Channeling Michael Moore
During a speech given in New Hampshire, where Judy Riuliani "excoriated Democrats for advocating a “socialist” solution to solving the problem of the nation’s 44.8 million uninsured":
Mr. Giuliani, who is not seeking any changes in the current Medicaid program for the poor, did not promise that all the uninsured would be covered under his proposal.
He was also not specific about a federal government role in helping the poor or lower middle class buy their own insurance, saying he envisioned some combination of vouchers and tax refunds.
The ideas he outlined, steeped in a bedrock conservative faith in the ability of the free, unfettered market to solve problems, are similar to those advocated by President Bush.
The president’s proposals have failed to gain traction and Mr. Giuliani did not try to address the central criticisms of moving away from an employer-based system.
For instance, he offered no assurances that insurance companies would not “cherry pick” by insuring only healthier people, or by charging much higher rates to more vulnerable people — like those with chronic diseases.
Instead, he said, moving to a market system would create incentives for people to remain healthy.
Currently, he said, “there is no incentive to wellness.”
I don't think I need to point out how asinine -- and divorced from reality -- it is for Rudy to speak of incentives to remain healthy when the people we're speaking of include among them a dear friend's 4 year old who died of cancer not too long ago. What is he thinking, that if her mother had forced her to eat those strained lima beans that she disliked so as an infant she'd still be with us now?
This kind of speak is nothing more than someone's very bad political advisor's talking points on healthcare reform that include little to no reform, but heavy on the 'take the blame away from insurance companies' and shift it to the sick, uninsured, the underinsured, and even those of us who have healthcare coverage but remain at the mercy of that healthcare provider's bottom line; the almighty dollar.
-Diane
Mr. Giuliani, who is not seeking any changes in the current Medicaid program for the poor, did not promise that all the uninsured would be covered under his proposal.
He was also not specific about a federal government role in helping the poor or lower middle class buy their own insurance, saying he envisioned some combination of vouchers and tax refunds.
The ideas he outlined, steeped in a bedrock conservative faith in the ability of the free, unfettered market to solve problems, are similar to those advocated by President Bush.
The president’s proposals have failed to gain traction and Mr. Giuliani did not try to address the central criticisms of moving away from an employer-based system.
For instance, he offered no assurances that insurance companies would not “cherry pick” by insuring only healthier people, or by charging much higher rates to more vulnerable people — like those with chronic diseases.
Instead, he said, moving to a market system would create incentives for people to remain healthy.
Currently, he said, “there is no incentive to wellness.”
I don't think I need to point out how asinine -- and divorced from reality -- it is for Rudy to speak of incentives to remain healthy when the people we're speaking of include among them a dear friend's 4 year old who died of cancer not too long ago. What is he thinking, that if her mother had forced her to eat those strained lima beans that she disliked so as an infant she'd still be with us now?
This kind of speak is nothing more than someone's very bad political advisor's talking points on healthcare reform that include little to no reform, but heavy on the 'take the blame away from insurance companies' and shift it to the sick, uninsured, the underinsured, and even those of us who have healthcare coverage but remain at the mercy of that healthcare provider's bottom line; the almighty dollar.
-Diane
Labels: healthcare, Rudy Giuliani
