Jonathan Cohn, writing at TNR, [via Matt Yglesias]:
Instead of a politically daunting $1.5 trillion, the CBO figures the price tag will be closer to $1 trillion, at least under certain parameters.
The bad news is: Maybe as many as 15 million of us [give or take] are going to have be put on ice floes and left to become polar bear food to achieve this.
Even with a requirement that everybody obtain insurance–a so-called individual mandate–the CBO assumes a that between a quarter and a third of the uninsured still wouldn’t have coverage.
Max Baucus was upset awhile back because those silly actuaries at the Congressional Budget Office didn't believe his plan for reform would save as much money as he claimed it would. Actuaries, unlike Senators, study boring subjects like calculus and statistics and economics and finance in order to qualify for their jobs.
Because it would be irresponsible of me not to speculate, I'm wondering if this new cost estimate is their response to Baucus' earlier pressure. If so, good on them, and here's hoping that good liberals everywhere raise an outcry over this latest plan to leave a "modest group of people" out in the cold.
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Don't let them block healthcare reform!
A new study shows that SINGLE-PAYER HEALTHCARE REFORM WOULD BE A MAJOR STIMULUS FOR THE US ECONOMY and would provide:
** 2.6 Million New Jobs,
** $317 Billion in Business Revenue,
** $100 Billion in Wages, and
** $44 Billion New Tax Revenues
The press release is here: http://www.calnurses.org/media-center/pr...
Here’s the study: http://www.calnurses.org/research/pdfs/i...
It’s clear that single-payer is the solution, not only in terms of providing quality care for all, but also economically!
WHY ISN’T SINGLE-PAYER ON THE TABLE?
Max Baucus Should NOT be Deciding Health Care for America
“Senator Max Baucus and the Senate Finance Committee are too corrupted by corporate health industry profiteers donations to give America the health care policy it needs.
“Here’s why Baucus is not doing the peoples business:
According to OpenSecrets.org over his career he has taken donations from:
The Insurance Industry: $1,170,313
Health Professionals $1,016,276
Pharmaceuticals/Health Products Industry $734,605
Hospitals/Nursing Homes $541,891
Health Services/HMOs $439,700
“That is a grand total of $3,902,785. Can we trust Baucus to put aside the profits of the industries that have kept him in the senate? Will he put the people’s necessities ahead of the profits of his contributors? Baucus has shown his bias and should be removed from leading the health care reform effort by the Democratic Party leadership.
“It is time to remove Baucus from the leadership of health care reform.
Read the whole story. The above is quoted from: http://www.pnhp.org/news/2009/may/max_baucus_should_no.php
Than really explains what is happening
The best politicians they can buy, and it seems to be working. No wonder they laughed when they threw the single payer people out, and Baucus said things like "I'll take your statement later." They don't want people to realize just how reasonable and logical single payer is.
"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. So is a lot." - Albert Einstein