Wake GOP schedules rally

A simple google tells me that this was presented May 20, 2009! What about the last eight years? This is why the republicans have no credibility with health care reform. This is just something thrown together to contradict the democrats. Full of campaign-style rhetoric.

You would be a much better informed voter if you would do your homework (as I have) rather than spew a party line!

Totally off topic, but I heard once that Frank Luntz said to attack others based on weaknesses of your own.

You would be a much better informed voter if you would do your homework (as I have) rather than spew a party line!

The REAL TRUTH is...

You just joined to make Burr look palatable. Is this really where my tax dollars go? He had, what, 15 years to reform his nose hairs?

And he just chose now to hire you.

The REAL TRUTH is, Senator Burr DID introduce an alternative health plan. A simple Google search would have produced a link that brings you this information:

Richard Burr on Healthcare - The Patients' Choice Act
The Patients' Choice Act has five primary goals:

1. Preventing Disease and Promoting Healthier Lifestyles
2. Creating Affordable and Accessible Health Insurance Options
3. Providing a Tax Cut to Every American by Making the Tax System More Equitable
4. Increasing Value in Medicaid and Medicare and Protecting Beneficiary Choice
5. Ensuring Compensation for Injured Patients

You can explore a general overview below or you can download the full text of the Patients' Choice Act by clicking here.

Preventing Disease and Promoting Healthier Lifestyles

Five preventable chronic diseases (heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes) cause two-thirds of American deaths and 75 percent of total health expenditures are spent to treat chronic diseases that are largely preventable. Investment in public health and disease prevention will begin to reduce health care costs and improve the quality of Americans' lives. The Patient's Choice Act of 2009 would:

* Encourage increased coordination of federal prevention efforts and measure the results of those programs;
* Create a personalized prevention plan for every American that would include strategies tailored to the individual to improve diet and exercise habits;
* Require CDC to undertake a national campaign highlighting science-based health promotion strategies;
* Equip food stamp recipients with easily understandable information about nutritious food options and restrict the use of food stamps for less healthy choices;
* Provide $50 million annually for increased vaccine availability and bonus grants to states that achieve 90 percent or greater coverage of CDC-recommended vaccines; and,
* Reward states that effectively reduce rates of chronic disease like heart disease and diabetes.

Creating Affordable and Accessible Health Insurance Options

Our health care system should be easier to use, more predictable, and provide integrated care in a more equitable manner. In a consistent and fair health insurance market everyone can afford coverage. The Patient's Choice Act of 2009 would encourage states to establish rational and reasonable consumer protections that would include:

* The creation of State Health Insurance Exchanges would give Americans a one-stop marketplace to compare different health insurance policies and select the one that meets their unique needs;
* A standard benefit requirement that is the same requirement that ensures Members of Congress have a wide range of choices in the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program;
* Consumer protections that would require all participating Exchange insurers offer coverage to any individual regardless of age or health;
* A non-profit, independent board would risk adjust among the insurance companies to penalize companies that cherry pick health patients and reward insurers that cover patients with pre-existing conditions;
* Auto-enrollment at the DMV, emergency rooms, etc., for those individuals that do not select a plan at the beginning of the year; and,
* The ability for states to band together in regional pooling arrangements.

Providing a Tax Cut to Every American by Making the Tax System More Equitable

Economic analysts on both sides of the political divide agree how the tax code treats the purchase of health insurance is unfair and makes little economic sense. The Patient's Choice Act of 2009 would restore equity in the tax code and give every American, regardless of employment status, the ability to purchase health insurance by:

* Providing an advanceable and refundable tax credit of $2,290 per individual or $5,710 per family; and,
* Improving how Health Savings Accounts operate by permitting HSAs to pay health insurance premiums without a tax penalty, allow High Deductible Health Plans to cover preventive services, and increase the amount of money a HSA owner may annually contribute to their account.

Increasing Value in Medicaid and Medicare and Protecting Beneficiary Choice

Medicaid and Medicare are vital programs that should balance value for beneficiaries and adequate oversight and protection for the U.S. taxpayer. The Patients' Choice Act would make important improvements to both programs without limiting eligibility or benefits by:

* Integrating low-income families with dependent children into higher quality private plans through direct assistance that will be coupled with a tax credit;
* Realigning responsibility between federal and state governments in order to better coordinate benefits by requiring the Medicare program to assume Medicaid responsibility of premiums, cost-sharing, and deductibles for low-income seniors and the states, in exchange, would accept a defined federal allotment for long-term care and supportive services;
* Rebalancing long-term care services to ensure choice between institutionalized and home-based care;
* Preserving Medicaid for individuals with disabilities;
* Increasing choices to Medicare beneficiaries by reforming Medicare Advantage;
* Allowing for the creation of Medicare Accountable Care Organizations that would improve payment to physicians, hospitals, pharmacists, and nurses for demonstrable improvements in quality and patient satisfaction while reducing costs; and,
* Requiring wealthy Medicare beneficiaries to contribute more for care provided under Medicare Part B.

Ensuring Compensation for Injured Patients

Our current legal system does a poor job at compensating patients for medical mistakes in a fair and efficient manner. Instead of nurturing an environment where medical professionals can openly learn from their mistakes, our legal system often forces doctors and patients into acrimonious courtroom disputes. The Patients' Choice Act would reform this system that creates more losers than winners by:

* Encouraging states to adopt a number of legal alternatives entirely run by the state, that would include the establishment of expert medical panels to resolve disputes, creation of health courts, or a combination of both.

I repeat, if he had a great idea for health care why didn't he present it. Truth is, he was not interested.

No, Burr hasn't been interested.

This is so cut and dry Psych 101 it's almost a shame to have to spell it out for smart posters like BitterExAllCaps.

If you know anything about the former life calling of career bug exterminator Tom Delay, who had finally listened to enough AM radio to run for office on a crazy ticket, you get the lawnmower man Burr, and the 1994 Gingrich revolution that pulled him into lock step anonymity for a decade or so of Congress. If you know further the lawnmower man's lack of gravitas in Congress, then you get his pull into the senate on GWB's coattails by Karl Rove.

Governing well or leading by intellect is not what angry exterminators and lawnmower salesmen do when they finally get to stick their Thing in D.C. They screw the pooch as promised, just like the angry wave that sent them their. That's all folks, and all they are good for. Burr showed Clinton but good. Karl went away. Burr's former brain Dole is taking meetings for a Golden Girls remake movie.

Next?

BitterExDemocrat makes an excellent point.

Healthcare is NOT a RIGHT nor a FUNCTION of our government PEOPLE!!!

EACH ONE pays for HIS OWN! STOP fleecing the taxpayers for YOUR healthcare! PAY FOR YOUR OWN!!!

PRAY for IMPEACHMENT, or WHATEVER it takes in the District of Criminals!

I repeat, if he had a great idea for health care why didn't he present it. Truth is, he was not interested. Tort reform is only a very small component of the big picture here. It is just thrown out there to distract people from real solutions. You just like to try to insult people but it sure doesn't bother me. It's somewhat entertaining.

Hey greenswamp. In control means you are in the majority right? The Democrats have controlled both the Senate and House for this year and the last two years before. And the Republicans have never held a filibuster proof majority in the Senate, EVER. Okay so now that we have totally destroyed your argument, what next? Oh thats right, the Democrats are now in control with a filibuster proof majority in the Senate. What? silenence over the total incompetence of the Democrats? Or are you just a hypocrite like the rest on the far left?

The Republicans have been pushing Tort reform since Reagan and in the last 8 years we have been trying to make insurance more competitive and open across state lines. Guess who has stopped it every time? You guessed it, Democrats. Dude you need to actually state facts that you know and tell the truth. The Liberal talking points you espouse are a bunch of manufactured lies.

If he had such a wonderful plan, why didn't he present it in the last eight years when republicans were in control. Truth is if Obama and the democrats were not pressing for this, no ideas would be presented and our healthcare costs would still be rising out of control.

It won't take Senator Burr very long to explain his "VOTE NO, DO NOTHING" position. He, Bunning and Inhofe are competing for the title of champion right wing-nut.