by Deb Cupples | Apparently, the folks running The Politico are dead set against a public option for health insurance -- instead preferring a so-called "free market" approach (yes, the same "free market" approach that has, over the last couple decades, resulted in health care costs skyrocketing into the stratosphere).
Perhaps the folks at The Politico aren't capable of drawing logical conclusions based on objective examination of data from our nation's recent history.
Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman tells us:
"Not so. One of the most influential economic papers of the postwar era was Kenneth Arrow’s Uncertainty and the welfare economics of health care, which demonstrated — decisively, I and many others believe — that health care can’t be marketed like bread or TVs. Let me offer my own version of Arrow’s argument...."
I'm glad that Dr. Krugman mentions the article, but I submit that nothing more than a grasp of simple arithmetic is needed for us ordinary folks to understand that relying on the so-called "free market" will not result in high quality yet affordable health care.
Please hear me out:
Fact: private, for-profit companies seek to make profits. Period.
Fact: the folks running for-profit companies enrich themselves personally by (legally) funneling company money into their own bank accounts.
Fact: every dollar that goes toward health-care company profits or executives' personal bank accounts is one less dollar for us consumers to spend on actual health care goods and services.
Even hyper-Republican, "free market" loving columnist George Will admitted recently that a public health insurance option would bring down costs for us consumers:
"Assurances that the government plan would play by the rules that private insurers play by are implausible. Government is incapable of behaving like market-disciplined private insurers. Competition from the public option must be unfair because government does not need to make a profit and has enormous pricing and negotiating powers.
"Besides, unless the point of a government plan is to be cheaper, it is pointless: If the public option conforms to the imperatives that regulations and competition impose on private insurers, there is no reason for it."
In other words, a government health plan would be cheaper for us consumers, likely inspiring a bunch of us to dump our more expensive private insurance plans -- precisely because the government plan would cost us less.
The problem with Mr. Will is that he is more interested in protecting the pecuniary interests of big, health-care-company execs than in protecting us ordinary consumers and taxpayers.
Admittedly, Mr. Will's bias is perfectly rational -- given that some of the people who cut his paychecks (i.e., the folks running media outlets that buy his writing) get enormous ad revenues from health care companies.
These media powers-that-be don't need to be told that less money in health-care companies' coffers ultimately means less ad revenues for these media outlets.
Memeorandum has commentary.
Other Buck Naked Politics Posts:
* Are Polls & Media Misleading Us re: Health Care Reform?
* Public Option Needed Because Insurance Execs Are Robbing Us
* Private Insurers Milking Medicare
* Insurance Companies Get Away with Overbilling Medicare
* Contractor Fraud: Driving up Healthcare Costs?
* Smoke & Mirrors: Health Industry Pledges to "Stem" Cost Increases?
* Death by Hospital (infection)
*
* Cash-Conscious Doctors Against Single-Payer Health Coverage
LEAD, FOLLOW, OR GET OUT OF THE WAY. (Thomas Paine)
We have the 37th worst quality of healthcare in the developed world. Conservative estimates are that over 120,000 of you dies each year in America from treatable illness that people in other developed countries don't die from. Rich, middle class, and poor a like. Insured and uninsured. Men, women, children, and babies. This is what being 37th in quality of healthcare means.
I know that many of you are angry and frustrated that REPUBLICANS! In congress are dragging their feet and trying to block TRUE healthcare reform. What republicans want is just a taxpayer bailout of the DISGRACEFUL GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT health insurance industry, and the DISGRACEFUL GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT healthcare industry. A trillion dollar taxpayer funded private health insurance bailout is all you really get without a robust government-run public option available on day one.
YOU CANT HAVE AN INSURANCE MANDATE WITHOUT A ROBUST PUBLIC OPTION. MANDATEING PRIVATE FOR PROFIT HEALTH INSURANCE AS YOUR ONLY CHOICE WOULD BE UNETHICAL, CORRUPT, AND MORALLY REPUGNANT. AND PROBABLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL AS WELL.
These industries have been slaughtering you and your loved ones like cattle for decades for profit. Including members of congress and their families. These REPUBLICANS are FOOLS!
Republicans and their traitorous allies have been trying to make it look like it's President Obama's fault for the delays, and foot dragging. But I think you all know better than that. President Obama inherited one of the worst government catastrophes in American history from these REPUBLICANS! And President Obama has done a brilliant job of turning things around, and working his heart out for all of us.
But Republicans think you are just a bunch of stupid, idiot, cash cows with short memories. Just like they did under the Bush administration when they helped Bush and Cheney rape America and the rest of the World.
But you don't have to put up with that. And this is what you can do. The Republicans below will be up for reelection on November 2, 2010. Just a little over 13 months from now. And many of you will be able to vote early. So pick some names and tell their voters that their representatives (by name) are obstructing TRUE healthcare reform. And are sellouts to the insurance and medical lobbyist.
Ask them to contact their representatives and tell them that they are going to work to throw them out of office on November 2, 2010, if not before by impeachment, or recall elections. Doing this will give you something more to do to make things better in America. And it will help you feel better too.
There are many resources on the internet that can help you find people to call and contact. For example, many social networking sites can be searched by state, city, or University. Be inventive and creative. I can think of many ways to do this. But be nice. These are your neighbors. And most will want to help.
I know there are a few democrats that have been trying to obstruct TRUE healthcare reform too. But the main problem is the Bush Republicans. Removing them is the best thing tactically to do. On the other hand. If you can easily replace a democrat obstructionist with a supportive democrat, DO IT!
You have been AMAZING!!! my people. Don't loose heart. You knew it wasn't going to be easy saving the World. :-)
God Bless You
jacksmith — Working Class
Republican Senators up for re-election in 2010.
* Richard Shelby of Alabama
* Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
* John McCain of Arizona
* Mel Martinez of Florida
* Johnny Isakson of Georgia
* Mike Crapo of Idaho
* Chuck Grassley of Iowa
* Sam Brownback of Kansas
* Jim Bunning of Kentucky
* David Vitter of Louisiana
* Kit Bond of Missouri
* Judd Gregg of New Hampshire
* Richard Burr of North Carolina
* George Voinovich of Ohio
* Tom Coburn of Oklahoma
* Jim DeMint of South Carolina
* John Thune of South Dakota
* Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas
* Bob Bennett of Utah
Posted by: jacksmith | July 26, 2009 at 05:42 PM