Max Baucus: ". . .You Want Me To Waste My Time To Read . . . The Health Care Bill"

ObamaCare /  BaucusCare

Since President Obama signed the Obama, Baucus, Reid, Lincoln, Pryor, et al, massive, unpopular health care overhaul into law earlier this year, there has been a steady stream of news reports showing that it will not be able to live up to the promises made by Democrats as they were pushing the bill. Americans have heard now that the bill won’t slow the growth of health care costs, won’t strengthen Medicare, won’t help small business owners, increases the size of government, increases premiums, and will cost thousands of jobs, despite numerous Democrat assertions to the contrary. And today, we get yet another broken health care promise. Over and over, President Obama assured Americans, “If you like your current [health care] plan, you will be able to keep it.”

But today, the AP reports, “A plan by Medicare to try to make it simpler for consumers to pick drug coverage could force 3 million seniors to switch plans next year whether they like it or not, says an independent analysis.”  The AP even points out, “That risks undercutting President Barack Obama's promise that people can keep their health plans if they like them. And it could be an unwelcome surprise for many seniors who hadn't intended to make a change during Medicare's open enrollment season this fall.”

As the article explains, “Medicare has already notified insurers they will no longer be able to offer more than one ‘basic’ drug plan in any given location. Several major prescription plans, including CVS-Caremark and AARP, offered two basic options throughout the country this year, Washington said. Eliminating that particular form of duplication among the top plans would force 2.75 million beneficiaries to find new coverage . . . .” In fact, the AP notes, “When other changes are taken into account, as many as 3.7 million Medicare recipients may have to switch, the analysis concluded. That amounts to about 20 percent of the 17.5 million enrolled in stand-alone drug plans.”

But that’s not the only story showcasing how the administration’s health care plans are likely to break their “if you like your plan, you can keep your plan” promise. Yesterday, Kaiser Health News reported, “Colleges and universities say that some rules in the new health law could keep them from offering low-cost, limited-benefit student insurance policies, and they're seeking federal authority to continue offering them. . . . Without a number of changes, it may be impossible to continue to offer student health plans, says a letter that the American Council on Education sent Aug. 12 to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, signed by 12 other trade associations that represent colleges.”

And this isn’t the only broken health care promise highlighted by a news story this month. A few weeks ago, the AP reported, “the new health care law doesn't improve Medicare’s solvency by much,” even though Obama claimed, “This law doesn't weaken Medicare; it strengthens it and extends its life almost by a decade.” And Politico noted that when it came to the “agencies, boards and commissions created under the new health care law, “Estimating the number is ‘impossible,’ a recent Congressional Research Service report says, and a true count ‘unknowable.’” That’s despite a claim from Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) that “this bill does not increase government.”

Max Baucus was one of the Democrats’ point men on their unpopular health care bill. Yesterday in Montana he responded to his constituent:“I don’t think you want me to waste my time to read every page of the healthcare bill." The Hill has the story picked up from the Flathead Beacon in Montana:

Speaking at a forum in his home state, Baucus and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius were asked by an audience member if they had read the whole bill and "if not, that is the most despicable, irresponsible thing.” “I don’t think you want me to waste my time to read every page of the healthcare bill," Baucus said, according to the Flathead Beacon. "You know why? It’s statutory language ... We hire experts." . . .

At the town hall event, Baucus defended the sweeping law.  “It’s not perfect, nothing’s perfect, but I’m telling you, ma’am, it’s a good start,” Baucus said. “Mark my words, several years from now you’re going to look back and say, ‘eh, maybe it isn’t so bad.’”

Baucus response to the lady's question sounded more like the reply of a deranged assailant speaking to his distraught victim saying "several years from now you’re going to look back and say, ‘eh, maybe it isn’t so bad."

This is the same Senator Max Baucus who in 1979 failed to get the facts and sided with unions to call for the United States Air Force to investigate an Air Force contracting officer's contracting decisions on a multimillion dollar housing renovation contract at Malmstrom AFB. MT. The Air Force Inspector General did investigate with a team headed by an Air Force Brigadier General. The Air Force IG investigation identified that the officer had acted properly. Baucus still pandering to his union constituents refused to accept the findings of the Air Force IG and called for the General Accounting Office (GAO) to investigate. The GAO did investigate and found that the Air Force officer's decisions were fair and reasonable and in accordance with the required rules, regulations and procedures. These investigations affected numerous lives and increased cost to the government. But, Max Baucus achieved his objective of securing constituent support for his future elections.

Baucus seems to have the dysfunctional pattern of trying to get by without completely reviewing and reading required information. Now it is the massive take over of health care. But his habit began over 30 years ago when he failed then to make an unbiased inquiry into the situation which would have prevented the unnecessary investigations, when he brought political pressure on military officers in Montana, when he refused to accept (probably didn't read that either) the Air Force Inspector General investigation report and when he called for further investigations thereby wasting even more government money.

Baucus actions 30 years ago only cost the taxpayers money and threatened a few peoples careers. But today, his behavior has escalated to the point of having devastating affects on all Americans. We could just as well have called the health care bill BaucusCare verses ObamaCare.

Baucus and other liberal Democrats were continually warned that the health care bill would not do what Democrats were claiming, and in fact would often do the opposite: raise taxes, increase premiums, grow government, increase health care costs, cut Medicare, reduce benefits, and force many Americans off the health care plans they currently like. This is exactly what is happening and the American people don't like it. Regardless of what you call the bill - ObamaCare / BaucusCare / LincolnCare / ReidCare / PelosiCare - it should be repealed!

And for Montana voters, it is time to Repeal Max Baucus!  Neither you nor America can afford his ineptitude any longer. 

 

Posted by Bill Smith