The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
    CVille Dem's picture

    Forget Single-Payer, or..."The Obama Health Care Plan According to Zeke Emmanuel"

    By CVille Dem on Sat, 01/10/2009 - 9:21am |

    I heard Dr. Ezekiel Emmanuel interviewed on a local NPR station this morning; you can go here for it.  He is Rahm's brother, and is a part of the Obama administration's health care team.  This is a brief summary from what I heard:

    Forget single payer; everyone will have reasonable insurance rates; insurers cannot exclude people for pre-existing conditions, or overcharge them for being sick.  The insurance companies will get paid extra for the sicker people that they cover via a "value added tax."  Insurance will no longer be linked to employment and will be completely portable.  He says this will be "revenue neutral."

    MEDICARE AND MEDICAID WILL BE PHASED OUT.

    In other words, the one thing that is providing absolutely no service --> the "insurers" will keep their part of the pie.  They will continue to make money for doing NOTHING (now THAT's revenue NEUTRAL alright!).  He talked about it as though it is a done deal.

    This is the first I have heard of this, and I am not happy.  Any comments?