Anthony Weiner on Betsy McCaughey

During a debate about health care, on October 5, 2009.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Anthony Weiner
• Betsy McCaughey

[DillonX]

We need 100 more like Weiner.

We need to get rid of Max Baucus.

[SinglePayerCentral]

Yeah - A Dem with a spine. Ok. THIS is the guy we need in those committees working on healthcare. THIS is the next 'Ted Kennedy'.

[cjm608]

bravo mr. weiner. you are right sir to call out ALL liars. thank you. betsy mccaughey is just awful and her lies could hurt people.

[TBlake34]

Well, the stats I found indicate that it costs between $400million and $2billion to bring a certain category of innovative drug to the market. There are thousands of drugs that reach the market every yet that cost much less, but fine, we'll only deal with the big ones, about 26 a year hit the market.

That $ number also includes the cost for all the drugs that failed to pass the trial. These costs are split between a number of payers, including the NIH.

So what's your point?

[TBlake34]

Exatly 0 are illegal aliens. There are 40million uninsured American CITIZENS. Illegal aliens are not citizens.

Once again, more than 3/4ths of those bankruptcies, more than 75%, HAD INSURANCE. Thus, if they purchased a flat-screen thinking that if they get sick their insurance will cover it, then find themselves unable to cover medical expenses, that is a fault of our system, not of their lifestyle.

Should they live in tents just on the chance that their insurance company will fuck them?

[anon4654]

good job

[CommonSenseJoe]

No, the billion does not include advertising costs.

[CommonSenseJoe]

How many of the 40 million are illegals? How many of them can afford health insurance but choose not to buy it? How many were up to their necks in debt for cellphones and flat screens before the "medical problem"?

I believe in having a public option under the right conditions. I do believe there will be one sooner or later.

[TBlake34]

Those numbers are taken directly from the American Journal of Medicine. Unless you have some serious studies that contradict their numbers, you can't just cast broad aspersions.

I don't know if his position has changed, but the Wyden plan calls for state conglomerates that require people to purchase private insurance. Any mandate without a public options is a HUGE blowjob to the health insurance industry. You are basically making it illegal to not purchase their product.

[TBlake34]

It costs billions of dollars if you include things like advertizing. If you look just at the research and development costs, which are mostly covered by NIH grants, it's not even close to that.

It used to be that drugs developed through government grants became part of the public domain. Reagan passed a law that allowed private companies to buy the rights to drugs developed through those grants. Thus, I shed no tears when they complain about the R&D costs they don't pay.

[CommonSenseJoe]

Your numbers have lots of holes in them.

I would favor changing that as Widden proposed but his own party would not support him.

[TBlake34]

Yes, it's basically a health care voucher system. Medicare pays a set monthly rate, establishes minimum standards, and allows the person to buy through a private insurer.

A decent idea in theory, but it has led to (shockingly) gouging by the insurance industry. That needs to be controlled.