tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post113830151482632009..comments2023-10-18T11:04:13.946-04:00Comments on Connecticut Local Politics: Malloy Proposes "Universal Access" to Health Care for ChildrenGenghis Connhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13042849182723767087noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138594803669358712006-01-29T23:20:00.000-05:002006-01-29T23:20:00.000-05:00No, the Democratic complaint is nothing of the sor...No, the Democratic complaint is nothing of the sort. <BR/><BR/>Read the postings on <A HREF="http://www.CT05.net" REL="nofollow">CT05.net</A> and you'll see that, among other things, my complaint is that the program is a blatant give away to the people writing her checks. <BR/><BR/>In fact, tens of thousands of dollars were donated to her <I>while the legislation was being considered and reported out of the committee she chairs!</I> Talk about greasing the wheels of government...<BR/><BR/>Illegal? Maybe. Unethical? Probably. Incredible hubris? Definitely.<BR/><BR/>And speaking of Empires falling, you know what they say about hubris.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138548880295032262006-01-29T10:34:00.000-05:002006-01-29T10:34:00.000-05:00So is the Dem complaint that Nancy's program didn;...So is the Dem complaint that Nancy's program didn;t just hand prescritpion drugs gratis to every senior?<BR/><BR/>Seems that is the primary complaint.<BR/><BR/>I suspect that program would cost considerbly more than the Iraq war. As is, if we reduce troop levels the Iraq war will probably end up closing less than Medicare RX <BR/><BR/>The Romans bought votes with bread and circus. The Empire might never have fallen if they could give away free zoloft<BR/><BR/>BTW, the state employees family COBRA is about $1300/month. Malloy is going to ensure kids for $1300/year.<BR/><BR/>RightAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138515115639624402006-01-29T01:11:00.000-05:002006-01-29T01:11:00.000-05:00Denise quoth:Now, anybody have a solution to the s...Denise quoth:<BR/><BR/><I>Now, anybody have a solution to the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs and nursing home care for our elderly (soon to be many of us)?? There's the real cost of Medicaid.</I><BR/><BR/>Yes, but I'll leave the policy prescriptions to the candidates ;-)<BR/><BR/>My proposed contribution to the skyrocketing cost of pharmaceuticals? Kick Nancy Johnson out of our Congressional seat and shred the debacle boondoggle "Medicare Modernization Act of 2003"<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.CT05.net" REL="nofollow">CT05.net</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138491178110299262006-01-28T18:32:00.000-05:002006-01-28T18:32:00.000-05:00Denise,I agree with you on everything, except that...Denise,<BR/>I agree with you on everything, except that children are not "illegal", even if they are undocumented. It would be great if these kids were included in his plan, but I don't see it in his plan summary.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138454946915039662006-01-28T08:29:00.000-05:002006-01-28T08:29:00.000-05:00are the feds going to reimburse a program for free...are the feds going to reimburse a program for free medical care for undocumented aliens?<BR/><BR/>Me thinks we'll be stuck with the full tabAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138453433959815462006-01-28T08:03:00.000-05:002006-01-28T08:03:00.000-05:00it IS curious that Malloy didn't mention the Rell/...it IS curious that Malloy didn't mention the Rell/Rowland failure to deal with health care, but plaudits to him for putting it on the table. Great issue.<BR/>Problems with Husky: Administration has been adept at making signup complicated in order to reduce enrollment. Malloy solution deals with this by expanding to parents. Biggest problem, as franks says here, is finding providers. Reimbursements are very low and don't begin to cover the cost to providers, sometimes as little as 1/3 of the actual cost. So actual cost really is higher if we deal with this.<BR/>Most of the unenrolled children are already eligible for the program. Outreach was eliminated in the budget some years ago by Rowland admin - to reduce use. Easy to reinstate that. Glad to see that the Malloy proposal addresses the issue of illegal children - they represent a large number of the uninsured children. <BR/>Children and their parents are a bargain medically- they consume almost none of the cost for drugs and only about 1/3 of the total cost of Medicaid. Preventive care saves large amounts later. Now, anybody have a solution to the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs and nursing home care for our elderly (soon to be many of us)?? There's the real cost of Medicaid.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138417629729422732006-01-27T22:07:00.000-05:002006-01-27T22:07:00.000-05:00Krugman still consulting for Enron?Krugman still consulting for Enron?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138417537647829722006-01-27T22:05:00.000-05:002006-01-27T22:05:00.000-05:00so giving people something for free is responsible...so giving people something for free is responsible?<BR/><BR/>It's like the deficit. The Republicans are to blame and they are cutting too many programs.<BR/><BR/>Math majors, all of youse guysAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138417338136621412006-01-27T22:02:00.000-05:002006-01-27T22:02:00.000-05:00Here's some reality for you:... farsighted thinker...Here's some reality for you:<BR/><BR/><I>... farsighted thinkers are already suggesting that the Veterans Health Administration, not President Bush's unrealistic vision of a system in which people go "comparative shopping" for medical care the way they do when buying tile, represents the true future of American health care. <BR/>- Paul Krugman, NYT 27 Jan 2006</I><BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.ct05.net/?q=node/134" REL="nofollow">Start here.</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138414879897555122006-01-27T21:21:00.000-05:002006-01-27T21:21:00.000-05:00You're right, there is no free lunch. We have a h...You're right, there is no free lunch. We have a health care delivery system that is broken and has been for too long. The costs for this are being borne disproportionately by the underclass of working poor and, increasingly, the middle class.<BR/><BR/>Republican policy prescriptions amount to nothing more than free lunch for those that already have plenty.<BR/><BR/>Managed care is a proven failure. Republican legislation - most notably Nancy Johnson's signature Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 - subsidizes naked profiteering while foisting increasing amounts of risk and cost onto the shoulders of individuals. Hardly a prescription for fiscal responsibility.<BR/><BR/>Time to grow up and take some responsibility.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138409412898017252006-01-27T19:50:00.000-05:002006-01-27T19:50:00.000-05:00Chris MCTHERE IS NO FREE LUNCHNo co-pays lead to e...Chris MC<BR/><BR/>THERE IS NO FREE LUNCH<BR/><BR/>No co-pays lead to excessive utliization( why not go to the ER for every hang nail).<BR/><BR/>Benefits in CT out of line with adjoining states draw the poor and sick across the state line.<BR/><BR/>Then, cost overruns happen, taxes go up, and the healthy and wealthy leaveAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138401747813394272006-01-27T17:42:00.000-05:002006-01-27T17:42:00.000-05:00You're right, there is a point at which discussing...You're right, there is a point at which discussing correlations becomes meaningless. Inadequate health care is but one facet of the plight that the underclass faces in the real world.<BR/><BR/>Specific policy proposals like this one - that meet real needs in the community - speak to underlying principles much more meaningfully than ivory tower rationalizations for the dysfunction of Republican governance, and Republican psychobabble in general.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138395967067276022006-01-27T16:06:00.000-05:002006-01-27T16:06:00.000-05:00Aldon said:"I’m also curious about the correlation...Aldon said:<BR/><BR/>"I’m also curious about the correlation between people in prison and those that didn’t have adequate health care when they were young. My guess is that it is fairly high."<BR/><BR/>I agree, though I think that "guess...fairly high" is about as close as we're going to get at this point. Physical illnesses have behavioral components that can't always be quantified. Environmental and food allergies can be linked to moodswings and explosive behavior, and/or to underachievement and apathy. (Lead poisoning has been strongly linked to both; to put it crudely, it makes you angry <I>and</I> stupid.)<BR/><BR/>It may be hard for the Mayor to quantify the cost of HUSKY-Plus vs. savings in prison and other warehousing institutions; I don't believe he can come up with numbers that couldn't be knocked down by a thinktank that has an interest in more warehousing. But it's a valid concept.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138389531468359602006-01-27T14:18:00.000-05:002006-01-27T14:18:00.000-05:00Malloy should talk to the business leaders in his ...<I>Malloy should talk to the business leaders in his own city. </I><BR/><BR/>I'll bet he does.<BR/><BR/>The problem with arguments like these, just to name two that destroy it, is that 1. Underprivileged populations are not self-selecting, whereas a corporation is, which is to say that 2. You can't apply the experience of any individual enterprise globally. You can draw on the lessons, and I am certain Malloy does, but you can't apply microeconomics to macro problems.<BR/><BR/>Republicans can't - or refuse to - accept this basic precept of economics (this is literally Economics 100). That is why their policies are not only unjust, but fail to achieve their purported ends.<BR/><BR/>The Malloy policy proposal is no doubt just the first that will illustrate what moderates' commitments look like where the rubber meets the road.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138382438235562642006-01-27T12:20:00.000-05:002006-01-27T12:20:00.000-05:00Still in the works is Rell’s plan to start chargin...Still in the works is Rell’s plan to start charging low-income working parents in HUSKY premiums for their coverage. Low-income parents and kids have never been charged premiums in 40 years. (Moderate/middle income kids are charged premiums.) The projected cost savings can only be achieved by pushing parents who can’t afford the premiums off the program. <BR/><BR/>When increased premiums went into effect for kids in HUSKY B last year and the year before, thousands started to drop off the program. Then the legislature reversed the increase (twice). They should do the same for parent premiums before they go into effect.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138381322325989012006-01-27T12:02:00.000-05:002006-01-27T12:02:00.000-05:00In addition to being squarely behind the Malloy pr...In addition to being squarely behind the Malloy program, I appalud the philosophy behind it. Democrats can stand for ideas like universal health care as long as there is a practical approach to it. Let's start with kids and get as many of them covered as possible(hopefully all of them) then go from there. It is ok if change is slow as long as we are moving toward a better goal in the future. <BR/><BR/>To often I think the democratic party fails to get that Americans want to know that we stand for things that CAN be accomplished. Give us realistic goals and show us numbers. We as democrats shouldn't preach that we know best, but rather appeal to practicality and common sense of voters and say, "you voters are rational people, here is a rational solution to a major problem". We keep treating the electorate as stupid, and we are the ones losing elections.<BR/><BR/>On the flip side, I heard DeStefano arguing on 1080 this morning that what we need is Universal Health Care and we need it now, saying essentially that the Malloy plan fails to do that so it fails. Well show us a plan that works and works now. The Malloy plan is at least a stepping stone and it is, at the moment the only one on the table.<BR/><BR/>I have not chosen sides, though I had been leaning Malloy. But Destefano really turned me off today . I know you have to draw a distinction, but being against something pragmatic for the sake of being for an ideal that you haven't shown you can achieve is a common failed strategy of Dems across the board. Why not say "the Malloy plan is good, here is how I'd make it better". Let's raise the level of debate so as Aldon says we can create a better Connecticut.<BR/><BR/>Sorry for the rambling diatribe...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138373378497859292006-01-27T09:49:00.000-05:002006-01-27T09:49:00.000-05:00Malloy should talk to the business leaders in his ...Malloy should talk to the business leaders in his own city. Pitney Bowes, headquatered in Stamford and a leader in innovative helath programs, just found that if they got rid of co-pays the health and work performance of its employees went up. On the other hand their employees pay a fair share of their premiums out of their paycheck, which is something the stae workers, including the legislators, should be required to do but I'm not counting on it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138370984184498922006-01-27T09:09:00.000-05:002006-01-27T09:09:00.000-05:00Regarding the comparison to what we spend on inmat...Regarding the comparison to what we spend on inmates:<BR/><BR/>One, I've seen Malloy speak twice, and both times he used our penal system as an example of how broken our state is. Something about having about the same number of inmates in 1995 as we did in 1970, but in the last 10 years its tripled (I'm guessing at those numbers but that was the gist). So I think it's an issue for him.<BR/><BR/>Secondly, even if it weren't, when I read it, it just struck me as way to say "look how much we're spending on our criminals, can you really tell me we can't spend as much or more on our <I>children</I>?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138370826920711182006-01-27T09:07:00.000-05:002006-01-27T09:07:00.000-05:00I wont cite the vast (and often contradictory) fac...I wont cite the vast (and often contradictory) facts, figures and statistics on health care, just point this out: it doesnt matter if it is 71,000, 20,000, 71 or 20, even one child without healthcare is too many. And Republicans here need not respond, health care for all is a bedrock Democratic principle, and anathema to Republicans. Malloy's plan is a good one in my book - doesn't make this the one issue that gets my vote at the Convention or in the primary, but it is a gold star.<BR/>Re: Same Sex Marriage, this certainly will not peel off D support for Rell, polls consistently show less than 16% of the population favors same sex marriage, the majority are in the civil union camp. <BR/>And IM know there will always be people to assail WHATEVER is done in the GA, as they are on CFR. Bottom line, you cant pleae everyone, but I believe it is a good new system, and at the very least, it is worlds better than what we have now.<BR/>Oh, and the Curry comment - he pushed incumbents and their ideas away (cuz Billy knows best), causing them to walk away. But even if they did embrace him as he spit on their records, the campaign itself was a disaster.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138370259121722442006-01-27T08:57:00.000-05:002006-01-27T08:57:00.000-05:00There'll be lots of time for follow-up over the ne...There'll be lots of time for follow-up over the next nine years.<BR/><BR/>Malloy's answer will no doubt be pounced on by the inveterate naysayers, but it suggests something important about this proposal; it has been thought through.<BR/><BR/>The fact that he is talking real numbers, not trying to reduce this to a campaign slogan that nobody can really believe: that bit suggests he can - and fully intends to - implement it.<BR/><BR/>As an aside, it is great to see Colin continuing to press into the specifics and substance of what our candidates and elected officials propose. We can blog all we want, but unless the newspapers and broadcasters do real journalism, <I>nothing</I> good is going to happen.<BR/><BR/>I wish Colin had a podcast for his radio program, too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138367180544590192006-01-27T08:06:00.000-05:002006-01-27T08:06:00.000-05:00Number crunchers:interview Malloy last night for t...Number crunchers:<BR/>interview Malloy last night for this week's Behind the Headlines on Fox 61. <BR/>i tried to press him a little on the per-child number, and i understood his response to be that the program will never have 100 percent enrollment, that 60 to 70 percent would be a pretty strong performance. so he doesn't have to make it pay for every eligible kid. no time for a follow-up, alas. television. sheesh.Printer's Devilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08925651308911062725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138365696016149502006-01-27T07:41:00.000-05:002006-01-27T07:41:00.000-05:00Anon(7:31) I’m fairly disappointed in you. If yo...Anon(7:31) I’m fairly disappointed in you. If your post is indicative of the reading comprehension of Malloy supporters, then the Malloy campaign is in trouble. People have criticized Malloy’s proposal because it isn’t the ideal. I defend the proposal pointing out that Civil Unions and Campaign Finance Reform weren’t ideal either and you attack me? That is really disappointing.<BR/><BR/>Then you go back on to the ‘electability’ theme. I’m sorry. Attacking people because they have ideals and attacking people who have been defending your positions even though they are working for the opposition just isn’t good politics. It doesn’t make your candidate more electable.<BR/><BR/>Please, for the sake of your candidate, and for the sake of our State, lets move away from these destructive attacks and try to find ways to work together to make Connecticut better.Aldon Hyneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00527868669926331034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138365173322387442006-01-27T07:32:00.000-05:002006-01-27T07:32:00.000-05:00Why did Malloy bring up how much we spend on priso...Why did Malloy bring up how much we spend on prisoners? I don’t know. But, I’ll take my radical liberal view on this and come up with two comments. <BR/><BR/>Prisoners have universal access to health care and children don’t. Do we value prisoners higher than children? Perhaps if we want people to get health care, we should encourage them to commit crimes. That isn’t the sort of message that I think any of us should be supporting.<BR/><BR/>I’m also curious about the correlation between people in prison and those that didn’t have adequate health care when they were young. My guess is that it is fairly high. This brings me back to a flaw with the No Child Left Behind legislation. There are many reasons while children are left behind. It isn’t just the school systems. It is because too many children come to school unready to learn. They are dealing with illness, with hunger, with fear about crime in their neighborhoods, and no matter how good the student and the teacher, these hurdles are leaving our children behind.<BR/><BR/>By making better health care available to children, we are helping programs like NCLB and, I hope taking a longer term view of what is good for society. This longer term view may not decrease the prison populations immediately, but as more children succeed because the barriers to their success are being removed, fewer of these children will end up in trouble with the law or in prison in the years to come.<BR/><BR/>Mayor Malloy’s proposal, along with proposals like Mayor DeStefano’s City Youth Initiative and 'Hablamos Español' Initiative are forward looking proposals about how we can help make Connecticut better. They are about making wise investments in our future.Aldon Hyneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00527868669926331034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138365118736191152006-01-27T07:31:00.000-05:002006-01-27T07:31:00.000-05:00This is why Malloy gets the nomination. He comes ...This is why Malloy gets the nomination. He comes out with an initiative which, looking at this blog, is almost universally applauded. And then DeStefano comes out with a lame response, followed up by his blogmaster saying he wants to see "same-sex marriage." It is that kind of out-of-the-mainstream liberalism which dooms Destefano and makes Malloy electable.<BR/><BR/>On the policy issue, Malloy's proposal does more than just get kids insured. It also should lower the cost of health care for families overall. That is because many families will likely choose to leave the family plans offered by employers and enroll their kids in Husky. When that happens, the premium co-pays paid by employees will necessarily decrease by coming off the family plan. That will put more money in an employee's pocket on a weekly basis. <BR/><BR/>Additionally, with fewer kids to insure through employer-sponsored plans, the total costs of those plans should decrease, even for those who don't have kids. <BR/><BR/>I think Dan has hit one out of the park.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10214263.post-1138358450991588812006-01-27T05:40:00.000-05:002006-01-27T05:40:00.000-05:00Chris:Charging a parent a co-pay forces him to com...Chris:<BR/><BR/>Charging a parent a co-pay forces him to commit robbery?<BR/><BR/>Hello?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com