Sunday, July 19, 2009

DUmmies On QAHCAA Health Bill: CBO Director Didn't Say What He Said

Remember what the Director of the Congressional Budget Office said late last week about the Obama QAHCAA (Quality, Affordable Health Coverage for All Americans---official title) health plan? ALL news sources reporting on it say that the director stated that it would INCREASE the deficit. However, despite what the CBO Budget Director actually said, the DUmmies are hailing the budgetary gymnastics emanating from Nancy Pelosi's OFFICE to claim that he really said that it would be budget neutral. Another way of saying, don't believe what your lying ears heard, this is what he really meant. Unfortunately, only the far left loons are buying this. The Blue Dog Democrats and most every other person sure know what the CBO director said which means the probable DOOM of QAHCAA (pronounced the way it is read). However, the DUmmies just can't let go of that tiny sliver of hope as you can see in this THREAD, "CBO Scores Confirm Deficit Neutrality of Health Insurance Reform Bill." So let us watch the DUmmies deny painful reality in Bolshevik Red while the commentary of your humble correspondent, who loves the QAHCAA acronym, is in the [barackets]:


CBO Scores Confirm Deficit Neutrality of Health Insurance Reform Bill

[What you heard the CBO director say, he didn't say. Oh, and we've always been at war with Eastasia.]

Washington, D.C. — The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released estimates this evening confirming for the first time that H.R. 3200, America’s Affordable Health Choices Act, is deficit neutral over the 10-year budget window - and even produces a $6 billion surplus. CBO estimated more than $550 billion in gross Medicare and Medicaid savings. More importantly, the bill includes a comprehensive array of delivery reforms to set the stage for lowering the future growth in health care costs.

[Oooh! This sounds as good as the Porkopulous bill...and as realistic!]

Net Medicare and Medicaid savings of $465 billion, coupled with the $583 billion revenue package reported today by the House Committee on Ways and Means, fully finance the previously estimated $1.042 trillion cost of reform, which will provide affordable health care coverage for 97% of Americans.

[And we know just how efficient the government is at meeting savings goals. Oh, and that "revenue package" means TAXES. More of them and somehow the economy will be completely unaffected by higher TAXES. BTW, the CBO never claimed the above...just wait until you see the source of this wild interpretation. Hee! Hee!]

“This fulfills the strong commitment of the President and House leadership to enact health reform on a deficit-neutral basis,” said Chairmen Henry A. Waxman, Chairman Charles B. Rangel, and Chairman George Miller. “The reforms included in this legislation will help control health care costs and expand access to quality, affordable coverage to all Americans in fiscally-responsible manner.”

[Now there is a trio you can believe in when it comes to cutting government costs...NOT!]

The estimates also cover important reinvestments in Medicare and Medicaid, including phasing in the closing of the “donut” hole in the Medicare drug benefit. The bill’s long-term reform of Medicare’s physician fee schedule to eliminate the potential 21 percent cut in fees, and put payments on a sustainable basis for the future, will cost about $245 billion. Those costs, however, are not included in the net calculations above, as they will be absorbed under the upcoming statutory “pay go” legislation that is pending in the House.

[Anybody who places the least bit of faith in these laughable budgetary gymnastics has a giant "donut" hole in their brain. And now for the laugh line...]

Read more: http://speaker.house.gov/blog/?p=1872

[Got that? The source for this complete reinterpretation of what the CBO director actually said is a BLOG out of Nancy Pelosi's office. And now the DUmmies have placed all of their hope on this completely unrealistic thread and you shall read...]

Good news

[If Karina the Blogger out of Nancy Pelosi's office says "up" is really "down" then it MUST be true!]

Let's hope this news doesn't go unreported by omission by those who don't follow the Cronkite brand of journalism.

[Let the world know. Karina the Blogger claims that "up" is really "down."]

Elmendorf is a tool. He wants to torpedo the whole thing. He needs to be outta here. This clearly rebukes that idiot.

[But...but Karina the Blogger is claiming that the CBO (meaning him) said it was budget neutral. How can he rebuke himself?]

Huh? Isn't this the opposite of what the same body said just two days ago? I hope this is right -- should shoot down a lot of arguments.

[I BEEEEEEELIEVE IN THE NANCY PELOSI SHILL...Karina the Blogger!]

I'm confused. The CBO doesn't mention any surplus. Here's Elmendorf's statement regarding the new analysis: http://cboblog.cbo.gov/?p=332 It says the bill will produce a net 239 billion dollar increase in the deficit.

[Don't believe your lying eyes! Continue to BEEEEELIEVE in Karina the Blogger!]

I cant keep up with all these estimates, how can 2 estimates in the past few days say 2 different ..things. If anybody gets this, could you explain it to the rest of us.

[Simple. One is true and the other is a Karina the Blogger fantasy.]

One can easily get 47 different estimates in 47 days-Its who YOU trust & believe is all that matters

[BEEEEELIEVE in Karina the Blogger with all your heart and soul! HALLELUJAH!!!]

Estimates are based on the result you want. Right wingers say this will bankrupt us. Obama says it will save money. The truth is somewhere in the middle.

[And we all know what a magnificent track record he has with this Porkopulous estimate on how it would help lower unemployment.]

The truth is still somewhere in that middle

[And ye shall know the truth but it WON'T set you free.]

It would be interesting to find out what Elmendorf's tax free account in Switzerland has in it!

[Just ask our mighty oracle, Karina the Blogger, for the answer to that.]

CBO says there will be a deficit, but Pelosi and others say there will be a small surplus. The reason for this surplus conclusion is that legislation might pass soon in which Medicare costs won't have to be offset. But will that cost simply disappear? Will it never be counted as part of our expenses?

[LOUSY FREEPER TROLL!!! How dare you cast aspersions upon the veracity of Karina the Blogger!]

How Can 2 CBO Reports Be So Different

[Simple. One is true and the other is the product of the fervid imagination of Karina the Blogger.]

Why would Nancy Pelosi claim this on her blog? That's not what the report says

[All that counts is that it says what Karina the Blogger says it says.]

The info in the letter just doesn't match the headline and news release. What in the world is going on?

[What is going on is a lot of pixie dust being dropped on the heads of gullible DUmmies by Karina the Blogger who operates out of Nancy Pelosi's office.]

I'll take the bad news straight up, TYVM. But don't paint a pretty picture only to have it turn to slime, like the jobs outlook right now.

[Remember the wonderful Fitzmas fairy tale told to you just 24 business hours ago?]

BTW, the discrepancy between the surplus declaration in Pelosi's announcement and the purported $239B deficit in the report itself are explained by Congress's annual ugly patch of the flawed sustainable-growth-rate calculations used to determine how much doctors are paid by Medicare (the calculations always generate rates which are way too low, and if Congress doesn't do their annual fix to shore up rates, physicians would abandon Medicare in droves.) Without the ugly patch, we actually get a 6 billion dollar surplus from HR3200, but because the ugly patch is factored in, the CBO calls it a $239B deficit. The thing is that the ugly patch would be implemented by Congress every year, whether or not HR3200 becomes law, meaning that money would be spent no matter what.

[Is that you, Professor Irwin Corey?]

Yes, you can trust the CBO. This gubermint agency is always accurate and honest. Really! You are getting sleepy. Verrry sleepy!

[And when you awake you will be a blogger in the office of Nancy Pelosi.]

What the f*ck is the CBO head doing saying just the opposite like one day ago?

[Because his words had yet to go through the Katrina the Blogger magic filter for convenient reinterpretation.]

The CBO did not say the opposite

[You...you mean we haven't always been at war with Eastasia you LOUSY FREEPER TROLL!!!]

The director DID say the opposite. I watched him say the opposite of this new CBO report.

[But what did Karina the Blogger say he said? That's what really counts.]

How can the same organization come up with 2 polar opposite conclusions?

[Answer: One happened and the other is what Karina the Blogger said happened.]

9 Comments:

Anonymous Thomas F said...

http://www.newsweek.com/id/207406/output/print

"we want to take away your health care"
From Ted Kennedy's mouth,


We also need to move from a system that rewards doctors for the sheer volume of tests and treatments they prescribe to one that rewards quality and positive outcomes. For example, in Medicare today, 18 percent of patients discharged from a hospital are readmitted within 30 days—at a cost of more than $15 billion in 2005. Most of these readmissions are unnecessary,but we don't reward hospitals and doctors for preventing them. By changing that, we'll save billions of dollars while improving the quality of care for patients.

5:50 PM  
Anonymous Corona said...

QAHCAA. Heh heh. Is that for real?

9:51 PM  
Blogger PJ-Comix said...

YUP! For real. They inadvertently gave their health care bill an accurate acronym: QAHCAA.

6:02 AM  
Blogger Tazzerman said...

Welcome to the 'reality' based community! LOL :) -tm

6:50 AM  
Anonymous Corona said...

What acronym is up next...BHUQAHQE? I think I saw an article on I Own The World that had some appropriate acronyms as well.

Libs have a pattern.
1) Say it
2) Believe it
3) ?
4) It comes's true!!!11!

11:25 AM  
Anonymous Shambhala said...

http://www.newsweek.com/id/207406/output/print
"we want to take away your health care"
From Ted Kennedy's mouth


Mary Jo was unavailable for comment

10:06 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Doesn't DU have a mental illness section?

2:13 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The entire DU site is a mental illness section

3:48 PM  
Anonymous Ray said...

"Most of these readmissions are unnecessary, but we don't reward hospitals and doctors for preventing them. "

Says who? The people receiving Medicare are ELDERLY! They usually have MULTIPLE HEALTH PROBLEMS and need additional testing and care to ensure that any treatments they receive don't interfere with other treatments and medications they're were already receiving. So, in whos world is it a WASTE of time and money to ensure that the treatments elderly people are receiving is effective?

When a doctor or clinic doesn't schedule additional follow-up tests and visits, the effectiveness of any treatments they are providing are diminished. When the effectiveness of a treatment is diminished, the health of the person receiving that treatment is also diminished. When the health of the ELDERLY is diminished, new medical problems quickly arise. Problems that usually end up forcing that elderly person BACK to the hospital for even MORE expensive treatments, treatment that could have been avoided if the appropriate post-release followups and testing had been performed. It ends up being MORE expensive to address the failure of an unsuccessful treatment than to ensure the success of effective treatments.

So, by disallowing (punishing) those follow-up visits and tests, the actually costs of medical care for the elder will INCREASE, not decrease. Why is this SO hard for people to understand?

8:04 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home