Comments on: Just Go to the ER

By: Anon

Anon — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:45:22 +0000

Usually “free market types” use the “poor people can go to the ER” statement as sarcasm for how messed-up our system is–one where people can’t afford insurance but can go to the crazily-expensive ER. I suspect Bush was being sarcastic here and that you guys have not picked up on that. Or Bush could just be stupid. I admit that later is perhaps more likely.

By: Frank

Frank — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 17:34:25 +0000

I don’t think it’s a Freudian slip, particularly if you look at the inefficient “Medicare Advantage” plans the admninistration is now subsidizing. These plans are designed to route more Medicare dollars through private insurers.

The House Democrats want to fund SCHIP expansion by cutting subsidies to these plans. The Administration is vehemently opposed to that. So in other words, they appear to prioritize the partial privatization of Medicare over getting insurance to poor and near-poor children. Here are some details:

(from

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/042007E.shtml)

“2003 Medicare legislation . . . sharply increased payments to Medicare Advantage plans, which . . . funnel Medicare funds through insurance companies.

[T]hose Medicare Advantage plans cost taxpayers 12 percent more per recipient than standard Medicare. In the next five years that subsidy will cost more than $50 billion – about what it would cost to provide all children in America with health insurance.

As a result, Medicare – originally a system in which the government paid people’s medical bills – is becoming, instead, a system in which the government pays the insurance industry to provide coverage. And a lot of the money never makes it to the people Medicare is supposed to help.”

By: LM

LM — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 08:29:50 +0000

Seems to me that the first half of the quote by Bush is just as revealing about his plans for health care as the latter (especially when considered in light of your post on SCHIP).

“The immediate goal is to make sure there are more people on private insurance plans….”

Translation: “We don’t really intend to support health care programs that would be detrimental to private insurance companies.”

Another Freudian slip on Bush’s part? Or perhaps I’m reading too much into things…