Republican Senator in Massachusetts?

[Riot]

That's why the plan calls for taxing 'Cadilac policies'?

Those are policies that not alot of people have, Dell. The ultra-expensive, super high-end, low deductable policies. And the "cadillac" part deals not with "improved care" (more care, better care) rather just giving the same care as other policies for a lower deductable type of thing, improve coverage for age, etc.

I'm not in favor of that, btw. But the other major way to pay, public option, was eliminated in the Senate bill.

Give me a break, healtcare reform has nothing to do with either cost containment or improvement and everything to do with control as in who gets what care and what they will pay for it. Ten years from now I expect people to be asking 'blackmarket bypass' or 'regular'?

Yeah, "who gets what" care is important - all people should get treated for their diabetes on a regular basis, rather than just getting treatment in the ER when they need an amputation or they go ketoacidotic.

And yes, "what they will pay for it" - cost containment is a huge deal. The problem is the Senate bill was stripped down to fairly useless crap. The House bill is better.

Your last sentence about bypasses makes no sense at all, c'mon. There is healthcare rationing now in this country, that's for sure. The point is to eliminate it. Not start it up.

As an aside, there have been a couple reports from Haiti, people waking up post-surgery having had limbs amputated - and getting immediately upset asking "but how will I pay for it, I have no money"? They didn't seek care, they didn't expect to get medical care, as they didn't have money and that's the way it works there. There is little "free ER' in Haiti for the poor.

But we Americans, and French, and British, Canadians, etc - we don't let people die just because they don't have money. Well, most of us feel that way.