Washington Post:
Though Americans who already have medical coverage may be wary of change, a new survey indicates that they may be hard-pressed to escape it -- even in the absence of health-care reform.
D. Brad Wright: Why Docs Like the Public Option
A poll found that physicians overwhelmingly support a public option approach to health reform. That is, they want to see a mixed public-private approach.
David Dayen: The One Statistic That Could Change the Health Care Debate Entirely
It's not an idle threat to tell everyone that they won't have health insurance in ten years without reform. That's why the insurance industry, while fighting anything that drains their profits, supports reform.
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Do you realize that employers decide WHO is, WHAT is, WHEN they are, WHERE and HOW they are covered?
WHO
Employers decide all coverage. Full-time workers are typically covered, but not always part-time workers. Children may be covered until a certain age.
WHAT
Employers are generally allowed full latitude in choosing specifics of coverage. There is no law that requires complete coverage. We need basic consistency for all.
WHEN
Does your coverage begin the day the job begins or the first of the next month? A three-month waiting period? Many employers have opted for an extended 6 month waiting period. When does coverage end? The day your job ends? Sadly, many are faced with the terrible dilemma: paychecks end and huge medical primiums begin that same day. Faced with eating, mortgages or healthcare many families struggle.
WHERE
Employers limit the network of providers and doctors employees may select and use. These networks are advantageous to employers but not to employees. Employers have complete authority to make these decisions.
HOW
The costs for healthcare are passed on to employees. Executives who decide these issues generally have premiums fully paid for by the company. Employers look at the total cost of wages AND benefits when budgeting fiscal years. As healthcare benefits soared, wages had to remain static. This, in effect, robbed Peter to pay Paul.
The Democrats are really locked on and screaming through the sky with their health care target and are going to push the red button well before they realize..i
See where the Dems in the Senate may try some shenanigans to get around the original rules and get this passed with a simple majority while 330 million people watch.
Obamas says this is his deal and if we don't like it he will pay (not literally) the price.
Mr. President Sir..It will not be just you but now might be a good time to plan on how to deal with the multitudes of people at the lower end who will have to pay less than the rest but they don't have the money to begin with. Healthy but hungry for some reason is simply not their idea of change for the better.
Mr President you have truly opened a box without first looking under the lid at everything inside. If I am on welfare and getting everything free and I take one of these jobs I will either be making less or at best the same money. When I ask myself why I would do it I come up with only one answer.
I never learned math.
This is an email I have sent to my 2 senators and my representative. We need to let them know that we are watching and demand that they work for us, not the corporations. I borrowed the quote from another Huffpo poster.
It is with utmost sadness that I find myself writing this note to you. I have come to the conclusion that our representative democracy is failing. The premise "of the people, by the people and for the people" has faded into the past. Corporate entities appear to control most of the legislation. As a congress, the reform of the financial markets is at a stand still, stopped by the financial services lobbies. The healthcare debate is controlled by insurance and pharmaceutical industry lobbies. How can this be? Who do our representatives represent?
"I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations that dare already to challenge the government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of their country!"
- Thomas Jefferson, letter to George Logan, 1813
The true power in our country was intended to be in the hands of the people, not in the hands of the corporations and select few.
Sincerely,
I am feeling down about the prospect of a meaningless bill that only further enriches health insurance companies being passed.
I think that we just may have to hit rock bottom to get through to the folks who are rabidly opposed to health care reform. I am just stunned by the small thinkers. The selfish insured. The medicare recipients who won't let anyone else enjoy what they have.
What is rock bottom? Let's see based on premiums increasing 20% per year how long will it take before the teabaggers cry uncle? (and how will they blame THAT on Obama???)
It is so depressing - I can see the confusion in Obama's eyes - wondering - how stupid are these people??
America is approaching Wealth care for the ones with the big bucks only.
Approaching?
Insurance is great when you're healthy. But if you get too sick to work...
-you get cut loose from your job when you use up your sick leave and vacation time
-your only insurance option at that point is COBRA...no one else will take you
-COBRA is way expensive.
-even if you can afford to pay it when you're out of a job, it only lasts 18 months and then no more insurance.
-so there you are, still sick, unable to work, no insurance and pre-existing condition.
-say goodbye to all your assets one after the other...yo
-God Bless America...
The terrible irony is that many of the people that would benefit from reform are the ones being tricked into fighting against it.
A citizen of the greatest nation in the world should not have to lose their home, their life savings to treat an illness. What we currently have in place is really a system of extortion. How much is your life worth to you? How much for your spouse, your child?
As you said Earl- Insurance is great when your healthy.
I couldn't have said it any better
During the Bush administration, the Republicans came up with Medicare Part D.
It was written by Big Pharma, for Big Pharma. It poured huge amounts of our tax dollars to corporate interests in the pharmacutical industry while throwing a few pills at old people.
Now, Bauchus insults the intelligence of the American people by presenting a draft proposal for health care reform that was written by the health insurance industry for the health insurance industry.
Bauchus is no better than the Republicans when it comes to drafting legislation. Corporate interests trump the public interest. Someone who cares about the people must take charge of health care reform.
As someone who is very familiar with the SCAM that is Part D, I am disgusted to see the same tactics being used by Baucus! That was the biggest scam I have ever seen... and while meandering through all the red tape to help my parents, it was very clear that this was nothing more than funneling tax dollars to Big Pharma Gods.
This guy is just a plain Republican
I just hope people don't fall for it.
They will, like lambs to the slaughter. It wasn't gay marriage that brought down Rome, the last great society, it was greed. And it will bring down this one too. Just hope it can hold off a few more years til I am dead.
New main.
http://www
Somehow, we need to get this Potter's words of condemnation of insurers out in the main stream. Maybe write every news network and demand they have him own their shows ?
My husband's company switched to BCBS last Nov. He was told yesterday that everyone will be required to fill out a questionaire "to help them find us the best plan" before the next enrollment period. Yeah right. They just want to find out who the sick and expensive ones are so they can raise the premiums or refuse to insure them.
My husband has sleep apnea so I'm sure they will find him the "best" plan.
That is correct. Any information requirements from ins. companies.
The law allows companies to drop anyone and everyone..
Latest news out of the SENATE is not good for Obamacare. It's not even good for BaucusCare. Many key Senators do not support Obamacare if it's even close to HR 3200. Many other key Senators do not support BaucusCare in it's present 'leaked' form. Hairy is dallying with the Nucular Option and many analysts of the Senate feel this would be a large political mi stake. Some feel it wouild be a short term political mis take for a long term political benefit. Once entrenched, it would not be easy to reverse. The next month or so will be very telling.
Epic fail, IittIe buIIet.
Just curious.
Why do you right-wingers consistently come up with names like Obamacare in your simple-minded attempts to be derisive?
Aren't you capable of opposing something on its merits without resorting to such childish tactics?
Well, I could have used 'gate' with the way his non-existent plan is going, but hey, I'll give hem the benefit of the corruption doubt.
Insurance is basically a gamble.
The insurance company is betting you don't have any major problems.
You're betting you will.
If you win the gamble, you lose.
The insurance companies have been allowed to game the system. They're allowed the cancel the bet after the game is over.
So you lose again.
Good analogy.
Insurance companies are like gamblers who squelch on a bet.
I like it.
And the cards are stacked against us. The Insurance companies only let the healthy people play (those unlkely to get sice). The unhealthy ones or those in business for themselves pay more for their chips. Ain't CAPITALISM grand?
In almost every other Western nation, moderate success presents an opportunity to give back to the society that allowed it. In America, moderate success presents an opportunity to see your neigbor's suffer.
This nation has become the scar iest bucket of stu pid the world could have possibly imagined.
You're right. And I thought we were done being laughed at after Bush left.... but I guess it's the people that make up the country, that the person representing them.
Conservative right extremists are truly ruining our society.
There is this video about the French health care system, filmed in France. The interesting part is where doctors explain why it is OK to make less than their American counterparts. Something that has to do with ethics :
http://www
The DOCTORS are not the ones gaming the system.
Frankly after seeing 2 of my children run up $200K debt to go to Medical School, and after hearing about the THOUSANDS of dollars they will be paying to insure themselves against law suits, I no longer question high pay for Doctors.
It is astonishing to me that in the face of the documented and urgent need to reform health care the best the Senate seems to be able to do is come up with a bill to protect and enhance insurance company profits. Taking the public option off the table, not even considering a single payer option, and watering down to the point of caving into every Republican demand in return for no Republican votes all suggest that the very real problems that cry out for attention will once again be ignored to our disadvantage. As if that craziness were not enough, we have "teabaggers" who are among those with the most to lose aiding and abetting the very interests that are trying to screw them over. This may be the most severe test yet for the proposition that government of, by, and for the people can work. Looks to me like it has indeed perished from the earth.
Most sad is the fact that they've found an audience of uninformed. They exploit the undereducated by waving a bible, having them support initiatives that are against their own interest.
It's amazing.
Hot dog! An opportunity for my favorite quotation.
"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross."
Sinclair Lewis
And If the SCOTUS rules as expected, allowing corporations to donate DIRECTLY to political campaigns, we are soooo totally scr*wed!
HoundDawg Shelby speaking about corruption in ACORN, don't we take issue with things like entrapment?
And where was Shelby for the last 8 years?
ACORN only becomes a problem when a Dem is in power?
Shelby and his buds gave $11 million to ACORN btwn 2000-2006.
More hypocrisy from the Right? I am SHOCKED!
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First Posted: 09-15-09 11:02 PM | Updated: 09-15-09 11:18 PM