OH GOD! Another executive order!!!!

[napi21]

President Bush heads to Minnetonka, MN for a panel on health transparency at 3:35 pm ET. "The President believes Americans should have reliable information about the prices and quality of most common medical procedures, and he will sign an Executive Order today to help increase access to this information," per the White House. After that event, he headlines a fundraiser for the Minnesota GOP and House candidate Michele Bachmann in Wayzata, MN at 5:45 pm ET.


I received this in a email from NBC First Read.

How in the world can an executive order make this happen? I don't understand????

[Dogmudgeon]

1. And just to be sure, he'll add a Signing Statement, too.

Not just two-faced, but two-brained. And neither of them work particularly well.

--p!

[waiting for hope]

2. Didn't you know?

He's the Emperor! and it was very plainly stated last night when he said the as long as he's pResident, we will stay in Iraq....I can't wait till November.

[redqueen]

3. Prying at the right to privacy with respect to medical history?

Could be a back door attempt at that...

I have grown SO MUCH more cynical over the past 10 years. *sigh*

[acmejack]

11. That is what I interpret it as.

It is just about the last bastion of personal privacy.

[whistle]

4. The executive order will have a signing statement which let's the drug

...companies continue to manipulate prices in their favor, watch!

[Deja Q]

5. Like how medicare plan D has only bilked more people of their money?

[pinto]

6. He's directing federal departments to handle health care info

differently (internally) and cost compare on (internal) health spending. Reports are so vague, I can't get much more out of it than that. What that means to the general public is a little unclear to me. He'll tout it as a breakthrough for the consumer, you can count on that. :shrug:

[bluerum]

7. the same way the drug prescription bill helped - the drug companies.

This time you will see the medical supply manufacturers lining up behind this nazi.

Is it fascism yet?

[ThomWV]

8. The Real Answer

It can have a great effect. Executive Orders are how the President directs agencys to carry out his policy. If he orders it so Agency's that deal with health will become more forthcomming with information they now keep under lock and key.

Of course with this President it may very well mean nothing. He may very well be signing the Order in public but taking the head of the Agency aside and telling them to go ahead and do as they please. The people he appoints are pleased when they can provide support to their own supporters in secrecy almost as much as their supporters are pleased when they get to go about their business secure that their own secrets will be held from the public.

[napi21]

9. Allclever answers, but I can't see an Exec. Order forcing every

Health Care facility to issue lists of their charges!

Believe it or not, I think I actually think he'sright in what he said about most people wanting to be able to price compare different standard proceedures, but wouldn't that really take Congress to pass a law?

Other than in Shrubs brain, what would happen if all or most of the facilities just DIDN'T DO IT????

[CoffeeCat]

10. Whoooopeee ding dong!

Soooooooooo...

...instead of any meaningful healthcare reform, the pResident is going to make
it easier for us to see that we're paying $16 for a Tylenol and $45 for a gauze bandage.

What a renegade trailblazer that man is!

Step back and watch the solution-oriented healthcare titan work his magic!

[w4rma]

12. Probably means he wants to help the HMOs profits at the expense of doctors

and hospitals.