Livehealthcaresummitblog7

Best new catchphrase (and movie pitch) from summit:

Undercover Patient.


Schumer notes that we can’t health care costs without cutting waste in Medicare, hits R’s for saying you can’t cut Medicare.

Sen John Kyl
We do not agree with the question on who should be in charge.
Do you trust your doc or do you trust Washington.

Oh, he’s going back to the premiums. Quotes a letter from CBO; premiums will go up because it’s a richer benefit, because the government would mandate it. Getting into acturarial tables. Govt will mandate that insurance will cover more things, so premiums will go up. Taxes.

Kyl has a big pile of papers in front of him, and danged if I don’t take him more seriously. Best use of props.

Taxes, fees, will increase the cost to the consumer. That’s why R’s would rather start by not having to raise a lot of money to pay for bill, instead take it piece by piece.

(my question: how many years til we get reform that addresses the real problems that way? 5? 10? 25?)

Obama responds:
Premium argument. If I’m self-employed, can’t get coverage. High deductible plan: it’s not health insurance, it’s house insurance. (good phrase) What CBO is saying: if I have an opportunity to buy good insurance, costs more but is real insurance. So yes I’m paying more because instead of buying an apple I’m getting an orange.

The federal benefit has a minimum benefit that all in congress enjoy. We’re saying we’re going to do the same thing for others that we do for ourselves. Saying there’s a baseline of coverage is not some radical idea. A lot of states do it.

I just want to point out the issue of gvot regulation is very different than the way this has been framed. This is not a government takeover of insurance. (He’s hammering home that point, I guess it needs to be said)

James Clyborn is talking up community health centers as a way to address cost and access issues. No matter what we do, there should be sig. expansion of those centers.