive form of h.c. delivery, totally at the expense of taxpayers & policy holders.

Did you forget that? Or are you so committed to the GOP propaganda that you just chose not to mention that fact?

[p00lman]

His voice cracks because he lies.

[xiola6969]

The Tenth Amendment restates the Constitution's principle of federalism by providing that powers not granted to the national government nor prohibited to the states by the constitution of the United States are reserved to the states or the people.

[megarational]

While 46 millions of fellow Americans are without h.c. coverage, millions more are under insured, thousands more die annually from lack of h.c. coverage, people like you just run around waving the constitution. Disgusting.

[xiola6969]

The constitution is pretty clear, the federal government has no power to force any such program on the states or the people, If this bill dose not have a state opt out option, the people will be fully within their rights to rebel and remove the tyrants resposible by any means.

[codediporpal]

Better get to work challenging Medicare then. Oh, wait, they've had almost 50 years to do so. Funny how nobody called Medicare a program enacted by tyrants.

[dkkght46]

The $246 billion the CBO estimated the legislation would save Medicare "can't both finance new programs and help pay future expenses for elderly covered under the federal program," as the current bill has it doing, the budget office said, "Nor could those savings be used to extend the solvency of Medicare, set to run out of money in 2017," Bloomberg reported.

[dyad2r1]

Memo to Democrats: When your country is going bankrupt, you don't go on a spending spree.

[WinterHaven]

AMEN!!!

[megarational]

The CBO estimates that h.c. reforms would reduce the deficit.

And the majority of Americans favor the House bill way of funding a large part of the reforms - by a surtax on those making more than half a million

$ per yr.

[whistleo]

I love how nobody is addressing the actual substance of his argument and instead is just calling him names.

'this bill's a scam? yeah? well you know what, YOU'RE A SCAM!'

[voyeurdug]

Vote him out, next time, beloved Republicans. Please.

[motorolarules]

Government in its present state is a "scam on american people"

[Bosco239]

To save America you need to break it up.

[motorolarules]

You know, I used to think that same thing. I have been looking into the power a state actually has and it is a tremendous! If the states would utilize this power they could keep the federal crime bosses in check.

[megarational]

The federal crime bosses are all elected at the state level. The senate is filled with state elected senators for example.

[lllraverslll]

,scam look @ the military and how much the civilian people get paid compared to soldiers .More civilians are getting moved in same will happen with this this is a run 4 your money. since when have they ever cared about how you are doing? Do they care if you have a job? or if you loose your house? who is getting bail outs? I am not trusting any of this. Even though a right to health care 4 would be nice but my guess is this has nothing to do with us and everything to do with money and control.

[Bear5177]

The simple fact is, Sen. Judd Gregg is a SCAM!

[IAMtheNewWorldOrder]

If the dems still want to save their asses, and pretend people outside of the beltway exist at all, what they should do-is say fuck Loserman & Nelson, and any other conservadems, pass the bill with 51 votes, and force these utter losers to filibuster. Then America would see who's really working for them and against them.

But it won't happen because everyone in DC is out of touch with what regular people in the country actually think.

[MaladaptiveCatalyst]

fuck all you Democrats and Republicans...

key word in this video is: SCAM!

[IAMtheNewWorldOrder]

Well yeah, the bill sucks.

But we might do ourselves a favor by ignoring these lunatics when they say negative things just like when they say positive things.

After all, this guy's party has a lot to do with why the bill sucks so much.

[KLNDR]

And this guy was going to be Secretary of Commerce? Bitch, please. So glad he's out in 2010.

[verstwo2]

what a pile of crap....if you let the bill die, the GOP will claim victory, if you let the bill pass (in it's weakened state) the GOP will be able to pin a crappy bill to the Dems. It's loose loose for the Dems it seems, how do they always get out flanked by the morons in the GOP?

[LeGioNoFZioN]

so your team losing is more important than competant effective legislation ? thats america's problem in a nutshell.

[LeGioNoFZioN]

unfortunately it is, both of yoru parties are too concerned with their own ideology to work out meaningful reform, and the bill as it stands needs to be shut down. work from scratch, eliminate cross state line limits and virtual guarantees to exponential customer increases or monopolies for insurance companies and let the states work out the rest themselves.

[robinvan1983]

monopolies are even worse... then there is no competition so they can do whatever they want

[LeGioNoFZioN]

trust me I know.

[EmperorKagato]

@LeGioNoFZioN The GOP doesn't want to help form the bill. It's useless to try to work from scratch WHEN THERE IS NO HELP ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TABLE OTHER THAN CRITICISM THAT BENEFITS NO ONE.

[LeGioNoFZioN]

then its all useless and it should be ignored. When forming policy that affects 100% of the people, you should have consensus. Like I said previously, there are steps both parties and independants can agree to. everything else should be done on state by state basis