Bush Talks Health Care

From Fox News:

"I don't think you can be pro-doctor, pro-patient, pro-hospital, and pro-trial lawyer at the same time. See, I think you have to choose," Bush said Tuesday in Greenwood Village, Colo. "My opponent made his choice. He put him on the ticket. I made my choice: I'm standing with the docs and patients. I am for medical liability reform now."

Bush's proposals to address the problem include letting small businesses pool resources to buy health insurance at the same discounts available to larger companies. He also favors expanding tax-free health saving accounts for individuals and plans to propose a tax credit to help poor families and individuals buy health coverage. Further, he wants to have health centers in the poorest communities to serve the underprivileged.

In addition, Bush has called for a medical liability overhaul to limit malpractice awards and thus, he argues, drive down rising health care costs.

Kerry wants to help more businesses offer health care by requiring the federal government to pick up 75 percent of catastrophic health care costs, a plan his campaign estimates will lower premiums by an average of 10 percent. The Massachusetts senator also would give small businesses a tax credit to help them bear the cost of health insurance and wants to allow people to buy cheaper-priced drugs from Canada.

I am sorry, but I like it when Bush comes out swinging. It just sounds so…. Like me. My only problem with his plan is the health centers. We are going to have to pay for them. If there was some way that if people went there and had to pay at least something in proportion to what they can afford it would be better.

I am really not sure if limiting the malpractice awards is going to help that much, because what we really need is judges that can be judges. They need common sense. If a doctor, which is human, makes a simple mistake like missing a diagnosis that is not malpractice that is a mistake. On the other hand if the doctor or hospital amputates the wrong foot (yep it happened) then the gloves come off and the skies the limit baby. But we need judges that can look at a case and then have the intestinal fortitude to say sorry but your clam is crap and will not be heard in this court.

Kerry’s plan on the other hand is a step towards socialized medicine. Go ahead and ask Canada how that’s working out for them……..