Donald Berwick on Redistributing Wealth

An excerpt from a 2008 speech by Donald Berwick, President Obama's nominee to head the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, speaking to a British audience about why he favors government-run health care.

Learn more at http://healthpolicy-news.org

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Donald Berwick
• CMS
• Barack Obama
• health care
• single payer
• redistribution
• health policy

[AngryAltruist]

The answer is REVOLUTION! The bloody, maiming and killing kind.

We, the (actual) People (read: 3%ers), have a duty, as suggested in the Second Amendment and clearly specified in the oath to uphold and defend the Constitution (the original, NOT the current abomination all cluttered with heart-bleeding and socialist loopholes) against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic.

ESPECIALLY domestic!

Arms are for defending life and liberty, not sport. We've KEPT them, now let's BEAR them!

[wsugaimd]

@cupera1 ....you're correct. I'm a solo practice physician in a rural and isolated area accessible only by air. 80% of my patients are already on government "universal" health care called Medicaid and I am only one of the few private docs that participate with this program. Only 8-13% of docs participate. Why? Because Medicaid pays only $0.60 out of every dollar I charge them. ObamaCare will force patients into Medicaid. We will have insurance, but no one will have doctors.

[dankTiger7]

the "40" people who disliked this must be "occupying"

[tehatemachine]

@chanceie12 that's why there is charity.

[CTMechE]

The US is not a democracy, it's a republic. The issue often mentioned but rarely discussed is whether or not health care is a right or a responsibility. I believe it's a responsibility, NOT a right. NOBODY has the right to demand that another person take care of them, especially not in the manner of their own choosing. Our personal health is not entirely pot luck, we're all responsible to some degree, and I don't think it's fair to ask others to pay for their choices.

[MrCMFields]

@jamesbjenkins I agree w/ you that healthcare is not a right in the Constitution, but I do believe that LEGAL Americans should have some safety net for health-related issues. I am one of those millions who lost their job & even though I've been searching & applying for jobs (that I am qualified for), I cannot find work. I lost my healthcare & then got sick & almost died - I paid for ALL my bills. It's people like me that need the healthcare - we fall in the gap, but illegals get it FREE.

[chanceie12]

@jamesbjenkins typical american , not everyone is sitting on there butt pal , some people need serious help who are then dumped on the streets by some hospitals ( ive seen videos of people being put on the streets because they cant afford it) that too me isnt a democracy.

[paleoton]

You don´t run health care, the stockholders do.

[jamesbjenkins]

Find me anything in the Constitution that says healthcare is a right. It's not. If you have a life-threatening emergency and need attention, that's one thing. Otherwise, get off your butt, get a job and earn your healthcare like those of us who actually contribute to this society. Otherwise, you're just a parasite on the hard work of others, and a free vote for the liberals who openly pander to your selfishness...

[Darogris]

The U.K. is not the US.  What a dumbass.

[michiegrl24]

this guy is an expert in the field. he has dedicated his life to saving lives and making healthcare better as well as focusing on patient-centered care. i think that everyone should read a little more about him before they develop their opinion.

did everyone miss the fact that the UK spends half as much as we do on healthcare and they have better health outcomes as well as covering everyone. our healthcare system is flawed but i'm sure you all have better solutions than this guy of course