House Dem's Placebo Health Care Reform

When docs prescribe a placebo, they expect the gullible patient to believe it will work and that the symptoms will go away, especially if the symptoms have been psychologically caused or exacerbated. The problem is, Americans are struggling, going bankrupt, even dying because of our failed health care (really illness care) system. Placebos don't work when there is real illness, yet it seems that is what the house of representatives has offered in its first draft of legislation.

A first look at the house of Representatives plans for health reform suggests that they are not offering substantive health reform. Sure, they are offering a few fixes that should have been made a long time ago, like ending "existing illness" insurance exemptions or surcharges, and recision -- where insurers take subscribers money for years, knowing there's been a flaw in the agreement, then, when the bills get big, during an illness, they throw the subscriber, who's often paid thousands into the plan, out.

But those are easy fixes that should have been dealt with long ago. They are not the big reforms that the nation desperately needs to adequately care for all Americans and to compete in a global economy where all other major nations offer universal single payer health care to all citizens, taking the costs off of their industries, making them far more competitive than struggling US industries.

Those easy fixes don't help the 600,000+ people, with insurance, who go bankrupt each year -- about 1400 constituents per congressional district, on average.

Those fixes won't help the very conservatively estimated 20,000 people who die every year for lack of health care -- about 50 constituents per congressional district. That's 50 people who died because their legislator sold out to health insurer or big pharma lobbyists, or lobbyists for the orgs that benefit from the current system by selling insurance, like the chambers of commerce, AARP, some unions that only have health care benefits to offer union members...

So now, we're starting to see what the house of representatives is going to offer we the people. And it flat out sucks. For starters, the public option doesn't go into effect until 2013. That's right. It's like one of those balloon mortgages... If you believe that it will actually happen. Frankly, if the bill, as currently written, is signed by Obama, he won't deserve to be re-elected and Sarah Palin or Mitt Romney or whatever right wing extremist replaces him will surely stop the public option from going into effect.

Seriously, do the house dems who have proposed this insulting, despicable piece of legislation really think this will fly? It is a gesture, a symbolic gift to the lobbyists. They do that, you know. They will fly a bill that they have no intention of ever passing, just to please some lobby group that contributed to one or many campaigns. I figure they'll give this gift to the lobbyists if we let them, or, if we push back, they'll consider their first draft as an initial negotiating offer.

Reminds me of when I was in Tangier, Morocco, where I went into a rug store and was given a price of $200 for a small rug. I replied with an offer of $2.00. We dickered back and forth and I ended up buying it for $10.00. The House has put out their first, insanely, outrageously bad offer. We have to come back with an offer that drives them to settle on something far more reasonable.

We're talking about a legislating a solution to a cancerous affliction upon the American people and American industry-- a health care oligopoly with faux non-profits and a small, powerful group of for-profits that are sucking the lifeblood out of the economy, corrupting our politics and corrupting the long noble practice of healing.

But wait. It gets worse. The senate hasn't weighed in yet. The senate always takes a more conservative bent than the house, so expect the senate to reconcile the house bill to something even worse, unless... Unless you and I and a hell of a lot more Americans scream our bloody heads off (bloody is a Brit or Canadian term -- you know, countries with real health care for all.)

And we need to do it right away. You need to go to the office of your congressional rep with a few hundred people and tell him to stuff that four year wait -- any wait of more than six months -- up where the sun doesn't shine. You need to drag the people from your church, mosque or synagogue, every activist group you are connected to, and go stand with signs, shouting at your congressperson, telling him or her what nerve he/she has even suggesting there be such a wait. Because if they don't get a clear message that it's not good enough, you, my friend, will be royally screwed. And don't expect help from some of those big-mouthed voices in the middle, like HCAN, which likes this despicable bill and is paying its workers to sell this.

Throughout history, there have been sellouts and cowards and then there have been co-opters -- people who are the next thing to total sellouts. Co-opters try to talk people into settling for too little, for marginal, inadequate reforms or change. Even Obama is talking now about providing health care for all. But the Public option plan supporters all say the same gutless thing -- settle for this lousy bone or don't expect to get anything. Of course, if all those co-opters -- those big, faux progressive organizations, like Moveon, Acorn and some of the biggest unions which sold out for the public option, had actually held tough for single payer, the Dems, in total control now of the house and senate, would have been forced to do the right thing. And have no doubt, the right thing for America is absolutely Universal single payer. It's right for individuals, right for the budget, right for American industry and the economy.

Because let's face it. The reforms, the health care revisions and plans currently on the table are there because our elected legislators have sold out to Healthcare Insurer/Pharmaceutical complex and their enablers. These plans -- the full, though short range of the vision for these plans -- do not do the job American citizens and industry deserve.

Now is the time that there is an opportunity to make the big leap, to literally kill the for profit and pseudo non-profit Big Blue health care industry -- to virtually dump the dinosaur in the ashcan of history, where buggy whips, horse carriages, slavery, torture (oops, not so fast on that one) child labor, sweat shops and feudalism have all gone. It is time we respond to this slap in the face the house of representatives has presented us with and demand the real thing -- universal health care for all and the end to an industry that is a huge threat to America.

I've repeated myself a bit here, but it's time we all get out in the streets, literally, and shout from the rooftops, repeating, "We want real health care reform. We Want Universal health care for every American." And we need to repeat it loudly, with enough of our neighbors so every legislator, in both parties hears it. And we need to start doing it today.

Crossposted from OpEdNews.com

Follow Rob Kall on Twitter: www.twitter.com/robkall

Comments

[Dan311]

Thank you, Rob.

I keep hearing the sentiment 'Don't let 'perfect' be the enemy of the good.'

I just don't see this reform as 'good,' and Rob points out more than a few of my concerns. Besides, what's wrong with demanding 'better?'

Single Payer.

PBS Bill Moyers, interviewing two doctors who advocate for single payer. If you have questions about Single Payer, this is a good place to start:

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/05222009/watch2.html

[humanbeing-rick]

The Republican line reminds me of the Marx Brothers comic act - they're motto:
"We're against it! We're against it! Whatever it is, we're against it!" for the state of Fredonia.
The party of "No" is doing it's best to prove that government is bad, it is the nemesis, and they are doing their best to destroy it to prove their point.
Why would some Democrats want to slow down our long delayed health care reform?
Is it to "compromise" with these comics of Fredonia?

This country is in a crisis, and the People have been begging for relief.
Kick these Democrats in the butts and get them in gear, we need action now!
Single-payer health care system will save us money in the end, and a majority of the People want it.

[Woodn88s]

The only people who will benefit from the current proposal is the insurance industry. All people without health care will be forced to buy health insurance of very little value. Monthly payments into the insurance companies till
Health Care IS A RIGHT and should in nop way be a "for profit industry"

[Not Blind]

A single-payer system is the only true reform of the current health care system. The bill President Obama and Congress are pushing is another sell-out to the insurers and health care providers and industries. Requiring every individual to purchase private insurance will maximize profits, even if the insurers have to get rid of the "pre-existing conditions" clauses, as more healthy individuals pay premiums. Requiring employers (small businesses struggling at present) to provide health insurance for their employees will lead to more layoffs, exacerbating the unemployment problem. That these "reforms" won't even go into effect for another 4 years means the current abuses, inefficiencies, and insufficient quality of the current system will continue to bankrupt individuals, hurt US businesses who can't compete against foreign companies (that pay 75% less for employee benefits).

Insurers (several who received TARP funds) and health care providers donated more than $215 million to our Congressional representatives last year, and are now spending $1.4 million daily to defeat substantive reform of a system by which they obscenely profit and are lavishly compensated. Max Baucus received $2.2 million, which clearly explains why he excluded advocates for a single-payer system from his committee's hearings. He and others in Congress are crooks, who've sold their souls, their country and constituents for their own personal benefit. They're traitors and need to be exposed and publicly embarassed.

[ldjnews]

If this bills is as bad you say, we must go into the streets. Massive rallies. Peacful but massive. A march on Washington would be nice. It's good weather for marches. Put signs up everywhere. The more people who march, the greater our chances.

One good thing out of negotiations so far: an option for state decided single-payer system in about 8 states passed.

[Lendall]

YES YES YES YES YES! If the Republicans and John McCain were in power and proposed this insurance-company based piece of garbage as "health care reform," the Democrats would be screaming bloody murder. Parallel case: If McCain had been elected and bailed out the banks to the extent that Obama has, the Democrats would be talking about impeachment.

The irony is, the bank bailout is already massively unpopular, and the Democratic Party will surely have to pay a heavy political price for that. (Goodbye, perhaps, to house and senate majorities­.) This phony "health care reform" package will pound the nails into the coffin of the Democratic Party, once people realize how empty and meaningless it is.

I remember during the Campaign when Obama talked about his mother pleading with her insurance company while she was dying of cancer. It is hard to believe that he is now going to require everyone to have private medical insurance, rather than proposing a humane, civilized solution like single payer.

NO BOONDOGGLE FOR THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY. No double-taxation of the middle class to subsidize private medical insurance for the poor. SINGLE PAYER, OR NOTHING!

[SeriousBlack]

"I remember during the Campaign when Obama talked about his mother pleading with her insurance company while she was dying of cancer. It is hard to believe that he is now going to require everyone to have private medical insurance, rather than proposing a humane, civilized solution like single payer."

SPOT ON. It makes no sense what. so. ever.

[Dale Larson]

"If McCain had been elected and bailed out the banks to the extent that Obama has, the Democrats would be talking about impeachment. "

I'm not so sure. I'm coming to the conclusion while watching this debate that a whole bunch of them are simply cowards. What else could be that answer when over %70 percent of the population (across all political parties) want a public plan. What's being offered here more subsidies for the insurance companies. Disgusting.

"I remember during the Campaign when Obama talked about his mother pleading with her insurance company ... rather than proposing a humane, civilized solution like single payer."

Mind blowing.

The fact that single payer never saw the light of day in congress says a lot about how good it really is. They had to gag the facts. They knew they (special interests) couldn't win in a "fair fight".

[Coastalthinker2]

WOW! Great Op-ed. I wish everyone who wants Single Payer Health Insurance would read your article. I have been saying for months that we need to have rallies in every major city in the United States. There are actually rallies AGAINST health care reform thanks to the Rush Limbaugh and tea party groups. Is there someone who works in or for the media with a lot of clout that can get this going? I know there are rallies in Washington D.C., but, we need more. There is so much misinformation going on that the low information voters will be against any kind of change if they don't understand it.

[noneIn2008]

Additionally, it cuts seniors benefits and treatments.

[Jeffrey Barea]

Finally. Who, in their right mind, ever believed this government, composed of either party, would ever get something right. It's not like we have hundreds of years of examples to work from. Wait? Whut?

[noneIn2008]

Breakthrough thinking, realizing there is no difference between the parties. The parties are used to distract our attention while the loot the treasury.

[DaveVentura]

No kidding. Look at the Democrats with how they campaigned on fiscal conservatism and now they are doing a complete 180. It's not to say that Republicans haven't done the same thing because they have. It's like two baseball teams who get together and rig a game while pretending to be competitors when in reality Arnold Rothstein is paying them to all be on the same side.

[PlasmaX]

Just like the lenders and credit card reform they want to give the insurance companies time to rape the American people for obscene profits prior to forcing them to compete fairly. That's their payoff at our expense.

[noneIn2008]

Exactly, just like 90% of their other reforms. Wait until the other shoe hits.

[BarryS]

simple solution: give us congressional insurance plans starting in 60 days. if the companies can't/won't provide it, cancel their ability to supply insurance to gov't employees for twenty years. end of problem. oh yes, the reduced rates that are actually bribes to our "honest" legislators, will have to be borne by the insurance companies for the rest of us for 20 years. Use the exorbinent profits of the past to pay for it.

and have a trigger: if there are more than 1000 people denied access, single payer system starting january 1, 2010. I bet the insurance companies comply real quick. after all, they have the computer systems in place already for all of this.

[George2328]

Rob,

Good article, and I'd like to add another area of huge disappointment with the draft legislation. I've been support the HCAN position as a "realistic" fall-back to the single payer approach, but am also very disappointed in the House and Senate HELP Committee legislation that I've seen so far. Half the country now gets coverage through employers--whatever plan design(s) and insurance carrier(s) that the employer wants to offer, most likely based on who has the lowest cost (not necessarily the best quality care or most available network). Aside from some new minimum standards, all these employees would see little change and be mandated to "elect" these plans. The only individuals eligible for the public option -- and the health exchange in which it would be offered to compete with insurance companies ("t keep them honest") -- are individuals who do not get coverage through an employer, Medicare, Medicaid, or the military. This leaves a relatively small pool of likely enrollees for all the supposed power that the public option will supposedly have to change the marketplace.

So in effect we will perpetuate the "uniquely American" solution of a highly for-profit system with employers and insurance companies in the driver's seat for half the population. My original hope was that an individual could be eligible go to the health exchange and pick a plan, including the public option, if they did not like the employer's plan (but still have one's employer pay for a good portion of it).

[dagdavid]

Rob you are dead on here, bro. Dead on. This piece of moldy cheese their throwing at us will not even begin to feed our need for real reform. A 10% decrease in 2013? After Obama's first term is finished? Quite possibly after Obama is out of office?

This piss a s s approach to "reform" is typical of spineless dems. Here they are with a solid majority, a pres with still high approval ratings, 2/3 of the American people demanding REAL change and still - nothing. Crap.

Shameful. Disgusting. Wrong.

[Bernique]

Rob,

On a related note --

"Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today created an opening for the single payer health care movement by winning adoption of an amendment which eliminates a federal barrier to states choosing to enact single payer health plans. The amendment won on a bipartisan basis during lengthy committee action on HR 3200, America’s Affordable Health Choices Act.

“Although the amendment does not create a single payer health care system, it removes a major obstacle for any state that wishes to pursue the single payer option. This amendment builds on the momentum of the national movement for single payer health care,” said Kucinich.

“For years there has been a growing support for a fundamental change in the way we look at health care in this country. A single payer health care plan is the best and most tested way to provide health care for everyone while increasing quality and controlling costs,” added Kucinich.

The Kucinich amendment removes a legal obstacle to states that choose single payer plans. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) pre-empts legislating health care reform at a state level if the state efforts challenge employer-based health care plans.

The House Education and Labor Committee passed the Kucinich Amendment by a 27-19 vote".

This is excellent news, as this is how Canada got its single payer system, one province at a time.

[SeriousBlack]

I hate to counter this (believe me, it gives me no pleasure) but the only problem is there's a big difference between how Canadian provinces and American states work. This won't do a thing. The only thing that would fix such a seriously demented system like American health care, with such big and powerful private, for-profit health insurance companies in charge, would be the federal government MAKING a universal, single-payer health care system happen.

Without fundamental change like that on a national level, it ain't never gonna happen. Period.

[Rob Kall - Huffpost Blogger]

I absolutely agree and am excited about the Kucinich amendment. It's notable that REPUBLICANS made the amendment pass, that Joe Sestak, a possible opponent to Arlen Specter in the PA senate primary, voted against it. WTF gives with these dems, opposing single payer? Are they so totally bought and paid for by big health and Pharma?

Being a PA resident, I'm very excited about the work being done by Chuck Pennacchio and his healthcare4allpa.org towards universal single payer in PA. Apparently, he's getting more cooperation from Republicans than Democrats.

And keep in mind that Canada's single payer healthcare system started in one province-- Saskatchewan. Once the first state falls, the rest will follow, or they will lose jobs and investments.

[RAF3]

Drop the current mess and push HR 676 -- the Single Payer Health care bill still languishing in Congress. Call your Congressmen and Senators.

This is no joke -- and we will continue the death spiral as a country if we don't do it.

[Rob Kall - Huffpost Blogger]

There are close to 80 signers to HR 676. Henry Waxman WAS one of them, but he took his name off, selling out single payer. Other Dems, besides Waxman, backing this despicable joke of a bill include John Dingell, Rob Andrews, Charlie Rangell, plus Miller, Stark and Pallone.