Daily Topics - Monday July 2nd, 2012
By shawnt56
Catch The Thom Hartmann Program LIVE at our new time, 3-6pm Eastern!
Hour One: Why is Ireland scrapping their voting machines? / Plus, Thom talks Trade reform - Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Hour Two: Obamacare is NOT taxmageddon - Carrie Lukas, Independent Women's Forum / Plus, Dr. Deepak Chopra works with Vets with PTSD
Hour Three: The Republican plan to kill Obamacare...
Comments
#2
Overlooked cost savings in Obamacare
I keep hearing people question how the ACA is going to bring down costs, but the answers are not very clear, besides the usual point that with more people covered, everyone will pay less.
The fact is that the most important cost saving provision is already in place. Since 2011, a requirement that insurance companies have to spend 80-85% of each premium dollar on actual health care rather than advertising, salaries and other overhead.
That will trigger a domino effect whereby the insurance companies will need to pressure the pharmaceutical companies and medical device suppliers to bring their own costs down.
Another very positive way to reduce costs and improve care will be to pay doctors a flat, albeit generous, salary. (They are, after all, paying off huge medical school tuitions.) No more paying for procedure after unnecessary procedure to pad their income. It will actually allow the doctors to return to the job of healing their patients in the most effective ways. There would probably be bonus systems set up to reward good outcomes.
#3
where to start....I want to see an amendment that limits corporate speech, but since an amendment requires 3/4 of states to sign on it will never happen without support of republicans. To do this we cannot solely focus on corporate power (that's why I think Move To Amend is doomed to failure.) Instead, we have to frame this as ALL BIG MONEY OUT OF POLITICS--corporations, unions, tort lawyers, millionaires. This needs to be pitched equally to the left and the right.
What does anyone think? do you know of any organizations taking this approach?
Thom's Blog Is On the Move
By webmaster
Hello All
Thom's blog in this space and moving to a new home.
Please follow us across to hartmannreport.com - this will be the only place going forward to read Thom's blog posts and articles.
Images of Thom
Mueller's favorite place to pray (written about in "Prophet's Way"), and the roof of the room where the Last Supper is reputed to have happened.
From The Thom Hartmann Reader:
"Right through the worst of the Bush years and into the present, Thom Hartmann has been one of the very few voices constantly willing to tell the truth. Rank him up there with Jon Stewart, Bill Moyers, and Paul Krugman for having the sheer persistent courage of his convictions."
From The Thom Hartmann Reader:
"With the ever-growing influence of corporate CEOs and their right-wing allies in all aspects of American life, Hartmann’s work is more relevant than ever. Throughout his career, Hartmann has spoken compellingly about the value of people-centered democracy and the challenges that millions of ordinary Americans face today as a result of a dogma dedicated to putting profit above all else. This collection is a rousing call for Americans to work together and put people first again."
From Cracking the Code:
"No one communicates more thoughtfully or effectively on the radio airwaves than Thom Hartmann. He gets inside the arguments and helps people to think them through—to understand how to respond when they’re talking about public issues with coworkers, neighbors, and friends. This book explores some of the key perspectives behind his approach, teaching us not just how to find the facts, but to talk about what they mean in a way that people will hear."
Was it just me or did Carrie just use talking points to debate with Thom? I personally think she sounded like a petulant child