A Moment for Real Reform

Obama White House Can Save $3.7 Trillion and Extend Lifespan 29+ Years, Predicts Revolutionary A4M Healthcare Plan

A comprehensive program to reform and advance healthcare in the United States, The A4M Twelve-Point Actionable Healthcare Plan: A Blueprint for A Low Cost, High Yield Wellness Model of Healthcare by 2012 provides practicable "here and now" solutions to reform and advance healthcare in the US, while addressing the challenges of global aging. Implementation may save our society a projected $3.64 Trillion in healthcare costs, and extend the healthy lifespan of each of our nation's residents by up to 29 productive, vital years.

Complete references, supporting data, and projections may be viewed at: http://www.waaam.org/twelve_points_summary.php

Source: The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M), Chicago, IL
Website: www.worldhealth.net

Americans are truly fascinated with the fact that a US President can actually lead the nation and bring about change. As President Obama stated about his opponents, "These are the interests that have benefited from a system which allowed ordinary Americans to be exploited" . The president said he would stand up for his plans, saying: "While I'm not spoiling for a fight, I'm ready for one. The most important thing we can do to put this era of irresponsibility in the past is to take responsibility now." President Obama, the American people will fight alongside you, every step of the way......

Those in the leaderless GOP have in no uncertain terms given Americans the clear impression that they opoose major reform in the aftermath of our nation's mortgage meltdown, are willing to throw a wrench in curing our nation's "50 million uninsured" growing health crisis, and aren't even willing to offer struggling Americans a $4500 tax rebate if they buy a new, more fuel efficient vehicle.

What's the GOP's new platform, "No home, no health, no jobs, no car" ??? God Bless America

___

Alter's article leads one to believe the current adminstration has already cobbled up a workable plan for national health care. Before we rush headlong into something this expensive and something that will grow exponentially more expensive over time, it needs to have some more study, honest debate for a reality check, and more modeling as to just how expensive and do-able this plan is. When Alter says now is the time, he is obviously referring to a Dem majority in Congress and the President's (dropping) popularity. No one has said who will be treated in such a Utopic health care program. Does it include non-citizens, anyone who shows up at the hospital? This concept is not only a fantasy, it is reckless. Obama also recently said he would not support tort reform, which skims hundreds of millions of dollars out of the health care industry annually. The winners will be people who have never had a clue how to provide for themselves and who will likely never pay a dime of tax as well as the millions of illegals in the US and malpractice lawyers. The losers will be anyone who pays taxes, pays for health insurance, and the health care industry who will have to deal with a typical bureacratic quagmire and try to wade through a tsunami of patients and make some sense out this mess. I wish us all luck.

Current Issue/Financial Reform: If there ever was anything needed it is real financial reform, as has been so drastically demonstrated in every area of our economy. There can be no doubt that run away greed, gross dishonesty and irresponsible self-indulgence, tolerated and even condoned by a co-responsible government, has cost everyone significantly. To now want a watered down reform is to just ask for a repeat to occur sometime in the future. Contrary to what some say, those who have placated and patronized the offenders (their supporters) all along, enacting weak measures now would only be playing politics and accomplish little. Once strong rules, regulations and enforcements are put in place and control and adherence is observed, if seen as needed, adjustments can be made. To do it the other way around is to ask for more trouble and just to pacifying those, industry and politicians, at the base of the current problems.

Alter...its hard to know even where to begin in your blindingly ignorant recounting of why we don't have a cradle-to-grave national health plan. But the one that stands out the most is your mythology that by having a government option we can control costs. Capping anything has NEVER resulted in controlling costs. Government HAS NEVER controlled costs of anything it has involved itself in...in fact, it only causes the costs to rise exponentially. Look at the military, look the post office, look at Amtrak, Medicare, Medicaid, etc....where in any of those ventures has government shown itself able to "control costs?" WHERE??? Basic economics has shown time and time again that artificial caps of anything only creates scarcity...which then creates higher costs. YES, controlling costs is the key...but having Uncle Sam try it is akin to throwing gasoline on a fire to put it out. The answers aren't all that political but are damn complicated...and lie in the allowance of greater numbers of providers, insurance players, and suppliers so that things become cheaper just be the nature of an over-flooded marketplace. Today, its all screwed up because of the massive impact of Medicare and Medicaid on the reimbursement system...and the massive amounts of regulations restricting the creation of more private insurance options.

Healthcare should be under government and not run by businessmen. Business is to make profit, lots of profit. But business has its risks andin the case of insurance which what the healthcare is all about, the risk is so huge. The main problem is this business is managed by greedy people.

But public healthcare run the risk of everything being lackasaidical, inefficiency and shortages.

The best is to have both private and public healthcare available to those who can and those who can't afford.

NOBODY speaks of personal responsibility and accountability... the ONLY way to effect meaningful healthcare reform is to get people to STOP SMOKING and to LOSE WEIGHT. Smoking and obesity are the number 1 and 2 costs of healthcare. Flat out do not cover anyone who smokes..... It is their choice ... if they smoke they aren't covered for healthcare.... further do not cover people who are obese... if they want to continue stuffing their faces and not exercise why should anyone else cover their healthcare costs. Healthcare is NOT a constitutional right.... the constitution only gives us the rights to " life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". Wake up Americans ! Quit smoking , eat reasonably, and exercise! BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOURSELVES.. not something the Democratic Party likes to hear. The Democratic Party is basically buying votes by promising entitlements to their voters.

How do we finance healthcare reform? The number 1 and 2 costs of healthcare are smoking and obesity. Tax tobacco so that a pack of cigarettes cost $ 50 .. use these taxes to fund healthcare. Tax high calorie foods and drinks???. Make a regular fountain soda at your local McDonalds cost $5-$10 and a diet version only 50 cents. Use these taxes to pay for healthcare???.. The bad news is if people stop smoking and lose weight we will not generate additional taxes??? the GOOD NEWS is if people stop smoking and lose weight HEALTHCARE COSTS will GO DOWN.

Why should people that don't use health care be forced to pay for it? I have enough goverment run groups eating away my paycheck without that albatross. I think that if you want health care, you should buy it with your own money. Personally, I'll be better off in the long run if I put those funds into paying off my house and saving for retirement. Regardless of whether or anyone agrees with me, the fact is that I'm the person who gets out of bed every morning to earn my resources, which means that I should be the one who decides how to dispose of them.

For those that want to complain that they will have to pick up the tab if I need health care and haven't bought into the system, I can only tell you that if you don't want to pay for other people's health care, don't nationalize it.

If you want to watch health care prices go down in a hurry, put it back into a free market system.

Jonathan,
I am experiencing an unfortunately no unique perspective on this matter. Four weeks ago, I was laid off (replaced by H1B, I am sure) and so lost my Blue Cross. I just arrived home from spending 460.00 at the pharmacy. Only two of the drugs do not have generics, and the most expensive of the lot IS a generic. There is no point at all in reforming health care without controlling costs, as you state. Instead of bankrupting households, we will bankrupt the nations. Sorry guys, I no longer respect your right to make billions at my expense. There is no competition in the market; it is tightly controlled. Costs will spiral out of control unless they are completely regulated, and probably (and this is a big thing for me to say this) essentially nationalized. They should not blame me or you for this. They should blame themselves. They have forced this hand.

Obama cannot oblige his corporate "handlers" and help the people of this nation with any true healthcare reform. He hasn't done anything yet that hasn't been disappointing. Why should things change now?? I predict RIGHT NOW that in 4 years, Guantanamo is STILL open, we are STILL fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, we will have NO healthcare reform, and the banksters are gonna go right on screwing us with his blessing. Our government is a joke. Obama is the punchline. I am not laughing.

Here's a stretch, Meachum...perhaps the reason that comprehensive healthcare reform fails every time is that it people recognize each and every time that it won't work. Did that ever cross your mind? Or is the liberal nirvana of Big Daddy Government and Cardle-to-Grave caretaking of every aspect of our lives just too blinding to see anything else.
Keep enjoying the cocktail parties, John.

I realize that there are many people who work at low paying service jobs who have no heath insurance. My only concern about the federal government managing health care is that most everything that the federal government manages is a disaster. I hear that medicare will be insolvent by 2019 and that social security will be insolvent @ 2039. So why should anybody believe that a group of political hacks and beuaracraps can somehow manage our health care. What would be ideal is if we could go back to a system where health insurance would pay for an unexpected hospitalization. In the old days (30 - 40 years ago), I would go to a doctor for a routine visit and pay for the cost myself. Of course, the fees were reasonable and visiting a doctor was like going to any other business. Incidentally, when we buy auto insurance we use it cover us in case of a wreck (an emergency). We don't use car insurance to pay for oil changes, tire rotations, etc. Why can't medical insurance be more like other insurance coverage? Or should we expect the government to cover our home, life, and auto insurance?