It’s The Medical Records, Stupid

Forget single payer.  Not Gonna Happen.  The Obamacans say it’s off the table, and I believe ‘em.  Just like I believed their duly selected Spokesmodel-In-Chief, Barack Hussein Walker Obushma, when he said, back when he was just the Inevitable Candidate, that  he wasn’t opposed to all wars, just dumb ones, and that blowing shit up in Afghanistan and Pakistan was a pretty freaking radically brilliant idea, as far as he was concerned.  “Anti-war, my left tit,” said I back then, and, sure as shootin’, turns out my faith in the Black Sheep of the Bush Family was not misplaced.  His FISA vote and his subsequent, “look forward without anger, why change things when they work for me” philosophy regarding Bush-era transgressions doesn’t surprise me a whit, either.

I have always been struck by the cozy, lovey-dovey relationship Georgie’s Ba’ Bruh has always seemed to have with “Obamacans.”  When I first heard of Republicans for Obama, I was like, “what’s up with that, huh?”  Why would a group of Republicans get together in 2006 to encourage the “most liberal Senator in the history of…liberals and Senators” to run for President after the guy had only been voting against their interests on a national basis for a couple years or so?  Sure, coulda been just another Axelrove AstroTurfing campaign, but, if it was, why weren’t real Republicans yelling their heads off about it?   Rush Limbaugh and Dick Cheney are not exactly shy about slamming one of their own for being too buddy-buddy with the other side.  Why did all the black Republicans endorse this “most liberal Senator, blah, blah, blah, either explicitly, or tacitly?  Why did so many registered Republicans switch party affiliation to vote for a community organizer, (a phrase they utter with all the dripping sarcasm, venom and contempt a mother uses to describe her law school-grad son, the “rap singer”’s career choice) in the primaries and caucuses, then neglect to switch back, swelling the ranks of Independents while depleting their former party’s numbers so significantly it’s now a shell of itself?  In fact, didn’t the guy Al Franken called a “big, fat, idiot,” encourage that?  Operation Chaos, anyone?  Why didn’t the sleazy Obama ploy plea for Republicans to become Democrats for a Day cause the “liberal media” and the “progressive blogospherians” who supported him with a blind fury to turn their backs on, and wash their hands of, him?  How come the Barackamedian’s biggest laugh on his Rock Star Tour campaign trail come from his oft-related response of “Thank you, why are we whispering?” to Republicans’ hushed confessions of “I voted for you”?

The tales of his repeated promises to “reach across the aisle” in a “bipartisan effort,” yadda, yadda, are legend.  In light of all that, one would have to be a willingly head burying ostrich not to conclude, “duh, he’s one of them.”  His latest actions in regard to “health care reform” only validate, underscore, and put a cherry on top of that obvious reality.  And, then here’s Arlen.

In 2004, That One’s Rhinestone Cowboy predecessor began his push for reforming the healthcare industy by digitalizing medial records.  While he, and his Homey, the Clown, speak in pretty vague terms of “computerizing medical records,” the truth is that the goal involves totally revamping the way health care is delivered, both nationally, and globally.  From Health Policy Monitor, October, 2004:

On April 26, 2004 President Bush announced his goal that most Americans have an Electronic Health Record (EHR) within the next ten years.  The anticipated  benefits of EHRs that could share patient information securely among providers and ensure complete health information would be available at the time and place of care, would be: improved quality of care, reduced medical errors, reduced health care costs, improved administrative efficiencies, reduced paperwork, and increased access to affordable health care.  The President issued Executive Order 13335 and established the position of  National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, who was required to report within 90 days on a strategic plan to guide the national development and implementation of Health Information Technology (HIT) in both public and private sectors.

In May 2004, Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy G. Thompson appointed David J. Brailer, MD, PhD to serve in this new position, and on July 21, 2004, presented  a report, “The Decade of Health Information Technology: Delivering Consumer-centric and Information-rich Health Care -  Framework for Strategic Action.”

Now, I don’t know if Dr. David Brailer of Health Evolution Partners is part of the SEIU led group of health care related organizations pledging to “reform” health care and cut costs, but I do know that it doesn’t really matter.  The coalition coming to the White House at 12:30 tomorrow to present Obamboozler with an undefined proposal outlined in a vague letter, comprised of some of the same reform-blocking entities that plagued the Clinton administration, is but another player in the ongoing drama in the Theater of the Obsurd.   Karen Ignagni, of American Health Insurance Plans, (one of the letter signing groups) last week went before Congress and bogusly begged to be regulated.   While the media dutifully reports that their concern is over the possibility that the Obamacrats (the opposing faction of the Obamacans of the Democratic party) might actually implement a public plan to help Americans struggling with impossible to afford health care, the truth is we’re just being softened up for the GE/Microsoft/Simi Valley/Google/liberal elite university overhaul of the industry.  Forget about single payer, think health care “delivery system reform.”  Senate Finance Chair Max Baucus does:

“I do believe we need universal coverage and I think the inefficiencies you allude to can be addressed. Delivery system reform would cut costs and improve quality. We need health insurer reform to get rid of preexisting conditions and other ways insurers discriminate. That’s part of our plan here, and the CEOs of many larger insurance companies are on board. They know this change is coming. They may lose the current model but they pick up on volume with 46 million people coming into the system.”

The insurance-based, public/private payment system is unlikely to change much.  The Obamacanacrats will get away with that by convincing us all that by the time all of our medical, insurance, hospital, etc., files are hooked up to a central national, then global, database, insurance industry overhaul won’t be necessary.  The Rick Scotts and Karen Ignagnis of the world are just jockeying for elbow room at the coming pie-laden boardinghouse table.  When George Bush, Barack Obama, Newt Gingrich and Max Baucus are all saying the same damned thing, only a fool would believe there’s a chance they’ll listen.  No single payer, it’s the medical records, stupid.  They’re just quibbling over the details to keep us occupied.  Baucus, once again, spells it out:

Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and responsible for leading healthcare reform efforts, said Monday that health IT will be key in containing costs to pay for reform.

At a press meeting hosted by the American Progress Action Fund, Baucus said Congress wants to reduce costs internally through delivery system reform, and he highlighted health IT and comparative effectiveness as prime examples. He emphasized savings would come over the long haul, up to 12 years, after initial investments in health IT.

“This is strategic,” he said.

Baucus said the Senate is working hard to develop legislation before next fall, a longer timeline than initially proposed. He’s optimistic about the process, saying, “I think all of us agree that the stars are maybe finally aligned this year for the passage of meaningful healthcare reform.”

Baucus said a bipartisan compromise will create sustainability in health reform.

Health Information Technology, (HIT) something General Electric, parent company of MSNBO, is investing heavily in, refers to any computerized health care service; electronic health records are those of an individual; and electronic medical records are the doctor’s files.  Coming up with a compatible, comprehensive system that will accommodate all the disparate factions is a huge, and hugely expensive undertaking, but make no mistake, that’s what the current fight is about.  Pulling it off will create jobs, and likely effect a siesmic shift in the economy.  Which, if you’ve been listening, is pretty much what Obie’s been talking about with his social planning budget.  And, though the Republicans cast in the role of curmudgeonly contrarians make a big, “oh, he’s a socialist” show to entertain, occupy and confuse the sheeple, they know better.  Hell, they’re in on it, too.

There are drawbacks, however, like this article detailing the hacking of the medical records database at University of California, Berkley, highlights.   This Boston Globe piece about Google Health chronicles some others.  And, while this Wikipedia entry shows how the sheer number of software companies looking to get in on the gravy train makes compatibility a potential nightmare, the chart at the bottom reassures us that they all run on Windows.