Health Care Reform | 07/02/2009 10:50 am
Obama Tries to Sell Health-Care Plan, But Others Still Worry About Medical Bankruptcies (Video)
There are too many people being sent into financial ruin with crappy coverage, experts say, so what’s Congress going to do about that?
© AP
We here at wOw told you a few weeks ago about a horrible tragedy going on in America. It turns out, two out of three bankruptcies in America are due to medical bills. If you or your spouse suffers from a serious ailment that lands you in the hospital for any extended period of time, it just may send you into financial ruin.
Now, The New York Times follows up on that, reporting on how even as Congress and Washington try to push through health-care reform to cover the tens of millions of Americans without medical insurance, many health policy experts say giving everyone an insurance card won’t be enough to fix this particular problem. For many Americans, the coverage they have is so skimpy, any major problem can send them right into the red.
"Underinsurance is the great hidden risk of the American health-care system," said Elizabeth Warren, a Harvard law professor who has analyzed medical bankruptcies, and who is heading up the panel overseeing distribution of the government’s economic bailout funds, to the Times. "People do not realize they are one diagnosis away from financial collapse."
Many hope President Obama and Congress will take this into account when they debate health-care reform. Obama yesterday pushed his plan on how to insure the more than 45 million Americans currently without coverage, and he promised to sign a health-care reform bill by the end of the year that cuts health-care costs, expands access to coverage and creates greater efficiency in the system. A key part of this plan includes a public option.
The middle class may be a particularly tough crowd for Obama to sell his plan to. A new CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released yesterday shows that people are worried their health-care costs would go up if the administration’s proposals passed, and only one in five thinks that his or her family would be better off under the Obama plan. Fifty-one percent of people surveyed say they favor the president’s health-care plan, with 45 percent opposed.
You can watch Obama at the Virginia town hall below:
Read more about: Bankruptcy, congress, Health, Health-Care Reform, House, Medical Bills, News, President Obama, Public Option, senate, Town Hall, U.S., Video, Virginia
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Oh Ya!
A classic that one! Holy cr@p! Helen was furious….and Gibb was an arrogant a$$. Not good…nope, not good at all. When Helen said that it was "shocking" and that " we have never had this in the White House" I about fell over….
The only thing "transparent" around that administration is Obama’s mask….
Thursday, July 2, 2009 9:30 AM
By: Kenneth D. Williams Article Font Size
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs and the Obama administration found the press corps slightly less friendly than they are used to yesterday, when CBS’s Chip Reid asked why the questions for Wednesday’s town hall on healthcare were being selected beforehand.
Gibbs tried to dodge the issue, and asked for it to be asked after the town hall meeting in question, but then Helen Thomas became involved, saying, “We have never had that in the White House. I’m amazed that you people … call for openness and transparency.”
Reid and Thomas didn’t let up for a second, especially Thomas.
To see the video, of the full exchange, Go Here Now.
Karl Rove opined on Fox News this morning that, to some extent, Gibbs had a point in saying that, since people are free to ask whatever questions they want, the president should be allowed to answer whichever questions he wants.
But Thomas didn’t see it that way. After the press conference, she told CNS News that Obama’s grip on the media is even greater than that of Richard Nixon.
"Nixon didn’t try to do that. They couldn’t control [the media]. They didn’t try that. What the hell do they think we are, puppets? They’re supposed to stay out of our business. They are our public servants. We pay them. I’m not saying there has never been managed news before, but this is carried to fare-thee-well - for the town halls, for the press conferences. It’s blatant. They don’t give a damn if you know it or not. They ought to be hanging their heads in shame."
© 2009 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
How can Obama answer extemporaneous questions? He’s still the same never-done-nothin’, no-experience poseur he was on January 19th — and he’s been on television, or partying or jet-setting all over the world to have learned anything since that date.
Diamond,
And he’s not improving one iota. In fact, I’d say he’s digging a hole for himself.
Lady G…that was the best exchange I have heard in sometime with the press….yes, the honeymoon is over with the press….and that arrogant gibbs could not handle it…even his nervous laugh showed he couldn’t handle it….if obama doesn’t get rid of this goon, he will only make obama look worse than he already is!!! Don’t need comedy writers when we have gibbs.
Libra,
I’ve got to disagree. By all means Gibbs should stay. We now know what Gibbs’ functions and responsibilities are. His attitude and demeanor are the very image of his boss. Greatness trickles down……and so does inexperience and cockiness.
Here’s to the press. May you continue to stand up to the dragon and throw water on his fire.
Libra: I am seeing our press finally starting to ask the tough questions…
I think the MSM is trying to save themselves. Everyone knows what’s going one. Obama is making a fool of the press as he is with all of us. Helen has it right, he has no shame. A liar and a fraud who has no shame can be a dangerous thing.
Do you mean the 75% from the CNN or MSNBC poll????
The current population in the United States is approximately: 303,824,640
Banruptcies in the United States in 2008: 1,200,000
As you can see, this is a very small percentage of Americans. How many file bankruptcy because of an illness? I believe the question should be, "How many Americans lived above their means all of their lives and when an illness came along, they had either dropped their health coverage or strapped themselves financially where they would sink if just one more bill arrived in the mail? They still drive their nice cars, have their big screen TV’s and nice clothes. Health care for these people were probably never a priority.
It is about personal responsibility and I believe this aministration wants us to believe that 60% of bankruptcies can be directly related to an illness. My question is: Do we really believe this or is this just another Obama Scare Tactic to further his agenda? My vote is "Scare Tactic."
I am merely providing information on what you can expect with Universal Healthcare. I am not basing my opinions on wealthy people driving around in nice cars because they will not be the ones to use this health care. They will stay with their private insurance carriers. Most people in Europe have universal healthcare AND their own private coverage. Imagine that! I wonder why that is? So, what does that equate to? Let’s see, higher taxes, probably higher than your health coverage premium was before AND you’ll have to supplement it with more coverage. For some reason, I am seeing "double."
Under Obama’s Universal Healthcare, one day you will need to go to a specialist so you’ll need to be prepared for this statement…"Sorry we aren’t taking anymore Universal Healthcare patients." Try someone else. It will be just like segregation was back in the 60’s. People will "avoid" it if at all possible.
Look, DeBurca, if you like Obama’s plan, then rejoice! I can tell you that millions of Americans will not rejoice because, like the stimulus, this administration will more than likely "get it wrong."