Why is health insurance the only business that has an exemption from the Sherman Anti-Trust Act other than Major League Baseball? If the delivery of taxpayer trillions by our politicians to the banks to support their fraudulently paid bonuses hasn't shown you what our current government's values are, check this link out.
Through the governmental negligence that we as voters allowed, a health care system was created in which a single health care company controls at least 30 percent of the insurance market in 95% of the country, including states like the following:
Maine, where Wellpoint controls 71% of the market.
North Dakota, where Blue Cross controls 90% of the market.
Arkansas, where Blue Cross Blue Shield controls 75% of the market.
Alabama, where Blue Cross Blue Shield controls 83% of the market.
This monopoly, combined with the misaligned incentives that trap people in employer-based health care, is causing the skyrocketing health care costs that are hurtling our nation towards bankruptcy.
I don't know what's worse: that most Republicans seem to be against ending this unfair legal protection for an entrenched industry that is ruining our country with their non-competitive practices, or that most Democrats seem to be threatening this arrangement only as a bargaining chip to push for a meaningless public option that wouldn't be accessible to almost 85% of the population?
Instead of improving our country, through creating and enforcing free and fair markets, our politicians are currently engaging in backroom deals, most of which protect the very companies who profit the most from these disastrous outdated systems -- industries like health insurance and big Pharma.
While we clearly have the ability as a group of 305 million to update the system that is American Health Care and move our country into the 21st century in the process, it's becoming clear that we may not have the leaders to do it.
Instead of seeking answers to the problem of paying for and providing medicine, we are doing the exact opposite. Taxpayers' money is being played with by politicians who are desperately trying to protect the competition-stifling, false security of the monopolistic employer-based health care system and its outdated, over-charging, under-delivering ways. Given the least consideration are those affected the most -- the patients and the doctors who care for them.
This country's founders built an ingenious system of checks and balances for a reason: to ensure that no special interest or group could use government power to commandeer the creative and economic wealth of our nation to their own ends. How much longer must we live in a country where the citizens are subservient to the banks, health insurance companies and any other special interest able to control our government at the expense of our the most basic principles of fairness, our future as a nation and, as a result, our freedom?
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DON'T BELIEVE PUBLIC KNOWS TRUTH
behind the scenes is a much different picture.
The Warning--- FRONTLINE
Video: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/warning/view/
Brooksley Born, who speaks for the first time on television about her failed campaign to regulate the secretive, multitrill¬ion-dollar derivatives market
This citizenry deserves a full medical (including health, dental and prescription drugs) plan, without co-pays or referrals. A group plan that covers all citizens without restrictions whatsoever, with all protections to prevent one person or group to cause harm or control of another individual citizen.
During 2007-08, 254 aged or disabled citizens died from lack of Medicare/Medicaid services to be provided by the State of Alaska. A needy adult in Tennessee would not qualify for Medicaid services unless pregnant or diagnosed with breast cancer. So, there's two good reasons why folks could be afraid of a government-run program because of a state's failure.
I went without insurance coverage twice in my lifetime. I had one insurance company take two of my health care providers off their approved list. I have shown up for appointments to find no referral, no service. I paid Cobra premiums of nearly $400/mo. Now, I cannot afford an expensive maintenance medication. The best coverage I had was years ago, when I was covered by both Medicare/Medicaid, with 100% health and prescription drugs coverage (excluding dental). I wish I had both now, including dental. How shameful to deny a baby health insurance for being too fat or too skinny; or with chronic illness! Or to deny someone because of domestic violence. How many more categories could be denied?
A single payer Medicare group insurance policy, with federal laws to protect all citizens equally.
Just one thing I need to take issue with: you mention "...government negligence that we the voters allowed..."
I don't see what we could have done to stop the 'negligence' or the abuse of power.
With TARP, I got in touch with my senators, my representative, and then Candidate Obama, asking them to 'just say no'. Like countless others, I emailed. I called and I did it more than once. I was polite and explained why I was so against it. Yet they went against popular and STRONG opposition which crossed party lines and gave away our money to the corrupt, "too big to fail" giants anyway.
So when you say "we allowed" this, I have to disagree. We had no control, no power to stop it.
I'm hooked on your show.
Love it!
I wrote a post to a different story, one about income and bonuses on Wall $treet, earlier today. In that post I wrote that the reason our beloved Country, the USA, was born was not provide a financial system that would allow the current wicked generation of Wall Street Greed Freaks to make obscene amounts of money.
The PURPOSE of America was to create a government and a society that was to foster FREEDOM from Tyranny, and to provide justice for all.
There are many in this country today who have completely discarded these ideals that we used to live by. The captains of industry past did what they did and made their fortunes because they believed in making a profit but also to make America great. The same cannot be said of Wall Street today, in fact what is taking place today is the single biggest threat to our future security and economy.
Health Insurance companies, who view healthcare as a profit engine are BAD for America and need to be heavily regulated to the point of being non-profit organizations.
Doctors need to be paid well and somewhat protected but not by tort-reform, this means we should have protocols that include multiple opinions for serious cases and doctors should not be healthcare businessmen but salaried employees who can take their time to get people well.
You can all complain about the insurance industry and the banks and the politicians all you want. . . but not until we are ready to mobilize and strike down the laws of protection for the corporations. . . they will always win in this country. . . . this is not what the 'founding fathers envisioned for their descendants, for us.
Ever since his comments to the CEO of the Chamber of Commerce that "you speak non sense Sir" I watch the show. His comments and thoughts on healthcare and bonus for Wall street executives are right on...............................
The lowest earners spend ~ 15% of pre-tax income on health care. The highest earners spend ~ 3%
You'll spend ~ 65% of income on housing/food without an issue but freak out to spend 15% on your health?
I really fail to understand. You are not entitled to life. It requires effort.
What kind of philosophy is that? I must have missed that lesson in college.
Children and invalids should have 'public' access to necessary health care, no doubt.
Everyone else ought to have access to 'public' access to deal with life threatening issues, which we already do.
If you want access to basic health care, purchase it.
Another scenario is that you do spend 15% of your income on health insurance. What's your deductible? If you contract an infection in your heart, are you covered?? If you are involved in an accident and require a lifetime of medication, therapy and complete nursing care, are you covered??
Better hope so.