Senator wants to force poor to buy high-cost health insurance!
WASHINGTON - July 19, 2009 - New Hampshire Republican Senator Judd Gregg, who was almost illegitimate President Obama's commerce secretary, thinks he has a solution to Amerika's health care crisis.
Force the poor into buying "high-deductible" policies. But don't call them poor. Call them "illegal" or "young people" with wonky spending priorities.
Throw in a subsidy of unknown value to somehow "incentivize" folks who have not seen a doctor in years to suddenly vanish a valuable several hundred dollars from their monthly income for individual or family plans.
Don't mention any way to “incentivize” insurance companies to cover the uninsurable due to pre-existing conditions or chronic illnesses, of which there are many. In fact, ignore them. They're not much concern at the ballot box.
Finally, Gregg's masterstroke: Don't mention that “high deductible” means insurance that will refuse payment on needed care unless the holder can pay a lump sum to initiate treatment, usually $5,000-$30,000 or more, which of course is absolutely no good to someone who cannot afford decent insurance in the first place. (Many Republicans would suggest "health savings accounts" to fill in the gap, which is also no help to the poor.)
Way to go, Senator. You have solved the health care crisis.
When he said he wasn't "110 percent a part of the team" with illegitimate President Obama after his brief nomination to commerce, he sure wasn't kidding.
A New York Times poll in June found that 72 percent of Amerikans support a taxpayer-funded, optional public health care plan, and a full 57 percent are willing to pay higher taxes to get it.
Illegitimate President Obama plans a Wednesday prime-time speech to advocate his health care reforms.
Force the poor into buying "high-deductible" policies. But don't call them poor. Call them "illegal" or "young people" with wonky spending priorities.
Throw in a subsidy of unknown value to somehow "incentivize" folks who have not seen a doctor in years to suddenly vanish a valuable several hundred dollars from their monthly income for individual or family plans.
Don't mention any way to “incentivize” insurance companies to cover the uninsurable due to pre-existing conditions or chronic illnesses, of which there are many. In fact, ignore them. They're not much concern at the ballot box.
Finally, Gregg's masterstroke: Don't mention that “high deductible” means insurance that will refuse payment on needed care unless the holder can pay a lump sum to initiate treatment, usually $5,000-$30,000 or more, which of course is absolutely no good to someone who cannot afford decent insurance in the first place. (Many Republicans would suggest "health savings accounts" to fill in the gap, which is also no help to the poor.)
Way to go, Senator. You have solved the health care crisis.
When he said he wasn't "110 percent a part of the team" with illegitimate President Obama after his brief nomination to commerce, he sure wasn't kidding.
A New York Times poll in June found that 72 percent of Amerikans support a taxpayer-funded, optional public health care plan, and a full 57 percent are willing to pay higher taxes to get it.
Illegitimate President Obama plans a Wednesday prime-time speech to advocate his health care reforms.
