Polls Show 81% Of Americans Believe Healthcare Bill Will Cost More
By Julie Smith on March 11, 2010, 7:48 amA recent study found that a vast majority of Americans believe Congress’ current health care bill will cost taxpayers more than Washington’s official projections. The telephone poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports found participants’ views were mostly cynical about proposed healthcare reform, and worried about cost and the plan’s impact on the economy.
American’s Weigh In On The Issue
81% of those surveyed said it was some what likely the Congressional Budget Office’s estimates for the proposed health care bill underestimates the bills true cost. 66% of that number believe it is very likely the bill will be more expensive. Only 10% of survey participants believed the actual cost for the proposed bill would not be over the CBO’s estimates. The poll also found that 57% of the population believe the bill will hurt the economy, while only 25% believed the bill will help it. 66% said the bill would raise the deficit and the majority of those surveyed also believed Congress would likely have to raise taxes on the middle class to pay for health care reform. 78% said it was somewhat likely and includes 65% of people who said it was very likely. 53% said they were against the current plan altogether
Congress’ Official Projections
The CBO’s official projection for the health care reform puts total costs around $848 billion for the next 10 years, a price Democrats have defended for extending medical coverage to 30 million Americans. The projections also point to a decrease in the federal deficit, as much as $130 billion over the next ten years. The Obama administration has been vocal about the savings in the bill, promising the costs will not have to be paid by a middle-class tax increase. Obama and proponents of reform say the bill creates savings by eliminating waste and streamlining the healthcare system.
Related posts:
- Healthcare Bill’s Passing Gives Government 17% Control Of US Economy
- Pelosi To Initiate The Suicidal Reconciliation Healthcare Ins. Battle
- Healthcare Bill Likely To Destroy Ins Co’s & Replace With Gov Plan
- Obama Healthcare Bill Strips Away America’s Rights
- Healthcare Insurance: What Would Be The Impact Of Tort Reform?
OC the taxpayers will pay more money to the private insurance companies. But so will middle class working people.
The big lie about this bill is that it “extends coverage” to millions of people.
What it does force those “uncovered” millions to pay thousands of dollars out of their pockets for a product they have decided they cannot afford and don’t want.
Health Care Reform is Easy
The republicans have used reconciliation on health care before plenty of times – heck they created the whole CHIP program – via reconciliation. Dear lord stop swallowing the kool-aid – this isn’t a sporting event my side versus your side (do you think the status quo might be aware of the concept of divide and conquer – don’t be such dupes)
People, people, people – this is about getting our dollars back from the richest 1% that hoard them at the top (there is no such thing as trickle down) or For Profit insurance wouldn’t be killing the middle class, driving people with health insurance into bankruptcy, and tying a dead weight around small business and even the bigger national corporations – this has to get done – our politicians are playing games to get elected….
They are not “governing” but manipulating voter sentiment to whip up turn out to try and win elections – not based on any specific philosophy of governing but for plain old self interest.
Actual governing takes a huge back seat to “will I get re-elected” – the easiest way to solve the health care debacle of for profit health care is simple – but handing a success to the other party – isn’t how the political “game” is played.
Unfortunately our lives are caught in the cross fire of their STUPID GAME. And because of game playing we deregulated everything and created the global financial meltdown – ooppps – maybe proper management would have prevented that – but politics has never been about properly managing our resources – its about GETTING RE-ELECTED.
Healthcare is easy – here’s how –
“Use Senate reconciliation and expand Medicare via the Senate’s buy-in provisions. The CBO has already signed off on this as a means of saving money.
More importantly, if more Americans can do a buy-in with Medicare, it creates more cost control (because there’s a genuine competitor to for-profit healthcare).
It also helps to solve the problems of pre-existing conditions, because Medicare does not deny coverage on this basis.
Allowing a Medicare buy-in to Americans under 65 would give people a genuine alternative to private insurance and thereby render the pre-existing question moot.
It would also lower Medicare costs by expanding the risk pool of patients (the great bulk of medical expenses are accounted for by a small number of people, mostly the elderly, requiring very expensive treatment).
And it would substantially enhance the global competitiveness of American corporations. After all, in what other country in the world is health care a marginal cost of production for business?” – Roosevelt Institute Marshall Auerback
Now get out there tell your neighbors, your friends, pick up the phone and email your representatives – because whether you like it or not we are all in this together – and it’s us versus the politicians – not each other.
Paul Burke
Author Journey Home
Democracy For America
“People, people, people – this is about getting our dollars back from the richest 1% that hoard them at the top (there is no such thing as trickle down)”
Really? The rich hoard their own money? How dare they. Why do you attack the rich for being rich when they pay the majority of the taxes in this country. Does your book “Journey Home” reference where your Journey home takes you? I assume a socialist country.
Oh, and Health Care IS easy. Let everyone carry high deductable plans that are inexpensive, and cap the maximum outlay of money. People then can establish an HSA account that doubles as an investment account, unlike an FSA. This makes people actually take part in the cost of their healthcare, as they look at it like shopping. Also, help those that cannot afford the program by letting them volunteer for credit. Why should there be free handouts?
Why wouldn’t this work? Oh, it’s personal responsibility that nobody wants anymore, that’s right! Nationalized health care will just further divide classes, as the rich will then go to “private clinics” that will be established by doctors that are looking to make more money than they could through the government reimbursements. The rich will then be able to get quick healthcare, and the poor and middle class will be waiting months to see the doctor.
Tom,
You are correct. The American consumer does not act like a consumer when it comes to healthcare. We have been conditioned to never ask how much something costs or even question if we NEED to go to the doctor or have a procedure done.
Health care needs to have some free-market consumerism introduced to the industry. Reduce the cost of doing business by reducing the amount and the reasons for legal awards in courts. Medicine is not an exact science for crying out loud. Bad outcomes happen. Eventually the doctors really screw up and we actually die no matter what we do.