Gallup: Majority says not gov’t role to ensure universal health insurance
posted at 10:55 am on November 13, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
The push for ObamaCare has certainly had an effect on the debate over the role of government in health insurance and universal coverage, but probably not the one ObamaCare advocates intended. Gallup conducted its annual poll of adults on that question — and finds that a majority says that it isn’t a federal-government responsibility to provide health insurance to all Americans. This represents a 44-point swing in three years:
More Americans now say it is not the federal government’s responsibility to make sure all Americans have healthcare coverage (50%) than say it is (47%). This is a first since Gallup began tracking this question, and a significant shift from as recently as three years ago, when two-thirds said ensuring healthcare coverage was the government’s responsibility.
Significant? I’d say. In 2006, the survey found a 69%/28% split in favor of it being the federal government’s responsibility, or more than 2-1, the apex for statists on health care. In 2007 the gap narrowed to 64-33, and when Obama got elected a year ago, it had drifted to 54-41 — still better than Obama’s eventual margin of victory.
Gallup can’t quite put its finger on why things have suddenly changed:
The reason behind this shift is unknown. Certainly the federal government’s role in the nation’s healthcare system has been widely and vigorously debated over the last several months, including much focus on the “public option.” These data suggest that one result of the debate has been a net decrease in Americans’ agreement that ensuring all Americans have healthcare coverage is an appropriate role for the federal government.
They’re ignoring the obvious, probably not deliberately but because they didn’t ask enough follow-up questions to determine it. People have begun seeing what the bill would be to deliver that kind of system — and not just in dollars and cents. It has costs in choice, in access, in options for care that only became clear when Democrats rushed to impose such a system on the US. Before 2008, the question existed almost entirely as an academic one, and people gave a response based on broad concepts and lazy thinking.
Also, Gallup ignores another significant factor. In late 2007, the economy and unemployment did not look bad at all, and deficit spending was too high but not historically out of the norms of post-war America. By 2008 that economic picture and deficit problem looked much worse, and in 2009 people have begun to realize that top-down government programs are the problem, not the solution.
One group of people haven’t gotten the message, though:
More than 7 out of 10 Republicans say it is not the responsibility of government to see that all Americans have healthcare coverage, while more than 7 out of 10 Democrats say it is.
Three years ago, the Democratic point of view fell firmly in the mainstream. Now it’s the fringe, but the Democrats in the Beltway haven’t noticed that the ground has changed under their feet. A 44-point swing in three years is a sea change, one that will drown the Democrats next year if they try to shove ObamaCare and its mandates down our throats.
Update: Glenn Reynolds says, “Americans seem to be becoming steadily more libertarian. Thank you, Barack!” You can certainly see that trend among Republicans in this poll. In 2002, at the height of “compassionate conservatism,” 45% of Republicans thought it was a government responsibility. Only in the last two years has that number dropped below 38%, and it’s at 21% now. Gallup did not provide numbers on independents, but I suspect that the same kind of trend has occurred among them as well.
Hopefully, Republicans who adopt the principles of federalism and small-L libertarianism won’t forget them so easily again.
Blowback
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This type of trend is also visible in abortion polls. Once someone like Obama gets into a position in power, people have to dig deeper into their beliefs and principles.
WashJeff on November 13, 2009 at 10:59 AM
And Nancy et al. are so fixated on the prize of future control they simply can’t see the ditch they’re driving into.
We can have reform without turning America into a nation of supplicants before the government.
DrSteve on November 13, 2009 at 11:01 AM
And thank you, big-spending Republicrat/Demmicans. Even the intellectually challenged among the American electorate are starting to understand that we simply cannot afford more government.
entropent on November 13, 2009 at 11:01 AM
That’s not the America I thought I knew
/
BHO
nyx on November 13, 2009 at 11:01 AM
This would be truly a wonderful thing. Especially if there are politicians that can explain these views well while retaining a “peace through stength” foreign policy position.
WashJeff on November 13, 2009 at 11:02 AM
Makes sense I guess. People like to bitch and moan about evil insurance companies. That is until they see what the alternative is.
Kind of like a teenager who thinks living at home is like the worst thing in the world dude. Then she “runs away” for 3 hours and realizes mom and dad ain’t so bad after all.
angryed on November 13, 2009 at 11:02 AM
This is excellent but surprising news. One of the major problems with health care is the mysterious but seemingly accepted notion that everyone should have equal access to every level of health care. Maybe when we get rid of political correctness we can also get rid of culture- destroying “equality of result” themes that have been drilled into us for decades.
GaltBlvnAtty on November 13, 2009 at 11:02 AM
Maybe Barack is sent from god after all.
notagool on November 13, 2009 at 11:02 AM
I just recently received a reply from my local Congressman (a democrat) who is actually not a horrible man. His direct quote was “Health care is a right.” He is a prime example of what happens when you trust a Democrat, even though he “supports small business”. Friggin liars.
search4truth on November 13, 2009 at 11:03 AM
Tell it to Norman Blitzer, crr6, AnninCA, Bleeds Blue and others.
They put lots of stock into public opinion polls – when they agree with leftwing political positions. We were told the Iraq war was unpopular – and had opinion polls cited as the evidence. That was evidence the policy was “wrong,” according to the left.
What say them now? The majority – in a raft of public opinion polls – OPPOSES government-run health care.
Good Lt on November 13, 2009 at 11:03 AM
I think they have noticed, but they do subscribe to the idea that this will be like Medicare and beloved once it is installed.
It is nothing remotely like Medicare. It will be a disaster.
The only thing I hope, and remember…I AM for a public option…is that whomever finally retakes power won’t shy away from simply trashing the fiasco programs.
That is precisely what they should have done rather than squander their power on bashing Tea Party goers and Fox News.
AnninCA on November 13, 2009 at 11:04 AM
Good Lt on November 13, 2009 at 11:03 AM
Not according to Sander Levin D MI, this morning. Despite polls, Mr. Levin says they are doing exactly what the people want and it will be for the betterment of all.
ORconservative on November 13, 2009 at 11:06 AM
As I recall, when Obama the candidate spoke of healthcare, he talked about all Americans having the same plan as he and congress and federal employees enjoy.
That’s a huge bait and switch that even the most sleepy uninformed of Americans have noticed. The plan under consideration from Obama the president is a far cry from what he had promised on the campaign trail.
marybel on November 13, 2009 at 11:07 AM
Stupid, I know….but I am still trying to figure out how a public option (AKA government-run health care) would provide “low cost, high quality care”. It can’t happen…and anyone who disagrees need only look to Medicaid/Medicare. Ask any doctor…you know, the people who ACTUALLY PROVIDE THE CARE.
search4truth on November 13, 2009 at 11:07 AM
Gallup can’t quite put it’s finger on why…? Are you kidding me! People don’t want to pay a fine or go to jail for not buying govt run no care or pay higher taxes to cover people who don’t buy their own insurance. Open your ears, Gallup.
Kissmygrits on November 13, 2009 at 11:07 AM
Medicare is a disaster for it is nearly bankrupt (we are just a few years away from that).
WashJeff on November 13, 2009 at 11:07 AM
Waterloo.
Ted Torgerson on November 13, 2009 at 11:08 AM
Yes, but Meet the Press arrived at a conclusion last week that Americans would love it as soon as they got it just like Medicare. And since they don’t see the bills roll in every month (thanks to our poisonous media) it will all be good.
IlikedAUH2O on November 13, 2009 at 11:08 AM
Absolutely. And the mandates from the Pelosi bill really will be intolerable. I don’t think the Baucus bill is one whit better.
AnninCA on November 13, 2009 at 11:08 AM
Skittles and unicorns are nice until you have to actually clean up the skittle-laden unicorn poop.
SouthernGent on November 13, 2009 at 11:09 AM
THe majority might be against Governemnt run health care, but those in Washington don’t care what the majority want. That’s the sad thing most of Washington doesn’t represent the people anymore. They represent mandates and agendas.
Brat4life on November 13, 2009 at 11:09 AM
I know that’s a popular notion, but tell that to your granny. She relies upon it. An entire generation of workers paid into the system and have their retirement benefits plans incorporated with it.
It’s beloved.
AnninCA on November 13, 2009 at 11:10 AM
And then you realize that the “Skittles” are just colorfully-painted pebbles.
amerpundit on November 13, 2009 at 11:10 AM
Government exists to secure our Natural Rights, not to be our nanny.
rbj on November 13, 2009 at 11:11 AM
And we cannot cut off granny from the dumb program, but we can take a 50 year view and phase it out (SocSec too).
WashJeff on November 13, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Ed:
Though I think Hannity is generally a hack, Wednesday night, as part of his Great American panel, he had the Catholic priest who serves as a Fox News contributor. The priest had a great summary of this point. Frankly, I was surprised, given that so many Catholics seem to buy into the notion that governments should be the vehicle of “social justice.” At any rate, he said that access to medical care is something that we all should receive, but it’s not the government’s role to ensure that access.
If it’s available somewhere, it’s a worthwhile video clip. And he seems like damn good man of the cloth.
BuckeyeSam on November 13, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Young people thought this was going to be a give-away. They will also wake up. Boehmer was jeered at for his remark about how they may wish to opt out of insurance from time to time, but his comment was actually realistic. Young people really aren’t going to adjust well to the new government paperwork mill. Out of work? Gotta go down and refile and get your insurance premium adjusted downward.
Heck, they can hardly keep up with drivers licenses stuff, nevermind this new wrinkle.
AnninCA on November 13, 2009 at 11:12 AM
It might be beloved but it is broke.
People who love their house still get foreclosed on.
ORconservative on November 13, 2009 at 11:13 AM
Perhaps. To be honest, Jeff. I have decided that each generation really does have the right to shape that part of their future. I stick closely to speaking on self-interests on these topics. And then, whatever they wish for the future, is their business.
That only seems fair.
AnninCA on November 13, 2009 at 11:14 AM
Actually, probably deliberately.
Missy on November 13, 2009 at 11:15 AM
There is plenty that government could do aside from taking over insurance. The reason for government taking over insurance is that they don’t want to come right out and admit that unless they do, medicare is going to go broke very soon. What they could do is put a few mandates on the states that:
1. Standardizes insurance mandates across the states. This nonsense of each state having a different list of what “must” be covered is just nuts.
2. Allow individuals and small employers to pool together
to get better group rates.
3. Allow people to buy insurance across state lines.
4. Cap lawsuits.
Those four items right there would provide a lot of people who can’t afford it with insurance, it would increase competition and drive prices down, and it would increase the number of doctors which further drops costs.Lets try those four items first.
I believe those items would get the support of a huge majority of the American people.
crosspatch on November 13, 2009 at 11:15 AM
My 24 yo nephew is waiting for his free health care and moaning that he has to wait 3 years. Seriously. They not only think it is a freebie, they are counting the days.
ORconservative on November 13, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Oops, looks like Santa Pelosi done slid down the wrong chimney to drop off her amazing Christmas gift — right into an unwelcoming house where the guard dogs are bearing their fangs, and the owner’s wielding a pitchfork.
red winger on November 13, 2009 at 11:16 AM
Americans basically want to be left alone and don’t want some person in Washington telling them how to live their lives.
Republicans forgot that, learned the lesson, and are getting back to that point of view
Democrats will never get it.
gophergirl on November 13, 2009 at 11:16 AM
Ed: A 44-point swing in three years is a sea change, one that will drown the Democrats next year if they try to shove ObamaCare and its mandates down our throats.
From your finger tips to the voters’ ballots.
Loxodonta on November 13, 2009 at 11:16 AM
Annin at 11:10
It is loved by those because they have been trained to become dependent upon it, and through no fault of most of them have come to see it as an entitlement.
We need to change the dependency, entitlement, nanny-state mentality and style of government if the greatness America is to survive.
GaltBlvnAtty on November 13, 2009 at 11:16 AM
AnninCA on November 13, 2009 at 11:17 AM
It’s happening now. Take anecdotal evidence FWIW, but I know a young, starry-eyed hope’n'changer in my own family who is starting to get sticker shock at the prospect of being forced into the insurance pool to subsidize her elders.
entropent on November 13, 2009 at 11:17 AM
I received a letter from Mark Warner, talking about how he is working on a Senate version of the Health Care bill and how it is going to be so different from the House bill with no mandates. What BS. I love Warner but hes so so wrong about this.
nyx on November 13, 2009 at 11:17 AM
It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes.
– Thomas Jefferson
I hope the youth of this nation can rise-up and say, as Obama does, “Enough.” The older generation saddling the youth of this nation with this debt is a DISGRACE!
WashJeff on November 13, 2009 at 11:17 AM
The average American doesn’t even want to consider the possibility that they’re deliberately bankrupting the country. But that’s what’s happening.
Daggett on November 13, 2009 at 11:18 AM
There you go, I Allahpundited it for you.
Sharke on November 13, 2009 at 11:18 AM
They paid for it in advance. It’s not an entitlement program. It was purchased in advance. It is an earned benefit.
Let’s not argue on this one. It annoys me too much when the elderly are painted as leeches off the system.
AnninCA on November 13, 2009 at 11:19 AM
I think most Americans were looking for help with the rising costs of healthcare; the Democrats (per usual) went overboard with an intrusion into our personal lives (DC Beaurocrats will dictate to your doctor how to treat you) and gives the government control over 1/6th of our economy – the same government who has put Social Security on the path to bankruptsy.
Oh, and Pelosi’s “go to jail if you don’t have insurance” is a bridge that people fear to cross.
TN Mom on November 13, 2009 at 11:19 AM
Quite honestly I think the general population is much like our politicians on an issue like this. Someone says, “How about free health care, universal coverage for all,” and they say “Sure, sounds great!” It’s easy to support something like that when nobody has to worry about actually writing in and implementing the details, to say nothing of paying for them.
But now we have a very leftwing Congress and President, some sort of health care or insurance legislation is a very real possibility, and all of a sudden both citizens and politicians (well, some of them, anyway) see that it’s not so easy, “free” healthcare isn’t really free, and there are very serious, hard decisions that have to be made, and very real costs have to be borne by someone. Not at all surprising that the answers to such polling questions suddenly take on a very different tone.
jwolf on November 13, 2009 at 11:19 AM
Coming soon: More prisons to hold us all!
JammieWearingFool on November 13, 2009 at 11:20 AM
And doing this at the federal level will be better? No Way! Mandated coverage is stupid at any level of government, but the higher up the chain, the more foolish it becomes.
WashJeff on November 13, 2009 at 11:20 AM
And, one final word on this, I paid for my grandparents who could not, obviously, pay in advance.
It’s a pay forward program.
AnninCA on November 13, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Question for Ed: What was the public attitude towards Medicare when Congress introduced it? The reason I ask is that we’re told that once a Gov’t entitlement is made into law there’s no going back, but Medicare was a slow growing monster that was allowed to intertwine itself too thoroughly into the American fabric to remove easily when it became obvious that it was out of control and horribly mismanaged.
In the present however, a continuing-to-grow majority of Americans are beyond angry at this gross federal usurpation, and should Obamacare pass, it starts its life as a festering boil, with many many Americans apparently ready to defy the law.
Patrick S on November 13, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Why do you think they can’t close Gitmo? Out: Terrorists. In: Uninsured Poor People
lorien1973 on November 13, 2009 at 11:21 AM
If he is anything like my friends, he probably thinks it is a free giveaway. He probably does not understand that getting a ‘public option’ is like going to the DMV except you have to pay for other people’s licenses. Anyway, he’ll hopefully turn conservative after he is a bit older. Fingers crossed.
nyx on November 13, 2009 at 11:21 AM
Yes, and the lesson will be when they aren’t allowed to juggle their own personal budget around that the naysayers weren’t all wrong.
I suppose our stock may rise a bit. *haha
AnninCA on November 13, 2009 at 11:21 AM
You could paint this poll on the face of Nancy Pelosi and she still wouldn’t get it. I get it…this government doesn’t care what people want, it’s what THEY want that matters. They’ve been thumbing their collective elite noses and insulting and name calling the people who have been balking at this boondoggle they call health care. You think they’re going to give a rats skittle poop what Gallup says? The only polls that are going to make a difference to them is when these very same people start going to them and casting a vote. Unfortunately, the next election isn’t going to get rid of all of these clowns and we may be stuck with their plan for disaster.
scalleywag on November 13, 2009 at 11:21 AM
I’ve never been to Cuba before.
Loxodonta on November 13, 2009 at 11:22 AM
Ms. Venezuelan said they had really nice beaches there. Now if the serve some good Cuban fare, we are set!
WashJeff on November 13, 2009 at 11:23 AM
I think people are finally waking up to the reality that there’s no such thing as a free lunch. If you want something from the government(or any entity for that matter), it comes with a price.
Sure there are the leeches and deadbeats who will always be content with living in poverty as long as the taxpayers are footing the bill. But those people make up a small minority of Americans.
Most folks want basic services from the government, but don’t want their entire lives to be run by some bureaucrat. Especially if the end result is the bankrupting of the states and country.
Doughboy on November 13, 2009 at 11:24 AM
Here’s another funny “unintended” consequence. I am betting bucks that many parents will end carrying their kids beyond the 18-year-old mark, even when the kids are in school.
I can see the discussion now. “You can pay for the public option out of your school loan. That’s what it’s for.” :)
AnninCA on November 13, 2009 at 11:25 AM
You ought to talk about health care mandates where people can go to jail if they don’t have health insurance. That ought to make him a conservative quick.
nyx on November 13, 2009 at 11:25 AM
And that is the way it should be done, via family. Mom and Dad take care of you in the young years, and then it flips in their old age.
WashJeff on November 13, 2009 at 11:26 AM
Annin at 11:19
Please understand that you cannot have a health insurance system that does not reject preexisting condition coverage unless the system also requires mandatory participation by everyone, including the young, when they are healthy.
While the home insurance analogy is not perfect, it is close: You cannot have a home insurance system that allows homeowners to decide to get insurance once their house catches fire.
That is the same with health insurance. Got to buy it when you are healthy, or you have to disclose your existing conditions so that they are not covered, or so that you pay more for them to be covered. Rescission comes into play when people lie on their applications and fail to disclose preexisting conditions.
GaltBlvnAtty on November 13, 2009 at 11:26 AM
That is how it is marketed. However, in reality it is a Ponzi scheme, and that’s why it’s going broke.
I agree that it is not seniors’ fault and they shouldn’t be targeted as leeches. But we have to face reality about future solvency.
Missy on November 13, 2009 at 11:27 AM
I agree that America is waking up, and it’s about time. But I can’t figure out how going from 28% against in 2006 to 50% against in this poll equates to a “44-point swing”. (As Barbie says, “Math is hard!”, so I’m sure I’m missing something obvious.)
KS Rex on November 13, 2009 at 11:27 AM
I never complained once. Never saw that as bad at all. I was grateful to do so, since my Grandparents were Depression era and ended up old with very little left.
But if the next generation wants to reshape the current system, that’s fine by me, provided they grandfather in appropriately.
AnninCA on November 13, 2009 at 11:28 AM
I don’t know about the rest of the country, but when people in a position of authority have to threaten me with prison sentence in the name of keeping me healthy, I start thinking maybe they need a stretch of time inside to see just how healthy it can be.
JohnGalt23 on November 13, 2009 at 11:29 AM
I still don’t get that one. Here’s a simple remedy. Vet the application BEFORE accepting a premium.
Once you pay, then the CO must honor its contract.
AnninCA on November 13, 2009 at 11:29 AM
That’s because the government took away all their other choices. It’s not beloved it’s a headache for them and they still have to pay out of pocket. They had to pay into it they didn’t have a choice.
Brat4life on November 13, 2009 at 11:29 AM
Nothing like a lunatic Marxist to turn the country back to its conservative ways!!!!!
The pendulum always swings back!
xler8bmw on November 13, 2009 at 11:29 AM
A fine post, Mr. Morrisey, well reasoned.
What no one has explained to my satisfaction is why the number of ‘ayes’ is as high as 47%. Even taking account of Progressive dominance of public education, the media, Hollywood, etc. it’s odd that the Left is so influential in America.
Why do so many refuse to read independently and think critically for themselves long enough to learn that all forms of statism are necessarily immoral and impractical? The trend is encouraging but that it should have had so far to travel is a mystery.
JDPerren on November 13, 2009 at 11:30 AM
It’s a net swing.
Kind of like going from 44-56 to 46-54 is a 4 point swing, when its really only 2 votes that changed.
lorien1973 on November 13, 2009 at 11:31 AM
Annin at 11:19
You missed my “most of them” caveat. I am not advocating taking away from those who paid in. I am advocating that we change the way we inculcate our population to believe that everyone is entitled to everything from the government. That is a change that will take some time and needs to be phased in, as some other commentors have mentioned.
GaltBlvnAtty on November 13, 2009 at 11:31 AM
The other mistake that the Democrats are making is to underestimate just how irritated people are with their patchwork programs. It’s a jumbled mess.
I know people who cannot work anymore due to disabilities. They haven’t been able to get on SSI. I understand that takes hiring a lawyer these days. The regular state programs don’t begin to cover their medical expenses. So then there is now a cottage industry of people who will help people discover the hidden programs that have been passed over the years that nobody can figure out how to use.
LOL*
It’s a freaking disaster.
Both these bills appear to me to promise more of the same.
AnninCA on November 13, 2009 at 11:34 AM
My explanation…fear. Too many people are scared of the “what if” event happens in their life. If you couple that with a less strong extended family structure, you have people that think that have no one to turn to; thus, they turn to government.
WashJeff on November 13, 2009 at 11:34 AM
Spent almost 3 years at GITMO, nice place if you have AC. However, there ain’t no way camp X-ray is going to hold a gazillion people who won’t/can’t pay for their medical insurance. We had about 30,000 Haitians and then Cubans there and the whole friggin base was packed.
Johnnyreb on November 13, 2009 at 11:35 AM
Annin at 11:25
Many states are passing legislation that requires health insurance companies to continue to cover “children” until they are 28 or 30 years old.
GaltBlvnAtty on November 13, 2009 at 11:35 AM
“I agree that America is waking up”
I don’t think it is so much of an awakening as it is something else. The people want more affordable health care and I believe that is still an important issue. They DO NOT want the government owning health care. And so when the issue of health care reform becomes an issue of government taking over health care, the opinion changes.
Now if you were to ask about simple measures the government could undertake to make health care more affordable WITHOUT taking over the system, I believe the numbers would show overwhelming support.
crosspatch on November 13, 2009 at 11:36 AM
Ah… but don’t you see? It matters not what the PEOPLE think! It does not matter what the STATES thin! It ONLY matters what the Federal Government thinks… because they have taken all the power from the States, and the People.
When the enitity who Enforces and interprets a Contract is the entity ABUSING and ABROGATING said contract… you have a serious problem.
Well, ONLY the Federal Government has the power to interpret the Constitution, and ONLY the Federal Government has the Power to ENFORCE the Constitution.
You can quote polls from now till Doomsday… but until the People DO somthing… we are in serious trouble.
Romeo13 on November 13, 2009 at 11:36 AM
As Erik Ericson at RedState says…Obamalosi is treating 9/11 planners better than 20 year olds who don’t want insurance. At least the terrorists have to be convicted before going to jail.
SouthernGent on November 13, 2009 at 11:37 AM
I suppose. That sure assumes a lot, though. I will grant you this one. I come from a family who literally lost the farm in the depression in Kansas. The lessons of the depression were deeply part of my family. One side flourished. He bought stocks. The other side found other employment, but not with any retirement or benefits.
It’s similar to today, where many of my friends who used to earn pretty decent livings were asked to take early retirement, did, then the crash hit, then they went back to work. They are working 2 jobs, cobbling together what they can.
And these are people who worked like over 30 years with major corporations! A lot of their pensions were shifted to 401K, which dumped.
So the similarities are fairly eerie.
AnninCA on November 13, 2009 at 11:37 AM
Sweeeeet…Bronze Barack Obama busts.
WashJeff on November 13, 2009 at 11:38 AM
These polls are clearly racist. Why are polls so against children and so anti-reform? Who else is going to care for the sick, the infirmed, the lame….? Big daddy government is simply trying to show love, compassion and tenderness to the masses.
ted c on November 13, 2009 at 11:39 AM
Brat4life: That is correct. My dad did not want to be in social security, but he was forced to: later he felt embarrassed when he started getting cost of living increases that he did not need and that he felt would be unsustainable for the country that he loved.
Bush tried to start moving toward changing all of this but was trashed for doing so.
GaltBlvnAtty on November 13, 2009 at 11:39 AM
Exactly. My Grandfather retired from Goodyear (non-union) the year Medicare came into being. He would have had a nice little medical plan to cover him and my grandmother that Goodyear provided at a reasonable cost to him, but they took that away cause, hey, he is now covered under Medicare. He had no choice what-so-ever in accepting Medicare.
Johnnyreb on November 13, 2009 at 11:40 AM
lorien is correct. The “no” position went from -41 (28-69) to +3 (50-47). Hence a 44-point net swing. I puzzled over it for a minute, too.
Missy on November 13, 2009 at 11:40 AM
“Mandated coverage is stupid at any level of government, but the higher up the chain, the more foolish it becomes.”
The problem is that each state has different mandates so the same insurance policy giving the same basic coverage costs different amounts in different states.
For example, Connecticut, I believe, mandates that health care insurance include hair transplants. So you have every woman in the state paying extra on her health care in order to mollify some guy’s hair loss insecurity. So as a result, health care in that state is more expensive than a policy with the same basic coverage and deductible in a neighboring state.
I am not so much talking about forcing mandates on states so much as I am talking about standardizing them across the states and allowing people to buy insurance across state lines. That is clearly a role of the Federal government under the Interstate Commerce clause.
It increases competition and lowers rates.
crosspatch on November 13, 2009 at 11:42 AM
How did we ever get to the point that roughly half of the people in this country are government dependent sheeple? Is it women who are voting based upon their feel-good emotions, or are half the men also wimps?
I don’t get it.
orlandocajun on November 13, 2009 at 11:42 AM
Good points but what about those of us who have had and paid for insurance for years through our jobs? Are our choices going to go out the window and we’ll be forced into the same plan as some guy who has never had insurance? How is that fair? And now that people like me have paid into Medicare for almost 3 decades they’re going to start cutting billions in benefits?
scalleywag on November 13, 2009 at 11:42 AM
They’re referring to the wrong government . . . it certainly is not the job of our previous Constitutional government to ensure universal health care, but it is the job of the current Marxist/communist government to do so. This poor sick Republic has been turned inside out and the one you once knew is no more.
rplat on November 13, 2009 at 11:45 AM
Annin at 11:37
Understood, but the greatness of America is to a large degree based on people being responsible for the consequences of their decisions. Some safety net is OK, but it needs to be limited. (Easy to say, hard to fashion correctly, I know.)
GaltBlvnAtty on November 13, 2009 at 11:45 AM
American Power tracked-back with, ‘Gallup Poll: Health Coverage Not Government’s Responsibility’.
Donald Douglas on November 13, 2009 at 11:45 AM
scalleywat at 11:42
That is where phasing in comes in. Medicare should not be taken away from those who paid into it, in reliance on the government system in place when they did so. The government promised you and should keep that promise, as you paid your part of the deal. The government, we the people, need to stop making those promises.
GaltBlvnAtty on November 13, 2009 at 11:48 AM
scallywag: Sorry for the misspelling.
GaltBlvnAtty on November 13, 2009 at 11:49 AM
Agreed, but it’s a shame too. People aren’t principled enough, and it takes the near destruction now, of our nation, for people to get it? Truly sad. Wake up people, stay involved, and stay alert.
capejasmine on November 13, 2009 at 11:51 AM
I could be wrong on this, and I’d love it if those who actually know could enlighten me, but I think the statement about it being paid in advance is a little misleading. While it is correct that they paid into it in advance, I don’t belive the benefit they receive is tied to any formula related to how much they paid in, as it is in Social Security. For example, if I started paying $10 per month in advance at age X for a car, and at age XX the government gives me a car that is worth more than I had paid in, including interest, etc, then I don’t believe that technically I can claim that I have it coming because I had paid for it in advance. In the words of Glenn Beck, “Tell me where I am wrong?”
mwdiver on November 13, 2009 at 11:53 AM
I was thinking that just a few million of us would commit civil disobedience against this injustice.
Loxodonta on November 13, 2009 at 11:55 AM
Nothing is a right if someone else has to foot the bill.
mag5435 on November 13, 2009 at 11:55 AM
Easier said than done. Imagine someone lying to you. No matter how much you try to vet them, can you honestly say you can catch every one?
mwdiver on November 13, 2009 at 11:56 AM
mwdiver at 11:53
I believe you are correct. Contributions to Medicare have been much more “progressive” than contributions (or “taxes”) for social security. Still a deal is a deal, and the government (we the people) made a promise, and we need to keep that promise. We can change going forward.
GaltBlvnAtty on November 13, 2009 at 11:57 AM
I’ve been on it for several years and it isn’t beloved by either myself or my physician.
a capella on November 13, 2009 at 11:58 AM
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