The US consistently rates as the worst healthcare model amongst developed nations particularly in terms of cost and it seems to be run for the benefit of healthcare providers. The provision of universal healthcare doesn't seem to be of much interest.
Other than insurance companies I can't really see who it benefits? I'm assuming this is how the UK will end up.
So, what you're saying is, North Korea has a superior health care system to America ?
Interesting question.
It might be about 100% of the population having access to some kind of system however useless (I am not saying this happens in North Korea or even China, but it won't be far off), or a percentage of the population having no access to health care at all however brilliant.
It looks like McCain will vote "No" on Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson-Koch-Adelson. Right now he and Rand Paul are firm No's, but it is anticipated that Susan Collins of Maine will also vote no. I don't trust anarcho-Capitalist Rand Paul at his word, but I think it's also likely Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska will vote no, meaning the bill would only have 49 votes (with Paul).
I'm sure Republicans will try again next year. Given they're taking this cheeky approach of using reconciliation, and in theory you can only use that once a year (though they could again, theoretically, pass a bill changing that), it'll be interesting to see if they use reconciliation for healthcare, or tax cuts. The Republicans still staunchly believe in trickle-down economics, and they're big, big, big big fans of giving themselves and their wealthiest donors and corporations tax cuts. They really don't care much about healthcare. That's not a dig, it's just they don't have many, if any, healthcare wonks and it shows in the various bills they've tried.
Something we didn't even get in to is how ridiculous this process has been. This is a bill that was solidified about a week ago, and was scheduled to go to the floor some time next week. Healthcare represents 17-18% of the US economy. So they were trying to undo that with a bill that, by the time it had passed, would have been around for two weeks. By comparison, the ACA was about 18 months in the making, there was about a year of floor hearings, debates, Obama went to a Republican congressional retreat to discuss healthcare with them. Democrats spoke to patients, doctors, hospitals, and, unfortunately, they spent a lot of time with insurance companies. But what was left was a relatively coherent (although I think wrong) bill that slowly altered healthcare in this country.
Also, unlike this bill, ACA passed with 60 votes, a "filibuster proof majority" in the Senate. Now, we can debate the merits of the filibuster, but if the Democrats had tried to change healthcare in two weeks using some dodgy parliamentarian rules, limey would be going nuts. And rightly so.
Changes to Cassidy-Graham were still being made. Yesterday, they tried to buy off Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska...BY MAKING ALASKA EXEMPT FROM THE BILL! How good must that bill be that your way of getting someone's vote is by saying "oh this won't apply to you for ten years?" Their offer was basically "here, you can keep Obamacare."
Lastly, this bill does not have a "Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Score." So what happens is, when Congress drafts a bill, the non-partisan CBO then goes out and figures out of what bill will do. With Graham-Cassidy, we don't have this, and we won't have this by the time the bill could be voted on next week (they have until September 30th, the end of the Government's fiscal year). So fortunately we have these highly respected non-partisan organization like Center on Budget and Policy and Kaiser Family Foundation who were able to do a quick work-up on the bill (32 million uninsured, 16 million next year, 20% average rise in premiums).
This whole thing is fucking crazy, reckless, and irresponsible. Before it started there was a bi-partisan effort to help fix and improve Obamacare, when this bill came along, Republican leadership killed it. Hopefully this bill will be defeated and Senators can go back to at least tweaking the ACA.
Trump is an idiot. Kim Jung Un is an idiot. The whole world is watching them (and are quite worried about it) be idiots and threaten many countries if this nuclear war starts.
I wonder if the aggression towards America by Kim was spurred on by the excellent Team America World Police?
Always fascinated by people who vote away basic rights and health care protection in order to back a political party to the hilt. 32 million people lose their healthcare and somehow it's Obamacare that is bad. Laughable really. Hats off to the Republicans who actually seem to have voted for the people rather than some corporate backers.
With all due respect, Kim Jong-Un has 10% of the population in prison eating rats, has roadblocks to stop citizens coming into Pyongyang, and has most of the county starving.
He makes Trump look like the nicest man on planet earth.
I have vague memories of hearing that the area where they test their nuclear/weapons was wearing down and that there was a risk of collapse or something.
At this point it's unclear if it's a weapons test, but South Korea seem to think it's a natural event.
Comments
Other than insurance companies I can't really see who it benefits? I'm assuming this is how the UK will end up.
It might be about 100% of the population having access to some kind of system however useless (I am not saying this happens in North Korea or even China, but it won't be far off), or a percentage of the population having no access to health care at all however brilliant.
Who the fuck taught him the word dotard?!?!?!?! And metaphor?!?!?!
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/09/21/552756716/kim-jong-un-issues-statement-on-trump-a-frightened-dog-barks-louder
What a shock....
I'm sure Republicans will try again next year. Given they're taking this cheeky approach of using reconciliation, and in theory you can only use that once a year (though they could again, theoretically, pass a bill changing that), it'll be interesting to see if they use reconciliation for healthcare, or tax cuts. The Republicans still staunchly believe in trickle-down economics, and they're big, big, big big fans of giving themselves and their wealthiest donors and corporations tax cuts. They really don't care much about healthcare. That's not a dig, it's just they don't have many, if any, healthcare wonks and it shows in the various bills they've tried.
Something we didn't even get in to is how ridiculous this process has been. This is a bill that was solidified about a week ago, and was scheduled to go to the floor some time next week. Healthcare represents 17-18% of the US economy. So they were trying to undo that with a bill that, by the time it had passed, would have been around for two weeks. By comparison, the ACA was about 18 months in the making, there was about a year of floor hearings, debates, Obama went to a Republican congressional retreat to discuss healthcare with them. Democrats spoke to patients, doctors, hospitals, and, unfortunately, they spent a lot of time with insurance companies. But what was left was a relatively coherent (although I think wrong) bill that slowly altered healthcare in this country.
Also, unlike this bill, ACA passed with 60 votes, a "filibuster proof majority" in the Senate. Now, we can debate the merits of the filibuster, but if the Democrats had tried to change healthcare in two weeks using some dodgy parliamentarian rules, limey would be going nuts. And rightly so.
Changes to Cassidy-Graham were still being made. Yesterday, they tried to buy off Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska...BY MAKING ALASKA EXEMPT FROM THE BILL! How good must that bill be that your way of getting someone's vote is by saying "oh this won't apply to you for ten years?" Their offer was basically "here, you can keep Obamacare."
Lastly, this bill does not have a "Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Score." So what happens is, when Congress drafts a bill, the non-partisan CBO then goes out and figures out of what bill will do. With Graham-Cassidy, we don't have this, and we won't have this by the time the bill could be voted on next week (they have until September 30th, the end of the Government's fiscal year). So fortunately we have these highly respected non-partisan organization like Center on Budget and Policy and Kaiser Family Foundation who were able to do a quick work-up on the bill (32 million uninsured, 16 million next year, 20% average rise in premiums).
This whole thing is fucking crazy, reckless, and irresponsible. Before it started there was a bi-partisan effort to help fix and improve Obamacare, when this bill came along, Republican leadership killed it. Hopefully this bill will be defeated and Senators can go back to at least tweaking the ACA.
Needed it after realising my cab fares were going up by about a tenner a year.
Fuck uber and fuck North Korea
I wonder if the aggression towards America by Kim was spurred on by the excellent Team America World Police?
Laughable really. Hats off to the Republicans who actually seem to have voted for the people rather than some corporate backers.
He makes Trump look like the nicest man on planet earth.
Have the previous tests destabilised the areas geology ? With any luck it's completely destroyed his test sites.
At this point it's unclear if it's a weapons test, but South Korea seem to think it's a natural event.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41371867