So, now that Obama's door is wide open, are any of you Republicans going to make any constructive suggestions?

Question

I like the idea of opening up of state lines in health insurance to promote competition. But, tort reform is dangerous. If a doctor (or any healthcare provider) commits a negligent act, then s/he should be penalized for it. Grossly negligent acts should be penalized heavily so it'll send a message to all the healthcare providers out there.

These are good ideas, but not great ideas.

Any great ideas that will help all Americans get their healthcare?

Answer 1

Obama's said the door was open before. Said he would go over the bill with republican's line by line.



FACT IS ... GET THAT? THE FACT IS THAT HE SAYS IT ALL THE TIME, BUT HE JUST SAYS IT. HE LIED BEFORE AND HE'S LYING NOW.



HE NEVER DOES IT, HE WAS NEVER AND ISN'T NOW OPEN TO TALKING ABOUT IT.



Did you see all those republicans waving those reports for the camera's? They were waving information they had been attempting to see Obama about for a very long time.



They have had reforms they have wanted to do for years, but the democrats are not interested in keeping lawyers from bleeding the money out of health care and driving prices up.



Democrats don't want to allow inter state competition between insurance companies, because they like to put all kinds of crap in the mandatory laws for insurance coverage to cover sex changes and other elective garbage they force everyone to pay for.



The media won't talk about this stuff. They go after those who do talk about this stuff because we have a state run media for all intents and purposes.



You think Republicans didn't want to be involved?



You're an idiot.

Answer 2

The President has shut his doors to Republicans since April. We'll see if he changes that in the near future. As for tort reform, of course doctors need to be penalized for negligence. True, one could go to the other extreme and forbid lawsuits (such as is written in HR 3200 "Obamacare"). But that would not be productive either. There has to be a balance. The current course of action is driving doctors our of the practice of medicine because of the extreme high costs of insurance. I have a friend who is a doctor and he was paying $60,000 per year, and that was 5 years ago. I don't know how high it has climbed.



The other thing to consider is that many of those cases are without scientific basis. John Edwards made $50 million dollars (remember that attorneys usually get about 30%) for something that was eventually proven to be false. In a civil lawsuit, you don't have to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt, you "simply" have to gain the jury's sympathy.

Answer 3

Oh, honey, do you really believe his door is open??

Tort reform does not mean that a doctor can't be sued for gross negligence or malpractice.

Here are some other conservative ideas: use stimulus money to build free clinics in every congressional district, expand medicaid and medicare to cover more people, subsidize insurance premiums for low income families, stop bailing out corporations, allow health savings accounts tax free, and stop government waste by eliminating earmarks and lobbying. It's ridiculous for our government to be spending tax dollars on skateboard parks, theaters, and pig odor studies at the same time democrats claim people are dying because they can't get health care! Really,what is more important, that necessary surgery or catching a great local performance of Cats? LOL. Funding the arts when people are "dying" without health insurance. Can you follow that logic?

Answer 4

How is Obama's door wide open?



I agree with your first point, but you seems to assume any tort reform would be the extreme form you discribe. There should be penalties, but I shoudl not get 20 million for something that cost me 1 million. Maybe the court could fine the doctor 20 million, with 1 mil going to me and 19 mil going to a charity. That way the doctor is penalized but this will prevent those who want to profit from making inaccurate claims for the purpose of making a profit.



Also, I think there should be a threat that insurance companies must standardize their paperwork or the government woudl do it for them. Currently 210 billion a year is wasted on shuffling paperwork because each company has a different set of paperwork. All ask for the same info, but each require a different form. So doctor offices have to hire staff just for the paperwork. http://money.cnn.com/2009/08/10/news/economy/healthcare_money_wasters/index.htm



We need to also look for ways to encourage more doctors to become family practitioners, or other needed specialities. And to encourage them (and nurses) to donate time to free or low-cost clinics.

Answer 5

dude TORT reform doesn't mean you can't sue a negligent doctor.



there are two main methods i'm familiar with.

1) if you sue and the courts find absolutely no fault with the doc, you pay the docs court fees. This discourages people suing when they don't have a real case, and are hoping to scam an "out of court settlement"/

2) limiting the amount you can win in a settlement.



As for punishing bad docs, they can still have their license revoked for F-ing up bad, and that doesn't fall within TORT reform because it doesn't involve money exchange.



(i disagree the BO left the door wide open.. He said it has to be this plan, no starting over. It is his plan and he is willing to negotiate HOW his plan would be implemented)

Answer 6

Yes, carry out the reforms Obama wants, and decide in 2012 if they have worked or not.



FACT - Insurance companies in the USA admit to pushing up prices, buying politicians and not paying out claims when they should

FACT - PER PERSON the USA spends more on healthcare than any other nation on the planet

FACT - Obama debated his plans before the election for healthcare

FACT - the chance of a child under five of dying in the USA is greater than industrialised nations with universal health coverage

FACT - Obama was elected by the American people to bring in change

FACT - Obama wants to stop insurance companies from screwing the American people

FACT - The reforms Obama wants work in the Netherlands and in Switzerland



If you can prove the facts above are wrong, e-mail me and let me know.

Answer 7

The ONLY real reform is MEDICARE FOR ALL. All the rest of it is nonsense. A single payer plan that shares the risk over the entire population is the ONLY way to keep down costs and cover EVERYONE! We spend 800 billion a year on a bloated military that can hardly get out of its own way. Imagine....an eight year war in Afghanistan and zero progress. Six years in Iraq and zero progress. For a fraction of that money EVERYONE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA could have affordable HEALTH INSURANCE and we'd still have enough military force to defend the homeland. This is so stupid it's like a Three Stooges movie. I like Barack, but I think he sold us out. I despise the republicans but at least they're honest...they work for the health insurance mafia and the mafia gets it's monies worth. I don't even want to hear about phony co-ops and new laws that protect the American wage-earner. They don't and they won't. HEALTH INSURANCE will still cost too much as long as the health insurance mafia has a hand in it...do guys think they do it for nothing? Hell no! They take forty-three cents out of EVERY premium dollar for over head and profit. The more claims they can deny the more money they make. Bogus! Ah, #$%^ ! What do I care? I've got Medicare AND the VA. What's in your wallet?

Answer 8

There are quite a few examples of doctors forming groups that have a review committee. If there is a claim, this committee reviews it to see if there is a probable cause, etc. They then pay it out of their own pooled membership funds. I can't remember where it is, somewhere in the S or N Carolina maybe??? They all dropped their insurance and are self-insuring this way to save cost of lawyers, etc. They have a cap on what they will pay and the patient signs off on this before any procedure. At least that what I read.



There needs to be tort reform - I also read this so forgive me if it is incorrect - but nevada has ONE gynecologist because of malpractice insurance premiums. We are suing these people out of business. Accidents happen.

Answer 9

yes i do have a suggestion something so simple no demo seems to be able to understand it.cost control not more federal programs.heres a example .i recently had shoulder surgery, normal charges for this and doctor fees were 21200.00 but as i have a self funded insurance who is active in price negotiations and cost controls the actual charged amount was 4500.00 total my out of pocket expense for me was 325.00 .heres the kicker if you didn't have insurance or your insurance company didn't have a negotiated contract you would be charged the entire 21200.00.the issue is simple it should cost us all the same amount.obama has not tried to do anything to address this issue .the same drugs sold overseas made here in america by the same company are from 20% to 300% cheaper overseas .obama has not addressed this issue.he has not address fraud,malpractice insurance costs,medical fraud etc all he wants to do is have more government programs that are proved faliures.52% of america understand this is the issue .hes gone from saying there are 47 million americans not insured to 30 million well it turns out after he dudects the 17million illegals he wanted to provide coverage for hes right.some of these 30 million choose not to have health insurance so the actual figure is around 25 million with no insurance .his facts dont ever add up wonder why.

Answer 10

I'm with you on Tort Reform. I've read about too many people who have had the wrong leg amputated or the wrong kidney removed.

Beyond that, everybody should be able to pick their own Medical Insurance.

I do not like Comrade Obama's idea of Health Care Reform. It does nothing but raise taxes and increase our deficit.

Answer 11

Start with malpractice lawsuits. Granted some are warrented but so many more are not. Because of these the medical field pays big bucks for insurance against this which is reflected unto us. Then they have you do a lot of extra tests and procedures just to make sure so they can cover their backs which also results in tons of extra paperwork which in itself soaks up costs. After that the rest can be dealt with.

Answer 12

did you see the republicans holding up in the air copies of their ideas for health care reform? Obama is a partisan President, he doesn't hear the people, and the dems are going to ram their socialist style health care bill down our throats. Did you hear Obama say that when social security was passed that people said oit would lead to socialism? He was right. The dems got away with social security, and now they want socialized medicine. social security has not been a very succesful-self sustaining program. it has been a failure. but we are too smart to learn from the past aren't we.

Answer 13

* "Election results Obama 53% McCain 46%" * Big sh*t, Obama was still in the LEAD, and he WON. Do you not know *MATH*???! Political polls don't mean much anyway in the big scheme of things! During the Bush Jr. 2nd term, his ratings were in the bottom of the trash can with many intelligent citizens wanting his butt OUT and he still somehow managed to be *SELECTED* for another d@@m term after all the destruction that he did! . It was crazy!

Answer 14

You need to learn the difference between what he says (for his sheep's benefit) and what he does.



I personally have seen a few proposals by the repulicans, but the partisan democrats don't look at them.



If you were an honest person as I am sure you think you are, you would actually look into this.

Answer 15

Prolly not. The kiddos are having too much fun calling him a commie poopy head to get any adult work done.



Opening up the state lines to increase competition is a terrible idea. All that will happen is that insurance companies will flee to states that have the least consumer friendly insurance regulations. Kind of like Delaware and banking.



For example, hypothetically, if every state in the union except for West Virginia required insurance companies to cover treatment for an expensive disorder like autism, I can promise you that every insurance company in the country will have its home office in West Virginia an no child with autism will be covered.



ADDED@Michelle: You'll be relieved to know that there are hundreds of gynecologists in Nevada. http://www.healthgrades.com/local-doctors-directory/by-specialty/obstetrics-gynecology/nevada-nv/carson-city-obstetricians-gynecologists

Answer 16

I agree that we should include opening up state lines.. but allow doctors to get away with negligence? I can't get on board with that.

Answer 17

Well I agree about what you said about negligence, but the main reason insurance companies and hospitals have to charge so much is because many people abuse torts to get more money than they deserve.

Answer 18

Best idea I can think of is to send 0bama and his healthcare reform package out the door that is "wide open"

Answer 19

If your looking for Ideas from republicans you going to find a jar with only one thing in it, NO.

Answer 20

He won't listen to any ideas that do not come wrapped in money, and even that is not enough to override his agenda. He has no intent to compromise or relent in anything. Don't be deceived by his demagoguery.



Obama's office is an exclusive, high-dollar paid-play station.

Answer 21

Constructive ideas and republican are two things I usually don't associate with each other.

However, they might just get their act together and come up with something useful. Who knows?

Answer 22

Both of your suggestions have already been made by Republicans.

Answer 23

You mean like the 8 republican health care bills that the democrat congress has already shot down in the last 6 months?



How can you be stupid enough to think that democrats actually intend to be anything but hostile to republicans?

Answer 24

Watch their rebuttal to the speech and you'll hear it in a nutshell, basically they are content with being obstructionists.

Answer 25

Despite repeated requests by Republican leaders Obama has refused to open his door to any of them in relation to health care proposals. In fact he has not spoken personally to any leading Republican since May of this year. So what kind of open door policy is Obama referring to ? The same policy of "I Won" ?

Answer 26

YES WE NEED TO START ALL OVER AND TORT REFORM NEEDS TO BE AT THE TOP OF THE LIST

Answer 27

republicans don't want to help they want to obstruct. they don't care about the nation they care about the party. and nothing else

Answer 28

They'll start yelling that he was born in Kenya again. That seems to be what they fall back on.