The Daily Background
| What went wrong on health care reform?
by Arlen Parsa
So, Obama is reportedly likely to call a joint session of Congress next week so he can deliver a prime time address to both the House and the Senate on the importance of health care reform. That’s a good thing.
But as much as it pains me to say this, to anybody who’s been playing the slightest bit of attention recently, it seems that the White House has been largely at a loss for to deal with conservative criticism of the party’s health care proposals. This conventional wisdom isn’t just in the media echochamber, it’s true– they’ve been really struggling.
It’s not just the White House though, that goes for Congressional Dems as well. Two weeks ago, it seemed like they were nervous about passing a bill without GOP support. One week ago they seemed to nod towards a public option-bearing plan relying on Democratic votes only. Now, according to some reports, Obama won’t advocate directly for a public option in his upcoming address.
This, on the same day that House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer was quoted as saying, “If the question is do I plan to vote for a public option with or without Republican support, the answer is yes.” (A scant a week and a half ago he was saying a public option may be no longer viable.)
I suppose it comes as no surprise that some in the White House reportedly have no idea what Obama will say to Congress and the public a week from now in his primetime address. Here’s to hoping they’ll figure it out and pronto (and preferably with a public option, damn it).
NO CO-OP’S! A Little History Lesson
Young People. America needs your help.
More than two thirds of the American people want a single payer health care system. And if they cant have a single payer system 77% of all Americans want a strong government-run public option on day one (86% of democrats, 75% of independents, and 72% of republicans). Basically everyone.
According to a new AARP POLL: 86 percent of seniors want universal healthcare security for All, including 93% of Democrats, 87% of Independents, and 78% of Republicans. And 79% of seniors support creating a new strong Government-run public option plan, available immediately. Including 89% of Democrats, 80% of Independents, and 61% of Republicans, STUNNING!! Senator Max Baucus, You better come out of committee with a strong government-run public option available on day one.
The History:
Our last great economic catastrophe was called the Great Depression. Then as now it was caused by a reckless, and corrupt Republican administration and republican congress. FDR a Democrat, was then elected to save the nation and the American people from the unbridled GREED and profiteering, of the unregulated predatory self-interest of the banking industry and Wallstreet. Just like now.
FDR proposed a Government-run health insurance plan to go with Social Security. To assure all Americans high quality, easily accessible, affordable, National Healthcare security. Regardless of where you lived, worked, or your ability to pay. But the AMA riled against it. Using all manor of scare tactics, like Calling it SOCIALIZED MEDICINE!! :-0
So FDR established thousands of co-op’s around the country in rural America. And all of them failed. The biggest of these co-op organizations would become the grandfather of the predatory monster that all of you know today as the DISGRACEFUL GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT health insurance industry. And the DISGRACEFUL GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT healthcare industry.
This former co-op would grow so powerful that it would corrupt every aspect of healthcare delivery in America. Even corrupting the Government of the United States.
This former co-op’s name is BLUE CROSS/BLUE SHIELD.
Do you see now why even the suggestion of co-op’s is ridiculous. It makes me so ANGRY! Co-op’s are not a substitute for a government-run public option.
They are trying to pull the wool over our eye’s again. Senators, if you don’t have the votes now, GET THEM! Or turn them over to us. WE WILL! DEAL WITH THEM. Why do you think we gave your party Control of the House, Control of the Senate, Control of the Whitehouse. The only option on the table that has any chance of fixing our healthcare crisis is a STRONG GOVERNMENT-RUN PUBLIC OPTION.
An insurance mandate and subsidies without a strong government-run public option choice available on day one, would be worse than the healthcare catastrophe we have now. The insurance, and healthcare industry have been very successful at exploiting the good hearts of the American people. But Congress and the president must not let that happen this time. House Progressives and members of the Tri-caucus must continue to hold firm on their demand for a strong Government-run public option.
A healthcare reform bill with mandates and subsidies but without a STRONG government-run public option choice on day one, would be much worse than NO healthcare reform at all. So you must be strong and KILL IT! if you have too. And let the chips fall where they may. You can do insurance reform without mandates, subsidies, or taxpayer expense.
Actually, no tax payer funds should be use to subsidize any private for profit insurance plans. So, NO TAX PAYER SUBSIDIES TO PRIVATE FOR PROFIT PLANS. Tax payer funds should only be used to subsidize the public plans. Healthcare reform should be 100% for the American people. Not another taxpayer bailout of the private for profit insurance industry, disguised as healthcare reform for the people.
God Bless You
Jacksmith — Working Class
Twitter search #welovetheNHS #NHS Check it out
(http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/why-markets-cant-cure-healthcare/)
Senator Bernie Sanders on healthcare (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSM8t_cLZgk&feature=player_embedded)
American HEROES!!
Click replay to play http://bit.ly/j31oU
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbWw23XwO5o) CYBER WARRIORS!! - TAKE THIS VIRAL
Arlen,
From a Fiscally conservative, socially getting more liberal point of view…
I believe that the American people do not want something jammed down their throat. Obama isn’t willing to go out on a limb and really commit himself. He’s saying it’s not his plan, but he keeps pushing it. He wants a public option but isn’t willing to unequivocally say it. Americans desperately want a leader. I think what they are seeing is a pollster playing politics.
There are many ideas in the proposals that I will wholeheartedly support: no pre-existing conditions, no lifetime max, no dropping of sick members. Those three are no-brainers. Why don’t they just do those?
If you can’t tell, I didn’t vote for him, but I will support him when he deserves my support.
Randy
I think you’re almost certainly right when you say that he wants a public option but probably isn’t willing to say it.
And that’s part of the problem.
Americans don’t trust him when he’s not honest and forthcoming.
Do you trust him about this?
Randy
[…] I wrote a post called What went wrong on health reform?. Here’s one possible […]
The American health care system can only improve with reform. American life expectancy is ranked 42nd in the world. But American life expectancy for older Americans over 65 is very good and is ranked 9th in the world. It seems that the government is doing a good job running medicare and taking care of older Americans. On the other hand, the American health care system seems to be failing the younger population, particularly infants, whose life expectancy is among the worst of the industrial democracies. The public option can only improve the American life expectancy.