Jezebel 
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New York, 9:48 AM
Thu Nov 12
67 posts in the last 24 hours
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11/11/09
Keep your religion out of my government. When you can stop priests from diddling kids, we can talk again. #healthnuts
11/11/09
There. Now I will accept the whipping that follows. #healthnuts
11/11/09
11/11/09
11/11/09
Although if the Senate will also stop covering Viagra, then I might consider it. I mean, did these menfolk ever consider that maybe God gave them a limp penis to control population? So says my religion, and if it's my religion then it must also be the official religion of America or else I'm going to sit here and bitch about how we're all going to hell in a handbasket.
11/11/09
11/11/09
Of course I'd prefer for everyone to have health care.) #healthnuts
12:58 AM
11/11/09
11/11/09
I'm so glad, at the very least, that it seems people aren't letting this travesty go unnoticed and condoning hypocrisy and unlawfulness by ignoring it.
I hope they stop playing nice real soon. The Dems need to stop rolling around in the mud with these happy pigs...Get yer galoshes on and solve this problem! #healthnuts
11/11/09
11/11/09
Then the plan is to bring it to conference right after New Year's, and then have it to the president to sign just in time for State of the Union at the end of January. #healthnuts
11/11/09
11/11/09
11/11/09
And yeah, I've definitely become familiar with co-workers who will do anything to get ahead. Took some getting used to, but I've developed a few strategies to get around them without stooping to their level, so it's not terrible. #healthnuts
11/10/09
It keeps being said that he's compromising on his beliefs with the anti choice crowd. Even if we could know what he believes for sure, what would it matter? Principled is as pricipled does. The end result will be the same. #healthnuts
11/10/09
11/10/09
11/10/09
In fairness, I can understand keeping people's tax money separate from what remains (to my disgust) such a controversial procedure. After all, I wouldn't want my tax money to support something I don't believe in .... oh wait. #healthnuts
11/10/09
11/10/09
11/10/09
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. If this bill manages to pass through the Senate, we're then going to have a panel of "judges" to decide which health issues are not covered. So the fact that everyone is all up in arms over this particular problem, and ignores others, has me somewhat confused. #healthnuts
11/10/09
11/10/09
Another difference, is that the government is making this decision for private plans. There will be minimum coverage requirements for private plans to participate in the exchange, but the plans won't be prevented from covering any service but abortion. #healthnuts
11/10/09
11/10/09
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11/10/09
They hire actuaries, they make cost projections, etc and then have to decide what is cost-effective and results in the best outcomes.
What the Senate bill *does* have is a provision to strengthen the effectiveness of MedPAC, the Medicare Payment Advisory Council. Currently the group (which is made up of mostly academics in medicine) makes recommendations to Congress on policy for Medicare, but has no authority to implement them or even set up pilot programs to test out its ideas.
To date, MedPAC's recommendations have been largely widely embraced, and have not been extreme, and doesn't involve anything remotely resembling "rationing" or any other extremist accusations like that.
And could you specify what provision of the bill prevents those with special needs from accessing the public option? I'd like to check the language on it in the printed out copy of the bill that's sitting on my desk right now in two large binders.
I do, though, agree that it probably isn't all that cost-effective to have plans on the exchange offer a version with abortion coverage and without, and for anyone to offer an "abortion rider". Because no one ever really plans on needing an abortion, and if circumstances lead to the need for one, very few women have more than 2 or 3 over a lifetime (of fertility), which let's say it cost $50/year extra, the break even would be at 7 years to just pay for it out of pocket if someone has the resources to do so...
11/10/09
11/10/09
And, thanks Obama, for making the PUMAs sound rational (what?!) when they argue that men can't "really" be the feminists' choice. :( #healthnuts