Dusty is right that malpractice costs are not a primary reason for the rise in healthcare costs. However, at 54 billion dollars in savings over 10 yrs (CBO estimates) it was a huge mistake not be be addressed in the healthcare "reform".
CJ, I am a practicing physician in the community and am not a fan of Obamacare. Yet, I have to say your handwaving and the sky if falling approach really is not justified or fair. It just does not help the argument. There has not yet been any form of rationing. There has not been restrictions on mammograms nor cancer treatments.
Geoff, let's take a hypothetical. Go back the the early 20th Century, during the suffrage movement. If there was a constitutional amendment that the only recognized vote would come from the male sex. Would you argue this is an affirmation of a man's right to vote? Would you argue it has nothing to do with a woman's right to vote?
How can you state that amendment one was not framed as a vote against gay marriage?
It is implicit in that one sentence.
Are you defending intolerance now with just plain ingnorance? Did you not understand it was a vote against gay marriage?
I mean no offense, I just do not get your logic here.
Geoff, you are rewriting history. Amendment one went beyond an expression of affirmation for heterosexual marriage. It prohibited recognition of even civil unions. As such, it was (in your words) a "vote against gay culture or gay marriage". I will give you there were lots of motivations, some homophobia, some religious fundamentalism, and some ignorance as to the real effect of the amendment. Regardless of the individual motivation, the vote was an act of intolerance.
Geoff, one might consider having the view that marriage is only between a man and woman does not equal intolerance. However, the act of voting for amendment one goes beyond just having that belief. These believers then went out and actually voted to restrict or infringe on somebody else's belief. That is where the fuzzy line is crossed.
I suppose you can say the people are not intolerant but the action was.... but then we are back to faulty logic.
Paul Ryan---the guy that can save Medicare. Medicare is on track to self destruct and take the country with it. I could not be happier with the choice.
@oldpilot, read or watch the entire speech. You are the one taking him out of context.
@getreal, I agree wholeheartedly: the speech writer should be fired. This one came from the big man himself.
@TAP There is a shortage of doctors. Specialization is not necessarily the problem. In fact, it leads to amazing innovation and allows us to do quite amazing things in medicine.
Bentpan was wrong regarding the AMA actively regulating the number of medical student spots. It did lobby against this in the past when they thought there was an abundance of doctors. They have reversed that stance and recognize a physician shortage.
The real bottleneck in new physicians is in residency spots--which is funded from Medicare. It will cost money to train more and this has not been a priority of either party.
FFWF was onto something with his statement of people not taking care of himself.
The biggest costs of healthcare are not the doctor's cost but the sickness.
We are an aging, obese (an getting larger), sedentary population who still likes to smoke, eat poorly, and drink too much.
blake 2 months, 2 weeks ago
Something's Wrong
Dusty is right that malpractice costs are not a primary reason for the rise in healthcare costs. However, at 54 billion dollars in savings over 10 yrs (CBO estimates) it was a huge mistake not be be addressed in the healthcare "reform".
blake 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Obama Hell-Bent on Bankruptcy?
CJ, I am a practicing physician in the community and am not a fan of Obamacare. Yet, I have to say your handwaving and the sky if falling approach really is not justified or fair. It just does not help the argument. There has not yet been any form of rationing. There has not been restrictions on mammograms nor cancer treatments.
blake 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Republican Party Today Is in Flux
@clarabelle, the possible connection of weapons to the rebels in Syria via Turkey was reported last Oct on Fox. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/10/25/was-syrian-weapons-shipment-factor-in-ambassadors-benghazi-visit/
blake 9 months ago
Tolerance Seems to Be Evaporating in the Face of Fear
Geoff, let's take a hypothetical. Go back the the early 20th Century, during the suffrage movement. If there was a constitutional amendment that the only recognized vote would come from the male sex. Would you argue this is an affirmation of a man's right to vote? Would you argue it has nothing to do with a woman's right to vote? How can you state that amendment one was not framed as a vote against gay marriage? It is implicit in that one sentence. Are you defending intolerance now with just plain ingnorance? Did you not understand it was a vote against gay marriage? I mean no offense, I just do not get your logic here.
blake 9 months ago
Tolerance Seems to Be Evaporating in the Face of Fear
Geoff, you are rewriting history. Amendment one went beyond an expression of affirmation for heterosexual marriage. It prohibited recognition of even civil unions. As such, it was (in your words) a "vote against gay culture or gay marriage". I will give you there were lots of motivations, some homophobia, some religious fundamentalism, and some ignorance as to the real effect of the amendment. Regardless of the individual motivation, the vote was an act of intolerance.
blake 9 months ago
Tolerance Seems to Be Evaporating in the Face of Fear
Geoff, one might consider having the view that marriage is only between a man and woman does not equal intolerance. However, the act of voting for amendment one goes beyond just having that belief. These believers then went out and actually voted to restrict or infringe on somebody else's belief. That is where the fuzzy line is crossed. I suppose you can say the people are not intolerant but the action was.... but then we are back to faulty logic.
blake 9 months, 1 week ago
Anti-Obama Lies Floating Around in the Web Sewer
"Instead of giving him a chance, watching what he does and then reacting to it"
Have you been sitting on this editorial for the last 3.5 years?
blake 9 months, 2 weeks ago
Mitt? Not So Much
Paul Ryan---the guy that can save Medicare. Medicare is on track to self destruct and take the country with it. I could not be happier with the choice.
blake 9 months, 4 weeks ago
Success in Spite of 'Some Helpl'
@oldpilot, read or watch the entire speech. You are the one taking him out of context. @getreal, I agree wholeheartedly: the speech writer should be fired. This one came from the big man himself.
blake 10 months, 2 weeks ago
So This Is Our 'No New Taxes'?
@TAP There is a shortage of doctors. Specialization is not necessarily the problem. In fact, it leads to amazing innovation and allows us to do quite amazing things in medicine. Bentpan was wrong regarding the AMA actively regulating the number of medical student spots. It did lobby against this in the past when they thought there was an abundance of doctors. They have reversed that stance and recognize a physician shortage.
The real bottleneck in new physicians is in residency spots--which is funded from Medicare. It will cost money to train more and this has not been a priority of either party.
FFWF was onto something with his statement of people not taking care of himself.
The biggest costs of healthcare are not the doctor's cost but the sickness.
We are an aging, obese (an getting larger), sedentary population who still likes to smoke, eat poorly, and drink too much.