WSJ: Congress is Buying Time for Health-Care savings

[antigop]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123820414330062983.html

Congress this week took a big step toward clearing the way for passage of President Barack Obama's ambitious plan to overhaul the health-care system. But questions remain over how to pay for it.

The five-year budget plan passed by a Senate committee this week contains a little-noticed provision that would give the government 10 years to cover the cost of the health-system overhaul. That, in effect, would allow the government to spread out the costs and help meet rules that new initiatives don't add to the deficit.

The provision would also give the government more time to generate savings from changes to the health-care system, and allow it to rely less on new taxes or other revenue increases. In essence, lawmakers are hoping they can find a way to make the health-care overhaul pay for itself, even though any substantial savings are likely to take years.

Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said Friday: "First, look for cost savings."

Mr. Obama's plan seeks to restrain surging health-care costs, in part by improving efficiencies in the system. The president also hopes to extend coverage to as many as 45 million people. The administration hasn't put a price tag on the plan, but experts have estimated that it could cost more than $1 trillion over the next decade.

Hey, Baucus, you want cost savings? Single-payer Medicare for All. What part of that don't you understand?

[acmavm]

1. It's not what they don't understand, it's what they do understand. They

understand that the insurance industry is against it. That's all they need to know.

[antigop]

2. You are, of course, correct. n/t

[biopowertoday]

3. you are so right

[terisan]

4. I guess Bailing out Wall Street took precedence over Buying Out Healthcare Industry and Putting in

a Single Payer System.

[bemildred]

5. We will get single-payer when the Congress fears the voting public more than the insurance lobby. nt

[Demeter]

6. October, 2009, Then

so much is gonna hit the fan this summer, it will make '67 and '68 look like a church picnic.

[bemildred]

7. Well. I was thinking the 2010 election, but yeah, the economy could do it.

And I do agree that the shit has not really hit the fan yet, but you can see that from here.