Unhealthy and Unwise

[Torog]

Unhealthy and Unwise By: Bill O'Reilly for BillOReilly.com
Thursday, Jul 21, 2005 http://billoreilly.com/currentarticle/



The devil has frostbite because hell has just frozen over. The New York Times, the elite media champion of government entitlements, has printed a "knock your socks off" investigation of Medicaid fraud in New York State.

The headline is that 40% of New York's $45 billion a year Medicaid tab is paid to crooks who have figured out how to beat the chaotic system. The Times ran down a list of thieves including doctors, dentists, transportation providers and individuals. The paper did a nice job exposing the scams and fraud but just dented the crime wall, because to steal about $20 billion a year, there has to be an army of villains and there are.

Now, I don't think anyone is surprised that entitlement fraud is rampant in New York State, which is the highest taxed state in the union and has two U.S. Senators that love the entitlement gravy train: Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton. But the state also has an allegedly conservative governor, George Pataki. However, Pataki has little power because the State Assembly is controlled by perhaps the worst elected official in the country, Speaker Sheldon Silver, who makes Boss Tweed look like Elliot Ness. Silver has consistently and unrepentedly stalled bills that would provide more legal oversight on entitlement fraud.

So why should you care if you don't live in New York? Well, because the liberal mantra that all Americans are entitled to government-funded health care has gained momentum over the years, and is likely to be one of the cornerstones of Hillary Clinton's presidential bid.

Can you imagine the federal government sending checks out to hundreds of millions of Americans and their health providers? Can you just picture the chaos and the theft potential? We have massive fraud now with targeted health plans for the poor and elderly. Universal health entitlements would send the country into fiscal disaster.

The truth is that our Constitution does not mandate any responsibility on the part of the feds to pay you anything. There wasn't even a federal income tax withholding before 1913. But now the American left has decided that a "compassionate" society must provide health care, even though it is virtually impossible to do that in a nation of 300 million. The national health system in Canada is chaotic and they have just 33 million citizens.

I am not talking about an "every man for himself" national policy. Clearly, the federal government should provide responsible and effective safety nets for Americans who cannot provide for themselves. Nobody should live under a bridge, nobody should die for lack of a doctor. But government assistance should be well thought out and delivered in a targeted, disciplined way. So far, that has not been case, not only in Medicaid, but in most "Great Society" programs. Rampant entitlements have bankrupted Germany and France and the high taxation that fuels these programs has made it impossible for the German and French economies to grow. More entitlements and higher taxation in the USA would lead to the same situation. We have been warned. It must be galling to the left-wing columnists at The New York Times that their own newspaper has illustrated the economic dangers of massive entitlement programs. People like Bob Herbert and Paul Krugman envision a quasi-socialist paradise where the feds provide you with everything from tranquilizers to a colonoscopy. And judging from the exposition of out-of-control Medicare fraud in New York State, the colonoscopy reference is disturbingly appropriate.

Torog Reviewed by Torog on 07-27-2005. Unhealthy and Unwise Unhealthy and Unwise By: Bill O'Reilly for BillOReilly.com Thursday, Jul 21, 2005 http://billoreilly.com/currentarticle/ The devil has frostbite because hell has just frozen over. The New York Times, the elite media champion of government entitlements, has printed a "knock your socks off" investigation of Medicaid fraud in New York State. The headline is that 40% of New York's $45 billion a year Medicaid tab is paid to crooks who have figured out how to beat the chaotic system. Rating: 5

[F L E S H]

YES! government-funded health-care is the creation of Satan himself! I steal money all the time when I go to the hospital, as do all my doctors, nurses, janitors, contractors, ambulance drivers, paramedics, even the old lady that sells newspapers in the hospital rakes in about $1,000,000 in stolen money. That's exactly what's going on in Canada.

Meanwhile, I had cancer, and I walked in and out of my hospital without ever taking a penny out of my pockets.

[amsterdam]

YES! government-funded health-care is the creation of Satan himself! I steal money all the time when I go to the hospital, as do all my doctors, nurses, janitors, contractors, ambulance drivers, paramedics, even the old lady that sells newspapers in the hospital rakes in about $1,000,000 in stolen money. That's exactly what's going on in Canada.

Meanwhile, I had cancer, and I walked in and out of my hospital without ever taking a penny out of my pockets.

actually lots of canadians die because of the long waitng lists for treatments,or come to AMERICA for BETTER treatment.FUCK BIG GOVT.

[F L E S H]

actually lots of canadians die because of the long waitng lists for treatments,or come to AMERICA for BETTER treatment.FUCK BIG GOVT.

Well, I must admit in the past 10 years, the system has suffered a lot, but before that (and that's a problem of corruption in the government, it has nothing to do with health-car system per se) it was consistently rated as one of the top health care systems in the world.

Actually, all the countries that are listed as having the best health systems have it nationalized. In fact, most developped countries have it. But I forgot, the US exists in a vacuum, and the rest of the world doesn't matter unless you want to bomb it.

[nicholasstanko]

actually lots of canadians die because of the long waitng lists for treatments,or come to AMERICA for BETTER treatment.FUCK BIG GOVT.

no, canadians go to america for faster treatment. It may cost a little, but can you really put a price tag on having a free, healthy and independent life

and besides, it keeps the lower class citizens out.

[XTC]

Both Health Insurance Systems have major flaws. US-- Well, a lot of people can't afford medical insurance, and pretty much without it, you're screwed. Canadian health care system is promising, you know free health care and such, but the long waits. Imagine if 300 million people in this country with free health care, imagine the long ass waiting spots.

Two years ago I had to under go Heart Surgery.(Born with a mumor and it progressed throughout my life. A lot of my heart was 'blocked') My rents have an awesome health insurance plan. I walked in and walked out two weeks later. The whole procedure cost about a 1.5 million dollars, I believe. With the health insurance plan it only cost about a grand I believe. Dirt cheap for a life saving procedure.

The way O'Reilly is presenting this, is ridiculous. Checks going out to patients and health care agencies and he makes it out in this big ass scam of immense proportions. Scare and shock tatics if you ask me, Like FLESH pointed out.

[amsterdam]

as canada continues its SLOW march away from liberlism,stuff like your health care system wwill change.watch,your countries slow march away from liberlism isnt as fast as our sprint,but its coiming to a town near you.

[F L E S H]

Both Health Insurance Systems have major flaws. US-- Well, a lot of people can't afford medical insurance, and pretty much without it, you're screwed. Canadian health care system is promising, you know free health care and such, but the long waits. Imagine if 300 million people in this country with free health care, imagine the long ass waiting spots.

Two years ago I had to under go Heart Surgery.(Born with a mumor and it progressed throughout my life. A lot of my heart was 'blocked') My rents have an awesome health insurance plan. I walked in and walked out two weeks later. The whole procedure cost about a 1.5 million dollars, I believe. With the health insurance plan it only cost about a grand I believe. Dirt cheap for a life saving procedure.

The way O'Reilly is presenting this, is ridiculous. Checks going out to patients and health care agencies and he makes it out in this big ass scam of immense proportions. Scare and shock tatics if you ask me, Like FLESH pointed out.

But it still cost you 1 grand... In Europe, I spoke with some people whenm I was there in May, and for them the idea of paying for the hospital is barbarous. Most of the world is of the opinion that your government should take care of you, not leave you hanging to fend for yourself, like in the US.

[amsterdam]

people can take care of themselves.

big govt, is big problems.it will never be that way here thankfully.

[nicholasstanko]

people can take care of themselves.

big govt, is big problems.it will never be that way here thankfully.

take a stroll through some of the poorer areas, amster.