Health Care Smackdown

Fed by disinformation, delaying tactics and disruptive behavior many recent local town hall meetings have morphed into world wresting federation smackdowns. It is time for President Obama to assume more of a leadership role on health care or he and America will suffer a serious defeat.

Currently health care legislation is in the intensive care unit on Capitol Hill where senators and congressmen are struggling to put together a consensus on several incredibly complicated and controversial issues. For instance, how do we cover everyone? How do we offset the enormous costs projected from a new plan? Should there be a federal option? How do we make certain that those who are happy with their current health care will be able to keep it? Is it appropriate to include voluntary end of life counseling?

Enacting health care legislation is certain to impact just about everyone in some fashion, so there is an enormous amount at stake. And emotions are running high as Congressional committees continue to wrangle over the complicated details of a plan. It is an ideal atmosphere for exploitation by special interest groups, who spend millions of dollars on campaign donations and public relations to protect their profits, and for good old politics as usual.

Take former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, a favorite among conservative Republicans. On her Facebook page she declared President Obama's health care plan is "evil." She posted, "The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's 'death panel' so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their 'level of productivity in society' whether they are worthy of health care." Of course, she knows President Obama has made no such proposal.

Conservative talk show commentator Sean Hannity's Web site displayed a banner, "Become part of the mob," referring to Congressional town hall meetings. The website Tea Party Patriots circulated a memo reading in part, "Yell out and challenge the Rep's statement early." It went on, "Get him off his prepared script and agenda...stand up and shout and sit right back down." Conservative radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh said that the administration's health care logo is similar to the Nazi symbol. Glenn Beck, another conservative host, exhorted his audience to join in the ruckus, as did many local Republican organizations throughout the country. Of course, now some Democrats and unions are fighting back. Sure, free speech is great as long as you agree with me!

Critics say, "What's the rush?" Today 45 million people are uninsured. More are being added to that number every day as people lose their jobs in this difficult economy. Those without coverage go to hospital emergency rooms when they need care, and the costs are ultimately passed on to everyone else. America already spends more money on health care than any other industrialized country, yet those countries offer health care to everyone. So there is a moral imperative to do something now.

Beyond that, today every American is feeling the effects of increasing health care costs, rising at about 7% per year and projected to reach $4.3 trillion in ten years, or about 20% of our economy. Employer health care costs are going up dramatically as well, and they are eating into profit margins and being passed along to the employees in the form of reduced coverage or higher co-payments. And if you are unfortunate enough to get sick you are likely to find out your plan does not provide adequate coverage, or you may be dropped from your plan in the future because of a "pre-existing" condition. No wonder health insurance companies are making huge profits.

The American health care system is innovative, for sure. But it is also inefficient. Critics cite waste, duplication and little built in incentive to control expenses as part of the reason for spiraling costs. President Obama has proposed a lower cost government alternative to compete with health insurance companies. He has pledged that those who like their current health plan can keep it. But opponents charge that this is a Trojan horse for a government run system. For instance, as former Governor Palin noted, "Who will suffer the most when they ration health care...the sick, the elderly and the disabled, of course?"

Many Americans are concerned that a new health care plan will add to the already burgeoning national deficit. While President Obama's goal is to lower the trajectory of the growth in health care costs, it is estimated that a new plan will add at least $1 trillion in additional costs the federal budget. Congressional negotiators are scrambling to find ways to offset this cost through savings and taxes on the rich.

These are but a few of the flashpoints that have arisen in this health care debate. Almost everyone agrees something has to be done about health care costs, but the devil, as always, is in the details. And given the recession, the government's missteps in managing the financial crisis and the political polarization that divides our country, cynicism and distrust are rampant. People are concerned about the unknown.

Disruptions, distortions and disinformation by opponents, many financed by the health industry, are beginning to wear on public opinion and will delay long overdue and much needed reform. So it is time to lower our voices, to listen to the facts, to be civil and thoughtful in our discussions of this critically important issue. After all, when it comes to health care we all know that the status quo is unacceptable.

Follow Joe Peyronnin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/joepeyronnin

Comments

[krocklin]

Progressives are losing heart and hope on health care reform.

[toochie]

"It is time for President Obama to assume more of a leadership role on health care or he and America will suffer a serious defeat."

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Too late, Joe. The train has left the station.

[patriotgirl76]

The fact that there is not a final bill is not sufficient reason to sit idly by and wait. As we all know, the stimulus bill which our grandchildren will pay for was rammed through at 3 a.m. and NOBODY read it! The devil most certainly is in the details. It will be a little harder for these crooks to pass this monstrosity in the dead of night now that the electorate has a clue what some of the provisions are.

In my opinion the reason the lawmakers don't read the bills is because they don't have to. Their corporate sponsors simply inform them of how they are to vote. Does that sound about right?

[patriotgirl76]

Has anyone else noticed this irony? Spending on No Child Left Behind is a bottomless pit. There is apparently no limit on how much the taxpayers are expected to shell out to provide services to a single child with disabilities. Yet, the proposed healthcare reform provides for a council of some kind that will use statistics to determine what, when, how much and if that same child will receive treatments for those very same disabilities. Who would have thunk!

[highflag]

The GOP has consistently operated under the theory that the US electorate is extremely stupid. It worked quite well for them during the Bush regime,. They somehow managed to convince a sizable portion of middle-to-lower class Americans to support policies that were directly opposed to their own best interests. Convincing them to buy into the "trickle-down" tax plan, while their standard of living plummeted was an illusion that Houdini would find astonishing.

And now their doing it with health care reform. If these fools were to lose their jobs, and with it their coverage, they would begin to see the light. If they were to suffer a catastrophic illness, only to have their coverage canceled, or treatment refused, perhaps they would understand.

What we truly need is a single-payer option, but the fear-mongers and bought-and-paid-for politicians have successfully shelved any possibility of that happening( thanks Max Baucus ). What incredible irony that the vast majority of the rabble-rousers at these town hall meetings appear to be seniors. Try taking away their Medicare and see how they feel about government-run programs.

The President simply must wrest control of this debate. Anyone can see that it is only the special-interests that benefit from the status quo.

[JerseyGirl4Obama]

Co-sign!

[ladycubsfan]

If Obama doesn't come back from August recess with single payer back on the table, I will be surprised and disappointed. I say we should aim for the stars, and settle for public option if we must. People are leaving the GOP in droves. Now is the time to go all in.

[Edmonsky]

Below are US Presidents who tried to enact universal healthcare and failed.
Theodore Roosevelt, 1901- 1901
FDR, 1933-1945
Harry Truman, 1945-1953
Richard Nixon 1969-1947
Bill Clinton 1993-2001

President Obama is the only president who has moved universal healthcare farthest to enactment in US history. Fact is so stubborn. Those who are on the sideline snipping and railing on President Obama vis-à-vis healthcare legislation are very oblivious of the complexities inherent in passing healthcare legislation.

[edyang]

This is entirely of Obama's own making.

Instead of addressing individual complex issues directly, he just decided to pressure lawmakers and the public to ram this through before the August recess instead of taking the time to carefully pitch the bill.

After the last ramming through of the stimulus bill that didn't even give lawmakers 24 hours to read it, the public had had enough. It's stunning to see that lawmakers on both sides haven't read -- and admit to not wanting to or not be willing to -- the health care proposal in its 1000 page entirety.

Something as dramatic as an overhaul of the health care system should never have been rushed as it was.

Now it's too late and the President is playing damage control.

[Kevins]

In fact it should never be done at all, isn't that your preference?

Considering we've been talking in this country about universal health care since Truman, and considering that every single--EVERY single other 1st world country has ALREADY accomplished it, I wonder what you think is so frightening about our speed of change?

[edyang]

Are you saying it's ok for lawmakers to vote on 1,000 page bills that impact 1/7 the US economy without having read it? A simple yes or no.

Do you think it was ok that the stimulus bill was released at 3am for a vote at 9am? A simple yes or no.

[chaifreak]

Mr. Peyronnin, you did not mention that the 1 trillion is over a PERIOD OF TEN YEARS!

[hapiday]

"Let me ask you a question -- lefties, leave this alone for a while until we get an answer from the righties. How much of the health insurance premium dollar goes to pay off tort claims?"

Marxmarv,

1. Ask United Health Care how much of the insurance premium dollars goes towards paying off the Senators to stop health care reform.

2. Ask United Health Care how many claims they had to deny in order for them to make 800 billion last year.

3. Ask the insurance companies they still owe the hospitals? Ask the hospitals how many millions are in their accounts receivables over 120 days old because the insurance companies haven't paid.

4. Ask the CEO's how many cars, boats, planes and homes they have. The CEO's don't have to worry if their children will have the best coverage. If they need a liver transplant they won't be denied.

5. Ask the insurance companies what happens to all the money they collect in premiums from people who have never used their insurance after they have paid 5-10 years. Some how these people end up canceling their policies because their premiums have risen 150.00 to 250.00.

[Blakkwolfe]

When we moved to FL, I tried to get insurance for two adults, two kids, one kid having autism. They said they would cover the two adults (excluding any previous conditions, like asthma or any medication having to do with asthma) and the one boy for $750 a month...th­e autistic boy, not so much. We asked if they would at least cover him for ear infections, emergency room trips and other things active boys may get themselves into...Nop­e. No antibiotics, no albuterol, no nothing.

So, in essence, my kid went up before corporate "death panel" that Sarah Palin refered to, and got the thumbs down.

Therefore, It is perfectly OK if the private insurers (for whom people yell, scream and holler to defend) deny coverage to anybody at will (based on profits and thier own "death panel" of bureaucrats), but Obama's putting forth a plan where everyone, regardless of income or personal challenges, is covered- is "evil?"

Pretty clear to me where the evil is here, and it has nothing to do with Barack Obama.

[espressobeans]

Congress should have just passed this. The Republicans and the industry will throw every dirty trick in the book at reform to try to kill it. The longer this "debate" ferments, the worst it will get. Just do it. Then the dust will settle. If the three remaining red states don't like it, let them leave the union and take their townhowlers on Medicare with them.

[Solja]

It's a fake debate. They haven't even finished writing the bill yet. Actually, there are many, many, many bills contained inside the large health care package, and it is still under construction. This is why the Democrats seem to not be fighting back because they can't explain what isn't down on paper yet.

[RepublicansforTalibans]

Obama is not hot headed. He is a very reserved man despite being very inspiring. The far left who wants the red meat will be dissappointed because he cannot be who they want him to be. His pragmatism is his strength but can also be his weakness, such as his call for bipartisan. As an independent, I truly appreciate his effort to work with the other side, but once they reveal their intent to harm the country by continous obstruction, President Obama needs to move on. We are at that point now. He needs to realize this before his leadership is undermined.
Candidate Obama has always been aware of the mood of the country...­President Obama, I feel, is starting to be effected by the bubble of DC.

[RJII]

don't fear, Obama got this his own way and his own time. His leadership can only be underminded if we expect him to be the same kind of politican we've grown accustomed.

[pghnappyrhino]

i don't want "red meat", i just want the democrats and the president to stop acting like they didn't win the election.

bush had no compunction about taking us into an unnecessary war, while abandoning the REAL "war on terror", wiretapping citizens, etc.

not saying i want him to be bush.3, but how about having some daggone backbone?

[Paul]

Its simple.

No single payer? Then no incumbant should be returned to Congress.

Let the Health Insurance companies pay them off with whatever. But they should be diselected.

[Bigeasy]

Don't underestimate Obama, Clinton and McCain did. He won both those campaigns when I felt he should of attacked his opponents more, he proved me and a lot of other people wrong.