Biden Releases Health Care Plan

[PatSeg]

0/23/2007 2:38:34 PM Presidential hopeful Senator Joe Biden released a health care plan Tuesday that stops short of mandating coverage as some of his Democratic rivals have proposed but would expand access to health coverage for all children and adults.

"Getting this done will require the kind of experience and leadership that comes from years of success corralling bipartisan support for numerous issues," Biden said in a statement. "I have that experience and it will prove invaluable when I am president."

The Delaware senator said that if he is elected, he would bring together a coalition of government workers, health care professional, business interests and labor groups in the first three months of his administration to work on health care-related issues.

The plan, which would cost an estimated $110 billion each year, would be bankrolled by rolling back tax cuts for the top 1 percent of Americans, eliminating tax breaks on capital gains and tax breaks for hedge fund managers and private equity partners.

To reach out to uninsured children, Biden said his plan would expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program, known as SCHIP, to at least 300 percent of the poverty level - or about $61,950 for a family of four.

He would also eliminate co-payments for such things as physical exams, vision and hearing screenings, dental checkups and vaccinations for all children.

For adults, Biden wants then to pay on a sliding scale based on their income - costs that would be subsidized by the government and employers.

http://www.rttnews.com/FOREX/politicalnews.asp?date=10/23/2007&item=13

[ginchinchili]

1. Once again, Biden's pragmatism offers realistic hope

I have to be honest. I was a little afraid that Sen. Biden was going to present some unrealistic, feel-good, program devised for the purpose of winning votes, like most of the other candidates, those who've even presented a plan. I should know better by now. Joe grapples with reality, not windmills. As John Kennedy once said, he's an idealist without illusions. That's Joe. This is the way to approach healthcare in America, though Sen. Biden will get flack from many Democrats who want a program that will not fly. But the realists, the pragmatists, the more thoughtful will know this is the way to go, and they will recognize it as another reason why America needs this man to win the presidency in 2008. But first he has to win the primary.

I saw more on the news tonight regarding Hillary and how she motivates the republicans. It frustrates me that so many Democrats pretend that this isn't the case. Cooler heads must prevail. The whole idea of taking risk is that the return is worth it. In Hillary's case we'd be taking on very serious risk with just a mediocre return. With Sen. Biden as the nominee the risk is drastically lowered and the return--immeasurable.

[Auntie Bush]

2. That some good thinking and analyzing.

I like Biden too and want him somewhere in the next cabinet. Too bad we'd los his senate seat. I hope he can be replaced by a good Dem.

[PatSeg]

4. Me too

I'm sure Delaware has more good Dems though.

[PatSeg]

3. "An idealist without illusions"

That about sums it up for me. Ideals that can't be implemented are great campaign slogans, but a leader has to be pragmatic as well if he/she wants to achieve results. I think Biden is that kind of a leader.

[Froward69]

5. yes yes

"he would bring together a coalition of government workers, health care professional, business interests and labor groups in the first three months of his administration to work on health care-related issues."

no for-profit Insurance company's to run the costs up, nor deny anyone... I like that! it would work! I support Biden:patriot: more and more every day.

[eridani]

6. No plan that allows insurance companies to turn down claims arbitrarily--

--worth a shit. Stop the insurance companies from stealing money from the health care funding pool, and we don't need to pay more for health care than we are paying right now. Subsidizing ripoffs sucks, period.

[Sparkly]

14. That's what I still don't understand. Why keep insurance companies involved?

Why NOT Kucinich's plan? I've still not seen an argument against it that makes any sense to me. (Only an argument that it wouldn't pass.)

[youthere]

7. Kicking for Joe!

[jillan]

8. The sliding scale is what they use in France, and France is on top in healthcare.

And I also like that it is not mandatory.

[dflprincess]

17. I'd have to see the sliding scale first

As a rule, the U.S. government's idea of what a person can afford at a particular income level has no connection to reality. And single people (who are under 65 and not disabled) generally get completely screwed on these deals.

[iverglas]

9. Biden talking informally about health care - youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OgcKGWwWlE

That video was posted here a few days ago, and I was more impressed by Biden after watching it than I already was.

Incrementalism in health coverage. I think he's right.

Here's the voice of Canadian experience.

Canada did not acquire a universal single public payer health insurance system overnight.

http://www.healthcoalition.ca/History.pdf

A Brief History of Canada's Health Care System

1947 -- The Saskatchewan Government, led by leader Tommy Douglas, introduces the first provincial hospital insurance program In Canada.

1957 -- Paul Martin Sr. introduces a national hospital insurance program. Doctors, insurance companies and big business fight against it.

1960 -- The Canadian Medical Association opposes all publicly funded health care.

1962 -- Saskatchewan's NDP government introduces the first public health care program. Doctors walk out but the strike collapses after 3 weeks.

1965 -- A Royal Commission headed by Emmett Hall calls for a universal and comprehensive national health insurance program.

1966 -- Parliament creates a national Medicare program with Ottawa paying 50% of provincial health costs.

1977 -- Trudeau Liberals retreat from 50:50 cost-sharing and replace it with block funding.

1978 -- Doctors begin "extra-billing" to raise their incomes

1979 -- Canadian Labour Congress convenes the SOS Medicare conference to fight extra-billing and joins with community groups to form the Canadian Health Coalition.

1984 -- Canada Health Act is passed unanimously by parliament. Extra-billing is banned.

(And of course we continue on with ups and downs.)

Started, both provincially and nationally, with hospital coverage -- kinda like "catastrophic" coverage.

Started locally in one province, spread to others, was adopted nationally.

Was bitterly opposed by special interests, had to endure and win out over tough tactics and keep refining the system when attempts were made to undermine it.


The process Biden describes in that video is virtually a mirror image of the process that Canada went through to get our current system.

To me, as an outsider, it looks simply unrealistic to think that the US could go from its present system to the ideal system during one presidential term.

The present US system is obviously much more deeply entrenched than what Canada was dealing with in the early days, since insurance companies never had a chance to get hold of the health care market as has been done in the US, for instance. There are other barriers in the US today that are greater than what Canada was dealing with, in terms of public attitudes -- we just didn't and don't have quite as many voices clamouring against being taxed for someone else's benefit or losing their holy freedom of choice.

Moving toward universal coverage and public funding step-by-step is likely going to be your best bet. One understands how galling it must be to look at all the similar countries that have them now and think why the hell not us? But obviously there are reasons why you don't have it now, and those reasons are still operating. They won't disappear the moment someone says let's do it!

I'm a huge fan of Biden's, and have been since I was glued to the tube during the Clarence Thomas hearings on cable here. He is one damned smart cookie. And he appears to be profoundly decent.

I don't think he doesn't want people in the US to have good, affordable health care. I think he knows what it will take to get it.

So speaking as a foreigner who would be absolutely delighted beyond measure to see Joe Biden as your next president, I urge y'all to look at his incremental health coverage plan not as cowardly or uncaring, but as a realistic plan for getting where you want to be.

[PatSeg]

10. Thanks for the information

Any realist knows we can't go universal healthcare overnight and if we tried, it would be a disaster. Seeing it from the Canadian perspective really helps.

[PatSeg]

11. This should be its own thread

Your history of Canada's healthcare system is very informative and I am sure most of us are not familiar with it. I'm pushing this thread up so hopefully some others will read your post.

[sandnsea]

12. Looks just about perfect

I can't see anything wrong with it. No mandates, no stupid tax credits. Joe gets it.

http://www.joebiden.com/issues?id=0003

[PatSeg]

13. It is the most realistic plan I've seen so far

Health care reform is a complex issue and there are no simple answers. Change will not happen overnight, but it will happen.

[youthere]

15. kick

[youthere]

16. Kicking