The GOP Health Care Plan

Thanks to Eric Cantor (R-VA) We now know what the GOP has in mind as an alternative to the healthcare reform efforts of President Obama.

In a meeting hosted by the Richmond Times, Rep. Cantor answers a question about a woman who had lost her job and her health care and then learned that she had had abdominal tumors which required an operation. His reply includes the suggestion that she do what it takes to qualify for an existing government program or find a charitable organization to help her.

That, my friend, is the failed and discredited supply-side (i.e. "trickle-down") economic model applied to health care.

Cantor: First of all, I guess I would ask what the situation is in terms of income eligibility and the existing programs that are out there. Because if we look at the uninsured that are out there right now, there is probably 23, 24% of the uninsured that is already eligible for an existing government program [...] Beyond that, I know that there are programs, there are charitable organizations, there are hospitals here who do provide charity care that if there's an instance of indigemcy and the individual is not eligible for existing programs that there can be some cooperative effort. No one in this country, given who we are, should be sitting without an option to go be addressed.

If you don't understand exactly what Cantor's reply means, watch this video:

Finally, you may view the entire, 97 minute Richmond Times Public Square: Health Care Reform meeting held on September 21 (below) at which Virginia representatives Bobby Scott (D-3rd) and Eric Cantor (R-7th) discussed the issue, presented their respective views on what reform should look like, and answered questions from the audience.

It's quite informative and worth watching.

The question about the woman with abdominal cancer and the responses of both Rep. Scott and response begins at the 59 minute mark. Watch and listen carefully. Notice which representative addresses the issue from the standpoint of helping the woman and which from the standpoint of protecting the profits of the insurance companies.