What’s the most import aspect of healthcare reform?
A) How much it will cost over ten years
B) How much it will cut the deficit over ten years
C) How many more Americans will be insured
D) How many fewer Americans will die from being uninsured
E) Whether Americans with pre-existing conditions be guaranteed affordable insurance
According to MSNBC.com and most mainstream websites, the answer seems to be A.
No matter that this is $849 billion over ten years. No matter that it’s just a big number at the end of the day, without being put into the proper context of being shown next to figures of other big taxpayer expenses. For instance, we’ve been spending about $150 billion a year to prosecute the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Medicare costs the government about $500 billion a year. (I’m using the government figure of 3.2% of GDP from 2008). So, $85 billion a year, for MAJOR healthcare reform, that would “add coverage for 31 million [and] reduce [the] deficit over 10 years“.
You have to read the article to get other vital details about the plan.
But since most people only have the time to read headlines, they don’t know much more than what MSNBC.com tells them in the headline. I just think that’s so irresponsible for any organization that purports to be a journalistic vessel.
bullcitydave 
msnbc.com is a vessel, alright. not of journalistic integrity.
My biggest arguing point is: We’re going to insure everyone once they reach the age of Medicare, so why not insure everyone *beforehand* so they can get the preventative care they need?!
Oh – that’s right – because it makes more sense for folks to limp along and endure with lowered productivity and quality of life until they reach 65 and have done serious damage to their bodies that will require much more invasive and expensive procedures. My bad.
I was annoyed to hear NPR’s hourly headlines refer to the bill first by its cost, too.
ACW, but then you deprive the health insurance industry of their right to make a profit! America! Capitalism! F*yeah!
Funny, there’s an anti-reform ad here. “Don’t Destory What Works”. I’d click on it to cost this lobby money, except G isn’t going to count a click from my own computer.
Yeah, it works so well, that a little girl is going to go deaf because CIGNA wants their profits.