SCRAP HEALTH CARE REFORM IF IT ADDS TO DEFICIT,

[GaryC 7]

SCRAP HEALTH CARE REFORM IF IT ADDS TO DEFICIT,

U.S. VOTERS TELL QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY NATIONAL POLL;

VOTERS DISAPPROVE OF OBAMA’S HANDLING OF HEALTH CARE

American voters, by a 55 – 35 percent margin, are more worried that Congress will spend too much money and add to the deficit than it will not act to overhaul the health care system, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released today. By a similar 57 – 37 percent margin, voters say health care reform should be dropped if it adds “significantly” to the deficit.

By a 72 – 21 percent margin, voters do not believe that President Barack Obama will keep his promise to overhaul the health care system without adding to the deficit, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University national poll finds.

American voters disapprove 52 – 39 percent of the way President Obama is handling health care, down from 46 – 42 percent approval July 1, with 60 – 34 percent disapproval from independent voters. Voters say 59 – 36 percent that Congress should not pass health care reform if only Democratic members support it.

Voters are split 39 – 41 percent on whether the President’s health care plan will improve or hurt the quality of health care in the nation, with 14 percent saying it won’t make a difference.

Only 21 percent of voters say the plan will improve the quality of care they receive, while 36 percent say it will hurt their quality of care and 39 percent say it will make no difference.

“President Barack Obama and Democratic leaders in Congress appear to be losing the public relations war over their plan to revamp the nation’s health care system,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

“Americans are more willing to scrap a health care overhaul than they are to increase the deficit in order to produce such legislation. That’s a bad omen for the White House and Congressional leadership as they try to sell their plan to the country this month before the vote counting gets serious on Capitol Hill in September.”

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/images/polling/us/us08052009.doc

[alienlovechild 75]

By a 72 – 21 percent margin, voters do not believe that President Barack Obama will keep his promise to overhaul the health care system without adding to the deficit, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University national poll finds.

They were only polling Nazis.

[Otto 83]

Besides the somewhat misleading questions asked... polls being what they are...

I didn't see the question posed "Have you seen/read this 'plan'? or are you just guessing...?"

[alienlovechild 75]

Besides the somewhat misleading questions asked... polls being what they are...

Which ones were misleading?

[dalegg 143]

Lets see how brave the dogs are.

[Otto 83]

Besides the somewhat misleading questions asked... polls being what they are...

Which ones were misleading?

Besides the fact that no one has read this 'Obama plan'...

15. Who do you trust to do a better job handling health care - President Obama or the Republicans in Congress?

(Misleading or leading, take your pick.)

[luckytxn 2,264]

Since we already run huge deficits then any costs that any program does will just add more to it.

[dalegg 143]

I find it hard to believe sometimes that there is actually this much opposition. I work in Garden Grove, California- Orange County- and am in an Engineering department where 9 of us discussed this topic. Bear in mind that we all have insurance provided by our employer and none of us pays more than $280 a month. - We are bread and butter O.C Republicans and six of nine of us were for government ran health care.

Edited August 8, 2009 by dalegg

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Interesting that you left certain findings out, Gary...

There is still strong support for critical elements of the Obama/Democratic plan:

* 62 - 32 percent in favor of giving people the option of a government insurance plan;

* 61 - 36 percent for higher taxes on high income earners to pay for health care reform;

* 60 - 32 percent in favor of insurance subsidies for individuals making up to $43,000 and families of four making up to $88,000;

* 54 - 38 percent for requiring businesses to provide insurance or pay the government

That's pretty strong support for major elements of reform.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

SCRAP HEALTH CARE REFORM IF IT ADDS TO DEFICIT,

U.S. VOTERS TELL QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY NATIONAL POLL;

VOTERS DISAPPROVE OF OBAMA'S HANDLING OF HEALTH CARE

American voters, by a 55 – 35 percent margin, are more worried that Congress will spend too much money and add to the deficit than it will not act to overhaul the health care system, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released today. By a similar 57 – 37 percent margin, voters say health care reform should be dropped if it adds "significantly" to the deficit.

By a 72 – 21 percent margin, voters do not believe that President Barack Obama will keep his promise to overhaul the health care system without adding to the deficit, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University national poll finds.

American voters disapprove 52 – 39 percent of the way President Obama is handling health care, down from 46 – 42 percent approval July 1, with 60 – 34 percent disapproval from independent voters. Voters say 59 – 36 percent that Congress should not pass health care reform if only Democratic members support it.

Voters are split 39 – 41 percent on whether the President's health care plan will improve or hurt the quality of health care in the nation, with 14 percent saying it won't make a difference.

Only 21 percent of voters say the plan will improve the quality of care they receive, while 36 percent say it will hurt their quality of care and 39 percent say it will make no difference.

"President Barack Obama and Democratic leaders in Congress appear to be losing the public relations war over their plan to revamp the nation's health care system," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

"Americans are more willing to scrap a health care overhaul than they are to increase the deficit in order to produce such legislation. That's a bad omen for the White House and Congressional leadership as they try to sell their plan to the country this month before the vote counting gets serious on Capitol Hill in September."

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/images/polling/us/us08052009.doc

It appears many voters have minds numbed by Right wing propaganda, since President Obama made clear when he ran health care reform was a top priority.

My suggestion to the Rethuglicans, next election pick a winner if we still have a country left, your whining and fear mongering appears to be frightening the unenlightened masses, or paid stooges are making it appear so.

From your own article, you missed this:

Quinnipiac University Poll/August 5, 2009 – page 2

There is still strong support for critical elements of the Obama/Democratic plan:

• 62 – 32 percent in favor of giving people the option of a government insurance plan;
• 61 – 36 percent for higher taxes on high income earners to pay for health care reform;
• 60 – 32 percent in favor of insurance subsidies for individuals making up to $43,000 and families of four making up to $88,000;
• 54 – 38 percent for requiring businesses to provide insurance or pay the government.

Of course Big Dog beat me to it, but jeez, seems sort of critical of your take on the same poll... Ahhhh the power of selective cutting and pasting... Edited August 8, 2009 by ready4ONE

[GaryC 7]

Interesting that you left certain findings out, Gary...

There is still strong support for critical elements of the Obama/Democratic plan:

* 62 - 32 percent in favor of giving people the option of a government insurance plan;

As long as it doesn't raise their taxes. Since most believe it will raise taxes for everyone you get the 57% opposition.

* 61 - 36 percent for higher taxes on high income earners to pay for health care reform;

Yeah, let someone else pay for it. That is fair.

* 60 - 32 percent in favor of insurance subsidies for individuals making up to $43,000 and families of four making up to $88,000;

That is cool with me. Even I would go for this. Problem is, there is a ton of sh!t for the one pearl here.

* 54 - 38 percent for requiring businesses to provide insurance or pay the government

Want to run the maw and pa companies out? This would do just the trick. How about the self employed?

That's pretty strong support for major elements of reform.

You can look for any small ray of light if you want. The fact remains that the top page poll numbers show this doesn't stand a chance.

Edited August 8, 2009 by GaryC

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Interesting that you left certain findings out, Gary...

There is still strong support for critical elements of the Obama/Democratic plan:

* 62 - 32 percent in favor of giving people the option of a government insurance plan;

As long as it doesn't raise their taxes. Since most believe it will raise taxes for everyone you get the 57% opposition.

Most? Sorry but it is frightening to see how gullible most folks seem to be after listening to the rights gibberish. Does it matter if we pay more in taxes vs providing more profit to insurance companies? No, it does not...

* 61 - 36 percent for higher taxes on high income earners to pay for health care reform;

Yeah, let someone else pay for it. That is fair.

The system allows for the prosperity the truly wealthy enjoy, so yep, they should indeed help by paying for the privilege.

* 60 - 32 percent in favor of insurance subsidies for individuals making up to $43,000 and families of four making up to $88,000;

That is cool with me. Even I would go for this. Problem is, there is a ton of sh!t for the one pearl here.

A ton of rhetorical sh!t, spewing from the right?

* 54 - 38 percent for requiring businesses to provide insurance or pay the government

Want to run the maw and pa companies out? This would do just the trick. How about the self employed?

Ma, Pa, you, me, our loved ones are already taking it in the shorts with the current insupportable system.

That's pretty strong support for major elements of reform.

You can look for any small ray of light if you want. The fact remains that the top page poll numbers show this doesn't stand a chance.

Except of course that the polls aren't making the decision, our ELECTED representatives are. I for one have made clear my personal opinion, we are enjoying everything you allegedly fear, and private corporations are reaping MASSIVE profits at our collective expense, to say nothing of making decisions which kill indiscriminately either financially or literally and as often as not in those cases, both. But insurance corporation profits march blindly on...

[GaryC 7]

Except of course that the polls aren't making the decision, our ELECTED representatives are. I for one have made clear my personal opinion, we are enjoying everything you allegedly fear, and private corporations are reaping MASSIVE profits at our collective expense, to say nothing of making decisions which kill indiscriminately either financially or literally and as often as not in those cases, both. But insurance corporation profits march blindly on...

But as you know, these people need to be RE-ELECTED. Even Obama knows that. It is the reason for the August deadline. With public opinion shifting so strongly against this bill you will get dems bailing out right an left. Since we already know there will not be a single republican vote the chances of this going through is very low. Needing to get re-elected every 2 years sometimes does have its advantages.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Stop listening to this woman:

Palin says Obama's health care plan is 'evil'

By MARK THIESSEN, Associated Press Writer Mark Thiessen, Associated Press Writer 1 hr 8 mins ago ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin called President Barack Obama's health plan "downright evil" Friday in her first online comments since leaving office, saying in a Facebook posting that he would create a "death panel" that would deny care to the neediest Americans.

"The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's 'death panel' so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their 'level of productivity in society,' whether they are worthy of health care," the former Republican vice presidential candidate wrote.

"Such a system is downright evil," Palin wrote on her page, which has nearly 700,000 supporters. She encouraged her supporters to be engaged in the debate.

The claim that the Democratic health care bills would encourage euthanasia has been circulating on the Internet for weeks and has been echoed by some Republican leaders. Democrats from Obama on down have dismissed it as a distortion. The nonpartisan group FactCheck.org, a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania says the claim is false.

The allegation appears to be based on a provision of the House bill that would require Medicare to pay for end-of-life counseling sessions, on a voluntary basis, for beneficiaries who want the service. Medicare already covers hospice care. And legislation passed by Congress in 1990 requires that patients be asked if they have a living will.

Obama addressed the controversy during a July 28 AARP-sponsored town hall.

"Nobody is going to be forcing you to make a set of decisions on end-of-life care based on some bureaucratic law in Washington," he said.

An e-mail sent to Palin's spokeswoman to confirm authorship of the Facebook posting was not immediately returned Friday. There was no immediate reply to phone messages left late Friday with the White House and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office seeking comment on Palin's remarks.

Republican criticism has also included claims that the reform plans will lead to rationing, or the government determining which medical procedures a patient can have.

However, millions of Americans already face rationing, as insurance companies rule on procedures they will cover. Denying coverage for certain procedures might increase under proposals to have a government-appointed agency identify medicines and procedures best suited for various conditions.

Palin resigned as Alaska governor on July 26 with nearly 18 months left in her term. She cited not only the numerous ethics complaints that had been filed against her also her wish not to be a lame duck after the first-term governor decided not to seek re-election next year.

Palin, popular with conservatives in the Republican party, has said she wants to build a right-of-center coalition, and there is speculation she will seek the presidency in 2012. In the two weeks since she resigned, Palin has made only one public appearance, giving a Second Amendment rights speech last Saturday before a gun owners group in Anchorage.

Palin or her aides post notes on her Facebook account about once or twice a week, usually to set out policy statements, issue news releases or refute rumors circulating on the Internet.

Palin also has been largely silent before Friday's Facebook post. She was a voracious user of the social networking site Twitter, and promised to keep her supporters updated with a new private account after she left office. But that hasn't happened, leaving some of her fans begging for updates in the past two weeks.

___

Associated Press writer Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar in Washington contributed to this report.

[GaryC 7]

Just out of curiosity I started looking at stories from the UK. Holy cow! There are some pissed off people there about this. This story kind of stuck out. I think stuff like this fuels the horror stories.

Kidney cancer patients denied life-saving drugs by NHS rationing body NICE

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 12:55 AM on 29th April 2009

Thousands of kidney cancer patients are likely to lose out on life-prolonging drugs.

The NHS rationing body, NICE, has confirmed a ban on three out of four new treatments.

It has reversed its position on just one, Sutent, which will now be allowed for patients with advanced cancer.

Drugs

NICE has the last say on which drugs are administered by the NHS

But campaigners who fought NICE's original blanket ban said this was not enough. They said some patients with heart problems cannot tolerate Sutent.

Kate Spall, head of the Pamela Northcott Fund campaign group, said the ruling meant that fewer than half of newly diagnosed patients would be eligible for therapy.

She added: 'Families will be denied time together and doctors will be unable to give patients the best treatment.'

Campaigners are angry that NICE appears to have ignored new official guidelines widening access to life-prolonging drugs.

Sutent, also known as sunitinib, can double the life expectancy of patients, to 28 months, compared with standard interferon treatment. It costs around £24,000 a year.

The rejected drugs - bevacizumab (Avastin), sorafenib (Nexavar) and temsirolimus (Torisel) - have similar costs and are used in other countries.

Nicole Farmer, of Bayer Schering Pharma Oncology, which makes Nexavar, said: 'This shows why the UK sits 16 out of 18 EU countries with regard to cancer outcomes'.

Dr Thomas Powles, Clinical Senior Lecturer, at Barts and The London NHS Trust, said the 'one size fits all' policy would disadvantage many of the 7,000 patients diagnosed each year with kidney cancer.

He said: 'This one dimensional approach will leave some patients without potentially beneficial treatments, indeed some patients will not be eligible for any effective treatments whatsoever.'

Stella Pendleton, executive director of the Rarer Cancers Forum, said: 'This decision contradicts the spirit of the recommendations made by Professor Mike Richards on improving access to medicines for NHS patients, and highlights flaws in the current system for appraising drugs.

'We call on Nice to reverse this decision.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-...l#ixzz0NZdBrMLd