Barack Obama,  Health

Barack Obama Flipping on Single-Payer Health Care?

August 18, 2008 /
Barack Obama today in Albuquerque answering questions on health care

This is what Barack Obama said in 2003:

Obama: “I happen to be a proponent of a single-payer [universal] health care program. I see no reason why the United States of America, the wealthiest country in the history of the world…cannot provide basic health insurance to everybody. … A single-payer health care plan, a universal health care plan. And that’s what I’d like to see. … [A]s all of you know, we may not get there immediately. Because first we have to take back the White House, we have to take back the Senate, we have to take back the House.” (Laura Meckler, “Let’s Go To The Video,” The Wall Street Journal’s “Washington Wire” Blog, www.blogs.wsj.com, 1/22/08)

But, today as in the video above says something different:

Q: Why not a single-payer? Why not get the corporate battling and the lobbyists out of the way, and just go to a single-payer?

A: Well, I’ve said this before. If I were designing a system from scratch, then I’d probably set up a single-payer system. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the terminology: Single-payer basically means that you’ve got one government funded program. It doesn’t have to be government run. But it’s government funded. Medicare would be an example of a single-payer system, if everybody was in Medicare.

But the problem is we’re not starting from scratch. We’ve got a system in which most people have become accustomed to getting their health insurance through their employer. And for us to immediately transition from that, and given that a lot of people work for insurance companies, a lot people work for HMOs. You’ve got a whole system of institutions that have been set up. Making that transition in a rapid way I think would be very difficult. And people don’t have time to wait. They need relief now. So my attitude is let’s build up the system we got, let’s make it more efficient, we may be over time – as we make the system more efficient and everybody’s cover – decide that there are other ways for us to provide care more effectively.

Flap is now confused. Is Barack Obama for single-payer government funded/managed health care for everyone or not?

John McCain does not favor a government funded and/or managed system.

What about Barack Obama? What does “over time” mean?

Again, Obama demonstrates that his words do not matter – nor are they consistent.

Technorati Tags:

9 Comments

  • Bob Haiducek, Bob the Heatlh and Health Care Advocate

    October 19, 2008 at 3:12 pm

    No, he is not for single-payer. Yes, he expressed his very strong support for it in 2003. He apparently knows what it is and that it could benefit the country greatly. But he is not part of the Health Care for All movement for non-profit single-payer national health insurance. Did his advisers talk him out of it in 2006 or by early 2007? Is that why the video of his 4/3/2007 meeting in New Hampshire, which was posted fine at his web site for weeks, was moved to another place for some months … and then was removed completely!?! … as noted at the bottom of the following web page … under “After 4/3/2007… the status and the hiding of our public input” (to Barack Obama)
    Obama requirement> for what citizens want for health care policy.

  • Flap

    October 19, 2008 at 4:06 pm

    He says one thing in 2003 and then another in 2008.

    What’s his health policy going to be?

    Or does he plan to go back to the single payer for all once he is elected and has super majorities in the Congress?

    It would nice to know BEFORE the election, no?

  • Bob Haiducek, Bob the Heatlh and Health Care Advocate

    October 19, 2008 at 7:09 pm

    Yes, indeed it would be nice to know BEFORE the election! Too many people are assuming (which is not good) that Obama “had” to have his current position in order to get elected. Those people apparently think that he needs to lie to get elected. Then they expect that he is going to lead us promptly to non-profit financing of health care after the election, even though he’s received mucho dinero from the health insurance companies and his announced position is to maintain the health insurance companies. That is a ridiculous expectation by anyone in light of what he clearly stated on 4/3/2007 that THOUSANDS of people in MOST or ALL U.S. Congressional Districts are going to have to write to the U.S. Congress and establish what he called a MANDATE for the health care policy that we want. He knows that there is a disease “in the beltway” (that’s Washington D.C.). That disease is the thinking that there is no political will for single-payer national health insurance.

  • Bob Haiducek, Bob the Heatlh and Health Care Advocate

    October 19, 2008 at 7:12 pm

    The action for each individual is pretty simple, really. All the tools are provided for how to take action by U.S. Mail, by e-mail and by telephone, including a set of toll-free telephone numbers. And, of course, having the short e-mails arrive each month to provide a reminder to call or e-mail or write.

    Some people in each district need to get the numbers that we’ll need for their district.

    Go for it! We can do it!

  • Flap

    October 19, 2008 at 8:04 pm

    Bob, those two posts you mentioned are held in moderation since you included more than two links to your blog. It is proper blog etiquette to use the trackback function rather than spam another blog with links from your own site.

    With that said, would you like to rephrase those posts or rewrite them without the links?

  • Flap

    October 20, 2008 at 7:54 am

    Bob,

    I read your e-mails and I do not make a habit of changing comments or editing them unless they violate the terms of service. If you wish to make a correction then just add another comment.

    Also, Google trackbacks and you will find quite a few links for your blog education.