Obama's healthcare dream

Politics: Obama trying to put some substance behind his so-far all style campaign comes up with a doozy of a healthcare plan.

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Tuesday offered a sweeping health care plan that would provide every citizen a means for coverage and called on government, businesses and consumers to share the costs of the program. Obama said his plan could save the average consumer $2,500 a year and bring health care to all. Campaign aides estimated the cost of the program at $50 billion to $65 billion a year, financed largely by eliminating tax cuts for the wealthy that are scheduled to expire. President George W. Bush wants to make those cuts permanent.

Taxes go up, businesses and consumers put their money into a system because government's money comes from the businesses and consumers.

Obama's plan retains the private insurance system but injects additional money to pay for expanding coverage. It would also create a National Health Insurance Exchange to monitor insurance companies in offering the coverage. Those who can't afford coverage would get a subsidy on a sliding scale depending on their income, and virtually all businesses would have to share in the cost of coverage for their workers. The plan is similar to the one covering members of Congress. Obama's package would prohibit insurance companies from refusing coverage because of pre-existing conditions.

If he is injecting money( taxpayers) into the private system which is bloated and out of control expense, people would be paying for their own plus government then add some sort of law which will never pass demanding cost cutting expenses from private insurance companies. You know if money goes into the system, the cost and prices will go up. Businesses will have to pay out more of their revenue to help pay this monster driving prices up and insurance companies rates will go up because they are now forced to take expensive health care risks.

Spare me the OMG, you are talking about PEOPLE!!! bit. Lets deal with the facts in front of us.

Obama also called for a series of steps to overhaul the current health care system. He would spend more money boosting technology in the health industry such as electronic record-keeping, put in place better management for chronic diseases and create a reinsurance pool for catastrophic illnesses to take the burden of their costs off of other premium payers. His plan also envisions savings from ending the expensive care for the uninsured when they get sick. That care now is often provided at emergency rooms. The plan also would put a heavy focus on preventing disease through lifestyle changes. Obama conceded that the overall cost of the program would be high.

The 65 billion cost is on the low end of expectations with everything goingperfectly I guarantee it. Then we have to talk about salaries, healthcare workers get paid handsomely for their jobs from surgeons to regular doctors to nurses. Then you have to talk about medical R&D and allowing companies to carry on without regulation hampering advancement...etc..etc. The costs will be high and quickly get out of control. Its a nice plan in terms of Obama giving himself some talking points, but realistically its garbage.