I seem to recall senators on both sides of the aisle saying that we need health care reform just last year. Both sides were touting competition as the solution to rising costs. In looking at the Democratic platforms of the 08 campaign there was even a plank about health care for Americans which reads as follows and this is an exact cut and paste:
Provide high quality affordable health care
Access to high quality affordable health care is essential for every American.
As a nation, we have the resources to provide this care for all our citizens, as well as for our guests.
We have the knowledge, the skilled professionals, the technology and the funds.
Now all of a sudden any hint of a public option or competition has been nearly ruled out. The first compromise was to eliminate competition by eliminating a public option for all but those 55 to 64 without insurance. And since this bill won't go into effect until some time in 2012 42,000 people will die due to lack of coverage.
If what I've been hearing is accurate then there is no real reform. Your senators have had their pockets lined with gold. The insurance companies have been shoveling money at our senators since last spring when the serious negotiations were started. And what has been the response of the republicans? Aside from dumping massive amounts of ammendments (and they wonder why the bill is so lengthy) they have attempted to fillibuster any attempts to get this legislation to the floor for a vote. They'd like nothing better than to stop the entire process and start over again. Well to them I say tell that to the patient with treatable cancer who's just had his coverage canceled because the insurance company and the hospital can't agree on reimbersments. Tell that to the guy who's been layed off and been without coverage for over a year.
Now the states are running short on funds and having to cut those at the bottom. I hear the SCHIP program may have to be cut because there isn't enough money. This was a program that was just expanded in February . People are being told to take their kids to the emergency room. Where's the logic in that? Now instead of a $100 doctor visit that could easliy been spread out among many will turn into a $500+ visit and tie up doctors and nurses who should be doing emergency work. The stupidity just overwhelms me. Does penny wise and pound foolish come to mind?
What's the real solution? I'd say a 3 to 4% national sales tax on all items except food with a sliding scale copay based on income would be more than enough to cover everyone. By spreading the risk or costs it would cost much less. Health care shouldn't be a privledge but a right of all Americans. We seem to have the funds to kill people, why can't we find the funds to save lives?
15 comments:
And this watered down for amusement purposes only HealthCare bill proves the old adage that Legisltors don't like legislating, they just like looking like they do. As useless a bunch of leaders as I have seen in my lifetime.
The capitalists want to keep controlling health care so this problem will continue. Even Wall Street wants to make a big profit off of health care.
As I've said before, the only fair plan for us is the same plan they have, that the rest of us have to pay for.
I think you're tax figure is a little high, take greed out of the equation and a one cent tax would likely pay for it all.
I'll remove your gall bladder if you'll fix my hernia, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
I'm sorry, but we just can't rush something so important. We'll try again when Captain Kirk is on the prowl for green-skinned babes.
I was going by some Canadian figures. They have a 5% rate but that pays for health care and education.
It's expensive to save those green skinned babies. Might take more than a penny.
"Couldn't see that photo you sent because I don't do Windoze. try a jpg file instead."
It wasn't a photo but a cute little animated xmas thing. Your computer security rejected it cuz it's an executable file.
I could change the extension of the file and you would get it but you would have to change the file back to xmas.exe to view it.
It's no big deal, you'll live without it.
They sure want to save a lot of things that don't need to be saved, things that are going to die anyway.
I just want Congress to pass this watered down pathetic health care "reform" bill and get it done.
It's a start. Maybe Obama and the Democrats have finally learned (probably not though) that endless debate and bickering isn't gonna get things done. After things have cooled off a little, just insert a public option or single payer amendment into a defense spending bill. Mission accomplished.
Being as in theory we help pay for our school systems with gambling why not gamble on it also supporting a health care system, ha ha ha ha ha ha
The insurance companies are going to be the big winners as there will be no competition. Of late thanks to MSNBC we have been seeing health clinics for the uninsured cropping up with donated money. Once again the people have to come to the rescue because the party's only care about themselves.
There is a pretty good free clinic here, has been for years. But they don't do surgery's and such.
Well said, Demeur. We need revolutionary change, not incremental, baby-step, highly compromised crapola, which is all we're getting now.
The basis of health care in America is that it's a business. That's wrong, because what people need and want is for health care to be a service based on patient needs, not provider profitmaking.
This is why we need a clean, drastic break with what's gone before, right at the very basis of what we do and how we do it.
A few more representatives like Dennis Kucinich and a lot more senators like Bernie Sanders, and we can make that drastic break.
Otherwise, it's all crapola, all the time.
Well said, Demeur. We need revolutionary change, not incremental, baby-step, highly compromised crapola, which is all we're getting now.
You have the bombs for that? I don't.
Thought I'd pop down to WalMart and pick up a couple of fully armed F15 s. What do you think? Got a few million in your sock drawer to chip in?
BBC, Demeur, in our country it doesn't take bombs, although sometimes it might seem that's the only way. It does take determination, money and votes — lots of all tree.
Great blog all the best
Post a Comment