I watched President Obama’s press conference with a sense of wonder…

I wondered how the President even knew what was in the legislation considering much of it was still under construction (even after 1000+ pages of  three versions of preliminary drafts were released) by the House and the Senate – subject to additional re-writes, amendments and the famous back-room, closed door reconciliation process between the House version and the Senate version.

“I realize that with all the charges and criticisms that are being thrown around in Washington, a lot of Americans may be wondering: What's in this for me? How does my family stand to benefit from health-insurance reform? So tonight I want to answer those questions, because even though Congress is still working through a few key issues, we already have rough agreement on the following areas.”

“If you have health insurance, the reform we're proposing will provide you with more security and more stability.”

This is an overly broad statement that cannot universally be true. The government cannot provide anyone with more security and stability if they do not even know what is in the bill, how it will be implemented and what the Secretary of Health and Human Services may decide to do given the broad latitude to modify the healthcare program once it is passed. We also do not know anything about the technical corrections and amendments which will surface in the days, months and years to come.

Warning: big lie coming …

“It will keep government out of health care decisions, giving you the option to keep your insurance if you're happy with it.”

This is a big lie.  The entire purpose of the healthcare legislation is to insert the government deeper into every healthcare decision. Consider that the healthcare proposal will offer you a chance to select your health insurance policy from an exchange. Unfortunately, what Obama is not saying is that your present insurance company must jump through numerous and costly hoops just to be listed. And considering the number of programmatic changes which will be required in insurance policies, your insurance company may decide to drop your coverage rather than suffer tremendous losses after implementing Obama’s mandates. Of course, there will always be the alternative of the government insurance program which can be priced so low as to drive your insurance carrier out of business. Leaving no competition and no choice except the government plan.

“It'll prevent insurance companies from dropping your coverage if you get too sick.”

All current policies have some form of coverage limits. Here is where the government can make policy coverage so expensive that your insurance carrier may leave the marketplace.

“It will give you the security of knowing that if you lose your job, if you move, or if you change your job, you'll still be able to have coverage.”

You may have access to coverage through the proposed insurance exchange, but will it be more affordable and provide superior coverage to the government plan?

“It will limit the amount your insurance company can force you to pay for your medical costs out of your own pocket.”

Government interference in pricing? Nah!

“And it will cover preventive care, like check-ups and mammograms, that save lives and money.”

Government interference in coverage? Nah!

“Now, if you don't have health insurance, or you're a small business looking to cover your employees, you'll be able to choose a quality affordable health plan through a health insurance exchange, in a marketplace that promotes choice and competition.”

Competition against a government insurance policy that will be artificially priced while other insurance policies must be fully-costed to earn a return for shareholders? Nah!

“And finally, no insurance company will be allowed to deny you coverage because of a preexisting medical condition.”

Government interference in underwriting standards? Nah! (You might consider what relaxed underwriting standards and government interference in the mortgage marketplace wrought: an almost complete collapse of the housing market and major damage to our national economy.

Warning a bigger lie coming …

“I've also pledged that health-insurance reform will not add to our deficit over the next decade, and I mean it.”

How this President can maintain a straight face and lie to the American public is beyond me. Perhaps because he is simply reading words off a TelePrompTer and not considering what he is saying. Of course, his pledge means little or nothing if Congress determines otherwise. And he will probably be gone in four years, eight at the most – so he has managed to kick the Z”responsibility” can down the road by ten years.

Blaming Bush …

“In the past eight years, we saw the enactment of two tax cuts, primarily for the wealthiest Americans, and a Medicare prescription program, none of which were paid for. And that's partly why I inherited a $1.3-trillion deficit.”

The way I remember it, Bush inherited a recession from Clinton <Source>, was faced with 9/11 and its aftermath consequences in Afghanistan and Iraq. Not that I give Bush and his Administration a passing grade, but I do give him credit for doing the best he could under the circumstances. In any event, I never wondered about former President Bush’s patriotism or if he was deliberately sabotaging our nation in order to promote European socialism.

A critical and deadly flaw in the Obama Healthcare program … 

“… More importantly, insurance companies right now are making those decisions. And part of what we want to do is to make sure that those decisions are being made by doctors and medical experts based on evidence, based on what works. 

Basing treatment options on “best practices” often results in the denial of care to aging patients and those who just might benefit from a high-risk/low success procedure. According to the Obama plan, this approach will lead to rationed healthcare and the denial of care to certain aging and sick American citizens. – All on a cost control, rather than compassionate, basis.

“Because that's not how it's working right now. That's not -- that's not how it's working right now.”

Thank Heaven that Medicare will provide dialysis for an older patient to prolong life. Should we say, NO – you are too old and likely to be dead in six months? That’s what best practices does.

Obama cannot see medical malpractice and criminality when it is readily apparent …

I wonder if Obama considered what he was saying when he described doctors who would be guilty of medical malpractice and criminal fraud when he explained how he thought the system might work.

“Right now, doctors, a lot of times, are forced to make decisions based on the fee payment schedule that's out there. So if they're looking and -- and you come in and you've got a bad sore throat, or your child has a bad sore throat, or has repeated sore throats, the doctor may look at the reimbursement system and say to himself, ‘You know what? I make a lot more money if I take this kid's tonsils out.’"

Putting a child at further risk for an unnecessary invasive procedure is medical malpractice. Altering the coding of an elective cosmetic rhinoplasty (nose job) to indicate correction for a deviated septum is fraud. Have you wondered why the government does not prosecute Medicare fraud more vigorously? Or simply provides a slap on the wrist for the large medical groups who overbill and bilk the government? To the extent that the fine is so small in relation to the profit that it is often considered a cost of doing business.

“Now, that may be the right thing to do. But I'd rather have that doctor making those decisions just based on whether you really need your kid's tonsils out or whether it might make more sense just to change -- maybe they have allergies. Maybe they have something else that would make a difference.”

According to Obama’s healthcare plan, it would be medicine by a non-medical committee and a checklist. Who is to say that the treatment specified by a doctor is not appropriate? If so, why is the government not poring over the medical records to root out potential fraud and questioning the healthcare providers? I don’t know, maybe because they have a strong lobby and provide tons of campaign cash?

Discovering a flaw in Obama’s electronic healthcare records …

If so many doctors were miscoding diagnoses to achieve higher reimbursement rates or ordering unnecessary tests, who can vouch for the validity of a patient’s electronic health record that will be stored in one of the most massive databases in the history of our nation. A database containing a citizen’s most intimate details of their lives and possible indiscretions. With no absolute safeguards and which may be accessed for political or profitable use without the patient’s permission. The idea that the computerization of health records will provide a large payback is false and misleading. Likewise, it might not even save lives – people are often given wrong transfusions, have the wrong limbs amputated, or are given dangerous drugs – in spite of the medical records. It’s called an accident. Some are preventable, but those made by distracted or fatigued personnel being pushed to the limit by a system which is adding millions of patients to an already burdened system without adding more facilities, diagnostic equipment and physicians – is potentially seeding yet another catastrophe waiting to happen.

Why healthcare is expensive -- Michelle Obama …

On January 9, 2009, Michelle Obama resigned her position at the University of Chicago Medical Center as she prepared to become the First Lady. So what, may we ask, did Michelle Obama actually do? 

“In 2002 she was hired to run ‘programs for community relations, neighborhood outreach, volunteer recruitment, staff diversity and minority contracting’ for $121,910.”

“In 2005 the hospital raised her salary from $121,910 to $316,962- nearly twice what her husband made as a Senator. Oh did we mention that her husband had just become a US Senator? He sure had. Requested a $1 million earmark for the UC Medical Center, in fact. Way to network Michelle!”

“But now that Mrs. Obama has resigned, the hospital says her position will remain unfilled. How can that be, if the work she did was vital enough to be worth $317,000?” <Source>

Bottom line …

Once again, President Obama read the words off his TelePrompTer in response to pre-arranged (?) questions. Saying little or nothing of substance while raising more doubt about his healthcare initiative which is currently undergoing modifications by the Senate, the House and a cadre of industry lobbyists.

Be afraid, very afraid. Be safe, be well and take care of yourself and your family first.

-- steve

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OneCitizenSpeaking: Saying out loud what you may be thinking …

Reference Links …

Obama July 22, 2009 press conference. Transcript - Lynn Sweet