Healthcare

Bad news for conservatives and Republicans in the new AP healthcare poll, which has the following results: 

Number of voters who favor stronger healthcare laws that do more: 43 percent. Number who favor repeal: only 26 percent. Number who favor the current law: 19 percent. Number who favor a healthcare law that does less: 10 percent.

Well, well, well. Now we know: Beneath the superficial self-confidence of Republicans discussing healthcare, they are truly terrified of Democrats offering amendments to their alleged healthcare repeal bill.

It would be fitting and appropriate for Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to bring up healthcare under an open rule, or a bipartisan rule allowing several Democratic amendments. Looks like he won't. Looks like will break one of his major campaign promises to open up the House almost immediately after the swearing-in. If he does, Republicans will regret breaking a major campaign promise, and so shortly after the elections.

The debate over healthcare reform will be a fascinating one, and already its unexpected twists and turns illustrate that no one can tell exactly where this showdown is ultimately headed.

As Republicans prepare to vote next week (Jan. 12) on a full repeal of the entire law enacted last March, Democrats are gearing up for a public-relations blitz, hoping to defend the program and reframe it in time for the next election. No matter that it was radioactive during the recent election just two months ago and Democrats chose not to campaign on its virtues. The now largely liberal and quite diminished Democratic Caucus is ready to sing its praises in the face of a sustained GOP effort to undermine what's left of healthcare's appeal. Polling shows the bill's disapproval at between 50 and 60 percent. 

What phonies! Most of the Republicans in Congress who want to repeal the healthcare law are now demanding that they keep government-sponsored insurance for themselves. This includes many Tea Party members of Congress.

Excuse me? They oppose what they call a government takeover of healthcare, unless they benefit from it, in their government plans, which they demand they keep. Every honest Tea Party voter and every true conservative should demand that no Republican practice the hypocrisy of trying to repeal healthcare reform for others while fighting to keep their government healthcare plans for themselves.

We see the new members of the Republican freshman class (and most of them are “men”) just chafing at the bit to “repeal” the healthcare bill — lock, stock and barrel.
 
And the date they have chosen for this hysterical (as opposed to “historical”) vote? Next Wednesday, January 12 … Rush Limbaugh’s 60th birthday… how appropriate! A gimmick, a charade, political payback to the Tea Party — to be sure.

It’s funny to watch Washington Republicans squirm to square their simultaneous call to end access to healthcare for 32 million Americans while keeping a white-knuckling grip on their own government-sponsored healthcare.

The healthcare law will not be repealed. Attempts to repeal healthcare reform will be a big loser for Republicans. Some of the most vehement Republicans pushing for repeal will find their seats endangered in 2012 because of it.

There will be some changes enacted that will include provisions appealing to conservatives, and provisions appealing to liberals, but the most radical advocates of repeal are in for a rude political awakening.

Hey, something we all need is the ability to have our medical records are around when- and wherever we need them.

For vets, they can do this now via the Blue Button program.

Of the 1.1 million users of My HealtheVet, more than 233,000 veterans have upgraded (identity-verified) access to data from their VA medical record via Blue Button. During the first two months following Blue Button’s launch on Aug. 28, 2010, about 100,000 veterans asked to view their personal health data using Blue Button, and more than 150,000 PHRs were downloaded.

Judge Hudson's ruling was correct. You can't mandate that "we the people" must purchase healthcare. Unlike a federal mandate that you must have a driver’s license to drive: It's not unlawful not to have a license, for you don't have to drive. However, in order to live you do have to exist. If we allow the government to make such unreasonable mandates, where does it all end?

If the healthcare mandate is defunded, what will we replace it with? It's not enough to celebrate the defeat of ObamaCare. We still have significant problems with cost and access. Unless we address the issues, we will again find ourselves in a crisis mode that will lead to more bad legislation. We need to find immediate solutions to guide effective healthcare reform.