Shelby: US has "the best health care system the world has ever known."

[DrToast]

What planet is this guy living on?

President Obama has spoken of a public health option and despite his opposition during the campaign, has indicated a willingness to consider mandates on individuals to get health insurance, on employers to pay for health insurance, as long as there’s a hardship waiver.

However, there are two things wrong with that approach, said Sen. Richard C. Shelby , R-Ala. “One, we don’t know how much it’s going to cost and who’s going to pay for it,” he said. “Secondly, it will be the first steps in destroying the best health care system the world has ever known.”

:wow:

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000003136854

[Occam Bandage]

1. To be fair, he didn't say he was talking about America's health care system.

It is entirely possible that he was referring to a fear that Obama may accidentally destroy France's health-care system.

[DrToast]

5. LOL...good point. nt

[salguine]

2. You think so because you have socialized healthcare for yourself, asshole.

[BlooInBloo]

3. If you're rich and/or on the single payrer system congresscritters get, that's true.

[BlueJazz]

4. "the best health care system the world has ever known.".......

...for Congresspeople.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

23. Shelby is hallucinating

he needs to look at the statistics

[LiberalFighter]

25. Will they tax the medical benefits congress receives?

[Cleita]

6. Our "leadership" in Washington keep proving over and over again, how

out of touch they are with the reality that we ordinary plebs have to face every day.

[GoCubsGo]

7. Screw you, Jerk!

This guy thinks "I just have to hope I don't get sick" is the "best health care system the world has known"? That's what something like 30 million of us have right now.

[CBR]

8. It really irritates me when they say this. I heard him this

morning. Ugh... nt

[CakeGrrl]

9. Does he plan to run for the Senate again?

If so, his opponent needs to use this statement in his/her campaign.

They should also have no trouble finding a few people in Alabama for whom the Healthcare system hasn't worked so well.

[Fire1]

10. More of that 'this is still the best country on earth' bullshit!!!

These jackasses crack me up!!:rofl:

[DrToast]

11. 'Merica! Fuck Yeah!

We can do no wrong! Anything that's broken can be fixed with a tax cut for billionaires!

[izquierdista]

13. Alabama is the best place on Earth?

Only if you are a fire ant.

[Clio the Leo]

17. No no, now THAT is true. ....

.... but only because I was born there.

I've always had the sneaking suspicion that I was part fire-ant. :)

[Clio the Leo]

14. Reminds me of the other night at Church.....

... the man teaching the class called on my father saying, "Brother the Leo, wouldn't you agree that this is, after all, the best country on earth to live in?" (my father is the preacher, he's a good go-to choice if you're asking a rhetorical question usually.)

"Nah! Not really." my father replied glibly .... ever the good socialist. ;)

.... I could hear the wingnuts muttering under their breaths.

[Mojambo]

12. Oh man. I SO hope Republicans keep saying stuff like that. n/t

[HopeOverFear]

15. **SPITS OUT DRINK**

great. Now I have to clean my screen off.

[Brigid]

27. Best response to this thread.

You win the prize. :)

[patrick t. cakes]

16. wish i could afford to be a part of it. n/t

[matt819]

18. Depends on your definition of best

How about 2 ER visits for possible heart attack (it wasn't) and bills totaling around $15,000? Or how about a system where, when you ask a doctor about what a particular procedure costs, he doesn't have a clue. Not his department. Not his problem. And then when he ventures a guess, he leaves out the hospital, anesthesiologist, and radiologist costs. Whoops. Total was double his guess. Can you imagine any other business that works this way? Think about what it is you do for a living and then try to imagine giving a prospective customer the following answer in response to what something will cost:
Gosh, I'm not entirely sure. It could be $3,000, or it could be as much as $5,000. But that's only my costs. There are other charges that will be applied, but I don't know what those will be. You want to know where you can find this information? Gosh, I'm not sure. Did you try billing?

Even lawyers will give you an hourly rate and a rough estimate of hours required. Same with car mechanics and accountants. But doctors? Not a prayer.

If that's how you define best system in the world, then I guess we quality.

[mwooldri]

19. The Republican Senator is correct and wrong at the same time.

We have a fantastic healthcare facility system. Great doctors, great hospitals, cutting edge research and new treatments and drugs usually seem to come here first - to the USA. There's rarely a waiting list for treatment because of shortage of skilled physicians and surgeons, and most places have the latest equipment.

In the above respect, Senator Shelby is correct.

However when it comes to paying for it all, that's where we're completely backward. Far too many people don't have access to this wonderful healthcare system because they lack the required funds.

At the very least IMO the government needs to self-insure the whole country, and provide everyone with a voucher who they can take to any insurance company who must accept them - including Medicare if they want to go that way too (oh and the insurance companies who accept the vouchers need to trust their physicians more and provide a certain level of coverage. I prefer free at point of delivery.

[Phx_Dem]

20. That's probably true if you're a U.S. Senator. But the rest of us can go suck eggs.

What a dick. In fact the rest of us get the pleasure of traveling to a foreign country for surgery because the U.S. charges so fucking much.

There is a big story on the front page of my local paper today about how local residents have traveled to foerign countries for surgery. Great timing -- just in time for the coming health care debate!

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/06/07/20090607rxtourism0607.html

[lib2DaBone]

21. CONgress experiences a level of free healthcare unknown to most Americans..

[4lbs]

22. The best healthcare system in the world has 1/6 of it's people unable to access it?

:crazy:

[Orsino]

24. And the world's best corporate media let him get away with it. n/t

[madmom]

26. Well for him it is.

[Urban Prairie]

28. He must have been referring to the best health care system

That Congressional politicians have ever known...:eyes:

[rocktivity]

29. The biggest problem with the American health care SYSTEM is the American health care BUSINESS.

Take the profit motive out of the system, and maybe we can rank higher than 37th.

:headbang:
rocktivity

[tabbycat31]

30. correction-- HIS healthcare is the best the world has known

he's a Republican and by definition does not care.

[burning rain]

31. This clown needs to look at US life expectancy relative to W / N European countries.

Oh wait, I'm sure he has, and cares nothing about the good of society, but only about the health care available to millionaires. Silly me, he's plutocratic filth.

[justgamma]

32. If it includes a donation can on the store counter,

It's not the best healthcare system in the world!!! People around here have to have bake sales and donation cans to help them. Do they have shit like that in Canada? Do they lose their homes? Do they get hounded day and night about unpaid doctor bills? Do they get 16 effing different bills when they get home from the hospital?

Tell me again about the "greatest healthcare system in the world" you ignorant pukes!!!

[Arkana]

33. No, we don't.

We're like the only First World country without universal health care. That's pathetic.

[zulchzulu]

34. He's right! As Senator, he has fantastic, government-run healthcare WE PAY FOR!

Shelby was not lying. As Senator, he has a fantastic government-run healthcare program that could even be considered "socialist". Federal workers get remarkable, affordable healthcare with choices and is run by the government, just like other programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

Shelby gets great coverage! And he doesn't think Americans who are paying for his coverage deserve what he gets!

We get it, Senator Shelby! We get it!

:crazy:

[kenny blankenship]

35. Except for all the others with lower costs and longer life expectancies

[SemiCharmedQuark]

36. It depends. If you are super rich, then yes. American is the best.