Quote Originally Posted by VanChilds View Post
Not competition between insurers Kirk, competition between doctors. Because most Americans only pay a co-pay neither them or their doctors can tell you what an ordinary office visit actually costs. There is no mechanism in place causing doctors or hospitals to compete with each other and provide the same service but for a cheaper price.

The cap on malpractice suits is not a major factor but it simply meets a complaint by doctors. When they cant bitch about it anymore then they have no excuse. It also is a bipartisan issue. Both parties are full of lawyers and the ABA lobbys both.

Nobody is forced to get a specific treatment here. If someone has a serious illness and doesnt take the time to research it and get multiple opinions then they are equally to blame for the service they get

I agree though, more comparative research is imperative. Ultimately I want to decide what kind of treatment I get though not the government. Those steps I mentioned were simply the first to be take in health care reform. The US is moving towards single payer system of some type whether Lyle and I like it or not, but a sudden dramatic shift is the wrong answer. It will take a long time and several changes for the US to get a system that is best for its citizens.
You're not going to get any competition in the system while it's dominated by half a dozen big companies who all have local monopolies.

The GOP use malpractice suits to blame lawyers for inflating medical bills when in actuality it's only a tiny amount of overall healthcare costs. The issue is a red herring.

Nobody is going to be forced to have a specific treatment, they're just going to have cheaper more effective treatments advocated over useless superexpensive treatments.

Sarah Palin already started her non-GOP base outreach. She's definitely thinking ahead :

Brushing aside the criticisms of pundits and politicos, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said she plans to jump immediately back into the national political fray — stumping for conservative issues and even Democrats — after she prematurely vacates her elected post at month's end. The former Republican vice-presidential nominee and heroine to much of the GOP's base said in an interview she views the electorate as embattled and fatigued by nonstop partisanship, and she is eager to campaign for Republicans, independents and even Democrats who share her values on limited government, strong defense and "energy independence."
"I will go around the country on behalf of candidates who believe in the right things, regardless of their party label or affiliation," she said over lunch in her downtown office, 40 miles from her now-famous hometown of Wasilla — population 7,000 — where she began her political career.
"People are so tired of the partisan stuff — even my own son is not a Republican," said Mrs. Palin, who stunned the political world earlier this month with her decision to step down as governor July 26 with 18 months left in her term.


EXCLUSIVE: Palin to stump for conservative Democrats - Washington Times