Here's my questiion about Obama-care, hopefully reasonably objectively posed...

[Okla-homey]

Okay. In '64 when LBJ signed Medicare* into law, he knew it needed a corresponding revenue stream to pay for itself. Presto. That "FICA" withholding on every employed person's pay stub. All of us. From the 17 year old flippin' burgers at McD's, to rocket surgeons at NASA. And its always on the verge of going broke despite said dedicated revenue stream since its inception.

How, please tell me, how is it possible to give health care to 50 million Americans without taxing all the working folks of this here nation to cover it?

I'll hang-up and listen.

* for you Medicare un******s, think gubmint administered, more or less free, health care for all folks over 62.

[Curly Bill]

The correct answer is: it is not possible.

[Harry Beanbag]

Haven't you been paying attention? The evil rich folks are gonna pay for it out of the kindness of their hearts.

[oumartin]

Obama is the man!

[GrapevineSooner]

I'm just wondering how they'll be able to administer the costs to cover the program from start to finish without any funding gaps in between...when they said the Cash for Clunkers program would have enough money in it to last from July 1st through November 1st.

Which obviously, it didn't.

It's not that I'm wholeheartedly against the idea of a state run health care program. I recognize our current system has it's warts what with some employers requiring you to work for 90 days and/or be employed full time in order to get health insurance.

The other thing that bugs me is Obama suggesting Congress needs to act on this fast. What's the rush, Mr. President? When you're dealing with one of the largest government takeovers of any industry, shouldn't we be given time as legislators and citizens to go over this plan with a fine tooth comb?

I'll hang up and listen, too.

[OKC-SLC]

Think about the largest entitlement programs the govt runs currently. And think about how much time we spend debating when (not if) they'll go bankrupt.

Yeah, we should definitely let the govt take over one of the largest industries in the world.

[Frozen Sooner]

Reasonably asked. Typing on phone so answer will be short. The theory is that while taxes would have to go up the total cost of health care would go down due to streamlining of processes and incentives to cover preventative care. Much more to it but phone typing sucks. H

[JLEW1818]

i hate obama, good night

[Tiptonsooner]

Reasonably asked. Typing on phone so answer will be short. The theory is that while taxes would have to go up the total cost of health care would go down due to streamlining of processes and incentives to cover preventative care. Much more to it but phone typing sucks. H

What has the government ever streamlined??

[1890MilesToNorman]

Streamlining and gubment in same sentence, that's funny.

[OUHOMER]

Fix medicare and the VA medical, then come ask if they can take over the whole enchilada

[GrapevineSooner]

To be fair, our current private based health care system is about as bureaucratic a private system as there is in our country in the year of our lord, 2009.


Uhhhhh, I think you get my point.

So yes, as hard as it may seem to believe, the gubmint actually might be able to streamline some of the administrative work here.

[beer4me]

Fix medicare and the VA medical, then come ask if they can take over the whole enchilada

Fix the VA yea, there is a bigger chance that a man might be able to understand a woman before that happens.

[Harry Beanbag]

Fix the VA yea, there is a bigger chance that a man might be able to understand a woman before that happens.

I don't know if I would go that far.

[My Opinion Matters]

Think about the largest entitlement programs the govt runs currently. And think about how much time we spend debating when (not if) they'll go bankrupt.

Yeah, we should definitely let the govt take overone of the largest industries in the world.

First off, I would like to qualify any statement regarding healthcare with the following disclaimer: it is an incredibly complex, non-partisan issue that is in such a state of advanced decay that I'm not sure it can be fixed.However, it is important to recognize that the current system is broken and it does need to be fixed. Anyone that says differently is ignorant, uninformed, or politically motivated.

Now on to the point of my response...I bolded the last sentence of this post because I found it particularly interesting. Healthcare operations absolutely, positively should not be administered as corporate endeavors. The fact it's been run this way for so long is why we're in this mess.

[OklahomaTuba]

Pfft, you and your details.

Obama has no time for you and your details on how to pay for his trillions in crazy *** spending. He has an Agenda, and nothing, not even the collapse of the US economy or federal tax base can deviate him from socializing America.

[OklahomaTuba]

BTW, speaking of streamlining stuff, go back and see how much Medicare was supposed to cost when it was created.

And then look and see how much it actually costs.

LBJ miscalculated by an order of 1000%.

And now SS may be bankrupt by 2013.

2013.

[My Opinion Matters]

So the new Owasso Neighborhood Market is pretty nice, don't you think Tuba?

[NormanPride]

2013 is a heck of a lot longer than i thought it would last.


Our country needs a reset button.

[OKC-SLC]

it is important to recognize that the current system is broken and it does need to be fixed.

One option when a car is broken is to fix it. Another option is to buy a new car.

Sometimes (often, in fact) the wise move is to repair what's broken rather than replace it.