Nate Silver: Health Care Industry Lobbying, Contributions Could Doom Public Option

FiveThirtyEight.com:

As I lamented yesterday, health care is one of those areas where both popular opinion and sound public policy seem to take a backseat to protecting those stakeholders who benefit from the status quo. But can we actually see -- statistically -- the impact of lobbying by the insurance industry on the prospects for health care reform? I believe that the answer is yes.

Read the whole story: FiveThirtyEight.com

Comments

[BPCentrisAmerican]

72% of the American people want a public option at the very least. People also don't trust or like the insurance industry, than again why should we, it's not like thieve been there for us the 15 or so years. If this falls, than there is no reason to do healthcare and the current crop of Senators don't need to be sent back to Washington. I've noticed that the obstructionist senators of both parties represent the poorest and smallest population states, there's a reason there poor isn't it?

[CanadianBeef]

72 per cent of the public supports public care, but only 38 per cent of the senate does. That tells you how far to the right the two partyies are from the public. And this study shows you why. For a few tens of thousands of dollard in HMO and insurance money, your elected representatives have sold you out. Even without that money, still only 48 senators would back it.
Democracy is in crisis in America, because you are not the masters of your own politicians.

[RandVictims]

Obama can push it through if he really wants it. If it doesn't happen, don't let him triangulate and shift blame Congress like Clinton.

[VOTER]

Gov. Sanford, where are you?
If you can post here, you can contact your family and South Carolina citizens.

[MacTheBlogger]

Not sure if this is supposed to be said out loud, but the people really holding up the "Public Option" are the Blue Dogs in Congress. If they were on board, the industry lobbying would be essentially irrelevant.

See, the Blue Dogs know that the "Public Option" is simply a back-door route to Single Payer, and most of the Blue Dogs aren't thrilled about that. "Competition"? Right. When one "competitor" makes and enforces all the rules and can print money & tax to stay afloat, that's not competition, that's just freezing out everyone else. The Blue Dogs see this.

If you want Single Payer, fine. If you really think that you'll be able to get easy access, quick tests, appropriate and timely treatment and the same aggressive innovation, all at less cost (holy crap), fabulous. The Blue Dogs don't agree, and many other non-conservatives don't as well.

But let's at least be honest about what the "Public Option" really is. And if you're angry about this, you may want to consider the Blue Dogs instead of the standard scapegoats.

[quiviran]

I agree that the "public option" is a cowardly path to single payer. We need to go to single payer straight up and be done with it.

There is an alternative. A National Standard Health Insurance Policy (NSHIP), whose provisions are defined in law, with limited (or no) co-pays and deductibles. Any company that wants to sell health insurance must offer this policy to all comers at what ever price they can get. It would be illegal to deny coverage to anyone or for any covered treatment, CEO jail time illegal.

They can offer supplemental policies, but must do that independent of the NSHIP. Health insurance companies must not offer health care services or limit treatment under the policy to any particular health care provider. No payments to providers may be made except for patient treatment (no payments or bonuses for non-treatment).

This isn't on the table either.

[solid]

I agree with you on one thing. Most Democrats are corporate b*tches too. But tens of thousands of lobbyists descending upon D.C. like vampires fighting to the death tells me you are wrong about everything else in your post.

[tomasedison]

Too many registered lobbyists hounding Washington DC.

Having 40,000 registered lobbyists is just insane.

[Periwinkle]

The health of the American people should not be for sale. It's obscene. As others have said, if Democrats vote against a public option, we need to elect new Democrats.

[solid]

We need to elect new Democrats anyway, and kick the has been republicans to the curb. Get rid of 99% of the incumbents I say.

[MadHeart]

This country has turned into a place where only the rich survive. The rest of us are told we're on our own--and they mean it, both Rethugs and Dems. They'd rather look forward to their next election and groom their corporate contributors for the cash. I don't think I'm going to vote anymore; it's become an exercise in futility.

[IMissAmerica]

Really excellent piece. Let's see AP or the NY Times pick it up and put it on the front page. See you on TV today Nate!

[MadHeart]

At age 68, I'm looking for a primary care provider right now. At my last Medicare yearly checkup earlier this month, for which the doctor charges $228 for the office visit, the only things he checked were to listen to my heart and lungs, and a perfunctory pap smear Advised me to get another mammogram since Medicare pays for those yearly, but only every 2 years for a pap smear. Of course, the lab took blood, as usual. He did not listen to my complaints about possible peripheral artery disease in my legs, he's never done even an electrocardiogram, even though I take high blood pressure pills, along with Lipitor for cholesterol, and an additional "water pill." I've also never had a carotid artery sonogram in the 5 years I've gone to him. If I'm suffering from arteriosclerosis, wouldn't a doctor do more than just checking vitals and re-prescribing the same meds every single year? Women simply don't get the same kind of cardio care as men do. Our choice of doctors in this area have been very limited as it's rural, but that is slowly changing, with a major medical center taking over the local hospital with doctors affiliated with it opening offices.

[norkas]

It would be easy to put the major health insurance companies out of business and run a great health care system for Americans.

Solution is to bring forward some of the great business men in America and have them form a none profit org. that runs efficient and a tight ship that will pay Doctors fairly instead of robbing them and bring great care to All Americans.

You must run this like a business and need brillant sucessfull businessman and women to do it.

With American giving more money to charity then any other country in the world and the very welthy giving more of their money to great causes it can be done only if the most sucessful people come tigeather

[MadHeart]

Isn't running health care like a business what has gotten us to this point? You show complete lack of understanding of the entire issue.

[Bub]

Here's the thing, we are already paying for Universal Health Care. We just aren't getting it.

Our Govt. already pays out more - per captia - than any other nation except Norway.

That means if we adopted France's system (argued as the worlds best) tomorrow, we'd get a tax cut, to go with it.

Don't believe me, see this OECD study, page 13, top graph:
http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/2009doc.nsf/LinkTo/NT00000B6A/%24FILE/JT03259332.PDF

Our existing system, then, is a welfare payment to billionaires and near billionaires and is completely superfluous. Its killing our economy, our industries, and the jobs that go with them. It's also killing people. 18,000 of our fellow Americans will die needlessly this year because they didn't have health insurance. Even though they paid for it through their taxes, they didn't get it. That's 6 times the number of people Al Qaida killed on 9/11, year in and year out.

This is a wicked and evil system and so are we if we don't do something about it.

The compromise position shouldn't be public option, it should be private option. The government covers everybody, but if you want to, you can keep your private plan- it will be redundant, but it's all yours.

The rest of us can monetize the benefit and roll it into our next pay check. The resulting increase in demand would have the added benefit of stimulating the economy and walking the country out of our current Economic Depression.

[MIVOTE]

Maybe it's time for Americans to engage in it's own peaceful assembly on the side of a national reformed healthcare system...i­f we can learn anything from our own past and the current events in 1.r.an, it's that the people should and must let their voices be heard. It's time to stop the Washington debate and start the people's choice.

[VOTER]

Sign up and Support Heath Care Reform:

http://www.healthreform.gov/support.html

[darker]

Reuters--
Americans pay more per capita for healthcare than people in any other country,
yet have high rates of infant mortality, diabetes, untreated heart disease
and other conditions. Americans are often dissatisfied with their access to care.

With THE MED MESS going on, plus unemployment, the entire economic crash --
Americans need a government healthcare plan, NOT constant PROFITEERING BY PRIVATE
INSURERS.

[PhilipTaylor]

Plus Americans live shorter lives!

[pfc1369]

There's always an up side!

[HurryUp1212009]

This is a disgusting look into the corruption of our Congress. That the American public's 72% wish for a public option would be thwarted by political contributions for a bloated, inefficient, high cost/low services private insurance industry is unspeakably DISGUSTING!

CALL YOUR SENATOR T-O-D-A-Y TELL HIM/HER YOU ARE GOING TO THROW THEM OUT OF OFFICE OF THEY DON'T VOTE FOR A COMPETING PUBLIC OPTION!

[moseyon]

One of the best things that happened in Australia was a National health care scheme. It took a bit of working out and you always get your wingers.







i

[obamanomics]

One of the best things that will happen to America under Obama will be defeating National Health Care.

[pfc1369]

Right.

Who wants affordable health care!!??

Americans aren't fools!

[DorkimusMaximus]

Your icon is bad and you should feel bad.

[Bub]

Here's the thing, we are already paying for it. We just aren't getting it.

Our Govt. already pays out more - per captia - than any other nation except Norway.

That means if we adopted France's system (argued as the worlds best) tomorrow, we'd get a tax cut, to go with it.

American's are getting ripped off. They already pay enough, we just aren't getting it.

The government could implement medicare for all tomorrow and It would be nothing more than a policy switch. The tax burden would go down.

Don't believe me, see this OECD study, page 13, top graph:

The compromise position shouldn't be public option, it should be private option. The government covers everybody, but if you want to keep your private plan you can.

The rest of us can monetize the benefit and have our employers roll it into our next pay check. The resulting increase in demand would have the added benefit of walking the country out of our current Economic Depression.

[Bub]

Oops, left out the link:

http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/2009doc.nsf/LinkTo/NT00000B6A/%24FILE/JT03259332.PDF

[fcsakes]

You suck - go home and marinate.

[sb250guy]

Everyone, write to you senators and representatives. Make it clear that if they don't respect the will of the people, they had better enjoy the remainder of their final term. Of course we have to follow through. Until their is a truly mass culling of congressmen who take bribes and don't represent us, this will continue. The majority of the American people want a public option, if not outright single payer health care. Congress knows this. They just think WE don't matter.

[PhilipTaylor]

It is the Campaign Funding System that will corrupt any new Senators in six months!

We must reform the Campaign Funding System!

Is it TIME to have a REAL Democracy where our Votes count after the November Election?

TIME TO REFORM CORRUPTION IN CAMPAIGN FUNDING SYSTEM

Simple Solution to PROTECT OUR Congress Members Votes so votes are NOT sold to Highest Bidders:

1. Setup a Government Contribution Acceptance and Funds Distribution Citizen Institute
2. Funnel all Political Contributions through this agency - audited annually
3. Uses strict formulas for allocating funds to House+Senate Members
4. "Blindly" distribute lump sums twice per year to Politicians - No KNOWN SOURCES of funds!
5. Reserve part of funds for those New Candidates that meet campaign funding criteria
6. Two? Term Limits for Senators
7. Four? Term Limits for House Members

[DorkimusMaximus]

Are you really just going to keep posting the same thing over and over again?