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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2009

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OPINION

Jindal Slams 'Dishonest' Health Plan

Dems' current version as bad as Hillarycare, Louisiana gov writes

By Jason Farago| Posted Jul 22, 09 9:47 AM CDT|

(Newser) – President Obama is presenting health care reform as a bipartisan effort, but, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal writes in the Wall Street Journal, he and fellow Democrats have taken “a fundamentally dishonest approach to reform.” Obama is “repeating the mistakes” of Hillarycare, forcing Americans to join a public plan, diminishing the quality of services, and raising middle-class taxes. “They might as well try to argue that up is down,” he writes.

Needed reform can only take place “once the current over-reach by Obama and [Speaker Nancy] Pelosi fails.” Genuinely bipartisan reform would ensure consumer choice, stop frivolous lawsuits, and offer the poor refundable tax credits to buy private care rather than a public plan. For Jindal, this alternative would cut costs, “and not bankrupt our nation or increase taxes in the midst of a recession.”

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (2)]

Louisiana Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal is seen in a 2008 photo. (AP Photo)

Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius walks with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal after meeting with President Barack Obama, Feb. 23, 2009. (AP Photo)

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The government plan will become so large that it will set, rather than negotiate, prices. This will inevitably lead to monopoly, with a resulting threat to the quality of our health care. - Bobby Jindal, Louisiana governor

In 1993 and 1994, Hillary Clinton’s health care reform proposal failed because it was concocted in secret without the guiding hand of public consensus-building, and because it was a philosophical overreach. Obama is repeating these mistakes. -

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47 comments

VIEWING:

Fondue
Jul 22, 09 9:46 AM CDT

Is this all Jindal has to offer? Reply

+10

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Jul 22, 09 9:48 AM CDT

well it's a start, if they do that along with fixing medicare/medicade and capping the price of prescription drugs it might work.

-9

IN RESPONSE:

Fondue
Jul 22, 09 9:55 AM CDT

I'm sorry. What's his plan again? Offer refundable tax credits? How is this implemented? How does his plan guarantee the poor will be informed and be able to take full advantage of the credit? How does Jindal's plan ensure coverage and end the denial process? The answer is, you don't know, I don't know, Jindal doesn't know. The public option at least addresses, if not answers these questions.

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Jul 22, 09 10:08 AM CDT

@fondue are you saying that people are not smart enough to make their own decisions and need the government to make them for them? If that is the case why give anyone a choice on anything?

-7

IN RESPONSE:

Reader65069154
Jul 22, 09 10:18 AM CDT

Lets stop calling it public option and call a spade a spade. It's the Government Plan. Can you name an unsubsidized government program which runs as efficiently or as cheaply as its public equivalent?

IN RESPONSE:

kokuaguy
Jul 22, 09 11:05 AM CDT

Well, if fighting fire with fire works, I guess fighting lies with lies could work. Problem Jindal is such a poor liar.

IN RESPONSE:

Fondue
Jul 22, 09 11:13 AM CDT

Godawgs, first of all, stop extrapolating this nonsense that I am suggesting people are not smart enough. In fact I believe people are smart enough to make their own HC decisions and is why I am for the Government Plan. Currently, a corporate bureaucrat is making the decisions for your Dr. and their interests are with the insurance company - not the patient. I'm sorry if you don't see that.

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Jul 22, 09 11:45 AM CDT

@fondue would you care to explain the following statement: How does his plan guarantee the poor will be informed and be able to take full advantage of the credit? thanks

IN RESPONSE:

Fondue
Jul 22, 09 12:17 PM CDT

I think it's a very clear question. What do you not understand?

IN RESPONSE:

Snowleopard
Jul 22, 09 1:38 PM CDT

Reader: The postal services is perfect example of an unsubsidized government service that is offering much better prices that its free market competitors.

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Jul 22, 09 1:53 PM CDT

@fondue how you stating the the "poor and misinformed" Who are the poor and misinformed, and what did you mean by "be able to take full advantage of the credit." So how is that not you saying that people can't make their own decisions but need the government to do it for them?

-1

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Jul 22, 09 1:55 PM CDT

@snowlepoard have you been to the post office lately? they are losing so much money that there was talk of cutting delivery back to four days a week....the service isn't that great, and the lines are long. now if that is how you want to go to the dr then so be it, but the post office isn't that great of an example.

-1

IN RESPONSE:

Fondue
Jul 22, 09 4:45 PM CDT

Godawgs, you are projecting your own extrapolations on to me. I don't appreciate it one bit. Again, it is a clearly written statement. And I said very plainly that I believe people are smart enough to make their own HC decisions and is why I am for the Government Plan. Jindal wants to make it part of the tax code through a credit, which is only going to signal the insurance companies to raise their rates.

IN RESPONSE:

Snowleopard
Jul 22, 09 5:26 PM CDT

godawgs: sure, it makes sense that the postal service might need to do cut-backs during a recession. Almost every sector of the economy is going through cutbacks so I don't see a big difference there. but as far as lines go, every time I go to the post office I typically only have to wait about 2-5 minutes, which I don't mind since the price is about half of fedex or UPS.

IN RESPONSE:

Snowleopard
Jul 22, 09 5:29 PM CDT

and btw, when I've been to doctors in canada the wait was as short as what I've experienced in the states, and it cost about 1/4.

IN RESPONSE:

Doctor_Zaius
Jul 22, 09 6:27 PM CDT

VOLCANO MONITORING!!!

| 0 minutes ago

Toon
Jul 22, 09 9:57 AM CDT

Guess what? Bipartisanship requires that two parties work together. Bipartisanship is not working because one party says nothing but NO. I wonder how much of their stubbornness is inspired by the $1.4 million a day the insurance industry is spending on lobbying? Reply

+11

IN RESPONSE:

Reader64481089
Jul 22, 09 10:08 AM CDT

Exactly and thank you.....

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Jul 22, 09 10:13 AM CDT

i don't know maybe you should ask Sen Bacuaus (d) who is trying to negotiate a deal but won't let anything pass that will hurt his pharm lobby. The dems hold a super majority and they have the votes to get everything passed, but even members of your own party don't want this bill passed, so don't say that this is a republican fault, it's politics as usual and this will pass or fail depending on how much money all of our leaders both repub and dem can make.

IN RESPONSE:

Reader65069154
Jul 22, 09 10:21 AM CDT

In the current context, you call it stubbornness I call it fiscal responsibility. Must be a generational thing.

-2

IN RESPONSE:

Toon
Jul 22, 09 10:42 AM CDT

Yes it is a generational thing because the GNOP stopped being fiscally responsible 29 years ago when it embraced Reagan's Voodoo Economics.

IN RESPONSE:

Snowleopard
Jul 22, 09 1:41 PM CDT

I think Bacuaus is also one of the heads at the finance commity (maybe I got that name wrong), but he's trying to make sure that the final legislation doesn't also cost way too much. We need some fiscally conservative dems like this in the party.

| 0 minutes ago

saridout
Jul 22, 09 10:12 AM CDT

considering the lies that jindal has been telling the public regarding the efficacy of the stimulus money flowing into his state, i don't think that anything he might say should be trusted. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Jul 22, 09 10:13 AM CDT

example of the lies please or a link

IN RESPONSE:

kokuaguy
Jul 22, 09 11:10 AM CDT

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/02/jindals_katrina_story_a_tall_tale.php

IN RESPONSE:

Snowleopard
Jul 22, 09 1:45 PM CDT

Yeah. Jindal is intellectual dishonest. "Obama is ...raising middle-class taxes": the truth is that they're proposing taxes only on the wealthiest few percent. I might have some sympathy for them if the top couple of percent didn't receive over 40% of the Bush tax cuts.

IN RESPONSE:

godawgs
Jul 22, 09 1:57 PM CDT

@kokuaguy the article states that nothing could be proven multiple times...

| 0 minutes ago

polstroad
Jul 22, 09 10:17 AM CDT

This guy has like his pals in the GOP listened with great care to Nancy's mantra: Just Say No...to everything. Don't like federal govt? Fix the dikes in your city with your own money. And leave FEMA out of it. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Reader38
Jul 22, 09 10:24 AM CDT

If the Republicans have better ideas why didn't we see them in the 8 years they were in control? It's not like healthcare costs weren't a problem. I don't see how these guys can keep their faces straight when they talk. Reply

IN RESPONSE:

carol
Jul 22, 09 1:13 PM CDT

If you look at the history of health care reform which goes back to the 1920's....several Republican Presidents tried to reform health care. Their policies, tho were turned down by Democrats. Nixon even tried....and guess who was the one who was the major dissenter....Ted Kennedy.

IN RESPONSE:

Snowleopard
Jul 22, 09 1:50 PM CDT

carol: I'm curious as to what their idea of reform was? huge tax-breaks to their corporate contributors? Less competition from foriegn pharmaceutical companies? but I guess the republican party hasn't always been as ideological and corrupt as it is today. Lincoln and T. Roosevelt being two examples of fine presidents.

| 0 minutes ago

OWLWOMANXXXX
Jul 22, 09 10:29 AM CDT

FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT NOT EVERYONE IS CAPABLE OF MAKING SOME DECISIONS....ALL THOSE REPUBS SEEM TO BE DOING IS NAYING WITH NO GOOD BACK UP PLAN....THEY ARE BEGINNING TO SOUND LIKE A BUNCH OF GARBLING ROOSTERS...IF YOU GET MY DRIFT...THEY SHOULD SHUT UP UNTIL THEY HAVE SOMETHING GOOD TO SAY...BY THE WAY...A LOT,OF THOSE GARBLING ROOSTERS ARE BACKED BERY NICELY BY THE INSURANCE COMPANIES Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Reader65069154
Jul 22, 09 10:32 AM CDT

Your caps lock is stuck

IN RESPONSE:

Fondue
Jul 22, 09 11:16 AM CDT

Billy Mays day is over.

| 0 minutes ago

Rocket448
Jul 22, 09 10:55 AM CDT

This is where the "debate" breaks down, over the issue of public v private health care. I have yet to see a real comparison between the two! When I get an "explanation of benefits" summary my eye falls on the amount the provider bills to my insurance company. Then there's a number reflecting what my insurer has negotiated to pay. Then, usually, there's a dollar amount that's "written off" by the provider. I usually finish by paying less than 10% of the small difference between the amount my provider bills and the insurer pays. To get this sort of coverage, my union gave up teacher salary increases, class-size restrictions, professional development, and a score of other contractual points not once, not twice, but 3 times. Now, I want everyone to stop yelling about abstractions and tell me: can you do better? Reply

IN RESPONSE:

nick
Jul 22, 09 11:08 AM CDT

What is sad is that, more than likely, the people without any health insurance, those who can least afford it, are billed the higher, non-negotiated amount, and end up filing bankruptcy.

IN RESPONSE:

kokuaguy
Jul 22, 09 11:19 AM CDT

The powers that be in Congress do not want a debate on cost effectiveness of the alternatives because SINGLE PAYER / MECICARE FOR ALL / CANADA'S MODEL (not British Socialized Medicine) wins hands down. A third of all healthcare spending is wated by keeping the insurance companies in the driver's seat. The Congress has refused to allow the Congressional Budget Office to score the costs associated with Congressman John Conyer's Single Payer Bill -- HB 676. Baucus met with advocates of Single Payer only reluctantly after having those who came to demand a seat at the table arrested for exercising their free speech rights. The Public Option in the Obama Plan is a logical first step toward that and is thus feared by the insurance companies. The insurance companies are the enemy. Period.

IN RESPONSE:

Snowleopard
Jul 22, 09 1:54 PM CDT

You want a real comparison of the two? The administrative costs of the best run private companies industry has risen from 8% to 20% over the past decade. Why's the cost rising? Because every year more and more profits are extracted to ensure higher returns for their shareholders. They also "cut-costs" by denying treatment whenever possible. Compare this to administrative costs of only 4% within medicare. With the public plan, more of your money will actually go to treatment.

| 0 minutes ago

Reader68389796
Jul 22, 09 11:00 AM CDT

This subject should not be on the table and should never have been. Every single citizen should be given national healthcare. If you are wealthy and wish to choose private healthcare it will be your choice. Healthcare should be treated like education.The founding fathers missed this one! Reply

IN RESPONSE:

Nwambe
Jul 22, 09 11:08 AM CDT

S'what we do in Canada. There's baseline gov't healthcare, and there are private supplementary healthcare plans you can sign on for. Easy as pie, and very rarely are you denied claims.

IN RESPONSE:

Snowleopard
Jul 22, 09 1:56 PM CDT

Sounds really similar to New Zealand's system.

| 0 minutes ago

Shannonals
Jul 22, 09 11:14 AM CDT

Perfectly example of how the two parties are causing further problems within our country. Rather than work out a proper plan by actually using bipartisan to it's fullest, they sit back and take pot shots at each other. Reply

-1

IN RESPONSE:

Toon
Jul 22, 09 11:58 AM CDT

One party is studying, debating, and writing legislation that they think they can pass. The other party is saying no. No change, no help for families and no reduction of profits for insurance companies.

| 0 minutes ago

Reader68389796
Jul 22, 09 11:31 AM CDT

On a different subject, Gov. Jindal you're smart and I believe intelligent and educated but you're in the wrong Party. You would do so much more for minorities (as you are) in the Democratic party that young minority students would look up to you and emulate you for your achievements. As it is you are doing nothing for us right now. Think about it. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

Reader64481089
Jul 22, 09 11:42 AM CDT

Personally since Republicans have now set the precedent I not only want to see this guys birth record but I want to make sure he wasn't concived while his parents were on vacation to Canada or back in the homeland of India. In simpler terms this guy is a parrot repeating only what told to say, he has shown that with his last "big speech" which he blew hands down, the only Republican to come close to this ones IQ level is Pallin and the jury is still out on which one is the dumbest. Reply

| 0 minutes ago

anchower
Jul 22, 09 6:49 PM CDT

Want to know what happens when Congress tries to stop so-called "frivolous" lawsuits? Read this: http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/us0609webwcover.pdf Reply

| 0 minutes ago

radnip
Jul 31, 09 5:06 AM CDT

This is why Jindal pays for his own private health insurance, because the public system is too expensive. Oh wait, he doesn't? He's part of the state government PUBLIC system? Well, how about the people he represents. They've got healthcare, right? Reply

| 0 minutes ago

View all 47 comments »

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Jindal Slams 'Dishonest' Health Plan

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Jindal Slams 'Dishonest' Health Plan

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Senators See Upcoming Vote on Obama—Not Health

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