On Tuesday we told you about our open letter to the U.S. Senate, supporting an up or down vote for the public option. The response to our effort has been overwhelming: Over 16,000 people have already signed on to our letter at UpOrDownForReform.com.
When we elected Barack Obama on November 4, 2008, Colorado became a symbol of a fundamental change across America. On that day, we resolved to end the era of politics-as-usual, and instead work together to implement solutions that bring hope and opportunity to the American people.
A fundamental component of this change was our resolve to enact meaningful reform that gives all Americans access to quality, affordable health care.
We can't afford to move backward and allow special interests to trump the interests of the American people. That's why we urge all those who support meaningful reform to sign our open letter at UpOrDownForReform.com urging the Senate not to filibuster the public option.
Colorado's always been a forward-thinking state. We were the first state to enact a Renewable Energy Standard. And with an unemployment rate three points lower than the national average, we're proving innovative in our approach to ensuring opportunity for Coloradans.
Time and time again, we've set an example for Washington, D.C. to follow. But our fight in the Senate to pass meaningful reform over the next few weeks won't be easy. That's why we hope to present the Senate with 25,000 signatures on our open letter at UpOrDownForReform.com, to send a message to the Senate that Colorado voices matter -- and affirm that the change Colorado helped bring to our country is real and lasting.
Follow Gov. Bill Ritter on Twitter: www.twitter.com/RitterForCO
Follow Sen. Michael Bennet on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BennetForCO
Follow Sen. Mark Udall on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MarkUdall
Sen. Michael Bennet: The Politics of "Yes"
When it comes to finally doing something about the millions of people in this country who live just one medical emergency away from financial ruin, "no" is not a serious response.
The problem is malpractice fear in the medical world which is not an issue in all the other countries mentioned, that is defensive medicine is expensive. Also, people do not take responsibility for their own health-- if there were no drug addicts, people ate well and did not become obese/diabetic, did not smoke, did not have alcohol problems, exercised and had other practices and lifestyle which made for a healthier environment that would help. If we open health care as a free for all, it will not reward good behavior, will frustrate the most productive who do not have time to wait in long lines, and will not be effective. I am in an industry where competition has controlled price and quality, this is necessary and the opposite of government run health care. Maybe the government should run the airlines, the grocery stores, and everything else? "http://www.dishler.com
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thristy and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit..Real Christians try to to treat others as they want to be treated, for them salvation means to tolerate differences, and to strive to achieve well being for all....
What would teabaggers jesus do..
Walk past sick people
Make fun of lepers..
Laugh at crying moms.
Complain about illegals.
Replace Sermon on Mount with looking out for number one.
Demand big bonus from poor people who follow him.......
Colorado being an example for Washington to follow? Really.
I am a big fan of the West, lived most of my life out West, but Colorado as a whole still has a long way to go.
Denver may have scene changed to a certain degree but having visited the state twice since August, not sure if I wd. consider it an example. Stretches of low incomes, poverty all over. Miles of trac homes and clusters of box outlet stores.
Washington State wold be a better example of a Western State that Washington to look at as an example.
Colorado is making ground but for a very long time it has been scarlet red.
I signed the petition, gladly.
Keep up the good work, and lead the way, Colorado!
The people of Colorado (not the legislature) changed their Constitution to legalize medical marijuana. The people (not necessarily the politicians) of Colorado are enlightened.
The public option under HR 3200 is an insurance policy that must be bought just like all other insurance. It receives NO taxpayer subsidies other than the initial startup costs.
It must be self-supporting through premiums. It must maintain a contingency fund to ensure it remains solvent. A contingency fund can also be called profit since it does not go towards paying for anything unless the premiums fall short. In which case, the premiums will be increased and the contingency fund increased in anticipation of the next shortfall.
It will have TWO levels of bureaucracy, the private insurance companies that administer it and the gov't bureaucrats who oversee the private insurance companies administering it.
It is NOT available to anyone who currently has insurance or whose employer offers insurance, regardless how expensive or lame.
There is no way it will be significantly cheaper than private insurance given the likelihood those who can use it will have extremely expensive health care needs that will be paid for through the premiums charged.
The public option is a red herring issue that offers nothing of value in regards to health care reform. It reforms nothing and is just another insurance policy that must be bought, same as any other insurance policy.
The ''public option" is not simply another insurance, akin to existent insurers------it is an insurance fund available to all who will not have the means to purchase medical insurance from private insurers, thus it is a way of providing universal coverage to all Americans, but it is also an insurance NOT predicated on profiteering from the ill.
Medical insurance currently is profit-based: the only way the profits are assured is if medical coverages are NOT provided through exclusionary clauses and ambiguously worded coverages. The profits increase in direct correlation to the coverages not provided. the actual number of uninsured Americans, if under-insured is added to the computation, is probably 150 million.
The Public Option is actually the first step to a singlepayer system, which is what every other industrialized capitalistic nation has in one form or another. It is a way of creating healthcare assurance for every American, regardless of employment, age, gender, genetics, geography, or wealth. And by not being profit-based, it will eventually replace most for-profit insurances, but still allow people to purchase them if they desire.
It is long overdue.
The practical efffect is that if you have a car accident, heart attack, bowel cancer - you are swept into hospital, treated and discharged without anyone looking at your credit card or bank details. If you want to pay for a particular surgeon to do your hernia or heart bypass - you can. We agree that the government can screw it up - but we throw them out if they do - as we will do with this lot.
May I also urge you to support Senator Harkins (D-Iowa) initiatives on prevention and wellness. Dept HHS now has hypothecated funds for this work - it is the real way out of this health care problem. Simple adjustments to diet, bowel habit, exercise, posture, gait and childbirth will prevent injuries to autonomic nerves (nerves to your vital organs) and prevent many chronic diseases.