Robert Reich on Health Care Reform October '09

[strategicspace]

I consistently recommend Robert Reich's videos, because they are clear, current, and honest. When our President says he will provide a public option for less expense, I believe him. His commitment to keeping the public option from adding to the debt is solid. The principle of insurance companies losing customers if they don't offer a wider range of plans is a solid argument in favor of a public insurance option. Any reform short of a public option is just window dressing, courtesy insurers.

[Xenypoo]

You're the typical Liberal that accepts the word of politicians KNOWN to say and do anything for power, because it's easier and less likely to make yourself look thefool in public, than to take a short time to study and do the math. You outright reject facts in Socialist countries of the DEAD who otherwise shouldnt be because their personal bodies were controlled by the government. Didn't you ever wonder why the citizens of these countries are so POOR? Little $ they make GOV takes for UHC!

[samkurz]

We need a public option or our country will not

be able to move out of the stone age. How can

we sit an watch people go without medical insurance.

It works great in Australia. I know because I have

family in Australia. They really don't understand why

some Americans would be against this. I think I know.

They don't care and only care about themselves.

[susanlarissa3228]

female who just turned 19 looking for dick

[flowerpower6161]

I guess enhancement smoker thinks $50 Billion is nothing. Typical liberal thinking.

[Dewdaahman]

if shorty was a foot taller he would never have fit into the New World Order "migets rights" form.. he's a traitor..

[lebadraub]

death panels exist now - they're just run by the insurance companies and called 'preexisting conditions' and 'policy payment limits'.

[jhamm999]

this is the same guy in october 2007 who said.

the democrats if they could be honest would say that we cannot pay for expensive care for the elderly so they can live an extra two years. so we will let you die. death panels anyone?. that is what the govt.option will do for grandma.

[flowerpower6161]

I guess Robert Reich believes in CYA medicine.

TORT REFORM!!! That is how you keep down medical costs.

A public option is a trojan horse hiding the larger impossible to stop agenda: single payer (gov't) system.

If you think health care is expensive now, wait until it's free!

[EnhancementSmoker]

wow...

the CBO says even if you eliminated 30% of all tort claims, rates would only go down 0.04%...

48/50 states already have tort caps...

tort reform is a good idea but its not everything...and statistically its really nothing...

you repubs can screech that shit all you want but to anyone that knows better...its simply bullshit...

[flowerpower6161]

Nothing in this video convinces me that a public option is a good thing. Speaking of big PHARMA, they just cut their deal with the WH.

AND WHERE IS THE MENTION OF TORT REFORM!!!

[2bertube]

We cannot afford not to press forward for a strong public option.

We already pay for the uninsured who receive treatment for acute disease in the ERs. They arrive sicker and cost us all more, because they have no doctors and/or cannot afford medications. When they arrive at the ER, which is more expensive than an office visit, they are sicker and need more care.

There are huge savings to be made from early, regular treatment, and forcing insurance companies to compete.

[66605]

Hey Bob, This country is broke. Please come to grips with this before you peddle any more of your bright ideas.

[XspiltX]

f*ck bleeding heart social liberals....f*ck big government...and f*ck the socialist prick that is robert reich. that is all.

[felixxxx999]

well said. This is what we need... clear concise answers and actions to take.

Enough of the right-wing no and the far right screamers (leprechaun, really?) This is about our future as a healthy country... not about scoring political points or striking out against the President.

[timbacontent]

Great video - but one critique - you say to call out the democratic senators who oppose the public option - but YOU aren't calling them out! Nelson, Lieberman, Landrieu, Carper, Lincoln, Pryor ... call them out by name

[timbacontent]

and of course, the two worst: Baucus and Conrad

[lebadraub]

Nice trudat. Make fun of his size. You're a class act!

[TruDatMat]

How cute! The leprechaun wants us to believe that a public option will magically make health care cheaper! I suppose the government will employ unicorns to efficiently allocate scarce medical resources, right? What a crack up!

[kstaros]

I have an analogy for you. In 1999, when the telephone companies had no competition, international rates for calling Russia were $2.79 a minute, after the monopoly was broken - $.10 or lower. If there is no public option, the insurance companies can charge as much they wish. If the public option is killed, in just 10 years, an average family will be paying $38,000 per year on medical insurance. No one is forcing YOU to switch to a public plan, but it should be there for those who want it.

[TruDatMat]

Wait a minute. Did the government establish a public option for the telecom industry? No, it just made the private sector more competitive. The government has no idea how to compete in the free market. That's because it doesn't have to. It TAKES taxpayer dollars, FORCES its way into a market, and makes it HARDER for entrepreneurs (aka society's productive) to do business.

Look at public schooling. Don't you think the government has an advantage of private schools because of taxes?

[kstaros]

Medicaid, which is a government run program, has something like a 3% administrative cost margin, whereas private insurers are somewhere in the ballpark of 25-30% - I can look up more exact numbers if you wish. There are private insurers with very low administrative costs - Kaiser Permanente, for example, which would be able to compete with the a government run public option. Other private insurers will offer smth that is perhaps more expensive, but better in quality and people can choose.