Bearman Cartoon: Harry Reid
For my out of country readers a little background on the editorial cartoon below.
– President Obama wants a Healthcare Reform Bill passed
– Many Republicans and some moderate Dems don’t want to include a so called Public Option (whereby people can buy insurance from the government) for fear of the long term costs.
– Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid introduced a version of the Healthcare Bill that includes a State by State opt out solution. This caused Olympia Snowe, the lone Republican who supported the commitee plan to publicly back out of her support as well as some others.
The biggest issue IMO is that the two largest areas of concern are those who want insurance who can’t get it at a reasonable rate and those who can’t withstand a major catastrophe. Now I am not economist but couldn’t the government put out a bid much like a large company for insurance companies to offer them group rates. Individuals without a company plan could get this corporate rate rather than expensive COBRA or the like. Then the government could offer a “public option” to those wanting catastrophic insurance such that it would kick in when medical bills reached a certain percent of yearly gross income.
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October 28, 2009 at 12:03 am
I love the title and your impression of Shultz!
October 28, 2009 at 7:15 am
I wouldn’t necessarily refer to reid as a bumpkin but it rhymed well.
October 28, 2009 at 12:08 am
Awesome! Any reference to this classic is awesome, and I love the take on it. Good jorb.
October 28, 2009 at 7:15 am
It’s was on last night so it brought back memories.
October 28, 2009 at 2:38 am
hahaha. aw. that used to be my favorite cartoon.
um, really. i apologize from the depths of my heart for my absence. but if you knew what my week was like you’d be like, bringing me candy and assorted alcoholic beverages.
October 28, 2009 at 7:17 am
Candy and alcohol…who do you think I am? ONe of your suitors?
October 28, 2009 at 3:05 am
My wife & I don’t have private health insurance due to the high cost. The government has a plan here called Medicare where you use your medicare card for visits to the doctors, hospital, prescriptions etc. You pay what they call the Gap & medicare covers the rest. In cases where you have to pay the full amount up front, then you take your receipt to a Medicare office & they refund you a percentage which is about 2/3 I think. My wife Michelle usually sorts all that stuff out while I’m at work so I’m not sure of the actual refund amount. Works OK for us though. The only draw back is that it can take longer if you need an operation or to see a specialist on the public health system. Whereas if you have private health insurance you can get stuff like that done quicker through the more expensive private hospitals. Goodness look how much I have rambled on. I almost wrote a novel.
THE END
October 28, 2009 at 7:18 am
How long does she have to wait in line at the Medicare office for the refund?
October 28, 2009 at 3:06 am
Oh great carton too
October 28, 2009 at 3:07 am
Oops that should be 2 O’s,
Great CartOOn
October 28, 2009 at 4:14 am
its ok tony he likes it when ppl comment on his great cartons… coaches and the like…
October 28, 2009 at 7:18 am
Only if they comment in their pYjamas.
October 28, 2009 at 8:45 am
or in a coach uniform 🙂
October 28, 2009 at 7:35 pm
ooooh SNAP! gotta love the loon! finally someone snarkier than the bearman! 🙂
October 28, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Why thanks Lynn, I aim to please!!!!
October 28, 2009 at 8:54 pm
How dare you come to my blog and be snarkier than me.
October 28, 2009 at 7:30 am
lol bearman look up the dictionary that IS how you spell pyjamas!
October 28, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Google “pajamas” and see that up here, I am right.
October 28, 2009 at 6:15 pm
yeah u yanks are legends in your own lunch box! watever u iz wrong to the rest of the english speaking world 😛 luv ya! 😀 haha
October 28, 2009 at 7:57 am
What you are describing is basically what the publich option idea is.
October 28, 2009 at 8:04 am
The only big differance is that it will not be a fund that kicks in but real health insurance that will also offer wellness coverage…. But what it will be is a big group plan that will be able to negotiate with insurers for a better rate.
October 28, 2009 at 8:24 am
The PO that is being floated seems like Medicare for all. I am not referring to increasing an already burdened system. The government shouldn’t have administrative costs beyond those necessary to create a private bid and outlying choices.
And I am not saying a PO is entirely bad. What I am saying is that there are some areas that Rep and Dems agree on that need to be changed in the current structure. Why not pass that bill so a. it makes it easier to get insurance for those who currently can’t and b. no one has to lose their house or go bankrupt trying to pay for medical expenses. If they want to argue the merits of a complete healthcare overhaul, that should be the next step. This just continue to moves us away from anything being done.
October 28, 2009 at 8:37 am
I really liked the cartoon but I think the statement, “The government shouldn’t have administrative cost beyond….” is probably the most hilarious thing I’ve read in a long time. Let the government take over health care, they’ve done such wonderful jobs with education and the bank bailouts.
October 28, 2009 at 8:40 am
Lumpkin rhymes with Pumpkin too. ha ha
October 28, 2009 at 8:47 am
Pumpkins, I thought they were basketballs 🙂
October 28, 2009 at 9:10 am
Hahaha! I love it!
And thanks for the background info, Bearman…if it weren’t for you, I’d have no idea what I was laughing about…
For real.:)
October 28, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Aren’t you in the US?? Pick up a newspaper once in a while.
October 28, 2009 at 9:40 am
The Great Pumpkin’s on tonight again. I’m gonna have a hard time not seeing Harry Reid emerging from the pumpkin patch when I see it. Nice job on Linus too!
October 28, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Thanks…he was actually harder to do than Reid.
October 28, 2009 at 10:06 am
Love his ears!! 🙂
October 28, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Whose?
October 28, 2009 at 7:16 pm
What do you mean “whose”?? Harry’s!!
October 28, 2009 at 8:54 pm
I thought Linus had cute ears.
October 28, 2009 at 11:11 am
Nicely done. The Great Pumpkin is a classic and any jokes associated with it are typically right up my alley!
October 28, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Just make sure you dont’ get kissed by any dogs.
October 28, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Could I be the real life Linus?! It seems possible! 🙂
October 28, 2009 at 3:47 pm
That depends. Where do you spend Halloween night?
October 29, 2009 at 1:27 pm
I could tell you, but then you might turn into a giant pumpkin … 🙂
October 28, 2009 at 5:10 pm
We went through something similiar in my state last year, when the Dems wanted to open up the state employees insurance to the towns. The insurance companies said “fine, but this will allow us to reopen contracts four years early and renegotiate the current rates and you’ll lose the savings already built in.”
Suffice to say, that measure was defeated.
October 28, 2009 at 6:16 pm
tsk tsk tsk..when will people learn… democracy doesnt work!
October 28, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Delusional Linus doesn’t need any more competition in his pumpkin patch. 🙂 Nice job, B!