Plain Dealer Criticizes Obama Ad

This one was so dishonest, even they couldn't ignore it. It touts his health care reform plan:

" Obama needs to look like he has his own plan.

But, Obama himself has conceded that his plan and the proposal from Clinton are very similar. At the January debate in Los Angeles, Obama said his plan is about 95 percent like Clinton's.

For example, independent analysts have said Clinton's proposal is estimated to save $2,200, according to factcheck.org., a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.

Key difference: His plan would not be universal because it does not mandate that everyone enrolls.

While the Obama Web site on health care offers good detail, is it unfair to expect some detail in these 30-second spots? "

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1202808690169900.xml&coll=2&thispage=1

everyone to buy health insurance.

I think thats the trap.

Not worried about it. People like health insurance here. They just want to be able to pay for it.

:) I agree.

and under Clinton's health care reform plan, they will have affordable government plans available to purchase or, if their income is low, they will be enrolled in Medicaid.

Sounds pretty simple and the best part is, its sustainable.

Obama's plan would be like allowing everyone to wait until they retired before paying into Social Security. Its a no-brainer.

guarantee health care.

Even with health insurance, bills can be completely crazy. My old plan only covered 80% of costs and was capped at $150,000 lifetime. If I got sick with that plan I'd be screwed. I heard a bad pregnancy can go over $150k easy. That would be $30K for me! Crazy. Now I have an HMO, which covers me better, although everything has to be approved before hand. But both choices were made by my employer.

They will have a government alternative that works in the same way.

That's the choice you will have - go with private insurance that doesn't cover much or govt. insurance that does.

And its certainly better than having no insurance at all.

They will have a government alternative that works in the same way.

That's the choice you will have - go with private insurance that doesn't cover much or govt. insurance that does.

And its certainly better than having no insurance at all.

And you will get a tax credit to do so.

Why do you keep ignoring that part of the plan?

and plan on cashing in on that action. Can you say "healthcare bubble"? and I, like many other Ohioans, already pay for my HC insurance (as well as for all those people who opt to not have it). And, by the way, do you think people should be able to drive around on the highways without car insurance?

Sorry to say, you will probably lose money since Clinton's plan, like Edwards, allows people to purchase a government insurance plan like Medicare.

So under universal care, people will be allowed a choice of govt or private insurance, most likely choosing govt insurance which is inherently cheaper.

If I were you, I would unload that private insurance stock.

of the uninsured. Private insurance stocks may not "bubble up" but hospital profits are going to rise hard and fast and, as such, all the industries that support hospitals (baxter for example) will also relaize increased profits. This all translates into a healthy heatlthcare market. Plus, I love the idea of pouring tax dollars into domestic healthcare corporations instead of MIC based corporations. I'm on board for this all the way.

Hillaryworld's government-enforced insurance written by the healthcare/pharma industry would either do two disastrous things:

• Force working poor and others who can't afford to pay loophole-laden healthcare insurance would be fined or have their wages garnished (if they have jobs) and keep the healthcare/pharma industry lobbyists very happy that they got their wish from the Goldwater Girl
  
  or...
  
  
• The legislation would go down in flames and no national healthcare solutions would come about, giving the Goldwater Girl her "attempt" to try to get healthcare passed and keep the healthcare/pharma industries fat and happy that jackshit got done and years and millions of taxpayer dollars went down the rathole
  

I'm still waiting for Krugman to write a nice column about how some working Joe gets the $500 government fine in his mailbox because he and his family are living paycheck to paycheck. Will he get a free poster of the Goldwater Girl cackling?

Obama's plan is the only way we are going to eventually get to affordable healthcare that then leads to single payer through incremental steps.

It comes with its own set of mandates to hospitals and businesses and will meet harsh resistance just as Hillary's did way back when.
I don't think he'll find the support for the fight he's starting.

Also, Hillary won't be first lady in charge of creating a 1,000 page health care plan
this time.

Just like Hillary's plan failed the last time and for the same basic reasons. Hillary's plan is better.

There's tremendous pubic pressure on this issue.

Both Clinton and Edwards had universal coverage plans.

First - If you're low income, you'll get enrolled in Medicaid, period.

Second - If you're working, its more likely your employer will begin covering you, probably with a government plan (like Medicare); your employer will get help from the government to buy your insurance

Third - If your employer doesn't cover you, you'll get a tax credit to help you buy government insurance (like Medicare) if you want it. No holes, full coverage. If you want to buy private insurance, you'll still get a tax credit, but they'll have to provide you with good coverage and they won't be able to charge you higher premiums, etc. for pre-existing conditions.

Its a plan that's designed to provide affordable, full quality coverage.

As for getting a tax credit if your employer doesn't cover you, that's not going to give you coverage necessarily. You could use the tax credit to pay for the fine or garnished wage loss from the government-enforced policy.

As for no loopholes in the healthcare insurance coverage of ANY of the plans, I'm prone to see what the small print says to take away what the big print giveth away. There is no way the healthcare industry is not going to take loopholes for pre-existing conditions.

Hillary's plan is just a big payback to the healthcare lobbyists who will make tremendous profits by causing people to be forced to buy flawed coverage. Follow the money.

As for Medicaid, there are many that make just above the cap salary and are living paycheck to paycheck that will not be able to afford healthcare coverage that does not address affordability. Hillary has mentioned that the healthcare insurance industry would use "good faith" in lowering costs. That reminds me of Reagan when he suggested that polluters should be allowed to lower their emissions when they get a chance to...

I'm firmly for Medicare For All, but the steps to get there will not happen with individual mandates and fines if you don't play along.