THE LEGISLATURE IN NEVADA HAS
APPROVED A RADICAL PLAN, ALTHOUGH I CONSIDER IT A GREAT
PLAN TO EXPAND ITS MEDICAID
COVERAGE TO ANY INDIVIDUAL REGARDLESS OF THEIR DEMOGRAPHIC
OR SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS.
THIS LEGISLATION STILL NEEDS TO BE
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR, BUT KEEP IN MIND NEVADA IS NOT A BLUE
STATE.
IT DOES SEEM TO BE A LITTLE MORE RIGHT-LEANING.
TO
SEE THIS TYPE OF PROGRAM PASSED
BY THE LAWMAKERS IN
THE STATE
IS ENCOURAGING.
A QUICK DISTINCTION
ñ MEDICAID REIMBURSES DOCTORS AT A LOWER PRICE SO IT DOES SAVE
THE STATE SOME MONEY.
THERE IS A DOWNSIDE BECAUSE SOME DOCTORS
MIGHT REFUSE TO TAKE MEDICAID.
BUT THE VAST MAJORITY OF DOCTORS
STILL TAKE IT ANYWAY.
THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE.
MEDICARE WOULD'VE COST A LOT MORE.
I THINK IF THIS IS WHAT PASSES THAN GREAT.
IT ALLOWS
MORE PEOPLE ACCESS TO HEALTH
INSURANCE WHICH IS THE GOAL, THE PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY COVERED.
SO
IF THIS DOES THAT IT IS AWESOME.
I THINK I WOULD PREFER IF IT WAS
MEDICARE.
BECAUSE YOU HAVE ACCESS TO MORE DOCTORS.
I
BELIEVE THE PUBLIC GOODWILL HISTORICALLY TOWARD MEDICARE IS
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF GETTING MORE PEOPLE NATIONWIDE
TO GO ALONG WITH THIS.
MEDICAID DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME SORT OF
ALLURE.
IF NEVADA WANTS TO WORK ON THIS, AND WASHINGTON HAS ITS
OWN PLAN ñ THIS IS PROGRESS.
THAT IS WHAT STATES ARE SUPPOSED
TO BE FOR, THE EXPERIMENTING
ROOMS OF DEMOCRACY.
IT'S A GOOD MOVE ESPECIALLY COMING DAYS
AFTER THE CALIFORNIA PROPOSAL.
LETS REMEMBER WHY WE DON'T HAVE A MEDICARE BUY-IN FOR
PEOPLE RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE OF THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE OF THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN 2000, JOE
LIEBERMAN.
WHO I ALWAYS LOVED SO MUCH.
HE IS THE ONE WHO KILLED IT.
HE SAID NO AND THEY COULDN'T DO
IT BECAUSE THEY NEEDED ñ HE WAS THE INDEPENDENT AT THE TIME
AND THEY NEEDED HIM AND HE WOULDN'T DO IT.
JUST TO BUTTRESS JOHN'S POINT ñ MORE DOCTORS DO ACCEPT
MEDICARE OVER MEDICAID.
THAT DOESN'T COMPARE MEDICARE AND
MEDICAID.
OF ALL THE THINGS I'M NOT AN
EXPERT ON, HEALTH POLICY IS ONE.
IF ALREADY DOCTORS ARE ACCEPTING
MEDIC CARE PATIENTS WITH LOWER RATES, IF YOU SUDDENLY
MASSIVELY INCREASE THE AMOUNT THAN THAT CAP COULD GROW LARGER.
I HAVE NO DOUBT IT WILL.
THERE IS NO QUESTION IT IS FLAWED.
OBVIOUSLY I WISH LAWMAKERS COULD DO BETTER, BUT THIS DOES PROVE
THERE IS A HUNGER FOR A PUBLIC
OPTION.
AND THAT IS A GREAT THING.
PUBLIC AUCTION WAS POLLING AT ROUGHLY 80% WHEN OBAMA CARE WAS
BEING LEGISLATED.
AS WE LEARN
THROUGH THE CAMBRIDGE STUDY, WE LIVE IN A DEMOCRACY.
THAT IS NOT 80% OF TOP DONORS.