Over the weekend, I took a rainy walk down Wall Street and through the financial district in lower Manhattan. As I navigated my way across the busy intersections and between the arrays of decorative sidewalk bollards, I noticed something really strange.
No protesters.
None, despite the fact that within that very space, the near destruction of the world economy was detonated, igniting one of the deepest recessions in American history and accompanied by 500,000 job losses every month.
Not only was the district free of protesters, but I spotted a gaggle of grinning tourists merrily gathered on and around the famous "Charging Bull" statue. One woman was having her picture taken while crouched down and cupping the bull's gigantic watermelon-sized brass testicles. Actually, you could say that there was at least one tea bagger downtown. But, you know, the wrong kind.
As I marveled at the incongruous serenity of the financial district, I couldn't help but to wonder if all of this talk about massive job losses and a near-meltdown was an elaborate hoax, or whether Americans by-in-large simply don't give a rip, choosing instead to continue on their merry way, acquiescing to a failed system rather than lashing out against the horrors of deregulatory Reaganomics, and, consequently, taking action against the real killers. In other words, while political participation appears to be cresting a wave, there's still a considerable level of apathy about demanding accountability from the crooks who nearly screwed us all.
This apathy is especially evident in the health care crisis.
The president likes to say, "If you like the health insurance you have now..." The problem is that much like your utter lack of financial security in a system that's been gamed by corporate criminals, the health insurance you have now... sucks.
From the early 1980s, when Reagan began the systematic deregulation of corporate America and declared war on the middle class, and lasting through and including the 2008 economic meltdown, the American economy has always been a ticking time bomb held together mostly by trickery and gambling. We were always meant to pick up the filthy mess when the meltdown occurred. And we did. Not just through the bailouts, but also through the loss of our jobs and the loss of our personal financial security, both of which helped to keep the culprits in business -- bonuses and golden parachutes included.
Likewise, the health care system is in the process of melting down, and for too many Americans it already has. And as for the rest of us who think our health insurance policies are excellent and secure are, in reality, in serious denial. Even now, we're paying more and more of our own money towards keeping this broken system afloat, and when the health care crisis kicks into high gear soon, who do you think will be obligated to pay for the greed and corruption responsible for the crisis?
Meanwhile, your premiums are being systematically jacked up until, one day, they'll extend beyond your financial means. It's only a matter of time before an injury or illness isn't covered due to, perhaps, a mistake on your application or the whim of a corporate bureaucrat. It's only a matter of time before your policy is suddenly rescinded in lieu of your insurance provider's profit margins which, by the way, have increased by upwards of 350 percent in the last decade. Your premiums, meanwhile, have more than doubled over that same ten years while middle class wages have remained flat. Reaganomics illustrated. Health care costs are destined to finish off what remains of the American middle class. Around 60 percent of all bankruptcies are due to health care debt with 78 percent of those bankruptcies filed by people with health insurance. Again, the insurance you have sucks and it's only the beginning of the bailout. We're nowhere near the high water mark.
At the very least, and at this very moment, we're all paying a 30 percent private tax to our insurance companies. This tax isn't being spent on our family's medical care and general wellness, but instead on corporate bureaucracy and profit. For the average family contributing to around half of an annual $13,000 employer-based premium, this private tax amounts to more than a thousand dollars a year (and rising) for nothing. No guarantees against rescinding our policies. No guarantees of coverage in the event of a serious illness. No guarantees that we'll be covered for a pre-existing condition. No guarantees that our rates won't be randomly jacked up for no reason. Nothing.
Even if you work for a health insurance company, your health care sucks. WellPoint is in the process of entirely stripping a "small number" of employees of their health insurance via pink slips, and the remaining employees will have to kick in more of their paycheck towards their monthly premiums (along with the obligatory 30 percent private tax, of course). It's worth mentioning that WellPoint is under investigation for coercing their employees into lobbying Congress against health care reform. Oh, and the CEO of WellPoint earned $10 million last year. Good people.
I sometimes wonder how bad things have to get in order for us to demand real change in this country. It didn't take long after 9/11 for shark attacks and celebrity scandals to dominate the very serious establishment press again. And judging by the empty sidewalks (and the festive molestation of that bull statue) in lower Manhattan, a near economic meltdown wasn't quite enough to rally us into the streets with pitchforks and torches, demanding accountability from the banks and financial institutions responsible for it. (ACORN and the "czars," on the other hand, must be destroyed!)
Likewise, the list of very obvious grievances against the health insurance cartels apparently isn't lengthy and awful enough to spark much more than tepid popular support for reform even though 3,750 Americans die every month from a lack of health care. That's more casualties than 9/11 every 30 days. Maybe if we nicknamed the health insurance companies "evildoers" who need to be "smoked out" we'd make a little more progress. We'd certainly get a reform bill a lot more quickly, based upon the PATRIOT Act express lane turnaround time.
But Republicans don't want to do a damn thing if it means a victory for the president, while too many congressional Democrats would be happy to pass a shoddy bill put forth by a mostly unknown senator from Montana who is proudly attempting to legally require us to buy insurance from the criminal cartels responsible for this mess and without any public insurance option as an escape hatch. Naturally, this is the result of the fact that the health care industry is contributing millions to key senators including Mr. Baucus from Montana. Oh, and the Supreme Court is poised to allow corporations unlimited financial access to political campaigns -- a move that will surely exacerbate the health care crisis, among other things.
This is about as serious as it gets. The health insurance you have now sucks. And it's only going to get suckier as time wears on unless serious change happens now.
Adding... Quick plug for this video. It's an undercover video shot at a gun show revealing the massive loopholes in gun control laws. It's a must see.
Single payer is the only answer to our health care crisis. Unfortunately our bought and paid for representatives in Washington will never allow it.
America is so diverse there is little sense of commonality. If I am ok, who cares about anyone else? That is the prevailing attitude.
The threats being posed to our economy are just not aware of by Americans. Ideology and extreme brainwashing by the rightwing media and obliviousness by the Main Stream Media only accelerates this condition.
Europe has much more concern for their fellow citizens and is much more aware that extreme income inequity is a major threat to them.
Email Karen Ignani, the CEO of America’s Health Insurance Plans, the insurance industry lobbying group.
Karen Ignani email address…. kignani@ahip.org
Just out of curiosity, does your plan have a "lifetime maximum?" Ours is $10 million. I like our coverage and I am certainly grateful for it, but it's frightening how quickly that $10 million limit can be reached with a serious condition.
"Meanwhile, your premiums are being systematically jacked up until, one day, they'll extend beyond your financial means."
That's already the case for a lot of people, especially if you are self-employed. A relative of mine who is self-employed in New York recently found out that when he turned 35 the premium for his Blue Cross insurance would be jacked up to over $900 per month. This was with a hefty deductible. It took him several weeks of research to find a way to get into a guild of freelancers so he could pay a somewhat less exorbitant rate for rather mediocre coverage.
why cann't the 40million people Obama keeps talking about be allowed to join Medicare (as a trial). The system is already in place, so why donot we allow them to join and let them have their insurance coverage from there?
Let us experiment on that for about 3-4 years and then decide the outcome...?
if in the mean time there is another goup forms which is "not happy" with their current insurance they can also be allowed to join at the end of this 3-4 trial period...
ALSO, most people think Medicare is totally free. Partly true. Part A and B cover you if you have to be hospitalized or go to the ER. But if you need meds and a physician to STAY HEALTHY, you have to sign up for PART D which runs anywhere from $60 to $100 a month (or more) AND that does not cover the co-pay to see your doctor or the subsequent meds you need. There's another $20-$25 per doctor visit and the cost of meds can be from $10- $60 depending on what they are. Soooo, no such thing as a free lunch.
These people know what they want.
It's in the genes.
I'm here to tell you that when you suffer a catastrophic injury or are found unfit for work due to illness -- your world will end. But I've lived through the end of my world -- and found out it is only the beginning of another.
I have found the due to the fact we are a wealthy and rich Nation and possess the benefits of living in a Capitalist society -- there are an endless array of grants, special funds, physicians groups, and religious institutions that will alleviate your medical debt, assist you in housing and finding free medical care -- the key is You must be proactive. You cannot pretend that nothing has happened, you cannot hope to retain your sterling credit rating, and you need to be humbled enough to ask for help.
You also cannot expect society to turn itself upside down because you are in denial. You are being lied to -- there is no medical crisis in America.
I'm really not sure where you think you live - but what you described is not the America that I know.
No one should have to do a 'search-n-destroy' mission to find help when they are already hurting. Whatever resources you were able to secure aren't available to every citizen in every corner of this country. There are many people that reside in poor districts that have very limited - if any - resources available to them if they don't have any health insurance.
All of the grants, special funds and physicians groups are not as easily accessible, and there are limits and certain criteria that have to be met before receiving assistance from any of them. As far as the religious institutions - they are only available to those who are willing to be proselytized to. We - as a country - need to abide by the Separation of Church and State and dismantle 'faith-based' organizations. They should not be receiving tax dollars as they deny people care - or won't hire them - based on their sexual orientation.
Your response is typically conservative - "I've got mine now so you can get yours". There is a medical crisis in America - you're the one that needs to 'wake up'!
"We live in a beautiful country. But people who have no respect for human life, freedom, or justice have taken it over. It is now up to all of us to take it back." (Howard Zinn)
Congratualtions Bob for pointing out how much these people fearful of loosing their current health coverage are living in a house built on sand.
With the current uncertainty of the Great Recession it is hardly surprising that many people will stick to the devil-they-know rather than risk the unknown.
Being British, I do know what the "unknown" will bring. I have experienced, for many years first hand, the health care systems of the UK, Denmark and Germany.
The fear of "socialized medicine". I experienced it in both the UK and Denmark. I cannot fault the Danish system at all; health care was every bit as good as in the USA and accessible universally at no cost other than taxes. The UK has its issues, the National Health Service severely underfunded and run down by the Thatcher years as it was, but it is still better than the USA.
The fear of high regulation of the private insurance industry: I experienced that in Germany and it was a great system accessible to all at reasonable prices.
The only thing to fear, Americans, is NOT changing what we have right now!!!
We're going to pass a national health care plan written by a committee whose head says he doesn't understand it,
passed by a Congress that hasn't read it but exempts themselves from it,
signed by a president that also hasn't read it, and who smokes,
with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes,
overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and
financed by a country that's broke?