George H.W. Bush coined the termed ‘voodoo economics’ while running against Ronald Reagan in the 1980 primaries. This was in reference to Reagan’s tax cut philosophy and those that derided it as ‘trickle down’ economics. Well, it now appears increasingly that President Obama is taking a page from the voodoo economics book as he tries to position his massive health reform plan as budget neutral. He claims it will not add to the deficit, yet the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) claims just the opposite. The President and his surrogates argue the ‘savings’ will materialize from cuts in health spending, especially Medicare and Medicaid, yet there is no logical evidence to support this belief.
There are over 75 million baby boomers that begin turning 65 in 2011 and continuing through 2029. That is a fact that cannot be ignored and those individuals will have to receive medical care. There is no getting around it, save for some Orwellian tactics and policies, which the administration adamantly states it is not considering. Yet, House bill 3200, the Democratic health reform bills has been craftily worded to allow maximum wiggle room, creating a health care reform plan with enough holes to qualify as Swiss cheese – something to be expected from a tome of over 1,000 pages.
Despite the intense aversion to the word rationing, the House proposed plan in essence will create just that, with a federal commission charged with determining what Medicare and Medicaid will pay for. Supposedly this will be under the guise of what is the best standard of care, yet American medicine , the most advanced in the world, has not always been able to determine that. Still, this politically appointed board it seems will receive the divine guidance necessary to make these decisions. Hardly. They will for all intents and purposes be bean counters, seeking to fit square pegs in round holes and in the end, they will limit options and access to health care to control ‘costs’ – this is the only logical outcome of this proposed system in view of the economic circumstances.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are proposals to expand eligibility for Medicaid, with mandatory enrollment which will expand the financial obligations of the federal government and the states as well. Additionally, there is no direct provision which would in any way prevent illegal aliens from receiving free care at the expense of the system and tax paying American citizens.
These two demographic facts alone betray the logic of Mr. Obama’s positions and add credence to the CBO’s projections. The CBO has long been considered by many, especially Democrats, to be a fair and neutral party in these debates, sticking to the facts and legitimate projections based on those facts, not theories or projections. The facts are that simple, common sense health reform is available if only the ELECTED representatives of the American people would so choose. They however, seem bent on there own visions of what health care should be, ignoring the long history of medicine and the many basic lessons that come from that history. It seems that the President and many of his followers prefer voodoo to common sense Real Health Reform . . . obi jo
Some of President Barack Obama’s health care numbers don’t seem to add up. And that’s complicating his efforts to pass his top domestic priority. Obama could be falling into the same trap that snagged George W. Bush when he was pushing private accounts for Social Security as part of his “ownership society” in 2005. Bush’s claims that the proposal would help shore up Social Security’s long-term finances were hard to document mathematically and wound up feeding greater public skepticism.
Obama claims his health effort will not dig the nation deeper into debt and over time will help reduce deficits. He has vowed to not sign any health bill that raises deficits.
But even the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says that none of the health plans pending on Capitol Hill would control long-term spending, and that ones with the elements Obama wants would add around $1 trillion to the deficit over the next 10 years.
Furthermore the CBO said an administration-backed independent council of medical experts to recommend Medicare cuts would only yield modest savings. Recent polls show increasing anxiety over federal budget deficits and the failure of Congress to figure out how to pay for health care overhaul.
Suggestions have ranged from taxes on soft drinks to a surcharge on wealthy individuals, from a tax on health insurance benefits paid by employers — opposed by Obama in last year’s campaign — to a proposed tax on insurance companies. That, plus letting existing Bush tax cuts expire for wealthier Americans.
Analysis: Some health care numbers don’t tally – http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obama_s_math_analysis
ANALYSIS: Some health care numbers don’t tally – http://www.neworleanscitybusiness.com/uptotheminute.cfm?recid=26068&userID=0&referer=dailyUpdate
Some of President Barack Obama’s health care numbers don’t seem to add up. And that’s complicating his efforts to pass his top domestic priority – http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2009591308_apusobamasmathanalysis.html
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