Yes, yes, I know -- why should anybody care what a rock-and-roll guitarist thinks about a hot button issue like health care reform? Well, I'm a citizen and I have opinions, and, to be honest with all the hysteria about it in the news, I really just couldn't help myself.
I campaigned for Barack Obama and I want him to succeed. I worry, though, that the Democrats - or at least the progressive Democrats -- are losing the momentum on the health care debate. Not because we don't need a real overhaul of our health insurance system, but because the right-wing lunatics have caused havoc and confusion, diverting our attention from what we need to do to provide every American with decent, affordable health insurance -- what every other civilized country in the world already has.
I believe the most direct route to fixing the health care crisis in America would be to leave private insurance companies out of it entirely and have a single payer plan, like they have in Canada. The Democrats could sell that plan using clear, simple language like "Medicare for All." I think the American people would understand that.
But too many Democrats are scared that their corporate benefactors - the drug companies, the insurance companies, the American Medical Assn. -- would shift their campaign contributions to the Republicans for the 2010 mid-terms. That's why we have all this talk about vague half-measures. I can live with a public option that keeps the insurance industry honest and provides Americans with a choice. But the idea of private health care "co-ops" sounds ridiculous. Nobody I know has any clue what that would mean and I doubt anyone in the U.S. Senate could explain it to me in less than 15 minutes. It's a non-starter.
Why am I advocating progressive reform of the health care system? I'm a relatively wealthy guy. My wife, my three kids, and I have great insurance coverage. What do I stand to gain from a public option? The same thing we all stand to gain -- a healthier community that saves money and gets better care across the board. We all have a stake in our society, don't we?
Yes, I'm for the public option, but most Americans (me, too) don't really know what's in Obama's plan. I get the basic idea. People who can't afford private insurance, or who don't like their existing insurance, will have a choice of picking a government insurance program - really, an expansion of Medicare. The providers -- doctors, nurses, dentists, hospitals, clinics -- would be private, like it is now. But the insurance would be paid for by the government. Insurance companies could no longer discriminate against sick people -- including people with "pre-existing" conditions. I like that. I, myself, was denied coverage a few years ago when I moved back to California from New York.
But the right-wing and the media have been confusing folks about what's in the Obama plan. Obama says that if you like your current insurance, you can keep it, but the Limbaugh lunatics say that he's lying and people don't know what to believe. Then they claim that Obama's plan has a "death panel" provision that will decide whether to "pull the plug" on old sick people. There was never anything in the plan like that - and still the Democrats, lacking spine, pulled out a provision that would have protected people making end-of-life choices, which was what the Republicans had spun as somehow tantamount to murder. Thank you, Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly.
And what about "rationing"? We have rationing now. That's what the insurance industry is all about. Hillary Clinton said it well during the campaign: The insurance companies "spend tens of billions of dollars a year figuring out how not to cover people" and "how to cherry-pick the healthiest persons, and leave everyone else out in the cold." The bureaucrats standing between people and their doctors work for Aetna, Cigna, WellPoint, HealthNet and the other big insurance companies -- not the federal government.
Public funding, private delivery -- that's what single payer or a public option is about, not the government having control over your health care decisions.
President Obama is a great public speaker. I don't understand why he can't do a better job of explaining his health care plan in simple language and get his message across. How can he let these "tea party" idiots steal his thunder and muddy his message?
The Republicans don't have a health care plan to compete with the Democrats. They just want Obama to lose. Soon after Obama was elected, Rush Limbaugh announced that he wanted the new president to "fail." And recently Republican South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint said, "If we're able to stop Obama on this it will be his Waterloo. It will break him," he said.
That's their whole game.
The right-wingers know what they are AGAINST. But Obama's supporters don't seem to know exactly what they are FOR. This puts progressives like myself in a tough spot.
It isn't too late for Obama to shift the momentum in favor of reform. He needs to make a major speech to explain exactly how the public option would work. He needs to tell us what sort of regulations would be in place to control costs down the road. That's his job.
Our job -- liberals, progressives, union leaders, public health advocates, community groups, and even rock-and-roll performers -- is to mobilize our friends, get the word out, go to rallies, email our Senators and Congress members, and challenge the lies and distortions put out there by the Fox News crowd.
The right-wing fanatics who've been disrupting the town hall meetings, screaming and spreading lies, are either hopelessly ill-informed (thanks to Fox News) or else certified nut cases, but you have to hand it to them: their ranting and raving has led the Democrats to run for cover.
I'm not so sure about my liberal and progressive friends. They seem too polite. The MoveOn crowd. SEIU and the other unions. Community groups like ACORN. Even Obama's own group, Organizing for America. Where are they? Emailing their Senators? That's nice, but how about a little Alinsky-style activism?
How about a million people showing up on the mall in Washington, DC demanding health insurance reform with a public option?
How about people showing up at the Washington, DC headquarters of America's Health Care Plans -- the name of the major lobby group for the health insurance industry -- and chaining themselves to the their office?
How about people showing up at the mansion homes of the multi-millionaire CEOs of the nation's biggest insurance companies with picket signs telling them to get out of the way of the public option?
How about people following the seven or eight Democratic Senators who are thwarting Obama's plan, wherever they are scheduled to speak, and asking them a simple question. Which side are you on? The insurance companies (that give you big campaign contributions) or the people (who can find someone else to vote for)? That means you, Max Baucus of Montana. That means you, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. That means you, Mary Landreu of Louisiana. That means you, Evan Bayh of Indiana (whose wife, by the way, sits on the board of WellPoint, the nation's second largest health insurance company).
And what about our allies in the media? Compare liberal TV and radio hosts to those on the right. I'm happy that Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann, Ed Schultz, and Thom Hartmann don't discuss the issues with the same type of vitriolic hate speech that occurs on Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, and Sean Hannity. You have one side that resides in a world based in facts, logic and morality and another that has fashioned an entire media empire out of outright lies, exaggerations and conservative fantasy. It's hard to win an argument with someone that will resort to lying to win.
But we actually don't need Limbaugh's listeners to win health care reform. Right-wing Republicans don't constitute a big enough vote to carry the day. And the ditto-heads who listen faithfully to Rush, and who show up at the "tea parties" would never vote for a Democrat -- even one as conservative as Ben Nelson -- anyway.
All we need is for every Democrat in the Senate to say "yes" to the public option. And for that to happen, we need to remind the Baucus Caucus that being a Democrat means that you're FOR using government to solve problems.
Obama understands this. That's why we voted for him. We need him to go to war -- not in Iraq. Not in Afghanistan. But against the insurance companies and their lackeys in Congress. He'd be a hero for standing up against big business for what is clearly a popular issue. He needs to whip the Blue Dogs and conserva-Dems into line. He needs to reprimand his chief of staff, for calling liberal groups like MoveOn and SEIU "f-cking stupid" for running ads attacking Blue Dog and "centrist" Dems on health care.
I think the Democrats are crazy to treat their liberal base as an annoyance while they coddle the Blue Dogs. Did they seriously expect us to stand down and allow the Baucus Caucus to gut true health care reform without an uproar?
I'd like to see Moveon.org and other activist groups using their resources to target Blue Dogs in upcoming primaries.
Watching Obama's health care forum the other day online I was reminded why we all like this guy. He's smart, charismatic and seems to have a good moral compass. As progressives we can't give up on him and his administration. He may not be the progressive that many of us hoped for, but he's still an ally. And as a former community organizer, he'd understand that it's still our responsibility to hold him and his administration's feet to the fire.
Here are some links if you want to get involved:
Health Care For America Now - http://healthcareforamericanow.org/
Physicians for a National Health Program - http://www.pnhp.org/
ActBlue - http://www.actblue.com/
Organizing For America - http://www.barackobama.com/index.php
MoveOn.org - http://www.moveon.org/
Cost-drivers are health-insurance, pharmaceutical, bio-engineering companies, led by management interested in bottom-line; hospital and nursing home administrators; medico-legal system, healthcare economists and consultants. Cost-drivers contribute to steep cost-curve. Complex formulary of insurance and funding makes the system cumbersome and inefficient, adding further irrationalities and alien motivations within the system. Goal of good patient care is lost in the shuffle.
WH should negotiate with the Insurance companies. Insure all, no denial of coverage and permit portability. Immediate 30% reduction in premiums and another 20% reduction over next two years. Half the savings to come from Insurance and the other half from the delivery of care. This will reduce healthcare cost from 17% GDP to 11%; making American business competitive in the world. With such a deal, all sides should be on board to sign off on a bill. If the insurance companies do not deliver, the Public Option should deliver by 2012.
Compare liberal TV and radio hosts to those on the right. I'm happy that Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann, Ed Schultz, and Thom Hartmann don't discuss the issues with the same type of vitriolic hate speech that occurs on Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, and Sean Hannity.
And Yet..Ed Shultz, is just as a staunch defender of his views as are his counter parts on the right. Does that make him the voice of truth? As for hate speech. Ed has a "Physco Talk" segment that only features Conservatives, and of course Keith has his "Worst Persons" segment..with the same targets.
So lets be honest..Obama needs to fashion a plan that deals with Preexisting conditions, Cross state competition similiar to Auto Ins., use the Pharma agreements to lower costs, Fix and monitor Medicare and expand that to cover those who don't or can't have insurance. So, we attain the goal of helping the helpless, and lower costs at the same time.
These need answers, if you didn't know these facts already.
http://emiliawahoo76.blogspot.com
http://myspace.com/virginiadem
The GOP, however, have been clever in cherry-picking the worst example of single-payer inefficiency in targeting Britain as the source of healthcare horror stories - and many of those rumours, unfortunately, do have a basis in fact in the UK. You're quite right that, if we have a single-payer 'Medicare for All' system, our best guide would be Canada's system.
I would disagree with you, however, about the Progressives and liberals being too polite. Viewed from afar (I'm an expat married to a Brit), these people seem to spend most of their time taking side snipes at Obama instead of getting out and advocating amongst the masses.
http://emiliawahoo76.blogspot.com
http://myspace.com/virginiadem
If my 70 year old mum gets diagnosed with breast cancer next month, she'll get treated. I don't doubt that if both my mom and I were living in the states, and had a huge income, we could probably get better treatment in that event. If we had a huge income in the UK we could buy better treatment. But neither my parents, nor I, have a huge income. And neither my parents, nor I, have to worry that we will lose everything we've worked for if we become ill.
My employer is a small business. They are struggling. We've all agreed a cut in pay and a suspension of payments into our pension fund. But my employer can still afford to employ us, even if we get sick.
Free, decent healthcare is like safe drinking water. It is what you pay your taxes for, because the cost of not doing it is unacceptable.
Now. Let's cut the crap. Pay more tax dollars. Pay less medical insurance dollars. Buy private insurance as a top up if you wish. And kick anyone out of office that thinks any of this is 'evil'. Chris may be a rock god, but that doesn't mean he isn't right.
Perhaps you should tell, what you neglected to tell, that neither dentistry nor optician services are available via the NHS, and these services (particularly glasses and contact lenses) can be VERY expensive. When Thatcher removed dentistry from the NHS in the 80s, people just stopped going to dentists. And we're ALL familiar with the phenomenon of 'British teeth.' You also neglected to tell people that if you're sick AFTER 6PM in the UK, you FIRST have to ring a call centre where a nurse will attempt to diagnose your symptoms on the phone, before eventually referring you to either the ER or to your own GP the next morning. Kids have died from meningitis because of this attitude.
You and I are accustomed to the NHS standard of care; I don't think too many people in the US would be happy with that, even with raised taxes.
http://emiliawahoo76.blogspot.com
http://myspace.com/virginiadem
. Most states impose an income tax, plus sales taxes and property taxes, on top of the Fed taxes, I happen to live in California where it is estimated the average citizen has a total tax of nearly 50%.
That does not leave much...to add more to that. and to give it to a government that can't contol costs on Medicare, Military spending, Welfare or any of the other dozens of entitlements already in place is the biggest issue cloggin up the works.
He conflates single-payer and the public options by describing them both as "public funded and privately administered." This is appallingly inaccurate.
The current, alarmingly shriveled HR3200 version of the public option is nothing like Medicare. Unlike Medicare, it will be self-sustaining, not publicly funded; unlike Medicare, it will charge premiums and impose deductibles, making it unaffordable for the tens of millions most in need of help; unlike Medicare, it will have to negotiate provider fees on the same footing as HMOs--so no cost saving there, no cost savings of the single risk pool of single payer--according to the CBO, no cost savings period.
And no significant expansion of coverage, because it will be open only to those not already covered by employers, and even for them not until 2013! This is a gift to the HMO lobby, pure consumer fraud-- a public option that is neither really public nor an option for most people!
Even Dr. David Scheiner — a single-payer advocate and Obama’s personal physician for 22 years — said, “It’s a bad bill. No bill is better than this bill."
See this article from Physicians for a National Health Plan:
"Bait and Switch: How the Public Option Was Sold"
http://www.pnhp.org/blog/2009/07/20/bait-and-switch-how-the-%E2%80%9Cpublic-option%E2%80%9D-was-sold/
Or not. It's up to us and the people that follow us. But if we don't get at least the nose---a very imperfect public option---in the tent, we're going to have to wait another 20 years or so. Literally.
Other good links:
Send a free fax for Improved Medicare for All through HR676 --now up for a vote in the house when it reconvenes:
www.1payer.net
Also:
Healthcare Now http://www.healthcare-now.org/
Properity Agenda http://www.prosperityagenda.us/
Single Payer Action http://singlepayeraction.org/
Mad as Hell Docs will be starting a protest caravan in September from Oregon to DC in September with rallies along the way and ending up at the White House 10/1
https://madashelldoctorstour.com/
No doubt healthcare reform needs to happen. But one of the side effects to universal coverage is that the wait times for appointment to see your physicians will be markedly increased, and some procedures/ surgeries will have often have several month-long waiting lists, if they are in fact covered under the new system. No one can argue that this will not affect healthcare delivery in this nation.
You're right. It will greatly improve it, whether you currently have health insurance or not.
Unfortunately, this will not provide universal coverage. It should, as a moral imperative, and as a way of saving us billions. But it doesn't.
However, when universal coverage comes to the United States. And it will get here eventually, your fears aren't accurate. You're unfortunately buying into the lies of the big insurance companies. They spread propaganda, using our premiums, to brainwash us. Don't buy it. Think for yourself.
No doubt that healthcare reform needs to happen, but not this way...it's unbelievable that no one really knows what the HR 3200 says.
With a reform plan covering all people, having a govt. option to provide competition, and having studies to prove which treatments work and which are a waste of money - the system can be maintained. Grandma has a much better chance of survival (and I am a grandma) with the Obama plan.
the british NHS has been gettin a battering from the US lately but in my experience it is very good. the reason i am up at this late hour and doing a bit of googling (one of my fave bands foo fighters hence the chris shiflett link) is that both my parents are ill -so kinda not sleeping much - but i know they will recieve the best of care from the NHS.
we choose to live in a society that rewards people varying degrees of monetary recompense for the work they do. this does not detract from the job they do and there are some jobs i would hate to do but through social and economic situations some people don't have a choice. i don't have to go in to details but let's face it some people are born in hopeless situations and it is only a few that can move away from that. kids born in these situations are the same as kids born in priveleged backrounds but by the time they get to their 'teens society has all but given up on them. i'm not saying the NHS is the saviour of society but it is somewhere where we can all be equal. i think it's an institution worth its weight in gold.
unfortunately we live in a world where we are not born or raised in equal financial terms but surely we are eqaul in humanitarian terms.
I wrote to my local paper correcting three of the most prevalent lies being put out there by the anti-reform thugs.
1. Health care for illegal aliens. Untrue.
2.. Government payment for abortions. Untrue.
3. Mandatory death panel conferences for seniors and the handicapped. Untrue. Untrue.
Over the following week the paper printed at least a dozen letters, articles and columns repeating the same misinformation and lies. My letter? Not even acknowleged.
So, sure, write your local news media, it will let you feel as though you've done something. If the local paper is owned by the Rupert Murdoch corporation don't plan on your letter seeing the light of day.
Emily
Organizing for America