Canadian premier to get healthy in US

This is for anyone who thinks that Canada is the model to follow in health care.
Honest?

From a reporter, in the article:

Then there is the fact that Williams is worth close to a quarter of a billion dollars, and can afford to buy the best care in the world.

The reaction here is very mixed. Many people said it shows a lack of confidence in the health care system. But that was before the explanation that the procedure can't be done here. An equal number say it is Williams' own business, and how he manages his health is none of our business. Many say if they had the cash, they would do the same thing.

Of course they would.

Look, I've been holding back, but I'm going to go full bore now. We're the fucking US of A. When Haiti fell to an earthquake, what was the big news? What made the Haitian people rejoice?
When they found out that doctors from the US were coming.
It makes sense. I mean, cool... so all of these other countries sent their doctors. But what made the Haitians feel as though they were about to receive the best health care in the world? Was it when the German doctors arrived? The French?
Of course not. You heard it as well as I did. They were actually chanting USA in some parts.

Just like the premier of Canada. I'm positive he loves everything about his country. Its a beautiful place. But does he want to get health care there? No fucking way. He wants the best. So where did he go?

I know... its jingoism, right? When you believe that you are the best?
But I have to say, that if everyone was coming to my particular store when they had the choice of every store on the block... then maybe my store is doing something correct. Wouldn't you say?

Obama-related Ad Company gets contract for Health Care PR push

This isn't too surprising... is it?
Bloomburg.com should get some kind of Pulitzer for covering this story. Why hasn't anyone else picked up on this?

Two firms that received $343.3 million to handle advertising for Barack Obama’s White House run last year have profited from his top priority as president by taking on his push for health-care overhaul.

One of those companies is David Axelrod's old company.
I'd call this a kickback, but that would be redundant to suggest that a Chicago Democrat was arranging for their own kickback.

To make this even more funny, Obama was completely hypocritical when he accused insurance companies of funding the 'opposition'.

“In some cases what we’ve seen is also funding in opposition by some other insurance companies to any kind of reform proposals.”

$343 Million is being spent to sell us on Universal Health Care, and Obama is complaining that the insurance companies are spending too much money to defeat it? What a jackass.

Newsweek: 'Socialism Is the Best Medicine'

Okay, so we always knew that Newsweek felt that way. But this time they said it out loud.

Most Americans have heard horror stories of long waits for health-care services in other countries. But according to a study by the Commonwealth Fund, Americans wait longer to see primary-care physicians than patients in Britain, Germany, Australia, or New Zealand all countries with strong public-health systems.

How did they come to the conclusion that socialist health care is better then other countries? Oh, that's simple. They quoted a study from the Commonwealth Fund.

From their 'about us' section of their website:

The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation that aims to promote a high performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly for society's most vulnerable, including low-income people, the uninsured, minority Americans, young children, and elderly adults.

The Fund carries out this mandate by supporting independent research on health care issues and making grants to improve health care practice and policy. An international program in health policy is designed to stimulate innovative policies and practices in the United States and other industrialized countries.

Did anyone expect them to come up with any other conclusion?

Obama's infomercial failed to attract an audience

We all know that before the Health Care infomercial ran, Diane Sawyer told us that it wasn't going to be an infomercial. According to the MRC:

When asked whether ABC should include guests from the health care industry, Sawyer, who appeared via phone, said such voices would be featured and again swore, "And I think a lot of people haven't understand fully that this is going to be a room full of widely diverse ideas in which people who actually experience the reality of front-line health care are going to get a chance to pose their challenging questions to the President."
That's what Diane said beforehand.

This is what she did during the show. She introduced the head of Aetna, an insurance agent, and 'gave' him this opportunity to be 'heard'.

“If I could, I’m going to bring in Ron Williams from Aetna, CEO of Aetna, and if I can reverse the order a little bit Mr. President, I’d like to ask a question of him and then let you comment on his answer,” Sawyer said. “Mr. Williams, Aetna, to take one, an insurance company. We hear people all over the country people see their premiums going up 119 percent in the last several years. They see the profits of the insurance companies, the billions and billions of dollars, even in a lean year. They see profits in the billions of dollars. Is the President right – that you need to be kept honest?”

That was the chance that the insurance industry was given to speak. They were asked if its right that the president needs to keep them honest. To Diane Sawyer's credit, she didn't ask him if he still beats his wife.

Jake Tapper, who seems to be the only person at ABC who still has his balls, co-wrote this article the next day:

President Obama struggled to explain today whether his health care reform proposals would force normal Americans to make sacrifices that wealthier, more powerful people -- like the president himself -- wouldn't face.

Dr. Orrin Devinsky was the man who challenged the president. According to ABC, he told the president that 'elites' often create universal health care proposals safe in the knowledge that they would be above any restrictions or rationing caused by their programs and regulations. The good doctor asked:

if he would be willing to promise that he wouldn't seek such extraordinary help for his wife or daughters if they became sick and the public plan he's proposing limited the tests or treatment they can get.

As noted before, the president, sans teleprompter, struggled to answer. But he refused to make any such pledge.

How did this go over with the public? That's hard to tell, since most did not tune into the broadcast. According to Live Feed:

The one-hour ABC News special "Primetime: Questions for the President: Prescription for America" (4.7 million viewers, 1.1 preliminary adults 18-49 rating) had the fewest viewers in the 10 p.m. hour "The Philanthropist" debut and a repeat of "CSI: NY" on CBS). The special tied some 8 p.m. comedy repeats as the lowest-rated program on a major broadcast network.

I think its fitting that the president was beat out by another program about someone who gives away money.

I'm heartened that my Republicans complained about this infomercial beforehand. This, according to "The Note":

The letter to ABC News, signed by 40 members of the newly formed “Media Fairness Caucus,” accuses ABC of “providing in-kind free advertising for President Obama.”

In defense of ABC news, co-ordinating questions that the president wants to be asked seems to be normal with the Obama WH.

One last note; Insurance companies are being hit by the Democrats for a practice that is known as rescission. Its cutting the coverage of an insured person typically after they've incurred major medical expenses.
I hate insurance companies, and I'm loathe to defend them. However, in this case, its worth noting why the insurance companies cut the coverage. Its after they find out that the insured person has been less then complete in filling out their medical history when they applied.
Again, I hate defending insurance companies. But when I filled out my medical history, I tried to make sure I was up front as possible about everything.