Comments on: Rabbi / Obama Health Care Conference Call

By: Nan P.

Nan P. — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 19:52:42 +0000

The problem here is that Obama went so far as to ask the rabbis to speak of healthcare reform in their synagogues in the first place. He's asking rabbis to influence their congregations on a political issue dear to him--pushing something that should be between the individual and the Creator God. It appears more clearly each day that the agenda is to take God out of the equation and put government in His place. Make people believe that God is not in control and they have the power to dictate everything. Dangerous!

By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:26:45 +0000

"Insurance markets only work if the low-risk subsidize the high-risk disproportionately. This subsidization happens either directly through higher premiums or indirectly by using government as the insurer of last resort (see for instance Kathy Swartz's book Reinsuring Health), but either way a small group of people at high risk of expensive diseases simply can't cover their own costs. " I'm not sure where you learned about insurance, but having low risk subsidize high risk is not 'insurance', it is cost sharing. A small group of people at high risk of expensive diseases can pay for as much as they can afford. Society has a limited amt of resources and can't pay as much as is necessary to keep a limited group of people well. I think Obama has megalomaniacal tendencies, but I do agree with him that under a nationalized health care plan like he is talking about, the government will and should end up rationing care. Having said that, I don't think that the government should be God in the health care debate. Also, I think that saying that Obama's plan is 'reform' is giving him too much credit. it is more like 'change' than reform. Reform suggests improvement, he is going to change health care delivery but almost definitely will not be improving it. for Health Policy PhD - would you share insurance with a small group of home owners, 9 normal home owners and one pyromaniac?

By: Rev. Tom Barrett

Rev. Tom Barrett — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:02:08 +0000

Dear Rabbi Yuter,
I wanted to let you know I referenced your blog on the conference call in my article that will be published tomorrow, entitled, "Obama gets Religion." I was particularly impressed with your analysis of his naive approach to pre-existing conditions (your point 3).
I thought it was interesting that Obama prefaced his remarks by mentioning his supposed support for Israel. I remember him doing something like that when he spoke to a group of Jews here in Florida and pledged that Jeruslaem would always belong solely to Israel. The next day he spoke to CAIR and told them that Jerusalem would be divided between Jews and Muslims. Does he really think that we are too stupid to put his conflicting statements side by side?
By the way, Conservative Truth truly suppports Israel, simply because the Bible tells us that we should - not for any political reasons.
Shalom, be blessed.
Tom Barrett
ConservativeTruth.org

By: Sammy Finkelman

Sammy Finkelman — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:14:58 +0000

You didn't study Obama's plan well enough - or he neglected to inform you of some impoirtant detail. He wants an individual manadate. Everybody would be forced to buy insurance.
That's how he takes care of the end to discrimination on the basis of pre-existing conditions.

By: Izgad

Izgad — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:01:57 +0000

?Not so much of a hiddush here, but the stragegy seems to be to use anecdotal evidence?
Strategy

By: RosanneinTN

RosanneinTN — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:42:45 +0000

"I the Lord hate and despise your religious celebrations and your times of worship. I won't accept your offerings or animal sacrifices--not event your very best. No more of your noisy songs!
I won't listen when you play your harps. But let JUSTICE and FAIRNESS flow like a RIVER that NEVER RUNS DRY." (Amos 5:21)
There is no other option than obedience to God's desire for us to care for the widow, the poor, and the sick.

By: RosanneinTN

RosanneinTN — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:31:09 +0000

Church leaders have remained SILENT for too long.
The call to care for one another is clearly outlined in the OT; simply read the Book of Amos,rabbi, if you want confirmation of what is required and the consequences of inaction!
Justice rolling down like a river means social justice on the issues of healthcare, poverty, equitable use of our resources, and more... Rectifying inequities is the main job of the church; who will listen to you if you tolerate evil?
The Christian churches are (finally) stepping up to the plate to say, "yes, we have a responsibility to those in need." It has taken them forever and a day to do so.
But, where are the rabbis? Your silence is duly noted. As is that from the other major religions.

By: ginsbu

ginsbu — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:01:34 +0000

In reply to Sarah Brodsky:
Even the proposed House bill, which includes a public plan, requires that it it be an unsubsidized, self-sustaining plan after start-up costs, whose rates will be set in the market, not by government fiat. As envisioned, it can't offer services below cost. The Blue Dogs insisted on this. The logic of the public plan, as proposed, is that it will have different incentives than private insurers, leading to lower costs, not that it will achieve lower costs by subsidy.
As for the uninsured, no proposed bill attempts to cover them exclusively through a public plan: they do so by a combination of expanding medicaid, insurance market reform (perhaps including the option of a public plan into that market under the House bill), and through subsidies for the purchase of insurance, whether private or (in the case of the House bill) public.
All of this can be verified by reading the relevant sections of the proposed bills.
So, contrary to your repeated assertions, Obama and Congress are focusing on "other ways to get health care", not on a government "takeover".

By: Sarah Brodsky

Sarah Brodsky — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 07:41:54 +0000

And I was talking about the uninsured, who are not covered by insurance or Medicare. Insurance and Medicare are not the systems that help the uninsured, because by definition the uninsured are not covered by them. There are other ways they get health care and Obama is not focusing on them.

By: Sarah Brodsky

Sarah Brodsky — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 07:34:36 +0000

In fact, if costs were set at or above market rates, no one would want the option because it would be an obviously bad deal. That is assuming quality at least stays constant--which is doubtful, given the bureaucracy and mismanagement in every other endeavor the federal government gets involved with.

By: Sarah Brodsky

Sarah Brodsky — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 07:31:08 +0000

Government can set the cost to join the private option below market rates, crowding out all private plans. I.e. a takeover.

By: ginsbu

ginsbu — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:11:23 +0000

Health Policy PhD beat me to explaining why your #3 is wrong. There are many ways to make private insurance markets work without discriminating on the basis of preexisting conditions, for example the risk equalization pools used in the Dutch, German and Swiss systems, which all are based on competitive private insurance markets. Your concern that people will not purchase insurance is addressed, in the current bills, by a mandate. Also, I'm mystified by Sarah Brodsky's comment: none of the bills being considers propose a "government takeover" of health care, and all propose "expanding or improving the systems we already have in place" by reforming the insurance markets and medicare/medicaid. The House bill include a public insurance plan only as an option, not a requirement.

By: tesyaa

tesyaa — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:01:44 +0000

I am sure that Obama understands how insurance works. As an insurance professional, the health care discussion grated on me until I realized that people use the term "health insurance" to refer to "health care expense coverage." It's a usage that has made its way into common parlance, even though, as you point out, it's technically incorrect.

By: Jerry

Jerry — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:12:37 +0000

I have a problem with anything he says,after being in a church with Rev.Wright for 20 plus years and NEVER hearing any of his jew hatefull beliefs, and NOW wanting our Rabbi's to help him!

By: Steg (dos iz nit der ?teg)

Steg (dos iz nit der ?teg) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:42:16 +0000

Donna and Dean:
It's standard Jewish rhetoric to describe humanity as "God's partner" in creating and improving the world.

By: Dean Olson

Dean Olson — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:31:46 +0000

The "good question" is easily answered, Rabbi. One individual believes he is the servant of God, the other believes he is God's equal.

By: Josh

Josh — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:51:19 +0000

Donna - I don't know Obama's intent or what he personally believes, it's possible he was just tailoring his rhetoric to his audience. If we do take it seriously, a good question to ask what the difference is for Obama to think he's God's partner and Bush saying that God told him to invade Iraq.

By: Donna

Donna — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:22:35 +0000

Rev.
Why does Obama feel God needs a partner? Does he really believe he is equal to God? Did anyone question this statement or just let it slide? If it was left to slide without question, could that be seen as Obama's sly way of making you equal to God in this statement?
I have a big concern with the leader of the free world, promoting to the point of enforcing by new unconstitutional laws, less freedom on the people.
Peace be with you,

By: Health Policy PhD

Health Policy PhD — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:43:55 +0000

I can see why you said what you did about charging different amounts to different risks, but actually community rating began as the norm. Risk rating is not intrinsic to the economic purpose of insurance and only came about as a result of competition in the early insurance industry as competitors poached away Blue Cross's healthy patients in the 1930s, causing a community rating death spiral. States such as New York already mandate pure community rating in health insurance, and states such as Massachusetts have something similar for auto insurance, and their markets work just fine.
Insurance markets only work if the low-risk subsidize the high-risk disproportionately. This subsidization happens either directly through higher premiums or indirectly by using government as the insurer of last resort (see for instance Kathy Swartz's book Reinsuring Health), but either way a small group of people at high risk of expensive diseases simply can't cover their own costs.

By: Sarah Brodsky

Sarah Brodsky — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:18:06 +0000

One thing I find annoying about Obama's rhetoric re: uninsured, preexising conditions is that he ignores the ways those people currently do get health care. So instead of expanding or improving the systems we already have in place, he sets up a false dichotomy between no health care and a government takeover.

By: Thomas

Thomas — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:07:22 +0000

Rabbi Yuter,
I'm curious why the President is quoting scripture "I am my brother's keeper" and then trys to push a system where the government becomes my brother's keeper?
To me in seems that if the government takes money out of some individual's pocket to pay for someone elses health care that the compassion the first person would have for the second individual disappears. Why help someone if the government will do it?
I feel uncomfortable that the government is trying to insert intself between my GOD and myself. Why trust in and praise GOD during trying times if the goverment will supply?

By: Josh

Josh — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:50:30 +0000

Dr. Berger - I'm sure I can find anecdotal evidence of people getting screwed by national options. At some point I hope to write about health care in greater detail. And if you're in Baltimore, stop by my father's shul downtown.

By: Zack Berger

Zack Berger — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:39:00 +0000

RJY, thanks for this - interesting. With regard to stories vs substance, true that any system has flaws, but please realize that the American (cobbled-together, jerry-rigged) system is notably inferior to many others in care delivery, cost control, and insurance. See the report by the Commonwealth Foundation comparing various countries' systems; happy to provide the link if you like. A gutn khoydesh, a gut yor & greetings from Baltimore.
Zack B.