The Politics Hour
It's a clean sweep for Republicans in Virginia's elections. In Maryland's GOP, the former Governor is dusting off his old playbook considering another run. And in the District, a messy spat continues between lawmakers and the mayor. Kojo and Tom invite you to join our weekly review of the politics, policies, and personalities of our region.
Guests
Resident Analyst; NBC 4 reporter; and Columnist for the Current Newspapers
Minority Leader (R-Calvert / St. Mary's); Maryland House of Delegates
D.C. Council member (D-Ward 5); Chairman of the Committee on Libraries, Parks and Recreation
Reporter, The Baltimore Sun
Politics Hour Extra
Harry Thomas, Jr., D.C. Council member (D-Ward 5) discusses the ongoing controversy over the mayor's contracting practices. Kojo asks Thomas if there's a rationale for sidestepping administrative procedures in favor of expediency.
Anthony O'Donnell (R-Calvert/St Mary's), Minority Leader of the Maryland House of Delegates, says that former Republican Gov. Robert J. Ehrlich is considering a 2010 run against incumbent Martin O'Malley in light of Tuesday's Republican victories in Virginia and New Jersey.
Comments
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People want more of the promises from Obama. He needs to deliver the revolution he described to us.
HELP *** THIS IS THE WRONG HEALTH CARE BILL *** INSURANCE COMPANIES HAVE NOT EVEN TOLD US HOW MUCH IT WILL COSTS ** HOW CAN THE CONGRESS VOTE?
WE NEED MEDICARE E *** MEDICARE FOR EVERYONE ***
You can buy it if you need to buy insurance. I guess they want to call this the public option. This is the only company licensed to perform health insurance in every state in the Union. Their administrative fees are far lower than other health insurance companies. Doctors know what will get paid and not paid.
Congressman Joe Weiner is right.
PLEASE BILL SUPPORT PRESIDENT O’BAMA
THIS IS NOT A HEALTH CARE BILL *** IT IS A HEALTH INSURANCE BILL ***
Clinics work well at providing basic health functions.
Charity hospitals rely greatly upon contributions in order to treat patients.
Direct providers such as Kaiser Permanente are admired by patients and doctors alike.
There will always be health care rationing. We don’t have infinite resources. (Sorry for the republicans). We can either give more health care to those who need it, or give more to those who have more money.
Unfortunately the market system cannot work. To a great extent, you don’t choose your medical condition. In the rest of the market place, you choose how much house or car or debt you want to carry. You don’t choose whether to get a broken leg or a heart attack.
Yes, great strides can be made in public health. And some people do choose to take care of themselves and their health in order to save themselves money. Paying for a health club or organic food is another investment we make in our health. Exercise cures depression. The republicans gave away the store with Medicare D. Pills for everyone, and the pill companies set the costs while the government pays, and the patient and doctor decide how many to take.
The way to stop regular Medicare from losing so much money is to make it available to those people who have signed a DNR. If you don’t want to sign a DNR, then you should get supplemental insurance, spend all your own money in your last two years of life, or find a charity ready to take care of you.
Doctors are leaving the profession. It is very difficult to make money at this time. The paperwork is over bearing. And the insurance companies lie, cheat and steal from the doctors and the patients. The doctors HATE the insurance companies second guessing their diagnosis and treatment plan. Are they practicing medicine without a license, and practicing medicine without even seeing the patient?
Will all the insurance mandates in this new bill, I believe that insurance companies will raise their fees 30%-50%. WE HAVE NO QUOTES FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANIES *** AND THE CONGRESS IS SUPPOSED TO VOTE.
Insurance law, and insurance commissions are very different in each state. Some States such as Florida allow very high medical claims awards, and then their health insurance costs are high. Some States require insurance companies to pay the same treatment code at the same price to all providers, some do not. Some States mandate that insurance companies cover certain procedures. These are the procedures that their constituents want covered. WE DON’T HAVE TIME TO RE-WRITE INSURANCE LAW SO THAT HEALTH INSURANCE POLICIES ARE TRANSPORTABLE FROM STATE TO STATE
Medical school enrollments are down 30%. It is easier to get into medical school than ever before. Doctors graduate with $100Ks in debt, to work in a business which does not make much money, and which comes with great risk. They can kill someone, or make someone very sick when they are wrong. Most doctors just want to treat patients and not worry about getting paid. Soon the congress will call for HB1 Visas to import foreign trained doctors because there will be a shortage of doctors.
Once the public (and insurance companies) know that medical costs are covered, then the costs of all types of other insurance should fall. Worker’s compensation costs, car insurance, liability insurance should all fall, but they won’t.
Business’ costs and manufacturers’ costs should fall.
I , and Catholic Charities are paying for my breast cancer (a pre-existing condition).
My husband, a physician, a chiropractor, has suffered financially, even though he successfully treated thousands of patient; some were cured after travelling around the world to all the “finest specialists”. The insurance companies don’t pay as promised, and then when you complain to the insurance commission they take you off their lists.
Health Care is a very complex issue, but there is a very easy solution. Medicare E.
Yours truly,
Karrina Taylor Brown