Why are people freaking out over the $1.2 trillion over 10 years...

[TCJ70]

...figure in this health insurance (I refuse to say healthcare reform) bill? I heard that figure on the news, not the first time I had heard it and the thought occurred to me, "Well hey...that's only $120 billion a year! What's the big deal?" In fiscal year '08 we spent around $800 billion on the military. That's only one year! $120 Billion is less than 1/6 of our military spending for one year and our military spending is probably not going to decrease. Why isn't anyone putting this in perspective?

When people say, "Where's the money going to come from? Where are we going to get 1.2 trillion dollars?" Be sure to remind them that that's a 10 year figure, and we spend $800 billion in ONE YEAR on our military. I'm sure there's some fat there we can cut out. While I don't think the bill in congress is the best we can do...in fact, I think I can with certainty that I know it's not the best we can do...it is a start. But this stupidity about a 10 year figure is just a matter of poor perspective.

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong...new knowledge is a great thing!

[John Q. Citizen]

1. That doesn't count the money people will have to pay crappy insurance out of pocket, or

co pays or the deductibles.

It doesn't count what is already being spent by the government on health care

And next time the ecomomy goes bad and your insurance company goes bankrupt, i guess you just lose your house.

or do you think the tax payers will save the insurance company so they can pay for your triple by-pass?

We already spend a total of about two trillion a year on health care, total. before the extra public dollars here plus the extra private dollars here.

[galileoreloaded]

2. Bigger question. What is the money FOR?

Everybody pays in via mandates right?? What is the money actually for. You expand the group, and make it mandatory, that should cover the costs right??

[sandnsea]

4. Subsidies.

No, a large part of the country will never be able to meet the full cost of medical premiums, not even the public option. Subsidies are necessary. There is also money to put in the front end of programs to keep them stable until the premiums and subsidies add up. Also money for the doughnut hole, investment in technology, the long term care program, and probably some more things to improve health care. Yes, CARE.

[sandnsea]

3. We just allocated over $500 billion for stop loss reimbursement

I have no idea how much all of this new money for the military adds up to, but that figure for stop loss alone is astounding.

No idea why people are so stupid when it comes to taking care of themselves and their families. I don't know why they don't think they deserve it.

[notesdev]

5. if you think that's going to be the real cost

I got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell ya