And yet … according to CBO, the GOP alternative legislation this week would have shaved $68 billion off the deficit in the next 10 years. The Democrats, CBO says, will slice $104 billion off the deficit.

if those ideas were so reasonable, rational, and cost-effective, I figure that years of a Republican President working with majority Republican Congresses would have already resulted in legislation that incorporated it.

Depends on your priorities.

There really are reasonable proposals from conservatives for controlling the skyrocketing costs of health care.

But conservatives aren’t that interested in expanding coverage.

That’s the difference.

You liberals regard expanding coverage as a higher priority than controlling costs–and the Pelosi bill reflects that. The CBO estimates that only a small minority of Americans will enr0ll in the public option–and it has to negotiate its fees with doctors and hospitals, just like any private insurer. So much for controlling costs. Pelosi didn’t care about that.

I don’t know – if those ideas were so reasonable, rational, and cost-effective, I figure that years of a Republican President working with majority Republican Congresses would have already resulted in legislation that incorporated it.

They didn’t, thus I’m dubious those ideas really are practical.

It’s never made any sense to steal from future generations to pay for a program that barely addresses the real problems with the American healthcare system. Even here, democrats had to make sure to keep restrictions on a womans right to take care of herself should she find herself with the unfortunate situation of an unwanted pregnancy, while they take away all citizens rights to buy or not buy health insurance. Note rights of lawyers were apparently not touched, and thankfully there is no law (yet) to force doctors and hospitals to provide care at a loss, as any methodology based on medicare pricing will certainly cost the public dearly without achieving the stated goals.

As long as you continue an unsustainable fee for service system, with no outcomes data and no cost transparency, the value of services used to care for us will remain unknown. Useless and unnecessary (and expensive) tests and treatments will be paid for and preventive care and primary care will be under-reimbursed. The US will continue to steal physicians from around the world to work in poor paying primary care jobs, clinics and emergency rooms, while american grads take up lucrative specialties. If reimbursement for services is reduced, patients will be churned through the system till the number of services equals the cost of operating the hospital or doctors office.

Reasonable, rational, cost effective ideas abound, all these giants walked right by them. Faced with the choice between doing the right thing versus gigantic tax increases, gigantic govermnent spending increases and a gigantic increase of government control of the hearts and souls of American Citizens, they took the Giant route. So sad.