Comments on: How Democrats Need To Frame The Healthcare Debate http://www.chrisweigant.com/2009/06/09/how-democrats-need-to-frame-the-healthcare-debate/ Reality-based political commentary Fri, 08 May 2026 01:45:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Moderate http://www.chrisweigant.com/2009/06/09/how-democrats-need-to-frame-the-healthcare-debate/#comment-7379 Moderate Thu, 04 Feb 2010 03:17:42 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/index.php/2009/06/09/how-democrats-need-to-frame-the-healthcare-debate/#comment-7379 It's an excellent framing. The problem is, I don't think it achieves too much as I'm not sure too many moderate Republicans could possible oppose that. The issue is less that healthcare needs reform, but rather the best way to do it. For example I think that's a laudable principle. People shouldn't go bankrupt to get treatment. But I'm not a fan of too much centralisation in the hands of the government because of just how broken our NHS is here in the UK. Sure, people don't go bankrupt to get treatment; largely as many of them die before they get the treatment they need. Is that really any better? Not for me. Rationing is a serious problem. People wait months for surgery that they need now, or simply get refused treatment for assorted reasons (none of which are to do with need, and have everything to do with the cost of the treatment). The more I read about Germany and The Netherlands, the more I think public healthcare must be workable. But the UK stands as an example that it's not a certainty that it will be, or that it will be any better than what you have now. It's an excellent framing. The problem is, I don't think it achieves too much as I'm not sure too many moderate Republicans could possible oppose that. The issue is less that healthcare needs reform, but rather the best way to do it.

For example I think that's a laudable principle. People shouldn't go bankrupt to get treatment. But I'm not a fan of too much centralisation in the hands of the government because of just how broken our NHS is here in the UK.

Sure, people don't go bankrupt to get treatment; largely as many of them die before they get the treatment they need. Is that really any better? Not for me.

Rationing is a serious problem. People wait months for surgery that they need now, or simply get refused treatment for assorted reasons (none of which are to do with need, and have everything to do with the cost of the treatment).

The more I read about Germany and The Netherlands, the more I think public healthcare must be workable. But the UK stands as an example that it's not a certainty that it will be, or that it will be any better than what you have now.

]]> By: ChrisWeigant.com » Grammatical Interlude http://www.chrisweigant.com/2009/06/09/how-democrats-need-to-frame-the-healthcare-debate/#comment-7351 ChrisWeigant.com » Grammatical Interlude Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:46:06 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/index.php/2009/06/09/how-democrats-need-to-frame-the-healthcare-debate/#comment-7351 [...] "health care." This one I actually have spoken of previously, in a "Grammatical Note" at the end of an article from last June: I am finally bowing to what is becoming the conventional usage of "healthcare" [...] [...] "health care." This one I actually have spoken of previously, in a "Grammatical Note" at the end of an article from last June: I am finally bowing to what is becoming the conventional usage of "healthcare" [...]

]]> By: Osborne Ink http://www.chrisweigant.com/2009/06/09/how-democrats-need-to-frame-the-healthcare-debate/#comment-5210 Osborne Ink Tue, 09 Jun 2009 23:27:44 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/index.php/2009/06/09/how-democrats-need-to-frame-the-healthcare-debate/#comment-5210 Chris, I think you've nailed together the perfect frame. This is the nightmare for the GOP: that Americans come to see health care reform as key to their family's security. There's been a backlash against the bankruptcy study in the wacknut blogosphere; they're so scared of this framing that they're bending themselves over backwards to explain away the data. That's why it is vital for the proponents of reform to build the frame with the stories of real Americans. For me, health care reform became an issue the day I lost a sale. The family was middle-class and had insurance; they liked my product and they wanted it. But their daughter had just been diagnosed with cancer and the surgeon wanted $10,000 in cash before she would pick up the scalpel. Altogether, they spent their entire savings account keeping their child alive -- around $85,000. And again, this was WITH insurance. Chris, I think you've nailed together the perfect frame. This is the nightmare for the GOP: that Americans come to see health care reform as key to their family's security.

There's been a backlash against the bankruptcy study in the wacknut blogosphere; they're so scared of this framing that they're bending themselves over backwards to explain away the data. That's why it is vital for the proponents of reform to build the frame with the stories of real Americans.

For me, health care reform became an issue the day I lost a sale. The family was middle-class and had insurance; they liked my product and they wanted it. But their daughter had just been diagnosed with cancer and the surgeon wanted $10,000 in cash before she would pick up the scalpel. Altogether, they spent their entire savings account keeping their child alive -- around $85,000. And again, this was WITH insurance.

]]> By: fstanley http://www.chrisweigant.com/2009/06/09/how-democrats-need-to-frame-the-healthcare-debate/#comment-5209 fstanley Tue, 09 Jun 2009 23:21:20 +0000 http://www.chrisweigant.com/index.php/2009/06/09/how-democrats-need-to-frame-the-healthcare-debate/#comment-5209 I keep hoping that President Obama and Congress will do the right thing but when I hear that single payer is off the table I am upset. I am also not very happy to hear that there is talk about taxing benefits for those who have them and forcing those that don't have healthcare to buy the existing flawed and costly plans. The insurance industry will never self-regulate and they are already going back on some of their earlier promises. We need real "Change" now! ...Stan I keep hoping that President Obama and Congress will do the right thing but when I hear that single payer is off the table I am upset. I am also not very happy to hear that there is talk about taxing benefits for those who have them and forcing those that don't have healthcare to buy the existing flawed and costly plans.

The insurance industry will never self-regulate and they are already going back on some of their earlier promises.

We need real "Change" now!

...Stan

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