Healthcare Reform Now

by Bill Kavanagh:  I’m a little tired of the stories about the righteous indignation of conservative America regarding healthcare reform and the “socialist takeover” of the country.  I can only conclude that these folks have been sleepwalking through the last year and have somehow been miraculously reanimated by Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich as zombies for the health insurance industry.  The indignation thing ought to be the territory of the rest of us, who’ve been ripped off by conservative leaders and their corporate backers for years and left to fend for ourselves when we’re ill, uncovered, or changing jobs.

 A “socialist takeover” is the farthest thing from what’s going on.  The healthcare reform now under consideration is a mild form of universal care, which would neither fix all the problems of healthcare in America nor break the health insurance industry’s hold on our dollars.  We deserve better, but at minimum we need the public option pivotal to most current reform bills.  Apparently, that’s too much government for the insurance industry and the conservatives who cater to their needs, but the public option is about the only thing that will give many Americans without health coverage a chance to increase their access to care.

 A public option is also the only thing that will prevent the 14,000 people currently losing their health insurance every day in America from losing their access to good medical care.  Those of us who are woefully undercovered by high-deductable plans would also be helped by a public option, allowing us better benefits for our limited dollars.  The public option might also help spur more competition within the private insurance market, since companies now providing coverage would have to make their products attractive to consumers able to stack their benefits up against an plan that would not be looking to constantly increase profits.

 The other benefit of a public option would be its lack of incentive to disqualify customers for specious reasons.  One of the ways private insurers increase their profits is by denying coverage dollars to individuals for the most mercenary and small violations of the insurance contract or dragging decisions out to dissuade the individual from seeking an expensive procedure, putting themselves between the patient and her doctor.  A public insurer without incentive to deny benefits would be attractive to many and might be matched by health insurers wishing to remain competitive with it.  They might need to find new ways to show their policies actually are more worthwhile when the consumer really needs them!

 Another possible development in the wake of a public option’s advent might be to encourage the founding of more non-profit healthcare clinics.  Preventive public health care, now less available than it should be, would be much more cost-effective for poor families. This care is far less than expensive than untimely emergency room visits, which the poor often use for health crises left untreated for too long.  If coverage was not an issue for many Americans strapped for cash, we would be far more likely to seek out preventive medicine.  The increase in preventive care would also make hospital emergency room waiting times somewhat less onerous and allow for better emergency care.

 While the private market may be able to innovate and provide new ways of approaching coverage to make the average person healthier and less healthcare-poor, there is little incentive for insurers to do so now.  The healthcare system is broken for too many; we need more basic guarantees.  Americans want to stop making employment decisions and career plans based on health coverage.  We need to join the rest of the developed world in decoupling healthcare from specific jobs and employment— and make our best plans portable and continuous.

 In short, we need major progress.  Let’s let our legislators know that we aren’t part of the blind rage of the televised Right-Wing Town Hall mobs.  We elected a new President in part because he promised to reform healthcare, not in spite of that promise.  We voted for change last year.  Now it’s time to demand that we get some when it counts.

(Bill Kavanagh cross-posts at Bill's Big Diamond.)

Comments

[jacksmith]

Throw The Healthcare Obstructionist Out!

More than two thirds of the American people want a single payer health care system. And if they cant have a single payer system 76% of all Americans want a strong government-run public option on day one (85% of democrats, 71% of independents, and 60% republicans). Basically everyone.

We have the 37th worst quality of healthcare in the developed world. And the most costly. Costing over twice as much as every other county. 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. Co-OP's ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR A GOVERNMENT-RUN PUBLIC OPTION. They are a fraud being pushed by the GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT health insurance industry that is KILLING YOU!

YOU CANT HAVE AN INSURANCE MANDATE WITHOUT A ROBUST PUBLIC OPTION. MANDATING PRIVATE FOR PROFIT HEALTH INSURANCE AS YOUR ONLY CHOICE WOULD BE A DISASTER. AND 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 make 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!!! people. Don't loose heart. You knew it wasn't going to be easy saving the World. :-)

God Bless You

jacksmith — Working Class

Twitter search (#welovethenhs) Check it out.

I REST MY CASE (http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/why-markets-cant-cure-healthcare/)

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