Our country faces the best opportunity in decades to provide affordable, quality health care for all our citizens and contain spiraling costs. Our states serve as models for national reform. Building on some of the lessons we have learned, we need federal action now.
Massachusetts and Wisconsin have been innovation leaders in health care coverage. Both of our states have worked hard to address costs, and increase access and quality. That means that in Wisconsin, every child has access to health care coverage, as does 98 percent of the state. In Massachusetts, virtually all of our residents are currently insured.
We have seen how smart, modest investments can prevent more costly expenditures down the road. We have worked to expand coverage while at the same time saving money in the Medicaid program. We have promoted cost-effective, preventative, evidence-based care to drive out inefficiency. And we have achieved these gains in spite of unprecedented budget challenges, often by keeping the rate of health care cost increases far below national averages.
And while we are proud of our successes, we are deeply committed to seeing federal action that will move us further forward.
The case for change is clear. We have a health care system that costs our families and our businesses too much for what it delivers. Continually rising health care costs are hurting families working to make ends meet and businesses trying to compete and create jobs. And here's the rub: escalating costs are a national problem with or without expanded coverage. Everyone has a stake in health care reform.
Now is no time to shrink from the challenge or to let health reform fail again because of politics. Tough budget times are no excuse: both Wisconsin and Massachusetts are required by law to pass balanced budgets, and the economic crisis has meant we face the same kinds of enormous financial strains as the critics of reform. But health care reforms are themselves essential to improve our economy and the lives of working families. In fact, the current economic difficulty is reason to move forward. And political expedience is a poor answer to the need for change.
There is one other lesson we learned in the course of reforming health care in our states that is worth remembering in the midst of the current health reform debate: that a perfect solution and no solution were not our only choices. A broad coalition of health care providers, medical experts, business leaders, policy makers and advocates came together to develop our respective reforms, and stayed together to refine them as we moved forward. Because of that, residents of our states get better care at better rates.
President Obama and Congressional leaders are moving in the right direction, and the opportunity to reform health care is within reach. The rest of the nation should rally to their support.
We can, and should be able to achieve single payer the way many other nations have done it: make it be a competitive contract. A competitive contract, offered by the government to any bidders, be they a single company, like Blue Cross Blue Shield, an agency, like Social Security Administration, or partnerships that could even involve both private firms and government agencies.
The contract would be awarded for lowest operating cost, period. Health insurance is not brain surgery. It is moving money from the left hand to the right (collecting from subscribers and disbursing to providers). But the President cannot see beyond the ideological, and neither can the Republicans. Single payer is not socialized medicine. It is simply the most efficient way to run the insurance part of our health care system.
Isn't there a nice tea party somewhere that you could be attending?
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Here is a better way to go.
Real reform that would serve every individual asking for public care with totally free care and medications, funded by a national sales tax, distributed through government owned and operated hospitals and clinics, and would relieve businesses of all health care obligations, financial, record keeping, everything eliminated, would be healthy for everyone and the greatest national economic stimulus ever.
A new dual choice system, you choose, either public, or private if you like what you have keep it, would save the government hundreds of billions annually distributing all government funded services through public facilities, and government savings would be even larger compared to spending called for in the new proposed reform boondoggles.
All government mandated programs could be distributed through government hospitals at a fraction of the costs spent now by taxpayers to private systems.
Zack Space (OH-18) (202) 225-6265 Staffer will pass it on.
Mike Ross (AR-04) (202) 225-3772 Mailbox full. Can't leave message.
Charlie Melancon (LA-03) (202) 225-4031 Staffer will pass it on.
James Matheson (UT-02) (202) 225-3011 Phone hangs up on answering. This is how he serves?
Jane Harman (CA-36) (202) 225-8220 Staffer says congresswoman is committed to a public option "so she is right there with you".
Baron Hill (IN-09) (202) 225-5315 Staffer will pass it on.
Bart Gordon (TN-06) (202) 225-4231 Staffer will pass it on.
John Barrow (GA-12) (202) 225-2823 Paraphrasing: "Congressman Barrow is NOT opposed to a public option, he just wants to make sure it doesn't wreak havoc in the private sector." Me: "Congress has been working on this for 75 years. I have friends who are staying married, living apart, instead of divorcing, because one person's health coverage depends upon the other. It's time to do something now! Staffer: " The Congressman is working with the President to see that something gets done."
The MA options is one of the most repressive, asinine, discriminatory and burdensome policies of all times. How can fining people who can't afford to buy health insurance because they don't have the money be the solution to the problem? Oh, surely, I can see how the insurance companies must love that because it gives them a captive audience, whether they like it or not but for the people...well, not so much!
For the two days following Labor Day (September 8 and 9) join a nationwide strike to demand a public health plan.
This comes from a concerned citizen. There is no organization, group or special interest promoting this. You don’t need to protest or parade – just stay home. Don’t shop, don’t go to work unless you are police, firefighter or medical worker. Close the schools, large pharmacies, grocery stores and department stories. Avoid gas stations, movies, restaurant chains, etc. If you must get a staple go to a small local store. Let’s let our representative and big business know we have had it!
Please take the risk. It will work.
Pass this on…
TED GUHL
New Britain, CT
Forget the beer and cheese. Now that's something to be proud of. There is no reason we shouldn't be able to replace the word 'Wisconsin" with the words "The United States of America". One role of government is to keep us safe. How can our citizens be safe without proper healthcare?
A Plug'in for Health Care Reform 2009
Please plug'in (search):
Consumers Union United States
Health Care Profiteers & Lobbyists
www.aft.org/fight4america
www.WeWantThePublicOption
CTC123GREEN
You should try sending this letter to Max Baucus and the rest of the corporate puppets gentlemen; although I'm sure it will have the same effect as the letters they've already received...not a damn thing.