Trailer for Anti-Romney movie

[Conan71]

Your assumption is that everyone that's uninsured is that way because they're too unhealthy for insurance companies to take risks on.  And while that's undoubtedly part of it, a huge part of people being uninsured is because they simply can't afford it, not based on their health. 

I'd bet that most of the folks newly brought in to the system would spend their coverage on preventative medicine -- cancer screenings, physicals, twice a year dentist visits, all the basic stuff -- which could impact the bottom line much more positively by simply catching issues before they metastasize (so to speak) and get more expensive to the insurance companies.

Granted, there are some who don't have the means to buy health insurance, that's what Medicaid is for.  If someone doesn't meet the means testing for Medicaid and refuses to buy their own health insurance, then what is the conclusion?  There's a good portion of those who "can't afford" health insurance or regular visits to the doctor's office who choose not to afford health care.  We all prioritize our finances, regardless of income.  I've known people making $50K+ a year self-employed and single who don't have health insurance.  Instead a Corvette, a $5000 balance on their Best Buy card, or a large boat payment has been their priority.

It doesn't take everyone who is uninsured starting to use the claims pool.  Even a 20 or 30% increase in major medical claims could cause huge increases in premiums.  As well, start adding up all the MRI's, CAT scans, and PET scans which will now become commonplace and for which we already pay asinine rates and primary care will cause premiums to climb as well.

Our problem in this country with our healthcare system and it's outcomes has more to do with an indifferent attitude toward preventative health care  beyond regular PCP visits which starts with simple things like a better diet, regular exercise, avoiding tobacco, and moderate use of alcohol.  But we've thrown trillions of dollars at educating the public on healthier lifestyles, taxed the crap out of tobacco, alcohol and regulated all sorts of other detrimental substances and yet there's still a good portion of our population which could be accurately described as unhealthy.

[Townsend]

Here comes Palin firing off the port bow...

http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/ballot-2012/2012/01/12/palin-to-romney-show-proof-of-job-creation-at-bain?s_cid=rss:ballot-2012:palin-to-romney-show-proof-of-job-creation-at-bain

As Mitt Romney's main Republican rivals back off from challenging the former governor on his record as head of private equity firm Bain Capital, former GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin backed up Gov. Rick Perry, who has doubled down on calling Romney a "vulture capitalist," saying the Texas Republican is just holding his rival accountable.

"Sometimes it gets rough-and-tumble as you try to hold these candidates accountable for what they are claiming," Palin told Fox News' Sean Hannity Wednesday.

Her defense of Perry strikes some as odd, especially given the advice of other conservatives who have warned Romney's rivals against attacking the GOP frontrunner's business record.

"If you were running a campaign, would that be your line against Gov. Romney?," Hannity asked. "Are they attacking the fundamentals of conservatism, which is we support capitalism?"


"I think what Gov. Perry is getting at is that Gov. Romney has claimed to have created 100,000 jobs at Bain and people are wanting to know, 'Is there proof of that claim and was it U.S. jobs created for U.S citizens?'"

"Own up to the claims being made," Palin added. "That's not negative campaigning, that's fair to get a candidate to be held accountable to what's being claimed especially when it comes to job creation."

Romney endured a firestorm of attacks this week concerning his 15-year tenure heading Bain Capital, during which he claims to have created 100,000 jobs. The campaign has yet to produce documentation supporting that number.

[Conan71]

....And heeeeere comes irrelevant Sarah to take a shot at ruining another promising GOP campaign.

Someone give her a better reality show, a prime time talk slot on Fox, and a pony already.

[Hoss]

....And heeeeere comes irrelevant Sarah to take a shot at ruining another promising GOP campaign.

Someone give her a better reality show, a prime time talk slot on Fox, and a pony already.

I think the best thing I ever saw her (well, actually more on Todd) on was Larry the Cable Guy's show "Only in America".  He went to Alaska to go moose hunting (yes) and decided he'd head over to the Palin's on Lake Lucille.  Todd came out and came off as being an incredibly nice guy and tried to get Larry to go up in his seaplane, but Larry declined.

Couldn't get Sarah on camera save for her retreating from the house to the driveway.  Granted it was said she didn't have any makeup on, and the camera got a distant shot of her.  For whatever reason, they blurred her face.  I found that a little odd.

But then again, considering the source, maybe not so much.

[Teatownclown]

Granted, there are some who don't have the means to buy health insurance, that's what Medicaid is for.  If someone doesn't meet the means testing for Medicaid and refuses to buy their own health insurance, then what is the conclusion?  There's a good portion of those who "can't afford" health insurance or regular visits to the doctor's office who choose not to afford health care.  We all prioritize our finances, regardless of income.  I've known people making $50K+ a year self-employed and single who don't have health insurance.  Instead a Corvette, a $5000 balance on their Best Buy card, or a large boat payment has been their priority.

It doesn't take everyone who is uninsured starting to use the claims pool.  Even a 20 or 30% increase in major medical claims could cause huge increases in premiums.  As well, start adding up all the MRI's, CAT scans, and PET scans which will now become commonplace and for which we already pay asinine rates and primary care will cause premiums to climb as well.

Our problem in this country with our healthcare system and it's outcomes has more to do with an indifferent attitude toward preventative health care  beyond regular PCP visits which starts with simple things like a better diet, regular exercise, avoiding tobacco, and moderate use of alcohol. But Insurance industries, government we've BIG PHARMA and corporations have thrown trillions of dollars atpaid lip service to educating the public on healthier lifestyles, taxed the crap out of tobacco, alcohol and regulated all sorts of other detrimental substances and yet there's still a good portion of our population which could be accurately described as unhealthy.

Agreed except with some adjustment....

You know, ya caint fix broken.....

Vets should be able to access any hospital.

Let's hope Mitty gets the nomination. If moderates switch to Huntsman, he could be trouble... nobody hates Huntsman (with magic underwear) the way most GOP hate Romney.

But I'm loving the way they are circling the wagons around Mitt. All in one place, they'll be easier to pick off. And Sarah now represents the "populist" wing of the GOP. Weird.

[Townsend]

Could Mitt Romney be America's first Hispanic president?

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/12/opinion/romney-hispanic-roots/index.html?npt=NP1

Or should I say, "primo!" As much as it embarrasses me to admit it, given some of his views and how he expresses them, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee and I could be distant cousins. Romney's father, George, was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, and so was my grandfather, Roman.

Que? You didn't know that Mitt Romney was half-Mexican? It's true. In fact, if he makes it to the White House, in addition to becoming the first Mormon in the Oval Office, he could also be the nation's first Hispanic president.

[Teatownclown]

Hard to get his bloodline straight....great grand daddy was forced to move into Mexico or face incarceration for having 5 wives at one time.

It will be interesting if he decides to reunify with his blood relatives. He'd be on the spot having them come to the inaugural which won't be happening any way.

[Conan71]

Hard to get his bloodline straight....great grand daddy was forced to move into Mexico or face incarceration for having 5 wives at one time.

It will be interesting if he decides to reunify with his blood relatives. He'd be on the spot having them come to the inaugural which won't be happening any way.

So in the Mormon ghettos in Salt Lake City and Provo, do they say: "Who's my mommy!?!?!?!"

Oh, BTW, I liked your edit on my earlier post.  Spot-on on the gov't/pharma/big biz connection.

[we vs us]

IN re: healthcare expenditures, it turns out that 5% of patients account for 50% of spending.

The top 5% of spenders paid an annual average of $35,829 in doctors' bills. By comparison, the bottom half paid an average $232 and made up about 3% of total costs.

Aside from the fact that such a tiny fraction of the country was responsible for so much of our expenses, it also found that high spenders often repeated from year to year. Those chronically ill patients skewed white and old and were twice as likely to be on public health care as the general population.

So the elderly and the chronically ill tend to "overuse" the system.  So do people on "public health care," though that could include medicaid (for the poor) or medicare (for elderly of all income levels) so isn't a strike solely against the poor. 

The reverse of that number, though -- that 95% of insured Americans only cost the system 50% of its current load -- should be heartening.  That means that the vast majority aren't overtaxing the system and are using the their resources intelligently. 

[nathanm]

This is my shocked face.

We've known for a long time that the old folks are where most of the money goes in health care. I'm OK with that, personally.