December 15, 2009
Senator Joseph Lieberman
706 Hart Office Building
Washington, DC.20510
Subject: What have I been doing post working for you on your election and why the public health option is critical for me
Dear Senator Lieberman:
Although I put in many hours diligently working on your campaign for your vice presidential bid and senatorial bid, we never personally met. The time I put in working for you, was very precious time, since subsequently I was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
I am now one of those "uninsurable" people. I am now one of those people who are crippled by insurance companies and its costs.
My husband is a doctor of Medicare age and a year away from retirement. My policy under Cobra would be more than $38,000 a year. I am also quite near the lifetime cap which means should I need more treatment, we would lose everything we have worked so hard for all these years just to pay for my medical treatment. It takes me longer to fill out the application than it does for the insurance companies to turn me down.
My life depends on early qualification into Medicare or a public option.
I can't take back the time I gave you, but your vote can give my family and countless other families in trouble, needed help because they are sick and crippled under the burden of the current system and a public option or Medicare is their only hope.
I urge you to take my story and the time I gave you into your heart and your conscience when you raise your hand to vote.
Any decision against people in need is a shanda. Please take a moment to contact me personally and get to know me. I am available any time day or night to speak with you.
Sincerely,
Judy Palnick
The government already runs a program that people pay into and has one of the highest customer satisfaction rates, profitable and has older patients with preexisting condtions and many illnesses -- it's called Medicare.
Everyone agrees the private insurance run model is broken. Why wouldn't we use the better more succesful business model of Mediare?
Why should you settle for a crappy health plan, wait a month or two to get covered if you can with your new job and essentially worry whether you can get coverage. Why would I think that your job, or your daughters job deserves any less quality medical plan and treatment than mine or my husband's?
Thank you for your suggestion about looking for a job at Walmart and I will check into their health care plan.
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-370369#
@.com
But where oh where is it written that the GOVERNMENT is responsible for solving everybody's personal problems???
Whom did people turn to when struck by misfortune BEFORE we had big government?
"How the Senate bill would contain the cost of healthcare"
by Atul Gawande
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/12/14/091214fa_fact_gawande
It's very interesting, very likely realistic, but very very (or sounds to me) futuristic.
I also recommend that everyone tell their US Senators that we want a Public Option put back into the Senate's version of the bill.
If you want to talk about beneficial government intrusion, find a better example.
Your letter beautifully outlines the moral reasoning behind single payer. Here is an economic one...
just think: if we went to a single payer system, some people would still supplement that with extra insurance. Meanwhile, all the executives (and staffs) of the formerly profitable health insurance firms could spend their time and money funding new research, cures, manufacturing and distribution efforts.
It's not lke they would no longer be able to make money.
I love how everyone buys into "retraining" for people whose industries are no longer thriving (mfg,, auto, journalism), but the really big industries whose services no longer suit the public--well they aren't up to the 'retooling' task!
they will, however, take the subsidies...
I am so angry right now I don't know what to do. We who are so cynical fell for Obama hook line and sinker and he's sold us to the highest bidders - Big Pharma, the insurance companies, Wall Street and the banks. They were his main contributors, not us, and he's paying them back. His entire economic team are veterans of Goldman Sachs. He made a deal this summer with big Pharma. Baucus was his point man on the health care bill. He never pushed for the public option or the medicare buy-in because he never wanted them in there - because his corporate backers would have abandoned him - and now, he's thanking Joe Lieberman and trashing Howard Dean.
If you didn't see Wendell Potter (ex-Cigna VP) on Countdown last night, watch it, as well as Keith's Special Comment. They say all that needs to be said - i.e. the insurance companies got everything they wanted and, contrary to what Obama said yesterday, it is not the government that will go bankrupt but the people forced to buy premiums they can't afford from companies making huge profits off their misfortunes.
I'm so proud of you to write this letter. As your friend, I know your struggles and I know your strengths. Thanks for posting this letter.
It deserves a response.
I hope you get one - and I hope you get better soon.