Universal healthcare: it’s not just for Dems anymore

October 15, 2007

With the party taking a bit of a beating over its resistance to expanding access to healthcare for low-income children, Republicans on Capitol Hill apparently have a new idea: they’ll introduce a universal healthcare plan of their own.

Under fierce attack by Democrats over the children’s health insurance plan, House Minority Leader John A. Boehner said Sunday Republicans will unveil their own health care plan over the next few months.

“Republicans are working on a plan that will provide access to all Americans to high quality health insurance, make sure that we increase the quality of insurance that we have in American, and we want to foster a sprit of innovation,” said Boehner on “Fox News Sunday.” “This is a plan we’ll see over the next coming months where we put the patients in charge of their health care.”

It’s obviously too soon to say what features might be included in such a plan, though it’s safe to assume the policy won’t amount to much, won’t actually help the uninsured, and will be structured in such a way as to help the party’s corporate benefactors.

But frankly, I don’t care. The leading Republican in the House is prepared to unveil a plan that will offer universal access to “high-quality health insurance.” Whether the plan stinks is irrelevant — a proposal like this would be a breakthrough.

For years, the notion that Washington could (and should) create a framework whereby all Americans have healthcare coverage was the purview of one side of the aisle: the Dems’ side. Republicans resisted the idea that there was a problem, resisted the idea that officials in DC were responsible for addressing the problem, and resisted any approach predicated on the suggestion that all Americans deserve coverage.

And yet, there was the conservative Republican leader of a conservative Republican caucus on a conservative Republican network bragging about a universal healthcare plan the GOP is going to unveil.

It reminded me of a Kevin Drum post from January, after Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mitt Romney pushed UHC plans of their own.

Democrats should understand what this means: (a) universal healthcare is no longer some lefty fringe notion, and (b) the plans from Schwarzenegger and Massachusetts’ Mitt Romney are now the starting point for any serious healthcare proposal. Any proposal coming out of a Democratic policy shop should be, at a minimum, considerably more ambitious than what’s on offer from these two Republicans.

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines.

I’m well aware of the fact that the Republican plans for universal coverage aren’t going to be very good. That’s not the point. It’s more important to realize the big picture — we’ll soon have Dems and Republicans arguing not over whether to have every American insured, but how best to have every American insured.

The state of play is in flux, and it’s shifting in the Dems’ direction.

Update: If readers are so inclined, I’m hoping this might be “diggable.”

I haven’t seen the Republican plan yet, but I wholeheartedly endorse it and condemn any attempts by the Democrats to change it.

  • we’ll soon have Dems and Republicans arguing not over whether to have every American insured, but how best to have every American insured.

    I agree that this sounds like a step forward, and in a healthy political climate this would be a good thing.

    However, what “David Broder” parodied up there is actually going to hurt things. The Republicans will propose a plan. The Commetariat of the Village will all start berating the Democrats for not compromising to the Republican side, and we’ll end up with some kind of abomination that enacts a bunch of bad ideas created by a group of politicians who don’t believe that government can ever solve any problem ever.

    Believing that this is an advance in the public discourse means believing that the Republicans have realized that they are wrong on a fundamental plank of their governing philosophy (the idea that government can never do anything right). I see no indication that this has occurred.

  • Now then, if whoever the President is in 2009 will understand the old saw about “success has many fathers and failure is an orphan,” they will do what LBJ did when he enacted Medicare, rather than what Triangulatin’ Tilly did in 1993 when she screwed us out of healthcare by making it HillaryCare.

    LBJ brought everybody who had any proposal into the process of creating the bill, and wherever possible he took those proposals and put them into the system. It made powerful congresscritters “fathers” of Medicare and invested them in seeing it happen. And as we all know, it did happen. It may not be great, but it’s still the best healthcare this government has been able to devise and a bazillion times better than what it replaced.

    This is what we will need to do here. I can tell you all that the system Democrats should base themselves around is the VA healthcare system. Use that as the standard of what will be the system. Trust me, it works. Yes, there are complaints and I have had a few myself, but when I compare it to the system I had before – the gold-plated WGA system or 20 years ago that worked as long as you did (and is a shadow of its former self today) – the VA is a far superior system overall.

  • But Steve—to a Reskunklican like Boehner, the prerequisite to being an American is being a “good” American. And to be a “patient,” you have to physically be INSIDE the doctor’s office, or the clinic, or the emergency room. You have to be granted “admission” to the “sanctum sanctorum” of the physician.

    Coming from Boehner—given his positions on such things as border security fences against Mexico and passports just to spend the day in Canada—I find thathis “putting people in charge of their own health care” is nothing more than blaming them for not having enough money to buy that “high quality insurance.”

    Finally, one must always remember that the Reskunklican definition of “high quality” is based on the potential for “high-$$$ profits….”

  • The Commetariat of the Village will all start berating the Democrats for not compromising to the Republican side

    If all goes well — and it appears that the Republican congressional leaders are already hedging their bets — the GOP minority will have to compromise leftward in the Dems’ direction. If the Dems are smart enough to take a page or two from The GOP Playbook, they’ll create proposals well to the left of currently feasible “reality” and the compromise position will end up at left-center.

    Then again, the Dems have managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory so many times it makes my poor litle head spin …

  • My guess is that the republican plan will be nothing but a preemptive strike — an attempt to thwart a “socialistic” plan dems would be likely to offer. Whether the next president can pull an LBJ with regard to joint ownership of a plan as Tom Cleaver suggests remains to be seen given the right’s my-way-or-nothing way of compromising.

  • Can I suggest some features for the GOP plan? (I must admit, I’ve been inspired by Medicare Part D’s prescription plan.)

    1) Make sure all payment of any premiums comes in the form of reimbursement through tax breaks at end of year so that the government saves money on the “float”. It also kills off those who can’t find the money needed before April 15th each year. (Mostly Democrats.)

    2) Make sure co-pays are very high to keep the costs of the tax breaks down. (Thanks to WalMart for the inspiration for this suggestion.)

    3) Cover treatments up to $10,000, then ask the citizens to pony up the next 5-10 thou to keep costs down. (Here’s the doughnut hole that works so well for Medicare Part D). This should weed out the truly sick poor that would otherwise be very costly. (Mostly Democrats for yet another win-win.)

    4) Limit subscribers to a small network of doctors so anyone with transportation issues will avoid medical care. (Probably Democrats) Require specialist referrals with the most draconian underwriters that can be had.

    5) Outsource the claims and complaints department to the least expensive call centers.

    6) Pre-existing conditions before the program are implemented cannot be treated until one year has passed or one years premiums are paid up front. (Whoever doesn’t scrape 5000 together to plunk down all at once clearly is not in need of immediate care. You know who…)

    More suggestions welcome at john.boehner@cheneyserver.house.gov

  • If Republicans have finally accepted the notion that health care through universal health insurance is the right of every American, then I say Hallelujah! Let’s let both sides go at it to develop the best plan.

    But I don’t trust these scrooges and grynches. They have never shown any inclination to provide all Americans with what should be basic human rights such as food, shelter, education through the college level, living wage jobs, secure retirement, and health care.

    So I’ll wait to see what kind of plan they have in mind. I don’t trust them.

  • They aren’t talking about healthcare, they are talking about health insurance. Let’s start keeping those two things separate, shall we?

    I know, never going to happen

  • What we learned from the Social Security debate is there is what the Republicans want, and what they say they want. No matter what they say, their plan is crafted to get the end goal they want. No matter what policy they want, they’ll describe it in whatever way will achieve those goals.

    So, you dismantle Social Security with “Social Security Reform”. You enable logging with a “Healthy Forest” initiative, and lower mercury standards with “Clean Skies.” So, universal health care polls well. Okay. So now tort reform and tax breaks will be called “Healthcare Reform”, with universal coverage achieved by the lower cost of healthcare and insurance as a result of eliminating medical malpractice lawsuits and “streamlining the bureaucracy” by cutting whatever government involvement is already in place, probably Medicare, made solvent by giving retirees back their taxes to invest in the market.

    Then, it will be Democrats who are not getting anything done because of their unwillingness to compromise.

  • A Republican universal health care plan…

    Oh my god, they are going to start harvesting the organs of poor kids.

  • Color me unimpressed and highly skeptical.

    The GOP’s version of accessibility and affordability usually involves tax credits or deductions, and health savings accounts – and avoids one major aspect of the reason so many people are uninsured, and that is they do not have the money to buy the insurance in the first place.

    These are the same people who wrote a Medicare prescription drug plan that covered “all” seniors, and which has been more of a boon and a benefit to the drug and insurance companies than it has to the people it was supposed to help.

    I’m sorry – I would really like to think they had the people’s interests at heart, but I suspect that what they are doing is reacting to the fear that the Democrats are going to significantly alter the profit structure of the insurance and pharmaceutical industry.

  • The Republican plan will, of course, require that more tax breaks be given to the 10% of the population that controls 90% of the wealth. The plan is to entirely exempt the rich from any taxation whatsoever. They in turn will be so moved by our generosity that they’ll voluntarily pay for health care for the uninsured. What could go wrong?

  • Health care in America is a disgrace. Whether you have insurance or not.

    We rank # 37 in quality of health care for all. Insured, and non-insured.

    You have to take the profit motive out of medical care.

    It’s the profit motive that causes millions of Americans to be poisoned by DOCTORS with to many toxic, and unnecessary drugs.

    It’s the profit motive that causes DOCTORS to injure, and kill millions of patients with premature deployments of unproven medical devices, and drugs.

    It’s the profit motive that causes millions of patients to be injured, and killed with unnecessary, invasive diagnostic test, and surgery’s.

    It’s the profit motive that allows 47-89 million Americans to have no health insurance. Because it’s un-affordable.

    It’s the profit motive that lets 18-30 thousand Americans die for lack of affordable medical care each year.

    It’s the profit motive that bankrupts millions of Americans just because they get sick.

    It’s the profit motive that leaves millions of Americas children unprotected by easily accessible health care.

    It’s the profit motive that leaves parents afraid to let their children go out to play, or participate in sports for fear they will get hurt and need costly medical care.

    It’s the profit motive that lets a healthy child die from something as simple as a tooth ache that gets infected and destroys their brain.

    HR 676 is the way to go.

    In the US you have to watch out for doctors trying to sell you on the most profitable treatments for the doctor. And their stock portfolio. And their drug company kick backs. You the patient are just their B**CH. A cash COW! A peace of meat!

    Especially if you have so-called good insurance. That they and their colleagues can milk dry. People in government programs like Medicare have some protection from civil service oversight. That is why doctors hate Medicare so much. They can’t get away with as much abuse of patients. As they can with private insurance.

    This crap does not happen in Canada. Because their doctors do what is accepted as best, and safest for the patient. Not what is most profitable for the doctor.

    Before you or your loved ones get sick. sickocure.org michaelmoore.com

    And don’t just trust me. Get on the internet. Look it up for your-self. It’s a no-brainer. Then act aggressively. Get congress moving. And get HR 676 passed.

    People, you are all at risk every day of your life now. Whether you have the finest full coverage health insurance. Or no insurance at all.

    All other developed countries have Universal Health Care. That is the best, and only thing that works. You could not have a worse. Or more horrific system than we currently have in the US.

    In anticipation of coming changes in our health care system. Thousands of patients are being killed at a fevered pitch. And millions injured, and poisoned with unnecessary medications, medical procedures, and surgery’s. In an orgy of greed, and profiteering a head of proposed changes to our current disgraceful health care system.

    I advise you to be careful of taking any recommended medical care at this time without doing your home work. And getting a good independent 2nd, or 3rd opinion. Especially if you have so-called good insurance coverage.

    This current generation of children. Are the first generation in the history of America who’s life expectancy is less than that of there parents. Words cannot express the monumental catastrophe this is for America.

    America is facing extinction by greed. And our enemy’s are laughing their A** off. They fear that we will pass HR. 676 single payer National Health Care For All. Because they know that will make America very strong, and competitive in the world again. They are hoping we fail. Just like the pharmaceutical, insurance, hospitals, doctors, and some politicians are hoping we fail. They are all traitors if they don’t wake up and get on the side of the American people.

  • Snow job. Pure and simple. The GOP is notorious for letting a problem be someone else’s problem. The announcement that a GOP-led universal health care proposal is nothing more than a stall tactic. Stop members of the Republican Party who might endorse universal health care from backing a Democratic bill lest they be considered traitors. Then hold up actually presenting a bill for as long as possible, and then when they finally do rpesent the bill,, they’ll do so with as much fanfare and as little substance as possible, it’ll be filled with contradictory tax breaks for the wealthy and handouts to corporate interests and when the Dems rightly condemn it, the GOP can throw their hands in the air and snort “OBVIOUSLY, the Democrats don’t want health care for everyone as much as they CLAIM they do,” and chortle over brandy whilst getting whale blubber applies generously to their scrotum for smoothness or whatever the jesters in Washington do with their rich playmates…

    Best thing the Dems can do is publicly say loud and clear “Too late. Everyone know you couldn’t give a damn about providing health care until the demand for it became too loud to ignore. You’re not in a position to make it happen because you have no emotional investment in making it happen. You’re just afraid of losing your jobs. Well, one way to help keep your job is to work with us, for once in your pathetic careers. The public’s on our side with this one, and you can either run to catch up, or get out of the way while we do the will of the people.”

  • Please. Boehner stating on Fox that the Republicans are working on a plan basically means that at present they have bupkis but they need to do something, anything, to keep their boat from sinking. The party is a joke.

  • The last time the Republicans touched health care, we ended up with the Republican Big Pharma Welfare Project – Medicare Part D.

    I can hardly wait to see the extent and scope of the Insurance Industry’s Welfare Package.

  • All I can say is, when the Republicans propose a health care plan, the best course of action will be to bend over.

  • According to the Urban institute, in order to cover their kids middle income families would have to spend 20-40% of their income under the President’s “serious” tax-break plan.

    http://www.urban.org/publications/411557.html

    Remember the old saw about spending 25% of your income on housing? I guess we can add to that the new Republican financial planner: 20-40% on health insurance!

  • “Republicans are working on a plan that will provide access to all Americans to high quality health insurance…”

    The key word here is that they’re not offering high quality health CARE but rather offering “access” to high quality health INSURANCE. It could be argued that the current system already does that: Every American already can have “access” to insurance, If they’re willing and able to pay the price. So, the Republicans don’t have to do much (or anything) to keep their promise, while muddying the waters with a waiting game. (“Let’s not pass S-CHIP until we see what the Republican plan is.”)

  • A more efficient way to say it: Any Republican plan for universal coverage would be for the sole purpose of preventing universal coverage.

    But Steve’s large point is correct: the reason they have to propose this is because it’s popular and, like all good policy Republicans oppose, can’t be opposed outright, so they muddy the edges so Republicans can obstruct the “wrong” health care reform.

  • The Overton window has moved. Now if we had real Democrats instead of Harry and Nancy running things, they’d keep dragging that window until the American people got what they’ve been paying for and what they deserve, living in the richest country ever.

    But no, we’ve got Harry and Nancy, who will no doubt take the 30 pieces of silver the insurance lobby gives them, and give us the shaft. They’ll console us with the following: “That’s a much smaller shaft than you would have gotten from the Republicans.”

  • Pingback: Refocusing the Debate » The Moderate Voice

  • It will just be a repackaging of the Medical Saving Accounts crap. Like always it will do nothing if you a) don’t have enough income to save any of it, and b) are actually ill. It will take healthy and wealthy people out of the insurance pool, saving them money, and further exclude the ill and poor.

  • “That’s a much smaller shaft than you would have gotten from the Republicans.”

    You should consider taking this up with your friends and neighbors who are, and vote, Republican. If everyone were all fired up about what you expect from the Democrats, there wouldn’t be any Republicans in the House, Senate, and White House and there would be no reason for compromise.

  • “Can I suggest some features for the GOP plan? (I must admit, I’ve been inspired by Medicare Part D’s prescription plan.)”

    one more suggestion: if you say bad things about the plan, the GOP reserves the right to smear your family and/or hide in your bushes.

  • Pingback: Coming Soon: Universal Healthcare? « Andrew’s Miracle Drug
  • Pingback: Balloon Juice

  • Yay!! This is how you do it! Redefine the terms of the debate!!!

    This is beautiful. This is exactly how Reagan and his cronies started pushing the country so far to the right almost 30 years ago.

    Now we are pushing it back to the left. YAY!

    Thank you, Michael Moore! His movie has a lot to do with this.

    When a workable UHC plan is passed, I think Moore should get an award from the Congress and/or the White House.

  • Pingback: Universal healthcare: it’s not just for Dems anymore « dwightinsight
  • Pingback: Healthcare and the GOP : aparallaxview.com
  • Pingback: 34e55ca6a5b9

    • Comments are closed.