Medical Genius Rush Limbaugh Praises Mandatory Health Insurance, Health Care Reform

A special thanks to Ordinary Jill (Jill Sixpack) who posted a comment to yesterday's post Rush Limbaugh Proud to be Medical Idiot.

I had noted that Limbaugh had praised the health care he received on Hawaii, saying,"I don't think there's one thing wrong with the United States health system," but failed to recognize that not everyone had access to such quality treatment.

Jill made a more important point about the access to health care in the state of Hawaii:

Limbaugh is, indeed, an idiot. Hawaii is significantly different from the rest of the U.S. in that, for the past 35 years,it has required that employers provide health insurance for all employees working more than 20 hours a week (important in a tourism-based economy, in which many workers are part-time). As a result, going into the current recession, Hawaii had one of the nation's lowest uninsured rates and enviably low health insurance premiums for employees (their share is capped by law at 1.5% of their annual wages). The Senate version of federal health insurance reform legislation specifically exempts Hawaii. The state has truly served as a laboratory for health care reform. Unfortunately, it has also demonstrated the dangers of tying health insurance to employment, as the recession has severely strained the system that worked so well for decades. (emphasis added)

Comments

[Ty O'Mara]

Our president is a brilliant man; I'm sure it is not widely recognized, but I think he is making all the right moves for our long-term well being-even if the short term will be hard for us spoiled baby boomers. He is being attacked by a group of multi-millionaire(highly overpaid)political hacks who get paid to rake him over the coals. They are paid to appease the concerns of the extremely wealthy and the poorest of us. The wealthy understand the game, however, I'm not sure the poorest of us understand it as well. Simply, it is class warfare. However, the current administration's policies are in the best interests of all of us-even the healthcare profession.

As for Rush Limbaugh, It makes me feel good to call him Rush Limburger. There is a serious problem with media ownership in this country. Maybe I've not been paying enough attention, but it seems everything I hear about healthcare is warning us to abandon the idea of national healthcare. We have come to a point where we cannot trust our so-called journalists. The title journalist is not even a flattering term as it used to be.

[Brian (neaguy)]

Obama is not a brilliant man. The guy who called for single payer in 2003 is a corporate sell out. Why do you think he broke Dubya's corporate fund raising record. As one admirer told reporter Ken Silverstein, the wealth elites wouldn't have given Barockstar all that campaign cash is they didn't think he was a player.

As for health insurance reform, we needed three things from the Congress:
1. Insurance severed from employment and profit.
2. Complete choice of provider.
3. Drug price controls.

We got none of these.

Both the House and Senate proposals make the system worse by furthering increasing the grip corporate America has around your throat.

The few good things in the proposals should be passed separately, through reconciliation if necessary. Then, move on to strengthen the push for the only reform that will improve the system for all: Single payer, Medicare for All.