Do go watch the whole video "Weekly Address" immediately below (3:02), or read the transcript here. It appears there are no bounds upon the ways in which Senate Republicans will seek to prevent reform of the American health care delivery system -- even if it means handing doctors a 21 percent pay cut (on Medicare patients) -- as "punishment" for supporting President Obama's reform efforts:
. . . .More than a decade ago, Congress set up a formula that governs how doctors get paid by the Medicare program. The intent was to slow the growth of Medicare costs, but the result was a formula that has proposed cutting payments for America’s doctors year after year after year. These are cuts that would not only jeopardize our physicians’ pay, but our seniors’ health care.
Since 2003, Congress has acted to prevent these pay cuts from going into effect. These votes were largely bipartisan, and they succeeded when Democrats ran Congress and when Republicans ran Congress -– which was most of the time. . . .I’m absolutely willing to take the difficult steps necessary to lower the cost of Medicare and put our budget on a more fiscally sustainable path. But I’m not willing to do that by punishing hard-working physicians or the millions of Americans who count on Medicare. That’s just wrong. And that’s why in the short-term, Congress must act to prevent this pay cut to doctors.
If they don’t act, doctors will see a 21% cut in their Medicare payments this week. This week, doctors will start receiving these lower reimbursements from the Medicare program. That could lead them to stop participating in the Medicare program. And that could lead seniors to lose their doctors.
We cannot allow this to happen. We have to fix this problem so that our doctors can get paid for the life-saving services they provide and keep their doors open. We have to fix this problem to keep the promise of Medicare for our seniors so that they get the health care they deserve. So I urge Republicans in the Senate to at least allow a majority of Senators and Congressmen to stop this pay cut. I urge them to stand with America’s seniors and America’s doctors. . . .
Indeed.
4 comments:
What a comical post. The meidcare fix was supposed to be in the orignal health care overhaul bill. OH But by the way we democrats decided to leave it out so our health fantasy bill wouldn't look so bloated on the spending side and we could go out and lie to the uneducated American people. And when the Republicans decided to introduce an amendment to add the medicare fix language into the health fantasy bill--oh but you can't do that said the democrats--Now we have this health reimbursement "CRISES" that could destroy the medicare program that so cares for our senior citizens..and the angry teaparty Republicans are mean to those nice old senior citizens by blocking the deiety O and his agenda..so you should vote Democrate in the fall...Even Laurel and Hardy would laugh at this comedy of errors...Hey Boneheads---WE AMERICANS ARE PAYING ATTENTION--WE ARE READING THE BILLS unlike you,--WE UNDERSTAND THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF YOUR UNDERHANDED TECHNIQUES---WE WILL VOTE YOU OUT NO MATTER THE PARTY. AMERICA IS BROKE, the social party is over, time for the hangover pain from reality of the day after the party. YOU have two choices---go through a long moderate semi controled pain now or go through a very tough high degree of pain later. IT will happen either way...Can't borrow and tax your way to prosperity...BWAHHHAA
Sincerely---an educated rich man--(by democrat standards)
Thanks for your input, Anonymous.
I think these sorts of discussions are useful -- and here's why:
There can be no denying that -- since at least 2001, this provision (the 21 percent decrease in Medicare's payments to doctors) has repeatedly been "kicked down the road" by the each of the Republican-controlled congresses -- especially the then Republican controlled Senate.
No educated person could take a contrary position -- the facts are plain -- and verifiable.
Our 44th President is NOW tackling a problem the Republicans refused to address for a decade (though neither would the Democrats really tackle it -- until now -- 2010!), but Republicans went the additional mile, and used it -- as "creative math" -- to tell seniors that they could keep Medicare coverage, not see coverage decreases, all while we spent a trillion dollars on the war of choice, in Iraq and Afganistan.
Your sense of history is flawed. So, your premise is likewise flawed -- all that follows from it falls, unless you are willing to say "we need to fix the problem" and take ownership of the hard choices to come, you are nothing but a grandstander.
This is a Republican legacy, but we all must fix it -- now.
Namaste
Not as much as yours.
The Republicans addressed this issue during the years 2001 through 2005 but due to SENATE RULES, the dems blocked certain spending offsets to balance the fixes. So the kicking was done by the minority party at the time.
Secondly, the Country spents billions in Afrganistan to fight a war brought on our soil by a man who could have been easily taken out by a commander in chief that was getting BJs on the Oval RUG...
THAT IS A FACT--not debatable. And I say COUNTRY because the DEMS voted for the war funds in lock step with the Republicans...Except for John Kerry who voted for the war ---before he voted against the war...I guess you would have preferred that we have a meeting OBL and his group to come up with a treaty or maybe we could have offered him some counseling..War is hell and costs tons of money....but being weak and using appeasement costs so many more lives...mostly innocent ones...ask the Jews, the Brits---Nevel Chamberlain anyone--- and those in Cambodia---woops we can't-- there dead.
SO lets make sure we include all of the history in the word "history".
Your 44th President pushed the issue out of the Health Care Bill in order the lie about the costs and think that we the people would be out frolick on the beach while he and his ilk snuck a seperate bill through during the summer...WRONG....And now we can't even frolick on the beach because he can't even manage an oil spill..which again was addressed during the 1994 EPA act for emergency preparations should this event happen....but whopps---no one at MMS or the EPA thought to buy the emergency equipment to contain such a spill and prevent a disaster....And would you know the same commander and chief was getting BJs instead over seeing his adminstration to ensure that proper equipment was purchased...
The legacy is of that of a party that developed a system of spending on the public that could not go on forever and whenever anyone tried to reign in that spending, they were demonized as trying to kill seniors or starve little kids from their lunch..
So History, my fellow American man, began way before 2001....And someone will ultimately have to clean up the mess from these four years...proof that centralized federal systems do not work...10th amendment wisdom...
I'll let this alone now, Anon./Frank -- but it is worth noting that the guy you call the "BJ-Getter In Chief" actually handed your "Chimperor-In-Chief" (W) a very solid surplus -- one your Chimperor squandered.
As to all the rest, we were attacked, but there was no evidence that Hussein had anything to do with it (Iraq -- the one Bush-Cheney focused their eight years, and trillions on -- while letting OBL wander free). And isn't it true that OBL's family is very cozy with the Prescott-Bushes?
Yes it is.
That is no coincidence. So spare me the tough talk -- Cheney & Bush Jr. intentionally gave OBL a pass (due to high-income/high-net-worth oil family reciprocal privileges).
We went after Saddam soley because he threatened W.'s daddy -- no noble cause -- not even to ACTUALLY avenge the 9/11 dead.
Just pure retribution for a single familial threat. Saddam was a very bad man -- but Bush intentionally let OBL go. That is treason, son.
Now -- back on health care -- you have agreed that it is your Republican Party that is both the wild-spending party (last 8 years), AND the "do-nothing; obstruct everything" party.
Congrats, Frank.
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