Sen. Coburn: We'll Read Senate HCR Bill 'Section by Section' ... This Bill is 'Malpractice'

[route99]

When Tom Coburn isn't being a supposed intermediary between Sen. Ensign and his mistress he prognosticates about health care legislation his party has blocked for decades. Brilliant!

Actually he did say one thing right. 1 in 3 dollars of our HC doesn't go make anyone healthier. It goes to profits and administration at the private insurance companies.

So by his logic the solution is the end of private insurance and a robust single payer plan.

So glad he's finally come to his senses.

[Eldrad235]

he is talking about a bill that he hasn't read......

[greyflcn]

Yes, that is the PROBLEM with private insurance.

So much of the money is not spent on actually paying for medical procedures.

Too much of it goes towards administrative overhead and excessive profits.

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[KosmicCitizen]

Sen. Coburn is making the perfect argument for socialized medicine (which is not what the current reform is promising by a long shot.)

[WKaliberr]

sen cockburn

[Richardgwm]

Let the Republicans filibuster. They are simply killing their party.

70% of America wants this bill. Go ahead and oppose them if you want to.

[MooseOfReason]

@Richardgwm Read the article, "Americans fret over health overhaul costs". When the polls ask about specifics in the legislation, the support flips:

"For example, asked if everyone should be required to have at least some health insurance, 67 percent agreed and 27 percent said no.

The responses flipped when people were asked about requiring everybody to carry insurance or face a federal penalty: 64 percent said they would be opposed, while 28 percent favored that."

[Richardgwm]

@MooseofLies

The same thing happens when you ask about death panels, mandatory abortions and forced Satan worship, but none of those things are in the bill.

[MooseOfReason]

Richardgwm, So there's no fine or penalty for disobeying the individual mandate?

[GretchenDawntreader]

These guys would prefer people die for lack of care and be tossed off their plans arbitrarily and lose their coverage if they lose or change jobs and all these other terrible things...because reforming health care might cost them corporate donations.

Whores. Nothing but whores who care nothing for America.

[mintvagoo]

C Street maggot.

[gamoonbat]

Reading every word of the bill was a fillibuster tactic. The Democrats overrode that and will do it again.

[CPAsheldon]

"Creating a non-profit health insurance company most definitely would help reduce costs." 7jerryv7

We currently have non-profit companies in health insurance competition. 7jerry seems to be speaking for the government option, which would be an unfair competitor. We need encouragement for more competition not less. Profits are the way to do this without unnecessary government spending. This encourages more research, development and competition.

[moregravyplease]

@CPAsheldon "Profits are the way to do this without unnecessary government spending"

Which profits? The profits before advertisement spending, lobbying, corporate political donations, junkets, bonuses, or the profits left over after all of those things?

Also, what 'research' is being done by the health insurance industry that is so important? Please, elaborate, we REALLY want to know.

[CPAsheldon]

@moregravyplease Thanks for your input. Anything that is considered "profit" will encourage another competitor to do the same thing if it is sufficient. Let's keep our government costs low so that less will be wasted. I don't like wasteful spending any more than you do. But government will waste more $ and be much less innovative than the private sector trying to make a $.

You make a good point about research as that would be mostly the pharma industry as well as medical equipment.

[two2twinface]

That is only true in theory. The problem right now is that insurance companies have monopolies in different regions. The problem wont be solved with shopping between state lines. No company has any incentive to reduce premiums across the board to attract a few more customers. Health insurance is a must have in today's society. This means we are at their mercy, not the other way around. If the public plan wastes money then people won't buy it. at worst we have the status quo.

[CPAsheldon]

"If the public plan wastes money then people won't buy it. at worst we have the status quo." two2twinface

Couldn't disagree more. If the government plan pays out more benefits than a private plan with the same premiums, people will go on the government plan, but it will drive out private competitors. Then the government will start denying benefits. It is a death spiral our country does not need.

[two2twinface]

If the gov gives more benefits, they are not wasting as much money as the private sectors then.

If you distrust the gov so much to think they would pull a trick like that then why would you trust the private companies? We have no evidence to deduct that the government will trick us, unless you believe that any gov is evil. At least you have a medium in which to control the government, your vote. We KNOW the insurance companies WILL rob us after attaining monopoly. That's the status quo.

[CPAsheldon]

two2twinface: Government does have a history of operating less efficiently. If you don't know that I don't think you will understand.

I don't like monopolies either. Our best answer is many private choices for insurance. The governments role is just as an enforcement of the contracts. Why are they cutting Medicare now?

I think everyone should get a 40% refundable credit for buying their own health insurance. Companies could still offer to employees and other buying pools would form.

[two2twinface]

Please read my replies completely. I'm not saying the gov does not waste money, but rather they don't waste as much as the private companies. If they do, we simply won't buy it because the public option is not backed by tax money but rather the premiums themselves. This is why the public option is a win win.

If you believe the gov's role is to reinforce contracts, plz do not act as if you are concerned for medicare. And please advocate for the disband of schools, social services, and FDA.

[two2twinface]

And yes i know that capitalism theorizes that the market works best with multiple choices. But according to your interpretation of governmental powers, we CANNOT encourage that. This is an example of when theory fails in practice. The insurance companies have an understanding that local/state monopoly is the best way to make the most money.

I don't see how insurance credit would help to deter monopolies. Giving it would only deposit money into insurance from tax payers, not solve the problem.

[CPAsheldon]

@two2twinface: We do agree that we need to introduce more competition to limit monopolies.

Having more decision makers deciding which insurance to buy will help more competition form in local markets. If the employers are free to not include health care insurance benefits and the employees get a great tax benefit by opting out, many will because they will want to choose their own insurance options when they find a better one. This should help as more will be demanding more choices.

[wowamonn]

Its funny to hear Republicans say that we have to fix the problems of health care and for 12 fucking years when they controlled congress did nothing about it simply amazing.

[moregravyplease]

@wowamonn They did Medicare part D, a prescription drug benefit for seniors and disabled folks, which was their way of buying votes from their strongest base of support, the seniors, and they also collected donation $ from the drug companies. They maximized their leverage with this cynical move by making a 'donut hole' in the coverage that left lots of people in the dust, and gave the Repubs another arrow in their quiver for shooting the "govt always fails" line of bull

[dafttool]

Talking a bit out of his ass. He says that we need to address the "real problems" of healthcare, true enough, but then he pretends that 47 million without any healthcare isn't as serious as addressing nickel and dime cost containment measures.

[Smartassawhip]

Isn't Tim Coburn the douche bag who is standing in the way of the bill for veterans who need help being cared for at home?

[7jerryv7]

The public option would address costs. Creating a non-profit health insurance company most definitely would help reduce costs. But Republicans keep erroneously calling it socialized medicine.

[callouschristian]

(R)Oklahoma=Hypocrite who CANNOT be trusted

Coburn needs to consider getting a job where he actually works instead of puppeting conservative mantras with a southern accent affectation.

[cpricejones]

at the very least, he should throw out some ideas about fixing the problem :p

[two2twinface]

You are saying a bill is bad before reading it? Stop being lazy. We pay you for a job, and easiest part of that job is to READ.

[7jerryv7]

Good point. This guy makes it seem like 2,000 pages is a lot of reading. He is not expected to memorize but simply to read.

[chenchiheshang]

when comes to the cost, they would say free market will fix everything. when they say free market, they think about deregulation, which generates giant pharma and insurance monopoly monsters who donate to their campaign

[Phyrexious]

Oh yeah sure, the Republican Party wants to fix healthcare...

All they've said so far is:

No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no and no