patrick.net

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/09/fact-check-mitt-romney-on-obamacare-and-pre-existing-conditions/

Mitt Romney said Sunday he doesn’t want to get rid of all of “Obamacare,” a statement that at first seemed to indicate he’d softened his position on President Obama’s health care law.
“Well, I’m not getting rid of all of health care reform,” Romney said on NBC’s ”Meet the Press.” ”Of course, there are a number of things that I like in health care reform that I’m going to put in place. One is to make sure that those with pre-existing conditions can get coverage. Two is to assure that the marketplace allows for individuals to have policies that cover their family up to whatever age they might like. I also want individuals to be able to buy insurance, health insurance, on their own as opposed to only being able to get it on a tax advantage basis through their company.”

Look I don't care what you think you know about Republicans.
Obama care is a republican's wet dream. It's got every thing, it's got a captive patronage, it's a monopoly, and the sky is the limit for profits.
What's a few million dollars on a patient, when you're raking 10 million for every million you spend on that patient?

You guys are still acting like Obama passed socialized medicine.

CaptainShuddup says

Obama care is a republican's wet dream. It's got every thing, it's got a captive patronage, it's a monopoly, and the sky is the limit for profits.

Well...it does not have everything. If only there was a way for them to get rid of having to cover any pre-existing conditions. Then it would have everything in that wet dream.

Now who would help them with that...?

CaptainShuddup says

Look I don't care what you think you know about Republicans.

Obama care is a republican's wet dream. It's got every thing, it's got a captive patronage, it's a monopoly, and the sky is the limit for profits.

What's a few million dollars on a patient, when you're raking 10 million for every million you spend on that patient?

You guys are still acting like Obama passed socialized medicine.

Which shows you why DC is so fucked right now. Obama compromised crazily to try and make the Republicans happy and they still use it against him. He should have put in a public option so that they would have a legitimate reason to be pissed.

I think what this shows is that Romney clearly is afraid to consider the "bad word" in the Republican party these days- Compromise.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/DC-Decoder/Decoder-Wire/2012/0910/Did-Mitt-Romney-misrepresent-his-health-care-proposals-on-Meet-the-Press

Did Mitt Romney stretch the truth about his health-care proposals during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday? That’s what some Democrats are charging Monday.

At issue is something the GOP nominee said during a discussion with host David Gregory about President Obama’s health-care reform law. Despite pushing similar state-based reforms when he was governor of Massachusetts, Romney opposes Obama’s health law, and has vowed to work to repeal it.

Romney told Gregory that he didn’t oppose the law in its entirety. He said there are parts of it that he’d like to duplicate in his own health plan.

Mitt Romney's epic incompetence

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/the_rumble/2012/09/mitt-romneys-epic-incompetence

On health care, Romney said that he wouldn’t get rid of all of Obamacare, even though he’s been saying for months that repealing the law will the first thing he’ll do upon taking office. Embarrassingly, only hours after making this statement he reversed it . . . twice. As Steve Benen noted, “over the course of one day, Romney went from supporting full repeal [of Obamacare] to partial repeal, while taking four different positions on protections with those with pre-existing conditions."

Mitt is the worst candidate in America to challenge Barack Obama. For every criticism that can be made of President Obama, Mitt is worse. It makes no sense to replace one person who signed ObamneyCare with another; Mitt's feigned opposition to the plan he signed proudly was never going to result in actual repeal. Even though I think ObamneyCare is a disaster, nevertheless it's clear that letting the Republicans get their Mittens on it would only make it worse.

"No, no -- I like mandates"

http://www.y6DrH6P9OC0

"If you can afford to buy insurance, then buy it. If you don't want to buy it, you've got to put enough money aside to pay your own way"

"and the sky is the limit for profits."

actually PPACA has the 15-20% MLR for insurance, this means insurance companies have to spend 80-85% of the premiums on care.

Now, HMOs like Kaiser are pigs in s--- with this, as they can just boost the care side costs to boost their overheads.

But theoretically they're in competition with the non-HMO major insurers -- alas, the entire idea of "competition" with something as critically important as health care is essentially cognitive damage caused by ideological attachments to fantasy.

Bellingham Bill says

HMOs like Kaiser are pigs in s--- with this, as they can just boost the care side costs to boost their overheads.

The largest insurers are buying corporate practice groups and hospital corporations to do the same thing. The MLR is merely an accounting tool, not a measure of quality, and it can easily be gamed by ordering up more C-T scans (for example) which are very profitable for the provider but dangerous for the patient. The difference between Obama and Romney is, with Romney, your C-T scan will be performed by Halliburton and your follow-up visit will be scheduled in Baghdad.

http://www.fda.gov/Radiation-EmittingProducts/RadiationEmittingProductsandProcedures/MedicalImaging/MedicalX-Rays/ucm115340.htm

Full-Body CT Scans - What You Need to Know

No Proven Benefits for Healthy People

FDA's Recommendation:
Before having a CT screening procedure, carefully investigate and consider the potential risks and benefits and discuss them with your physician.

"What's new is that CT is being marketed as a preventive or proactive health care measure to healthy individuals who have no symptoms of disease [but there are] No Proven Benefits for Healthy People."

Much of "preventive care" is actually harmful, i.e. injurious procedures marketed as prevention in order to get coverage with no co-pay. Buyer beware: nothing is free, and the patient may end up paying the ultimate price. Only a few "preventive care" services, e.g. vaccines, are really beneficial for healthy people.

Usually PREVENTION means quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet and getting appropriate exercise. Also check the house for radon, fasten your seat belt when in a car, etc.

Ruki says

the public overwhelmingly hates ObamaCare and thanks to SCOTUS, it is a major election issue.

Most voters disapprove of the mandate that SCOTUS upheld, but since the Republicans nominated Romney, the issue doesn't work for Republicans. Libertarians yes, maybe Greens, but not Romney.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2012/09/11/dan_rather_romney_running_a_campaign_with_more_twists_than_a_pretzel_factory.html

Dan Rather: Romney Running "A Campaign With More Twists Than A Pretzel Factory"

MSNBC: Dan Rather, anchor and managing editor of "Dan Rather Reports" on AXS TV, talks with Rachel Maddow about the failure of the Romney campaign to take a stand on any position long enough for the candidates to answer questions without having to take back the answers a few hours later.

"Here's his basic problem. We talked about it before. Does this man know what it is he believes? Is he willing to stick to it and fight for it? Whatever the truth of it is, the perception has been there from the beginning. This guy may not know really what he wants to do. These last few days have fuelled that. If he wins, he has to win on jobs and the economy. He can’t seem to keep the focus there and you can’t run a campaign with more twists than a pretzel factory," Dan Rather said on MSNBC's "Rachel Maddow Show" on Monday night.

Mitt Romney Re-Clarifies His Position On Obamacare On The Hugh Hewitt Show

http://www.wCsgrzFxGlA

"Well of course I'm going to repeal Obamacare," Romney said. "I've said that on the campaign trail, I think, every single day. Obamacare must be repealed -- in its entirety. It's bad policy, it's bad law, and frankly, a $2 trillion entitlement we don't want and we certainly can't afford.... Obamacare is a disaster in my opinion, and has to be repealed entirely."

I see. So Romney is for the "complete repeal" of the Affordable Care Act. That is, until Sunday, when he said he's "not getting rid of all" of the Affordable Care Act. That is, until Monday night, at which point he intends to destroy the "entirety" of the Affordable Care Act.

He also wants to eliminate the protections for those with pre-existing conditions, and he wants to keep the protections, and he wants to eliminate the protections, and he wants to keep the protections but not really.

Will he change his mind again today? And maybe again tomorrow? Your guess is as good as mine.

And therein lies the point: Romney's position on health care policy has slipped into incoherence. This shouldn't please anyone, least of all his allies who can no longer trust their candidate.

Bellingham Bill says

the entire idea of "competition" with something as critically important as health care is essentially cognitive damage caused by ideological attachments to fantasy

a.k.a American exceptionalism