LIVE VIDEO: Obama Speaks About Health Care Reform @ George Mason
Tweet
28 Responses to “LIVE VIDEO: Obama Speaks About Health Care Reform @ George Mason”
PHOTOS: Tamara Ecclestone At The Langham Hotel
Red Front? “Center For American Freedom” Logo Echoes Communist Style
Romney Calls For Defunding Planned Parenthood, Wife Was A Donor
GOP Fundraising Email Asks Supporters To “Knock Out” Obama
Romney Comes Up Limp In Nevada
Obama Opens Lead On Romney In New Poll
What Time Is Super Bowl 2012 (Super Bowl XLVI)?
Republican Senate Candidate To Run Racist Ad During Super Bowl
Latest Entries
Why Do Liberals Support Drone Strikes?
Weekly Standard Rolls Out The Iraq Argument For Iran
Equal Polarization, My Ass
Some Crazy Stuff That Happened In World War II
Maryland Republican Campaign Funds Used To Defend Voter Suppression
The Obama Jobs Record In One Graph
Martin O’Malley All In For Marriage Equality
Newt Gingrich, Filled With More Excrement Than Your Average Politician
New Year, Powerline Still Stupid
Thanks Again
Meta
Blogroll
Disclaimer
The views on this site are mine and mine alone, and do not reflect the views of my employer, Media Matters for America
© 2000-2011 Oliver Willis
Did Obama mention what his BFF at Caterpillar said about the healthcare bill:
“The Peoria-based company said these provisions would increase its insurance costs by at least 20 percent, or more than $100 million, just in the first year of the health-care overhaul program.
“We can ill-afford cost increases that place us at a disadvantage versus our global competitors,” said the letter signed by Gregory Folley, vice president and chief human resources officer of Caterpillar. “We are disappointed that efforts at reform have not addressed the cost concerns we’ve raised throughout the year.”
Didn’t think so.
Hey, we wanted Single Payer too. Where the fuck were you? Did Catapillar Boy mention that the new HCR would cover all of the employees children and a raft of other shit? No? Well then.
“The Peoria-based company said these provisions would increase its insurance costs by at least 20 percent, or more than $100 million, just in the first year of the health-care overhaul program.
That’s only if they don’t go shopping in our great free market competitive capitalist system for an insurance provider that offers lower rates. All the conservatives have been telling me this is a snap, so why doesn’t Caterpillar just do it?
There’s a reason companies can’t get better rates…Ever hear of mandates Quaker? State mandates, federal mandates, no shopping across state lines. Government is the problem. Not the free market.
Did you also hear that Walgreens will no longer accept new Medicare member prescriptions? Gee, Wonder why? Government reimbursements are too low and the jackass party is going to decrease them even more.
Death panels? We don’t need no stinkin’ death panels. We’ll just make the reimbursements so low that nobody will take care of ‘em. They’ll drop like flies. Problem solved.
That’s not the way I hear it from conservatives, Willie.
Turned down by a health insurer? Can’t afford the premiums? Why, just go shopping for a different provider!!
Or does that advice only apply to individuals?
Did you also hear that Walgreens will no longer accept new Medicare member prescriptions?
I didn’t actually. Got a link for that one?
Did you also hear that Walgreens will no longer accept new Medicare member prescriptions
Not quite. Let me tighten that baby up for you a bit….
Did you also hear that Walgreens in Washington state will no longer accept new
MedicareMedicaid member prescriptionsThose foolish, foolish details
And what is their complaint?
That agreement took effect in September — and prompted a lawsuit by a group of pharmacies and trade associations that said Washington state didn’t follow federal law in setting its reimbursement rate, and that that rate is too low. The lawsuit is pending.
But yeah, Medicare sucks. We should do away with it because if there’s one thing private insurance companies really want to cover, it’s the elderly.
Aw, AS, you ruined my fun. I was gonna let Willie twist for a while longer.
Anyway, Walgreen’s wouldn’t have any reason to hold a grudge against Medicaid, would they?
Would they?
For those who don’t have time to follow the links…Walgreens paid $45 million in fines during 2008 for…drum roll please…cheating Medicaid!!
Haw!
Willie? Anyone seen Willie?
He was here and suddenly he was gone.
So mandates don’t increase the cost of premiums?
Can’t see why they would. You?
Shame on Walgreens, but the point stands that with reduced reimbursements there will be fewer pharmacies willing to lose money by filling them. I guess the fix will be to make it mandatory that pharmaceutical companies sell the drugs and pharmacies retail the drugs at a fixed price determined by Obama, Reid, and Pelosi (all experts in the field) with profits not to exceed .5%.
Medicaid, Willie. Not Medicare. And Washington state reimbursement rates, not federal. And a company that has quite recently used outright theft to improve its bottom line.
Other than that, spot on!
Nah. You’re right. Mandating that an 80 year old carry insurance for sky diving accidents wouldn’t change a thing. And neither would mandating a single 18 year old male to carry insurance for prenatal care.
I guess the fix will be to make it mandatory that pharmaceutical companies sell the drugs and pharmacies retail the drugs at a fixed price determined by Obama, Reid, and Pelosi (all experts in the field) with profits not to exceed .5%.
Did someone propose that?
Besides you, I mean.
From your Awkward’s link:
“Washington state Medicaid is now reimbursing pharmacies less than their cost of participation,” said Jeff Rochon, CEO of the Washington State Pharmacy Association.
Pharmacies that continue to fill Medicaid prescriptions at the current state reimbursement rate are “at risk of putting themselves out of business altogether,” he said.
Like Obama, Harkin, and Pelosi said, “this is just the beginning.”
Mandating that an 80 year old carry insurance for sky diving accidents wouldn’t change a thing.
You’re doing that thing again…what’s it called?
Oh, yeah! Making stuff up. Let’s suppose, just for the sake of argument, that you’re right. Everyone has to carry insurance for skydiving accidents. What fraction of a penny per person do you think that would increase premiums?
Like Willie said: “Look over there!”
Wow! A guy from a pharmacy trade group cried to the press?
You win, Willie! I’m convinced. Can’t see a flaw in that reasoning!
BTW, you asked earlier if I had heard that Walgreens was no longer accepting new Medicare “members”. You got your problems straightened out yet?
Not mentioned: How does the Medicaid reimbursement rate compare with reimbursements from private insurers?
Any idea?
And neither would mandating a single 18 year old male to carry insurance for prenatal care.
Single 18-year-old males never create a need for prenatal care. I see your point.
Why shouldn’t the federal government negotiate drug prices just like every other large company and other countries do?
Because 1) that’s socialism, and 2) it’s much easier to outsouce the job to the Canadian government.
Also from that link:
Then in September came another blow. The average wholesale price is calculated by a private company, which was accused in a Massachusetts lawsuit of fraudulently inflating its figures. The company did not admit wrongdoing but agreed in a court settlement to ratchet its figures down by about 4 percent.
So, to whit: Walgreens, a private company who was caught defrauding the government, was pining for the inflated price standards set by another private company who was also defrauding the government.
William, please shed a tear or two for them on my behalf.
Why shouldn’t the federal government negotiate food & shelter prices?
They do, don’t they?