The Baker/Daschle/Dole Health care plan - Balkanization of health care

I've waded through a lot of the Bipartisan Policy Center's health care proposals. On first take - it's pretty vague, yet it seems to

1. propose the balkanization of health care reimbursement to the States and unnamed "Regions";

2. set the primary role of the Federal government as some sort of Office of Quality Improvement Department;

3. propose an undefined fee-for-outcome standard for Medicare instead of fee-for-service;

4. advocate further limits on Medicare reimbursements;

5. set a vague Federal "fall back" plan if States, regions or private insurers don't meet vague quality standards;

6. require that any federal "fall back" plan cover administrative costs out of premiums not federal funds;

7. continue to rely on Medicaid (i.e. the States) as the primary insurer for low income individuals/families (see #1);

8. establish a Federally managed, and funded, "Insurance Exchange" to match individuals with private insurers;

among others.

The plan has a few bright points - it notes the health care crisis overall, exclusions of pre-existing conditions, a non-discrimination clause, and a nod to bipartisanship.

Other than that I think it's a crock.

The plan is here (68 page, pdf file)-

http://www.bipartisanpolicy.org/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/10782

I think when all is said and done, about the only thing that is going to come out of this "reform" is the elimination of pre-existing conditions for all applicants and discrimination based on medical history. That'll help out my son...he'll actually be able to get insurance.

I guarantee companies will raise rates. Nothing else will change.

how broken the political system is...

That is all

How would the people ever fix it (assuming its self-perpetuating and near omni-powerful) and how would the people ever know (assuming its designed to obscure just how broken it is)?

Whats the point of trying?

in that I fully disagree with you

As to the changes... well they will come. If this right wing violence keep notching up we might find ourselves in the need to rewrite the Constitution and other things.

I fear that is what it will take though...

But my needs to be done NOW change is PUBLIC funding of elections.

Or for that matter, than any of the mixed market shit the Democrats are proposing? At least we know that works. This other stuff is all smoke and mirrors, trying to appease people with a concept of reform without doing anything substantially different.

to fly. A compromise will pass, though. The point, imho, is to pass a compromise that opens a door for Medicare-for-all. This one isn't it. What it sets up precludes too much to build on.

Not only did the leaders come to the table with a compromise, the rest of their constituents ate that shit up ("oh...I loooove the 'public option'").

And thats never going to change because everyone "understands" its not politically viable. Its ok for the Democrats to suck on this issue.