The details of policy will not decide the outcome of the health care reform battle. In fact, the policy outcome itself will be decided largely by the interplay of four emotions that will drive the outcome of this essentially political battle: fear, anger, hope and inspiration.
The principal weapon of those who want to maintain the status quo is, as always, fear. The Republicans and their allies in the private health insurance industry are cranking up the fear machine like the producers of a good horror movie. They warn of a "government takeover of health care," "socialized medicine," "rationing" and the ever-frightening prospect that a "government bureaucrat" might stand between someone and her doctor -- or a needed medical treatment.
Of course fear need not be rational. I talked to a Blue Dog Democrat the other day -- one who favors a strong public option -- who told of scores of calls his office has received from older voters on Medicare, the government run health care program for the elderly and disabled. The callers were frightened of a "government takeover" of medicine. Former Senator John Breaux once told a story about a woman who rushed up to him in the airport to plead with him to "keep government out of her Medicare."
Fear immobilizes. And fear of the unknown crushes the desire for change, even in the midst of conditions that cry out for change. It has been used throughout history by those who profit from the status quo, and it becomes especially important when -- as is the case with health care today -- most people believe that the current system should in fact be changed.
Of course the insurance companies and the Right are not just using fear to move public opinion. Just as importantly, they are using it to frighten key Members of Congress into believing that an angry mobilized part of their constituency -- and donors -- will exact political retribution. For some Blue Dog Democrats that fear is being used to mask the fact the President Obama's health care proposals will produce some of their most profound benefits precisely within the districts they represent. In one notable case, the district has 150,000 uninsured citizens and only 900 families who would pay a surtax used to pay the costs of the House Democratic Health Care bill.
Anger, on the other hand, does not immobilize like fear. It energizes action. In politics, anger is almost always a necessary precursor to change and hope. American voters would not have been willing to take a chance on the change and hope offered by the Obama campaign in 2008 if they were not already furious with the administration of George W. Bush and its failed stewardship of our economy and foreign policy. That anger stemmed from the sense that everyday people could no longer look forward to better lives in the future. Obama resolved that anger into the hope that change could bring them a better life.
The powerful elements that dominate the Republican Party and the Conservative Movement also focus the anger of people who feel they are losing control or have been passed by, but instead of resolving that anger into hope, they resolve anger into fear of change -- and fear of people who "aren't like them."
To win the battle over health care -- and all of the other major battles required to fulfill the promise of change -- progressives must engage the anger of most Americans and do a better job mobilizing that anger than our right-wing opponents.
That means a populist message. It means focusing in on the insurance executives who are perfectly willing to deny health care to sick people so that they can make millions and millions of dollars and retire with massive golden parachutes. It means we need to frame the debate as a struggle between those with power -- and the majority of Americans.
And it means that, for Members of Congress, we have to channel that anger to induce fear -- the fear that failure to accomplish change will be more politically costly that voting for reform. In the end, the winning message to most Members of Congress is that health insurance reform is the high political ground. That is the message we must deliver to every Member over the August recess in no uncertain terms.
Hope and change will not win out if we don't engage populist anger. But success also requires that we paint a clear, positive picture of a future where ordinary Americans no longer have to worry that they may not have access to health care.
People aren't engaged and motivated by statistics or "policies." The prospect of an "insurance exchange" will not inspire people to take a risk on change. To win this battle we need to get people to imagine what it would be like if they no longer had to worry that if they got sick and then lost their job, they might also lose their health care. We have to remind them that 14,000 people are losing their health insurance every day -- and they could be next. They have to visualize the insurance company CEO who gets the $73 million golden parachute and received a salary of $5,585 an hour ($12.2. million per year).
In fact, to win this -- or any other major political battle -- we need to remember that changing people's opinions and motivating them into action is mainly about engaging their emotions -- hope, fear, anger, inspiration. That means we need to make the issues at stake palpable. People need to experienced them in the concrete, not as abstract concepts. They need to be turned into images, stories and symbols that can make people see, feel, hear and taste the issues, not just think about them.
That brings us to inspiration. President Obama's ability to inspire is an enormous political asset. Being inspired is basically the feeling of empowerment -- empowerment to overcome odds -- to overcome fear. In the same way a blast furnace turns iron ore and coke into steel, inspiration transforms fear and anger into hope.
We need to inspire the country that change is possible and will bring about a better health care system. We need to inspire Members of Congress that they can overcome their fear of insurance companies and special interests, and make history. We need to keep our own base inspired in order to keep them mobilized.
In fact, our ability to compete with the insurance companies and the merchants of fear is entirely contingent on our ability to keep our base engaged and energized. That is one of the critical reasons why, in order to be successful, a health insurance reform plan must include a strong public health insurance option.
A strong public option is critically necessary to accomplish the administration's goals of controlling health care costs by competing with private insurance companies, driving down rates and keeping them honest. That is why the insurance industry hates the proposal.
But a public option is also critical because it inspires our base. Like it or not, most progressives in America have lost faith in the private health insurance industry and its ability to provide health care at reasonable prices for all Americans. Many Americans joined the Obama campaign because they believed he -- and they together -- could make change in general, and change in the health care system in particular.
The public option has become a symbol for most of these activists -- the symbol of what defines real change. If the small band of insurance company-friendly Democrats forces the entire Party and the administration to abandon this critical element of the Obama plan, the campaign for health care reform will lose much of its ability to inspire activists to action. That would leave the playing field to Rush Limbaugh and his insurance industry friends who use fear to mobilize the right-wing base.
Progressives cannot afford to fail in our battle for health insurance reform. It is a critical building block for the long-term economic success of our country. It will also define for millions of Americans whether they can make change -- whether they can take the future into their own hands and make their own history. Our success in the health care battle will in great measure determine our ability to continue to generate the kind of inspiration that is so critical to our ability to win all of the battles that lie ahead.
Robert Creamer is a long-time political organizer and strategist, and author of the recent book: "Stand Up Straight: How Progressives Can Win," available on amazon.com.
Why is this admin so eager to get consensus w/ republicans who wont vote for any bill public opt or not. This is like an auction where the prez is the only bidder and he's bidding against himself -giving away what he dooes not need to. The only other explanation is that Obama is just another back room dealing politico ,who made a deal wthe drug and ins industries to keep public option (starting w. single payer) off the table in exchange for non Clinton type anti-health reform legislation. mis-information blitz. (which he got from front organizations for the insurance lobby anyway) This is a total betrayal of his campaign promises, along w/ repeal of DADT and DOMA its strike 3 and you are not the Change we can believe in , this the the politics with the urgency of whater I can pass and point to as an accomplishment. Shame on you, we had hoped for better!
Working and middle class Americans should
FOCUS their ANGER at the
PRIVATE HEALTHCARE INSURANCE PROFITEERS
who are ROBBING WORKING PEOPLE blind for years!
Now, those PRIVATE HEALTHCARE INSURANCE PROFITEERS
spew forth FEAR & LIES to scare everybody into agreeing
to continue with the
CORRUPT PRIVATE HEALTHCARE INSURANCE system--
so once again, America can prove that it BANK-ROLLS THE RICH
at the expense of others who struggle and go bankrupt in
a SYSTEM the DOES NOT VALUE WORKING HUMAN BEINGS.
that make the rich richer.
However, SOCIALISM FOR THE RICH revails and is considered "OKAY".
But screw YOU in terms of YOUR "bailout" from the RABIDLY GREEDY PROFITEERS.
Enough already.
Private health insurers need GOV'T PLAN COMPETITION.
There is NO resistance now to their hugely increasing private insurance costs.
LET THEM HAVE SOME COMPETITION at last!
Here's a list of unions that support HRH 676
http://unionsforsinglepayer.org/union_endorsers
We have to convince Obama and Congress to support it.
Obama is very naive about the role of doctors, as shown by his remarks that doctors are in the profession only for the money. His arrogance and audacity is sickening...in no way does he want what is best for US!
It should not be (and doesn't need to be) tied to an employer! You can BUY your own coverage, and make your own choices!!!!!!
I have an HSA - and a catastrophic plan. I bought it myself -- if I switch jobs -- guess what -- it goes with me -- no COBRA, no hassles....
If I'm sick -- I saved up money (pre-tax thank you very much) and will pay my deductible with that cash. If I'm not sick -- I don't pay for anything except my premium -- which is THOUSANDS below what "full coverage" plans charge. I choose my doctor, I choose my treatments, I am in full control of what specialists I see -- and what level of care I receive.
I am not asking for a handout -- I pay for this myself -- with a very modest salary I earn.
Don't "throw the baby out with the bathwater" just because your employer "gives" you an HMO or PPO you don't like....get your own! And take the money they would have spent -- as a raise!
People....please keep our freedom of CHOICE while we still can!
How much would you have saved if you didn't have to pay those premiums, deductibles and co-pays?
What will you do if you become unemployed or so sick that you cannot work?
What happens if you lose you coverage? What will you do then?
You see, 62% of the bankruptcies in America are the result of medical bills. Of those, 75% had health insurance coverage when they got sick. Will you become part of the 75%? Yes, you will.
Yes there is fear -- for good reason. Mr. Obama himself admitted at a town hall meeting that people over 70 or 80 should maybe be given pain pills instead of surgery....and that "spirit" or quality of life really wasn't an issue when deciding what care the elderly should receive.
I think it's kind of ironic that many of you liberals who are pushing this -- will be old too someday. How will you feel when YOU are told to take a pain pill -- instead of have a life-saving surgery? (or are you counting on being so wealthy you can pay some doctor to "do" you - outside the system?)
Obama's "new" government has shown us that he is adept at spending trillions of our money (borrowed from China) so our gr,gr,gr,gr grandchildren will still be paying it off....and no jobs have yet to be created. Only more unemployment. Is that the type of oversight we want when we're talking about our HEALTH?
The "problems" our health care system has -- are miniscule compared to the helter-skelter mess Obama and Pelosi will make of it when they're done. And folks...once it's really screwed up...there's no going back.
Sing these health care petitions please
http://bit.ly/HR676
http://bit.ly/single_payer_ross
For most doctors and hospitals, HMO and PPO networks are their only access to non-Medicare patients. Despite declining reimbursements and administrative hassles, providers are held hostage by managed care companies by adversarial agreements and fear that quitting the network means losing patient revenue. The idea of doing business directly with employers is lost amidst that fear.
For employers, managed care's guise of reducing health plan costs creates another hostage situation. With insurance companies controlling access to medical care through HMO/PPO provider agreements, employers have no choice but to do business through the middleman.
Growing monopolization in the health insurance industry among managed care behemoths has severely limited employer choice of health plans and medical networks. Unfortunately, the notion that employers could, if they want, control costs by contracting directly with medical providers has been brainwashed away by the insurance industry. Consequently, current "wisdom" among HR executives: "If Blue Cross (Cigna, United, etc.) can't give us what we need, nobody can."
With both sides brainwashed by the middleman, there's no way providers or employers can help mitigate new fears being spread among their respective patients and employees. Both sides need to act courageously to eliminate the managed care middleman and do business directly with each other.
As in health care -- an issue he's championed for years, in the face of considerable Right-wing opposition -- Bob makes the key point of the fundamental debate we face in the nation today: For years the Right has moved the "center" of the country to the Right; it's up to us to reclaim the debate and the national conscience by moving the center back towards the Left -- making the case for progressive reforms completely unabashedly. Only then do we have a chance of succeeding. The people "in the middle" won't follow us unless we demonstrate to all that we genuinely believe in ourselves and what we stand for. They've swallowed too much B.S., mostly from the Right, to take any more.
Be proud to be progressive, as in this health care debate -- with a public option! During summer recess, the well-financed, well-organized Right will be extremely aggressive in their exploitation of people's fears.
We have not succeeded yet, but if we follow Bob's advice -- turning anger and fear to hope and inspiration -- then we can help save the nation, in large part from its own worst instincts -- the stuff the Right most deftly exploits.
It's not about right, left or center.
They all take lobbyist money. Because they do, they are all obstacles to the HEALTH of the American people.
The status quo of all but a few politicians is contrary to what is good for the people.
The people know it.
Too bad the politicians don't.
I had 2, almost, identical surgeries within 8 months of one another. The oldest was privately insured, It cost me $8000. for the surgeons and I am still awaiting the $2500. reimbursement. That was 14 months ago. The second, I had Medicare, the same surgeons, and it cost me nothing.
In my age group, all I know cannot wait to get Medicare, for the superior care and much lower costs.
Insurance has been perverted by greed. As consumers, we expect insurance to pay for non-catastrophies like ordinary check-ups and non-necessary tests. The insurance companies, because of their lobbying efforts, have been allowed to control every aspect of our "care" instead of simply watching over our pool of money and paying for catastrophic events. In other words, greed has perverted insurance both on the corporate end and on the consumer end.
"Health Insurance" as it stands today needs to be outlawed. The system cannot be repaired so it needs to be abolished and rebuilt from higher, more responsible and more humane minds than currently reside in Washington. People need to be educated to enable their own bodies to return to health. That's the best "private" insurance you can get.
But I'm not going to hold my breath. I'm just planning to stay healthy until the day I die, because that's the only course of action available to me thanks to my insurance company and my government representatives.
Oh I forgot, most people, aren't much interested in other peoples problems in the USA, hey that's the American way. American healthcare is a sham.
It can an will be paid for.
I have one very fair source of revenue for this country. Not for health care in particular, but I'm sick and tired of the government letting people deduct money given to churches. It is an unfair loss of public funds for those of us who don't believe. They can contribute all they want too, just not at my expense.
When our President and progressives say 46 million are uninsured then why is that number not broken down so the American people completely understand that 10 million of those are illegal aliens, and 10's of millions are people that don't want insurance but can afford it? Politics of fear right? It's dishonest. Find ways to demonize others so ones ideology can be advanced is what it's about.
Conservatives tend to be independent thinkers and liberals tend to be dependent thinkers, it's proven over and over on this site. Blue dogs get a bum wrap because group think is all that's tolerated. I implore people to use independent analysis, not blogs, not party, not me to reach you conclusions as long as they're conclusions that are based on sound reasoning that takes into account repercussions and precedent.
I dare say most people on this board cannot articulate convincingly why unlimited debt that they espouse is okay, oh they'll say it's not good but turn around and defend every policy that advances debt. Many think that government insurance equates to free, that there's no consequences to increasing the fiscal burdens on our country.
I don't believe our president will sign a bill that doesn't bring health care costs down. We know the current sytsem will bankrupt the country in short order. His plan is to reform the industry to save us from financial ruin.
Unlimited debt was not our idea. Conservatives cheered Bush on when he gave tons of money to the drug industry and to the wealthiest of Americans. He gave no bid contracts to Haliburton and big dollars to war profiteers.
I don't buy your propaganda that the Obama administration is looking to give us unlimited debt. I believe he is looking to transform our economy through health care, energy and education reform.
It is very sad to see conservatives so muddled in their thinking and so influenced by fear. Take a fresh look with a Zen mind.
We can pass legislation to take the best of what other governments are doing. We can definitely improve things.
An interesting point, "I don't believe our president will sign a bill that doesn't bring down costs". Perhaps, but I give that a long shot when good intentions become reality as is always the case when government gets involved, costs always skyrocket, the CBO is already weighing in.
Why do costs always accelerate? Because greed isn't limited to private enterprise, greed is a cancer that infects every niche of society from the most liberal to conservative. The double whammy with government running programs is the bureaucracy and inefficiencies it breeds on top of greed of politicians. At least private enterprise can be watched over if the impetus is put there.
While your basic argument is correct, your breakdown of the uninsured is misleading. Fact: some uninsured can afford health care. Truth: affordability is relative. Every dollar spent displaces another in our list of needs and desires. Unfortunately, health care costs are not a true menu selection. I cannot choose to have health care every month, except for the next two months when I am overwhelmed with bills. Once there is a break in coverage you are open to pre-existing condition clauses. Then there are those who are financially sound enough to self-insure or young enough that health care because, statistically, it is a losing proposition.
Affordability isn't relative, you can either afford it, or not and go in debt. There shouldn't be any excuse for poor management.
1 - Salaries of CEOs juxtaposed with families that were denied specific procedures
2 - Members of Congress with FREE and FULL access to health care plans juxtaposed with the 14,000 families that lose their plans every day.
And keep it simple.
Who is already mobilized to do this? Can I contribute in some way?
Please respond with some direction.
Boh
I have been reduced to poverty and I can't pay my subsidized rent, copays for medicine and food. All this, so health insurance executives can earn millions of dollars.
If a public option existed, this wouldn't have happened to me. Now, I fear private health care. Public health care provides hope to hundreds of thousands like me. Medicare provides better coverage than my private health care plan ever did, with far less paperwork and Medicare IS a public health program.
Too many people are worried about the undeserving individual getting something for nothing and are willing to put up with a system where deserving individuals are left out.
They say it's about money. We can't afford it. I'm sorry. We have no problem securing the fortunes of those who have the greatest influence in government. But the government's job should be to provide for the common good.
Please read about single-payer. It is a plan common around the world because it works so well.
Information here:
http://www.healthcare-now.org/