Pres. Obama's plan hits blue states hardest
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/02/26/budget.departments/art.budgetbook.gi.jpg caption="Copies of the Obama administration's 2010 budget go on sale Thursday."]
Josh Gerstein
Politico.com
In mounting an aggressive push toward universal health care, President Barack Obama is exposing one of the central ironies of offering insurance to all: The states most likely to profit are the ones that voted against him last November and whose congressional leaders are least likely to support it.
Red states across the South, which now offer limited benefits to low-income residents, stand to receive billions of dollars to cover large populations of uninsured citizens. Blue states in the North and Midwest, which are wealthier and already offer insurance to many, are likely to take a financial hit.
Obama may have been alluding to some of those divides when he predicted that geography could play a major role in the coming health care fight.
|
|
Filed under: Health Care • President Barack Obama • Raw Politics |
About this Show:
Anderson Cooper goes beyond the headlines to tell stories from many points of view, so you can make up your own mind about the news. Tune in weeknights at 8 and 10 ET on CNN.
Questions or comments? Send an email
Want to know more? Go behind the scenes with AC361°
Subscribe to the podcast
On Twitter
Search the AC360 blog
It seems to me the past President spent % trillion in debt and we have nothing to show for it. I am glad to see a President actually expecting a service for his spending.
Also the key to a strong country is a strong middle class. Education and health care are the 2 most important things for a strong middle class.
America over the past 30 years has increased its GDP quite a bit but the avg American has seen none of this increase.
We must have Universal Coverage. We all know the South is behind in almost every conceivable fashion-See Chuck Norris for President. President Obama is trying to do the right thing for all Americans.
It will be a struggle to make the change to Universal Coverage and I imagine the cost will be frontloaded. After a time, when the entire plan is in place, it will be a benefit to all. Americans need to quit with the ME First and QUIT if I don't get my way attitude. If, we follow President Obama, who is everyone's President, all Americans will be better off in the future. Now is a tough time for us all. Those of us, in the Blue States, who supported him, understand that there will be sacrifices all around and no one will get everything they want (didn't your mother ever tell you that?) We needed a President to make the tough choices and ask Americans to sacrifice for the sake of the country. Keep it up Mr President, you are truly amazing.
So what? We are a nation, not just a collection of states. We have a national history of one region helping pay for another part fo the country's progress. Look at the dam building era in the West, the interstate highway system, etc. These are all examples of how sometimes we need to help out other regions so our country can move forward.
I suggest that the country as a whole would support "limited benefits to low-income residents" – including a form of catastrophic coverage. The idea of across-the-board government health care remains a frightening ideology. Based on our current consumption of health care, we probably couldn't afford universal coverage anyway.
Does it really matter how much each state will get if they do the reform? I mean they won't be getting to keep it because it'll be going out to pay doctors, hospitals, insurance companies and such. It's not like the money is going into the states pocket and they'll get to keep it and use it as they wish.
And make no doubt about it the "richer" states and people always find loopholes so they don't have to pay or lose as much. They will this time too. They always do.
Cindy..Ga.
Everyone knows providing Universal Health Care isn't going to bew easy. As Obama said in his campaign we're going to have to make some tough decisions and sacrafices.
For those who voted for Obama and supported healthcare reform--no good deed goes unpunished--for those who didn't---we will rob from the wealthy to give to the poor--sound familar!
Health care is to all and mainly to the less fortunate. So, Obama's direction to push insurance toall has found the target The receiving end are the states which did not vote for him,seem to be an irony. But Obama is twice blessed, he gives care to his non supporters, and also to the weak. Fine.