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Home Front: Politix
'Doc fix' collapses, Reid tells colleagues AMA led him astray
2009-10-22
A group of Democrats joined all Republicans in blocking a 10-year freeze of scheduled cuts to doctors' Medicare payments, legislation that was considered important to getting a broader healthcare bill through later this year.

Prior to the 47-53 procedural vote, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) blamed the American Medical Association (AMA) for giving him bad information on the number of Republicans expected to support the measure.

Reid had offered the doctors group a deal to pass the "doctors' fix" in return for support from the doctors on President Barack Obama's broader healthcare initiative, which is slated for the Senate floor later this year.

Posted by:Fred

#9  "One is the UK system where everyone is forced to use public healthcare"

Except that the UK public health service has secretly (until now) taken taxpayers' money to buy private health care for their people because the waiting lines for public health are too long.

Our present gummint is different. They don't even hide the fact they intend to keep their gold-plated health care paid for by the peons taxpayers while forcing said taxpayers to settle for crumbs. I'm sure they'll approve the same for their pet doctors.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2009-10-22 21:18  

#8  The main problem with public healthcare is that it is political untenable for it to be clearly inferior to private healthcare.

There are 2 ways out of this. One is the UK system where everyone is forced to use public healthcare, or the Australian system where people over certain income levels are forced to pay for private healthcare, which is regulated to be of the same or similar standard to public healthcare, in effect this is a special healthcare tax on everyone over a median income.
Posted by: phil_b   2009-10-22 19:37  

#7  Very soon Harry Reid will have someone else to bitch about: Nevada's voters. We can't stand the guy.
Posted by: Secret Master   2009-10-22 19:29  

#6  And many doctors won't take Medicare patients because the reimbursement rates are too low.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia   2009-10-22 18:44  

#5   And, for those who just tuned in, Medicare, the Indian Health Service, and VA health benefits are all national health care systems.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2009-10-22 13:30  

#4   This brouhahahaha is just to cover up the critical need to slash Medicare payments/benefits to pay for Obamacare. Whether Medicare payments are cut to doctors, Medicare benefits themselves slashed, or Medicare premiums jacked up is just a matter of semantics. Why current Medicare beneficiaries and those who will turn 65 within 10 years haven't already marched on Washington is beyond my poor power to understand.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2009-10-22 13:28  

#3  So the most powerful man in the US Senate is blaming the Doctors for his own ineffectual leadership? Is he for real?
Posted by: Black Bart Ebberens7700   2009-10-22 11:18  

#2  I can see it now. You wonder into the local post office to get a few stamps and a hip replacement. Sounds delightful!
Posted by: Richard of Oregon   2009-10-22 10:10  

#1  Going to the Post Office for medical care? It will probably be more like going to Cuba or Haiti for medical care.
Posted by: JohnQC   2009-10-22 09:50  

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