Just What Is the Ryan Medicare Plan?

OK - Just What Is the Ryan Medicare Plan?

“ As proposed, the Ryan Medicare plan resembles the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP).  In the FEHBP model the government provides a set financial contribution each year.  Employees and retirees have a variety of options, including catastrophic coverage plans with high deductibles, health maintenance organizations, and high-end plans with many choices of doctors and other providers.  Everyone has a choice of at least 10 fee-for-service plans, but the exact number varies by where an enrollee lives. The Ryan plan also resembles the health insurance model developed over the years in Germany.  Under the German system, seniors choose insurance coverage from among a list of approved, competing nongovernmental "sickness funds" (Krankenkassen).  Those insurers, in turn, pay for healthcare provided by private physicians and hospitals with beneficiaries and the government each paying a share of healthcare premiums. A major difference between the two plans, however, is that Ryan Medicare provides a fixed payment toward insurance premium reimbursement which increases with the cost of living as measured by the general consumer price index (CPI).  To the extent that healthcare costs exceed the CPI, that excess must be borne by the individual. [American Thinker - What Is the Ryan Medicare Plan?] ” One big reason why Democrats are so easily able to demagogue the health-care issue is,  I think, that just trying to read this Medicare synopsis (none of which I included above) is so goddamn boring. It's like reading all the fine print on the tax form booklet we used to get every January.  But, try anyway. You'll be health-care maven of your Mahjong club.

Waiting Game

H/T SondraK

Pelosi invades Russia

Dems giddy, GOP USA glum as vote looms “ On Thursday, Capitol Hill Democrats smiled. A lot. They walked with a spring in their step, some whistling a jaunty tune. Only Sen. John Kerry wore a long face, and yet even he was happy. ”

Only John Kerry wore a long face. That has to be the best story lede in  WaTimes history!  But, why are Democrats smiling over having to twist senate and house rules, not to mention the U.S. Constitution, into an unrecognizable monstrosity, in order to impose upon us legislation we hate?  I suppose Hitler's inner circle also had a "spring in their steps" as they invaded Russia. [http://tinyurl.com/Hitler-Invades-Russia]

Barone on Slaughter

The House voted this afternoon by a 222-203 margin to pass the “Slaughter solution”   but ...   the House leadership is still significantly short of 216 votes on final passage

Keep Moving, Nothing to do here

Spontaneous Civil Disapprobation

“ People in  Kemper County ,  MS have a warped sense of humor. This is the fork at Highway 39N and Fire Tower Road . A deer was hit there. The couch was dumped there previously. Day two the deer was on the couch. Day three the end table and lamp showed up. Day four the TV and TV stand showed up. The Highway Patrol had to call MS DOT because of all the people stopping to take pictures. The cardboard caption in front of the deer on the couch reads, "Sorry Hunters. Obama ruined healthcare. We can't afford to have injured hunters on our conscience, so I'm staying home! Sorry, the Deer." ” Rick B

Robert Byrd and Reconciliation

Byrd touches himself,

Watch why he stopped Clinton's Healthcare reconciliation attempt. So, will the senate's Grand Kleegle stop Obamacare reconciliation?   Why no, because this time the deficit is being reduced.  “ I believed then, as now, that the Senate should debate the health reform bill under regular rules, which it did. The result of that debate was the passing of a comprehensive health care reform bill in the Senate by a 60-vote supermajority. I continue to support the budget reconciliation process for deficit reduction. The entire Senate- or House- passed health care bill could not and would not pass muster under the current reconciliation rules, which were established under my watch. Yet a bill structured to reduce deficits by, for example, finding savings in Medicare or lowering health care costs, may be consistent with the Budget Act, and appropriately considered under reconciliation. With all due respect, the Daily Mail’s hyperbole about “imposing government control,” acts of “disrespect to the American people” and “corruption” of Senate procedures resembles more the barkings from the nether regions of Glennbeckistan than the “sober and second thought” of one of West Virginia’s oldest and most respected daily newspapers. [Full] ”

Pass the salt?

Rejectio ad absurdum

Government controlled heath care has always been comprised of two disagreeable components. "More expensive and vastly more inefficient," describes the first.  It's here that the battle against, what has become the Administration's  bricolage of crap, bribes, and falsehoods has been focused.   But skulking in the wings is the second, more sinister consequence.  Government control of every aspect of our lives. It's difficult to introduce this argument, because it smacks of politics, and will thus cause those schooled in the joy of gummint to lash out, like sharks, at anything that moves.  So, how fortuitous that, at this crucial juncture, the enemy have once again overreached.  Absurdly so. A bill introduced in the New York Legislature would ban the use of salt in restaurant cooking. In just 17 words, Liberals have painted a mind bubble  that every man, woman, and child in the country will see, and comprehend.  Pass the popcorn, but without salt. :)

Pelosikaze

CNN Poll: Majority says government a threat to citizens' rights

ideological kamikaze “ The survey indicates a partisan divide on the question: only 37 percent of Democrats, 63 percent of Independents and nearly 7 in 10 Republicans say the federal government poses a threat to the rights of Americans. ” This warms the cockles of my heart, it does.  First,  CNN's finely tuned polling database yielding that result extrapolates to something like 60% from reliable sources.  Second, the  "only 37 percent of Democrats" number, added to those of regular Americans, is formidable.    Now, the mystery.  More than anything else, it's the specter of gummint grabbing control of  health care that's responsible for those numbers. Why then have Obamunists adopted a timetable calling for ramming it down our throats within the next six weeks?   That's mid May, a scant 6 months from the mid-term elections?  An act of truly deranged, desperately deranged, people.   Again, ideological kamikaze seems the only answer that suffices.  Blam-blam-blam.

Mass murder coming; the other 49 too.

Up to 1,200 Killed at One Hospital by British Version of ObamaCare Refuse it anyway

Yet another indication as to why the Dems are encountering so much resistance in their attempt to impose socialized medicine:

Sensible, ergo no chance

Five Health Care Reform Solutions That Make Sense

Unplugged “ Sell Insurance Across State Lines Let individuals purchase health insurance with pre-tax dollars Encourage Health Care Savings Accounts (HSAs) End abusive medical litigation Cover the uninsured ...  without expanding American debt No Green card, no Band-Aid ” I'm in. C/R

Tora Tora Tora

Game on?

“ So who would I keep an eye on? Democrats who voted "no" from marginal districts (not heavily McCain districts), especially those from Northern districts. My short list: Adler (NJ-03), Baird (WA-03) (ret.), Boccieri (OH-16), Gordon (TN-06) (ret.), Kosmas (FL-24), Kucinich (OH-10), Massa (NY-29), McMahon (NY-13), Murphy (NY-20), Nye (VA-02), and Tanner (TN-08) (ret.). If you see a few of these members sign on to Obama's bill, then I think it really is ‘game on.’ ” That's Sean Trende's bottom line assessment from his RCP piece - Is It Really 'Game On' for Reconciliation?, and I can't dispute it.  I do have some problems with how he got there, like puzzlement over why Ben Nelson and  Blanche Lincoln voted for this bill in the first place?  Also, I think anybody doing analysis of what motivates the Democrat party leadership ought recognize 1) - a hard core Marxist ideology, and 2) the obsequious relationship with Moveon.org, Kos, and unions.  The latter having served notice that without a Healthcare victory, no money, no voter manipulation, no nothing, save enmity.  This really is a kamikaze mission for Democrats, and  the ship of state is the target. Whatever it takes to stop them is fair play.  Lock and Load.

Smash Mouth Politics Now

THESE ARE THE SWING HEALTH CARE VOTES!

“ We don’t believe that there is any chance of stopping Obama’s renewed push for his horrible health care changes in the Senate.  Harry Reid is going to use the reconciliation procedure to jam it through with 51 votes — and he will get them.  All the hype about how difficult it will be is to distract us from the real battle which will come in the House. There, where every member faces re-election, it will be a lot harder for Pelosi to round up the vote she needs.   Last time she passed health care by 220-215.  This time, a lot of the Democrats who voted for health care are going to be so worried about re-election that they might be induced to jump ship.  [Who, How, When] ”

At my command, fall on swords

Translation:

Another megalomaniac, facing the final collapse of his world order, commanded from his bunker that Germans were to fight and die to the last, and leave Das Vaterland a ruined ash heap.  The German people have shown themselves too weak and therefore the ones left do not deserve to survive! Now that it appears Obama's eight year Reich will instead end in two, he and arrogantly dismissive henchmen are doing the same thing.

Across State Lines

Does Obamacare Let People Purchase Insurance Across State Lines? Does anybody know what they're doing?

“ Does Obamacare Let People Purchase Insurance Across State Lines? Not really. A Politico piece parsing the "myths" that Democrats and Republicans have created about health care ends up perpetuating one: "the Senate bill allows families and businesses to purchase insurance across state lines, a favorite policy proposal of the right." Reihan Salam has debunked this: ”

Canadian Premier to US for Surgery

USA UAS USA

We dunt need no stinking Obamacare.  We the best.

I'm sure many of you knew this, but I didn't until MoSup just told me.  She heard it on Rush yesterday.  Incredibly, there are still people out there who cite the glory that is Canada's health care system.  Yes, incredible.  At this stage, because since 1992 ... ah, you know.  Anyway, as MoSup said, this is a "debate" stopper. Sheesh. “ U.S. Health Care Gets Trashed but Canadian Premier Comes Here for Surgery Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams is set to undergo heart surgery this week in the United States.   CBC News confirmed Monday that Williams, 60, left the province earlier in the day and will have surgery later in the week.   The premier's office provided few details, beyond confirming that he would have heart surgery and saying that it was not necessarily a routine procedure ”

The 41st Vote?

TWICE?

Am I missing Something?

Scott Brown's thrilling win in Mass. prolly made this moot, but it's still a poser.  Was he really the 41st vote needed to stop Obamacare from coming to a final vote? "Get Him the Hell Out of Here"  Since Ben Nelson (D NE) cast the 60th and deciding vote for Senate passage in December, his name has been mud.  Nebraskans reacted so violently to his betrayal, that he's now considered unelectable.  Restaurant patrons booed him and Mrs.Nelson out of the place before they could be served. Nelson has since fallen all over himself apologizing, saying "it was a mistake." So how in hell could he do it again in final passage?  I mean, he's not a Clinton.

Pelosi Shot Down

Pelosi: I Don't Have the Votes to Pass the Senate Bill 2 days ago "Let’s remove all doubt. We will have health care one way or another.”

"We're not in a big rush," Pelosi said. "Pause, reflect."

Botched Surgery

Thanks Obamacare Clone!

“ A plumber whose arm was left twisted grotesquely out of shape in an accident ten months ago has had an operation to correct it 'cancelled four times'. Torron Eeles, 50, has been left unable to work since falling down the stairs and now fears he may lose his home after being denied incapacity benefit. The father-of-three today hit out at the NHS for the 'unacceptable delays', but East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust said Mr Eeles had his operation cancelled on 'only' two occasions on clinical safety grounds. His left arm has hung limply by his side since he fractured the humerus bone in December 2008. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1218927/Plumber-shattered-arm-left-horrifically-bent-shape-operation-cancelled-times.html#ixzz0ct4GOgGK ” Sigh.  If the Martha Coakley story doesn't demonstrate just how much Americans hate the idea of National Health Care,  nothing will, so this story is pretty much coal to Newcastle.Sigh again. ThoR

Hope-ocalypse!

Liberal Panic: Brown Win Would Mean 'End of Change As We Know It!' Hope-ocalypse.

A senior Democratic official on Friday described Ms. Coakley’s as “within striking distance” of Scott Brown Top House Dem warns: If the American people throw a hissy-fit thinking they can stop us from doing what we want, they have another thought comeing! Leftist Poll - only 62% of voters said President Obama was born in the United States   Them's a lot of birthers.

SOBs

State and local workers and union members are exempted until 2017!

The White House has reached a deal with health care negotiators, including labor unions, on taxing the high-level "Cadillac" plans that workers with high-risk jobs often purchase.