Tottering -- Harry Reid's Senate Healthcare Bill -- 61% of Americans Oppose (CNN Poll)

Like the majority of Americans, we oppose these huge healthcare bills in the Senate and the House that add a ton of earmarks to the budget including Reid buying votes with earmarks to bring it to the floor of the Senate. Then Reid tells everyone they are staying in DC to discuss healthcare this weekend when the reason is appropriations bills. When does Reid tell the truth? These bills that keep the Government running should have been taken care of months ago not wait until December but the Congress was in a rush to spend taxpayer dollars on non-essential items that a review of the stimulus by Senators McCain and Coburn is proving. We cannot fathom the fraud, waste, and abuse that would happen if this healthcare bill from the House or Senate becomes law.

Friday, December 11, 2009
Tottering
[Rich Lowry]

The Reid bill is really tottering now. "If this thing falls apart, you can look back to today as the tipping point," says a Republican aide in the Senate, echoing what Lamar Alexander notes in the Costa post below.

First, there was last night's CNN poll showing 61 percent opposition.

A new CNN/Opinion Research poll shows most Americans are wary of ongoing discussions in the Senate to overhaul the nation's health care system.

As you may know, the U.S. Senate is considering a bill that would make major changes in the country's health care system. Based on what you have read or heard about that bill, do you generally favor it or generally oppose it? 36% Favor, 61% Oppose

The survey of 1,041 adults was taken Dec. 2-3 and has a margin of error of 3 percent.

Then, there was the devastating CMS report today. "Nobody went to the floor that I could see to defend it on the Democratic side," says the aide.

The back-drop for all this is the non-deal that Reid hyped as a break-through earlier this week, only to have it unravel almost immediately. Even Bill Nelson says the Medicare buy-in is basically a "non-starter." "You're starting to see other Democrats nibbling around the edges," the aide says.

He predicts that if one Democrat comes out clearly against the Reid bill, others will follow, in a dynamic like the unexpectedly decisive defeat of the amnesty bill a few years ago. Reid also has to worry about the clock.

He needs everything to break exactly right—a CBO score coming in on Monday, a score that's good, no intervening, unexpected drama—to force a final showdown next weekend. If he goes to Christmas break without a bill, it gets much harder to pick up the pieces in January. Since the Senate debate began, the bill has only gotten more unpopular. It’s all still in flux obviously, but we just might be watching the bill fall apart before our eyes.

Source: Natonal Review and CNN/Opinion Research poll

In researching the details of the Medicare Buy-In we discovered that Doctors and Hospitals are now opposing this portion of Reid Healthcare bill. This idea that Reid and the Democrats are putting this patchwork list of items posing as the Healthcare bill is mind boggling. No real thought has been given to this monster of a bill except to keep adding earmarks and adding to the cost.

Will healthcare improve with these monstrous bills -- no way and the American people are waking up to the fact that the Senate version of this bill is a debacle. Medicare is almost broke but they want to add more people.

In Oklahoma The Oklahoma Health Care Authority board voted unanimously to cut nearly $17 million in the state's Medicaid program Thursday, but left payments to providers such as hospitals, doctors and nursing homes untouched. But Mike Fogarty, chief executive officer, warned that state legislators have indicated additional cuts are likely so providers likely will face a 1 percent reduction in Medicaid payments.

We believe what is happening in Oklahoma is the tip of the iceberg in many state's Medicaid funding which funds healthcare for those that can least afford the cost. Instead of this collage of healthcare proposals they call a bill, the House and Senate need to work in a bi-partisan fashion to get it right not ram something through just so Obama can say he passed his healthcare bill in his first year. That is a poor reason do anything.

Until this Congress puts Tort Reform in the Healthcare bill, costs will continue to skyrocket out of control because of lawsuits -- some of those lawsuits only happen because of ambulance chasing trial attorneys. The amount paid by some doctors for malpractive insurance is a crime but do you see the Democrats taking on that issue? So far crickets chirping.

Heritage has weighed in on the latest proposal to be thrown out to made people who are 55 eligible to buy into Medicare a system that is going broke in 2017 if not sooner.

The Reid Compromise Does Nothing to Improve A Very Bad Senate Health Bill
10 Dec 2009

Although the details have not been released, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has floated yet another potential “compromise” to his health care bill. There appear to be two broad elements: a federal insurance plan run by the Office of Personal Management and a Medicare buy-in option for Americans over 55.

Don’t Be Fooled. There is nothing new or original about these ideas. Both these policies have been recycled from previously failed efforts. Senator John Kerry’s (D-MA) health care proposal from his 2004 failed Presidential bid included a federal plan run by the Office of Personal Management (OPM). The Medicare buy-in was proposed by President Clinton in 2000. Those ideas were bad when they were introduced and are no better today.

New Federal Insurance Plan. The compromise proposal appears to envision giving the Office of Personal Management the authority to contract with a private, non-profit to administer a special federal health plan. There are several key problems with such an approach. First, running a stand alone health plan, in effect, a public plan for the entire nation, will undoubtedly result in higher taxpayer costs. In other words, the size of government, once again will grow. Taxpayers can expect new demands for funding. (snip)

Medicare Buy In. The compromise proposal suggests allowing individuals 55 to 64 to “buy-in” to the Medicare program early. This too has multiple problems. First, opening Medicare will lead to selection issues. As CBO points out, enrollees would likely be higher users of medical services which would be reflected in higher premiums. To address this, the government may likely subsidize these enrollees, adding more cost to the taxpayers. (snip)

Still Plenty Wrong With The Bill. Regardless of the merits of Majority Leader Reid’s latest attempt at a compromise, there is plenty wrong with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – massive consolidation of regulatory authority over health care to the federal government; unintended consequences of the employer mandate; constitutional concerns over the individual mandate; inequities created through the subsidy structure; massive Medicaid expansion; Medicare “savings” shifted out of Medicare; and a flood of new taxes that impact Americans regardless of income – to name just a few.

Except: Read More at Heritage.org

BOTTOM LINE: Take the time and do it right or do nothing at all would be better then what we are witnessing. The Government should be cutting not expanding. What we found astounding comes from a poll done by CNN which should tell, Reid, Pelosi, and Obama to slow down this healthcare bill and get it right: