Being disabled,I also qualify for SSI, Medicare & Medicaid based on a yearly income of $7,104. Yes, I 'survive' on $592. income per month! I'm a cancer patient, 54 years old & still have my youngest son at home, dependant, while he is struggling, financially, to get through college. Barely able to keep up with medical appointments, my teeth are paying the price from lack of care. This morning, tooth #3 broke off while I was struggling to eat my breakfast. Being ill, I have already lost 25 lbs., I'm now down to 110 on a good day. (I'm 5'6" tall.) With the dental issues, it is a struggle to eat anything that isn't 'soft.' Now, my mouth is hurting, I reach out to find help, anywhere that I can. The local Health Department! Yes! We do have a dental clinic ~ we only charge $50. for each extraction & $100. if they have to be surgically removed &, of course, that HAS to be paid when you come in to have the work done. O.K., $300. just to have these 3 broken teeth removed. WHERE am I supposed to come up with that?? My income is only $592. & I DO have bills to pay. Then again, IF I did manage to be able to have them removed, I would then be, Toothless. Meaning, having NO teeth to eat with. Yeah, I know, that's where false teeth come in at. IF I don't have the money to have them removed, I certainly don't have the money to replace them. And, guess what? Medicaid nor Medicare will cover ANY dental bills! Why do you think my teeth are as bad as they are?? What the heck am I supposed to do?
What the heck am I supposed to do??
After 40 years spent working, I developed serious medical problems. Because I put money into the social security system, I receive $1400 a month to live on from them, stripped down to $1308 to pay for medicare and medication. My cost of living I've managed to get down to $950 a month by cutting out everything but rent, phone, unilities and transportation. $684 gets spent on medical expenses and medication not covered by Medicare. Until now, the extra $326 has been coming out of savings but savings is almost gone.
Next month that $684 figure will jump to $1,238.00 because medication is only paid for up to a certain dollar amount.
I just read this in the New York Times online, in a article titled, "Take Public Option 'Off the Table,' Snowe Says":
Max Baucus, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has said in recent interviews that he cannot get the committee to support a government-run health plan. Instead, he said, the committee is coalescing around a bill that would expand Medicaid coverage to several income brackets above the poverty level and require all American[s] to be insured through private plans or through the existing public plans of Medicare and Medicaid. Subsidies would be provided for those who could not afford medical insurance.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/health/policy/14talkshows.html?th&emc=th
Unfortunately, the polls continue to show that public support for a new public option has been severely eroded ...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/13/AR2009091302962.html
... after the "full frontal assault" by mobs incited in large part by the insurance industry fearing a nonprofit competitor. So this proposal to use the existing public insurance plans of Medicare and Medicaid to "fill the gaps" of coverage at first sounds intriguing. But there are several important requirements, in order to make that compromise do what a new public option would, in terms of controlling costs as well as filling gaps. Among those considerations, not stated by anyone in that article above, are the following.
Why not expand the Medicaid roles to include all Americans, not just the indigent?
Americans with incomes above the current qualifying levels would "pay in" to a Medicaid option on a pro-rated basis.
This would unlink health insurance from employment, helping businesses regain their competitive status in the world economy, and reduce the incentives for outsourcing of American jobs overseas.
It would ensure competition with private insurers and thereby reduce rates for those who remain in the private plans.
And with Medicaid, there is no such thing as a "pre-existing condition" or being under-insured.
There would also be competition in pharmaceutical pricing, with such a large pool of consumers.
Utilizing Medicaid for the Public Option would eliminate many of the fears of those enrolled in Medicare that the Administration is plotting to take their benefits away from them.
The infrastructure is already in place, which solves problems of accesibility.
So far, the Senate Finance Committee's plan does nothing but bailout the Health Insurance Industry by mandating that young and healthy consumers purchase their faulty product.
Another trillion dollar bailout of billions-of-dollars-in-profits corporations?
No thanks. There has to be accessibility, competition and simplicity, as well as cost reduction.
On this Labor Day morning I sent this feedback through whitehouse.gov:
I campaigned for you, like many others. We elected you and majorities of Democrats bigger than Newt Gingrich ever saw to get the job done: end the war, close gitmo, end warrantless wiretapping, implement universal health care, and the other things you said you would do.I'm sure it's hard once you get there, but gitmo is still open and there's a lot of talk that you're thinking of abandoning the public option on health care. A public option is already a compromise. The real solution, as you yourself once said, is single-payer. Medicare for everyone!You can't please everyone. You really can't please Republicans in Congress, because they're not bargaining in good faith: their only goal is to defeat you by defeating health care and anything else you propose. Trying to do it in a bipartisan way was laudable. It didn't work. You held out your hand and they bit it. Time to get the job done.FDR didn't pass the New Deal by asking Republicans to approve every detail. He accepted opposition and actively campaigned to defeat it and to defeat those Congress members in the next election. His biographer Jean Edward Smith said recently:“This fixation on securing bipartisan support for healthcare reform suggests that the Democratic Party has forgotten how to govern and the White House has forgotten how to lead.”LBJ didn't pass Medicare by giving away the store to the Republicans. He said what he wanted and he twisted arms until he got it. If your Blue Dogs are standing in your way tell them to get in line if they want your support for their next bill or at the next election.You're losing us, your progressive base. We are the great majority of people in this country who want real health care reform, not some compromise with the profit-gouging insurers. Nobody else should have to die so a CEO can get a bonus.It's time to lead, Mr. President. It's time for you and the Democrats in Congress to do the job you said you would do; the job we elected you to do.
I am tired of hearing how you cannot fight City Hall. In today’s shrinking world, getting people actively involved is simple – broadcast your message so they become a well-informed electorate. In every election people make the choice whether to allow the Special Interests to buy our freedoms by choosing to vote or not. The Special Interests depend on you, the American citizen, to sit in front of the TV and not become involved. Change takes involvement. Change takes a commitment. Change needs you to say, “No longer will we tolerate our elected employees to be bought by the Special Interests.”
Take the UNVOTE Pledge
In 8 months, President Obama has accomplished more for our country than has been done in the past 50 years! There is much debate regarding the proposed health care plan. There may be issues resulting from lobbyists and Republicans fighting the proposal, but based on the history of the economy in the past 8 months, I have seen the property values increasing; I have seen gas prices lowering; I have seen groceries becoming more affordable; I have seen people finding jobs; and I have heard less about home foreclosures. So, based on this past 8 month history showing improvement we have not seen in the past 8 years, I believe the Obama health care plan will work. The issue is not the plan, but whether or not people will give the plan an opportunity to work. There are so many lies regarding the health care plan, that people are confused and fear tactics are working. But given the fact that I am now in a better financial situation than I was in January 2009, I am willing to give the plan an opportunity to work before I shoot it out of the water.
Americans are used to fast food service. We expect to snap our fingers and have results, rather than giving time an opportunity to prove results. We have waited for 8 years to see change. Now, Americans are stating our President is a failure because there was no immediate change 24 hours within his taking office. Friends, we cannot expect over night results. It has taken 8 years to create this financial disaster we are currently in, and it has taken much longer to create the problems we are currently facing in the field of health care. Give the man a chance to let his plan work! Stop snapping your fingers and expecting over night results. The problems didn't occur over night, and they won't go away over night.
I personally believe our President has not led us down a path to destruction, and I continue to support him. If you want real change, then give him the opportunity to make that change. There are a lot of entities, including media, who are bashing his efforts, and claiming failure, when he has only begun to make the changes he has promised. Change takes time. We allowed our former President 8 years to make changes, and no efforts were made to accomplish change. President Obama has been making every effort to effect the change we need, while some Americans are becoming impatient. They do not understand the opposition he is facing. They are also not helping to implement change by switching horses in midstream. Winning means you put your shoulder to that grindstone and push, no matter how hard it is! Change will not come over night. But don't give up. We have a President who WILL make those changes happen, if we all continue to support him. Stop listening to the media, and go to the Washington website and read what is being done to benefit YOU!. The media are about one agenda; becoming popular so they can get a bigger pay raise, so they expound on the negative to be on the top of the list for "breaking news." The media is biased. They all have an agenda to promote self. If you want facts, go to the source of the facts, and stop listening to biased media coverage. Stop going to websites that are bogus, filled with lies, inuendo, fear tactics, and confusion. Go to the source and read for yourself the facts as proposed by our President. http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/health_care/
President Obama, I support you! I back you 100%!!! I am patiently waiting. Health care is a vital issue with me, because I am a disabled widow. I am not senile, I am not ignorant, and I am educated. I know that over my lifetime, I have seen more effort made on my behalf since President Obama has been in office, than in the past 50 years, and that speaks volumes to me!
Give our President time. He didn't win the election without fighting his way to the top. He needed our support then, and he needs it now! Don't bail in the middle of the war. We still have a hill to overtake. That hill is the opposition to the health care plan. The health care plan is not a drive through window at McDonalds. It's a full course meal, which takes time to prepare. Instead of complaining that the table is not set, get in the kitchen and go to work to help fix the meal. Continue your support for our President.
I am writing this somewhat wordy but pragmatic letter and hope it gets in the hands of someone who can make a clear evaluation and find it helpful or at the least noted as to one perspective to the current Health Care Debacle taking place and under careful consideration, could actually prove very beneficial and part of the future solution. I feel the Democrats are out to make a clear change for the good of the country and the Obama Administration is shaping up to be the best Administration I believe I have seen in my lifetime; however is having a clearly difficult struggle battling the concerns over healthcare. I voted for Obama and even made a contribution to the campaign which was the first time in my life to do so because I believe in his overall vision for the country. Currently I live in Tokyo, Japan, and am exposed to a very different healthcare system as well as have many friends from other developed nations who have socialized medicine, i.e. England, Canada, Australia, etc. I have had various debates and have a good understanding of these systems from the standpoint of their basic citizens and the rights thereof from these systems. Of all the countries, Japan has the most hybrid system between socialized medicine and our current system; however would not be a good political strategy to mention as a talking point. Actually these ideas should be applied as original ideas from the Obama administration to the public and will close this healthcare debate once and for all.
To get directly to my point, I feel the Democrats are doing what they always do, bring a good idea to the table (bring the right idea to the table) but back down based on pole numbers and a clearly, historically based fact, of not managing the emotions of the populous. With that being said, I feel many of Americas fears are superficial in nature and may not address a simple premise of government spending, influence and size. I pose the question, “if you add something, you take something away”, such as adding a public option and taking away the obviously broken, inefficient and burdensome Medicare system. This would have an overwhelmingly favorable impact on republicans and the right compromise with democrats and the masses of people who are looking for that right tax cut would be dancing in the streets. I understand we will be cutting a huge tax generator for the government but we will also cut off and stop the hemorrhaging of a government appendage that is infecting everyone as a whole. It is possible to subsidize those in the current system with the public option, under some “special program” and the democratic party has 3 years to win the Medicare constituency over, plus everyone will be satisfied to know they are not contributing to a possible other welfare system and the welfare system of others, and everyone can take care of themselves. The revenue generated in the public option should closely account for the loss of cutting the program, especially if there is a system where it is an availability for every small business, and for those who may not necessarily be able to purchase the public option program all the time can still fall under a special subsidization program under the public option program but maybe with premium adjustments in time. There could be grandfather clauses to alleviate the “the government is trying to pull the plug on granny“ debate. In order to offset the loss in tax revenue, include a tax incentive for those who have proof of insurance for the tax year and be adjusted accordingly if that is a concern with a favorable adjustment for those who do and an unfavorable adjustment for those who don’t; however if it is going broke it may be best just to cut the losses on it. The IRS has the people and infrastructure and can also be included in the debate to validate proof of insurance. That last point is a little complicated to wrap your head around but could make huge in rows in appealing to those who don’t like any of the current systems, who don’t like picking up the tab from one average American to another and don’t see a clear solution. I feel confident that in 3 years the Administration can satisfy its Medicare constituency and its proponents and this type of drastic change will, and I emphasize WILL, have a huge favorable reaction with the American populous as a whole.
As an additional selling point, Americans should be able to “double down” on their health insurance and drastic changes need to be set in motion as to insurance regulation reform. This is a version of the Clinton play book in areas such as telecom, etc; which WILL be good for the health insurance industry, and everyone as a whole and would probably have them off the governments back for a while because they will be too busy creating/selling and purchasing new products and helping to “stimulate the economy” in many many ways. This is not a non-manageable endeavor, just a little unorthodox. That is one good point about Japan’s current healthcare system, to include insurance products such as hospitalization and rehabilitation remuneration, double coverage, etc. People, in general, like to know they can get something back when paying so much into a system that does just that and actually make some money in the event of such a challenging time in their life and this adds a great since of security and satisfaction in those moments. By the way, this is a homerun idea that will leave a lasting hurt on the republican party and brand because everyone benefits as a whole but carries some of their self-reliance and capitalistic ideals. To add to this point and to expound on the “pre-existing” condition problem of the current system, legislation should also include a wide range of other procedures that are deemed not a necessity and allow coverage of these programs at a price to include allowing the private sector to compete for these dollars and to compensate for the losses they will be incurring with having to cover pre-existing conditions. This could even include aesthetic procedures with a regulatory consultation practice. Deregulating that industry but with the right quality of care in the minds of everyone involved is good for everyone. Personally, I don’t like the whole system but these are the right decisions for everyone as a whole.
I don’t quite agree with this but also monetary penalties could be put in place and deemed necessary by the doctor in the advent of non-life threatening problems clogging the emergency room system. A doctor is qualified to make that decision and should, which would help all commercial entities in the system and help the system as a whole in this day and age in curbing the mass influx of those who use the system. On another point with that debate, people have to work and can’t afford to lose a day’s work when their child has the flu and they sacrifice their sleep and wellness in order to go to work the next day but ensure their child is seen, diagnosed and put on the right treatment regimen. With that being said, maybe a system that rewards afterhours care facilities should be looked at such as a tiered payment system by the industry to the facilitators that addresses this.
I have a few other points to add about this and I don’t want to sound like I’m pulling only the positive points of other systems without recognizing the negative points, yet being that so many systems have been in place and for such a long period of time, I think we can get it right and my points could aid it.
A clear plan needs to be outlined with someone reading charts and tables, pros and cons, and an informative debate needs to be made with a clear vision. There is enough time to regroup and get this done this year and not to be rushed and to have people put in the corner on the issue without all the CLEAR facts. Open debates should be held with the public having easy access to make informed decisions and people should be thinking outside the box such as this letter. I have read the top 5 myths about the new reform and the stats on people polled regarding this debate. I would like to make a statement to the Democratic party as a whole that I am ashamed to see that they cannot debunk the death panel debate and strategically, they should look at and put resources into how to overcome this and future situations such as this. I’m sure they can get a good team of psychiatrists and marketing gurus to look at how their messages get drowned out by basic human emotions of fear and distrust. To add, the immigrant debate is a valid one but no one seems to be showing that who pays into the system only helps support the system in revenue, etc. and should get treatment accordingly. We can look at the Denver Olympics at those facts and it would actually be good for the system for allowing as many of those who can pay into it, do so; to include people with student visas and short term visas, etc. The new program should be run like a private system alleviating people’s fears of the government keeping tabs on them and regulating what they have and don’t have and maybe compare it to the postal system or collegiate education system.
In conclusion, thank you for taking the time to read this and would personally like to see how these above mentioned points would not work. I have solutions for some of the other internal problems plaguing the system but can’t remember them all at the time I’m writing this; however many of the new options are definitely headed in the right direction. I just felt compelled to offer my “.10¢” after seeing the reform offered getting slaughtered by the American public in the news and it seems more people are buying into the stats shown to them, therefore buying into some of the current falsehoods. By the way, if the right person reads this and finds it beneficial and would like to ask my opinion on other problems facing the system, please feel free to do so or debunk my points.
This is not what a "civil" debate should be because dissenting voices supporting change have been ignored. Mr. Lungren steadfastly pledged to slow down any reform calling for “targeted” changes and spent his time telling mistruths. He said insurance bureaucrats hindered the ability of his physician father to treat patients but did not propose a solution. Aren't elected officials supposed to listen, clarify what is being done in Washington, and "represent" all constituents? As our elected official, Lungren has failed to bring back the accurate facts and information from Washington to share with all his constituents. He did very little to tamp down the outrageous statements made in the Town Halls. He should be countering them with the facts based on proposed legislation.
I need to air some of Lungren's Lies:
1) The "public option" is a government take-over of health insurance and will increase the debt.
2) Tax-paid abortions will be part of the proposed "public option".
3) The "Obama Plan" will place a bureaucrat between you and your doctor.
4) Medicare Advantage Plans will be abolished and seniors will have to pay more.
5) The proposed commissions, will ration care.
My reading of the Kaiser Family Foundation Side-By-Side including H.R. 3200:
1) The "public option" will increase choice and will have to compete with private plans. In addition the President pledged the program must pay for itself. From the White House web site: “Jared Bernstein, Chief Economist for the Vice President and Executive Director of the Middle Class Task Force, debunks the myth that we can’t afford health insurance reform. To the contrary, not only has the President demanded that reform not add to the deficit in the short term, but reform is the only way to get skyrocketing health care costs under control that will be devastating for families, businesses, and for government deficits in the long term under the status quo”.;
2) The Hyde Amendment limits tax-funded abortions to rape, incest or life of the mother. An August 7, 2009 E&C Committee amendment will: “prohibit abortion as part of the essential benefits package and require segregation of public subsidy funds from private premium payments for plans that choose to cover abortion services beyond Hyde.” Private plans are the only ones able to provide abortions under any circumstances to those who can pay. Abortion should NOT be a public issue. Dictating how people live is NOT a proper use of the law.;
3) Insurance bureaucrats for those with health insurance, and government bureaucrats for those with Medicare and Medicaid are currently between you and your doctor. There is nothing in H.R. 3200 about authorization practices. However, related the proposals would improve preventive medicine, error reporting and data collection, increased payments for primary care providers in Medicare and bonus payments for serving in health professional shortage areas, promotion of "evidence-based" medical practice, increase investments for training of doctors and nurses, and other changes to improve overall wellness.;
4) Payments to Medicare Advantage plans are to be restructured, not abolished, with bonus payments for quality. Drug manufacturers are to be required to give drug rebates for dual eligibles enrolled in Part D, a cost reduction;
5) The comparative outcomes, effectiveness, and appropriateness research center (CER) findings cannot be used to deny or ration care or be used to make coverage decisions in Medicare.
When America is compared to the rest of the world, especially the developed world, in the delivery of healthcare, America has to be reasonably viewed as a land of shame.
I take some comfort from the wisdom of Winston Churchill, who said of America, that
"Americans always get it right, once they've tried everything else!!"
We will eventually get it right in healthcare. Trouble is now, the longer we delay from accepting the ultimate inevitability of a rational single payer system, the more of us will have to unnecessarily die, while most of the rest of us continue to suffer inordinately, so that the small number of us who are perfectly contented continue to enjoy these last remaining years (or, hopefully, hours) of blissfully dysfunctional wealth and happiness at the expense of all the others. (Perhaps we need to help the thought leaders in the system, including Dr. Himmelstein, to shine an increasingly bright light on the handful of insurers, pharaceutical company execs and a few of the more lavishly and royally paid (think Prince of Brunei) who have invested heavily in buying influence in Congress -- including Max Baucus (and most of the other politicians responsible for acting on healthcare) - to retain as much as possible of the current system, or possibly delay the change long enough so that they may retire before they suffer the indignity of joining with the rest of us in a universally fair system which provides a reasonable and decent level of care to all at a fraction of the cost of the current system.
We should include in this list of disingenuous or unscrupulous actors in this sordid affair the likes of Richard Scott - former indicted head of the justifiably maligned Health Corporation of America -- whose "profit at any price" contributed to the meteoric growth of case management/claims denial and who was ousted in disgrace, only to emerge "reformed" and much richer in continuing to promote private healthcare, which greatly benefits the execs, shareholders and the tope 1% of the population -- as it should!! As "Deep Throat" said in Watergate, "FOLLOW THE MONEY!!!"
One massive unmentioned cost component which accounts for as much of 20% of current Medicare spending is the fact that the Medicare population consist of and is continually fed by people who had heretofore been suffering under the prevailing broken healthcare system which consists of large populations of:
1) Uninsured
2) Underinsured
3) People with deductible plans and co-pays who have often deferred or totally avoided care for financial reasons
4) Virtual absence of wellness care, and absolutely no incentives in "insured" population to encourage wellness and healthy life styles.
In other words, Medicare is capturing and serving a large mass of much sicker people than would be the case in a single-payer universal health plan,
We need to impress upon the Obama administration and the Congress that now is the time to achieve the inevitable single payer system, which also offers the only way to “pay” for universal healthcare without imposing net additional costs. Only with the single payer can we eliminate the 30% (or higher) cost in the current dysfunctional system which is devoted to: 1-administration of excessively complicated reimbursement in a system whose first question is always “What is your form of payment?” instead of “What is wrong with you [the patient]?/How can we best treat you?” 2-insurance company case management/denial systems 3-massive and unnecessary (under single payer) billing and collections systems All approaches currently contemplated in Congress are certain to fail for several reasons: 1) They all retain and are implicitly built upon the current private insurance for-profit system; 2) They all look for “savings” and “financing” by further squeezing and starving the hospitals, physicians and other providers; 3) they all continue to accept the status quo favored status to protect excessive profits for prescription drug producers.
We need to shine a light on the Congress and Administration and force them to reject their healthcare insurance and pharmacology industry benefactors who are perpetuating the ongoing $2 trillion dollar swindle of the American people. We must persuade them to demonstrate that they are not lackeys of the industry that perpetuates a situation which supports the continued deaths of tens of thousands of Americans whose necessary health care is delayed or denied, in order to support lavish salaries and bonuses. We must end the untenable situation of allowing the benefit of the few at the cost and suffering of the many. The fictional phrase that “Single payer is a non-starter” must be exposed. For those who thought is was impossible to elect a black president, we now all know and should acknowledge and embrace the fact that nothing is impossible. Fixing the healthcare system will dramatically improve America’s competitiveness and help every enterprise in America because we will no longer fight over the dominant component in benefits packages, whose costs have skyrocketed over the past 20 years.
By simply extending Medicare in a system that will cover all Americans under age 65, we will eliminate 30-35% of the waste in the current system, which will itself be able to readily finance the entire system. Remember, we currently pay much more per capita for healthcare than any other “developed” country, and that for a system which knowingly unnecessarily kills tens of thousands per year, leaves 1/6 of the population totally uninsured, 1/3 to 1/2 underinsured, and “insurance” which for most who even have it can go away at any time when you actually get sick. ALl of this is for a "system" with significantly poorer outcomes than dozens of other systems in countries with superior healthcare at less than half the per capita cost in the USA. Under these facts, for anyone in or out of Congress to claim that we cannot provide universal healthcare under a single payer is no longer acceptable or tenable. And the political climate for change has never been better. We need to persuade President Obama and Congress to do the right thing for universal healthcare which will mean a healthier and more competitive America.
However we "reform" healthcare by insurance exchange, cap of self-insured costs to reduce medically-induced bankruptcies and offering a "public" option, we will still be retaining massive avoidable cost (and waste) sucked out of the system in the form of the same compllicated and expensive claims processing burden imposed by the current (and planned future) system upon the hospitals, physicians and other care-givers. Not to mention the billions of dollars siphoned off by excessive layers of admin in the current system devoted to profit optimization, otherwise known as claim & service denial (& delay) -- which can usually save the greatest amount of money for the current insurance network by enabling denied clients to quietly die (current estimates of at least 20,000 deaths per year). By eliminating these costs, we could release some 20% of the current annual cost - 20% of over $2.5 trillion (2007 cost $2.4 trillion total, $7,900 per person, over 15% of GDP). Remember,that's for a system which provides ZERO service to over 46 million people (growing), plus another 100 million in effectively marginal or substandard plans, and about 150 million who join the other 100 million with below-standard coverage who may at any time lose their coverage if they get sick. Under the current system dominated by the for-profit model, sick people are by definition undesirable because they impose costs & excessive demands for services upon the system. The most sensible way to accomplish this reduction in cost is to effectively extend Medicare to the entire population, effectively eliminate the massive complexity of the health care claims processing morass. The for-profit model compels players in the market to seek to optimize net profit & minimize cost; this is fine for most commercial products & services industries, but not for healthcare. In designing a desirable healthcare delivery system, the objectives should be to 1) Promote wellness, provide incentives & resources to support progressively healthier lifestyles; emphasize disease prevention / minimization, and 2) For those requiring care, place patients in the care of a primary care manager (MD) whose role is to prepare & implement a care - treatment plan which uses all available resources to provide the highest quality care in as immediate a manner as possible. This type of simple, rational, efficient approach is impossible under the current or under any of the proposed systems, which all continue with complicated, dysfunctional patchwork of "freedom of choice."
The current "freedom of choice" model of our current American healthcare delivery system is, for the vast majority of Americans, a system where its victims (Most of US) are free to suffer constant fear of financial ruin, constant abuse by insensitive administrative gatekeepers and free to pay excessively and inordinately for whatever care we may receive.
The really sad thing is that there is so much reticence among the proponents for healthcare reform to seriously confront Big Pharma and the Health Insurers' lobbies and move directly to true reform.
You need to give broader and continuing voice to former healthcare insurance industry insiders like Wendell Potter, who clearly unmasks the fact that America is unique in the world in having a major health insurance industry which places profits before peoples' health. (See http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/07102009/profile.html ) They value profits before patients.
What's more, the heads of the three major health insurers told a Congressional hearing that they could not and would not stop the process of recission for "fully insured" sick patients who make expensive claims. (see http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jun/17/business/fi-rescind17)
These entrenched forces committed to retaining the status quo are succeeding in eviscerating any efforts at true reform -- which must include enabling Medicare to negotiate directly with drug producers to reduce the cost of drugs, and to provide a robust "public option" to eliminate the power of private for profity healthcare insurers to continue to work against the interest of American's wellness and for their shareholders and retain their own high compensation at our expense.
There are roughly 306 million Americans, more than 47 million of whom have no health insurance. That's 1 in 6 Americans, who only seek medical attention in Emergency Rooms, when their stuation is dire. They do not receive preventive care, which is ultimately a fiscal disaster. 60 million Americans have inadequate access to primary health care. 100 million don't have dental insurance. Last year, 116 million ailing Americans fore-went care because they couldn't afford the deductables, were under-insured, or had a lapse in coverage. In 2008, over a million Americans lost their homes, directly attributable to medical bills. Did you know that 2/3 of all personal bankruptcies are related to medical bills? Who pays in the end? We all do.
The US spends $2.3 trillion each year on health care, 16 percent of our GDP. Americans spend $7,129 per person on health care, 50 percent more than other industrialized countries (including those with universal care). Canada spends 10% of it's GDP on health care, England 9%, and France 11%. Yet, we rank roughly 37th in the world, in regard to the quality of our health care (France ranks #1, England #18, and Canada #30). 30% of every insurance dollar goes to paperwork and administration fees. Still, in 2006, the six largest insurance companies made $11 billion in profits, even after paying for direct health care costs, administrative costs, and marketing costs. The number of health insurance industry bureaucrats has grown at 25 times the growth of physicians in the past 30 years. We all know that much of the industry profits come from the arbitrary exclusion of "pre-existing conditions", and terminating people's insurance once they experience a serious illness.
Barack Obama's health insurance plan purports to reduce insurance costs by 30% (more than $350 billion per year, enough to provide comprehensive coverage to every uninsured American). He plans to eliminate "pre-existing condition" restrictions. And most criticaly, provide a public health care option. The current Republican tactic, is to call this plan socialism, because it is a loaded term, calculated to scare people. The fact is, police and fire departments are socialized. And your health is a more fundamental right than both of those. Sooner or later, we will all need help from social safety nets, such as Social Security. With health insurance, what we are effectively talking about, is broadening the OPTION of a form of Medicare and Medicaid to everyone. This will cause private insurance companies to respond more reasonably to their clients, and to reduce their rates to be more competitive. The GOP says that Medicare is expensive. The fact is, that Medicare's administrative costs are far lower than any private health insurance plan. The GOP also complains that government run programs are a disaster. Funny they don't feel that way about the government run insurance plan that Congressmen have.
Keep in mind, that privatised health care, introduces the model of profit (with expensive ads that we ultimately pay for). The whole point of profit, is to give as little as possible, for as much as possible. That's no way to address your health. Fun fact: The pharmaceutical industry is the single largest advertiser in America. This might be why the health care industry is spending 100 MILLION DOLLARS (1.4 million dollars a day) to lobby against and kill the public health care option. Their latest tactic is the "trigger option". Don't buy it.
And don't be fooled. Public health insurance DOES work well in Canada, England and France. Yes, one can always find an exception to harp on for political ends. When you research it, it becomes clear that the vast majority of people in these countries are quite satisfied with their health care. Notice that the opposition to public health care, is all about fear, scare, pessimism, status quo, defeatism. Ask about alternative ideas, and you hear silence. Fact is, approximately 73% of Americans want some version of a public health care option "like Medicare/Medicaid".
Another Republican talking point, suggests that a public healthcare option would take health care out of the hands of patients and their Doctors. In fact, that's exactly what we have now. We all know that insurance companies routinely deny coverage for tests, surgeries, and medications. I have personally experienced insurance company kangaroo appeal decisions, where they are the sole arbiturs of a judgement. As I write, though I'm insured by Aetna, I have to wait 6 weeks to see a neurologist that will accept my insurance.
You want to put a human face on this? My daughter was born this past September 28th with a recessed jaw. Her medical bills thus far are over a half MILLION dollars. She easily has another half million in surgery ahead of her. This is insanity. My 6 month old daughter should not be forced to live an obscene legacy of helplessly and unwittingly running her family into poverty. It simply breaks my heart.
It is woefully overdue for people to have a public health choice available to them. Yes, lobbyists and other rats are lining up to fight it, because lower costs, means lower profits for them. It's time they stop running the show. People have suffered enough. My wife and I have suffered enough. Damn the politics. It's time to act civilized. It's time for decency. People need to support Barack Obama's public health option, NOW.
But no person, including Barack Obama, can do this alone. He needs the will of the people. This means that he needs your two cents. A "letter to the editor", blogging, signing petitions. Many people putting in two cents will create the foundation, momentum, and mandate that Barack needs to press his case. We can do this historic thing. Yes we can. Let's go get em.
All Good Things,
Greg
PS - How countrys rank in health care;
It is important to understand that the biggest fiscal challenge we face as a nation is health care. As page 14 of this link and the graph below show there is room to improve http://bit.ly/bVHRZ
National Health Care System - Part 2
Yes, to all of you who has responded to my letter on National Health Care Plan, your points are so valid and real. Thank-you.
I still say to you all and to our President and Congress that it is not that hard to implement a National Health Care System in these United States.
Because it already exists; Its called Medicaid and Medicare.
You only need to revise the policies on membership, on salary requirements, on assets, on whatever rule is blocking others to become eligible and to include All people.
That’s it. That is so plain and simple. No exceptions to the rule.. Leave out the exceptions and grant Medicaid and Medicare across the Nation to All People.
Deduct some amount from All Worker’s salary to pay into the Medicaid and Medicare System. Small Business would only need to be concerned with implementing a payroll deduction for the National Healthcare Plan just as they withdraw Federal and State Income Tax payments.
It is not that complicated. It really is not that complicated but people seem to want to make it complicated.
No, HMOs or Private Clinics or Private Practices would have to close down. They only need to ACCEPT the new Medicaid and Medicare patients.
Yes, Blue Cross and other Insurance plans will have to scramble to create a way to become inclusive and join the National Health Care System.
I SUGGEST THAT They do this by contracting to the Federal Government to assist with Oversight and Management.
IT IS NOT THAT HARD FOLKS. Please stop adding to the deficit by creating more insurance plans, more health care systems. STOP!
Make the administrative revisions to Medicaid and Medicare and let’s get on to other issues in the community.
As we all know Medicare and S.S. are in jeopardy of disappearing. As one who works in health care seniors are a very important part of our society. Their financial contrilbutions (saving and consuming) got us out the a financial mess back when they were not considered seniors. Lets take care of them financially while helping ourselves selflessly.
Though I am not an expert on alternative energy I do have an idea. Why not build "sun" cities (senior housing communities) with alternative energy as the sole source of energy. They should be massive retirement communities with massive alt. energy farms (solar (FL,CA,NV), wind). If anyone knows how to conserve it would be our seniors.
Here's where the money comes in. As we know most seniors conserve and money can be made buy selling the energy conserved at these communities back into grid.
Any thoughts?
Dear Citizens, Congress and Mr. President:
It is not that hard to correct the health care system. Our health care system is very correctable and the correction can be instantaneously implemented. Why are we making this harder than it truly is, why?
Is it because the perception of change out there is so negative and will meet with opposition that you won’t allow yourselves to try something new?
Is it because the opposition is blurting out the negative rhetoric to protect their interests and profit margins?
Is it because the Drug companies will have to relinquish their investment on some private health care practices that push drugs for them in spite of the drugs in ability to really heal and correct the illness?
Or is it really because of the cover up of the Pharmaceutical’s perpetrated fraud and lie about their colorful, purple, green, red and yellow pills that they have been pushing onto our sacred Doctors and Patient’s for over 20 years? I told my Dad, may he rest in peace, back in 2000 not to take that purple pill for his indigestion and just drink some ginger ale soda to make him burp. And I told my 84 year old mom today, that she can take a glass of wine and take vitamin E to help work on her hardening of the arteries, but she still has to take her prescription for high blood pressure although she told me to eat a piece of raw garlic to get the pressure down and that it cleans the blood. My dear Citizens, Congress and Mr. President, I am tired of being lied to and I want change.
Our National Health Care System right now can work this way; read the following:
1. Revise Medicaid and Medicare to include all people of all ages; Medicaid for newborn to middle age and Medicare for middle age to Senior Citizens.
2. Deduct from ALL wages, from ALL employers’ wages an amount towards the payment of Medicaid and Medicare. (Like my wage is already being deducted for Medicare in addition to my private health plan)
3. Make it a requirement to all private hospitals, health care clinics to ACCEPT both Medicaid and Medicare. If Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Kaiser Permanente, Humana, Veterans Hospital and others don’t want to accept the National Health Care patients, FINE, we will go where they will accept it and get just as good treatment. (Oh you want competition, huh? Hello. HMOs, here’s your chance to step up to start treating Medicaid patients, you don't have to close).
4. PHASE OUT: All citizens, who want to change and opt out of their current health plan for the National Health Care System, allow them to do this. I will drop my private health plan for the National Health Care System in a heartbeat Or - I will remain a patient of my private plan if they accept my Medicare and just charge me an office visit fee like they are doing today.
It Is Not That Hard -- To Make The Change. Why are we spending money to create another health care plan? CHIP-Children Health Care…What? Why? Who are you afraid of upsetting, The Pharmaceutical Drug Corporation? Why do they have so much power and authority over us Citizens? Why? Let's open their Pandora's box, Freedom of Information, FOIA to find out their investments and what the Pharmaceutical's accounting book ledger will reveal, huh?
MEDICAID AND MEDICARE is recognized and automatically accepted in hospitals across this nation. It is your National Healcare system that only need to be administratively revised to include ALL people.
I'm not bothered by any old stigma or perception that Medicaid carried from years back. I just want to be treated for my illness no matter what the name of the new National healthcare plan is called. I just want good doctors and good health care.
Please tell me and reveal why we should not make this kind of change to, "NATIONAL HEALTH CARE" Why? Sincerely, Esther Mayberry
Why does it seem that the President is watering down his budget proposal to chase votes he won’t get? Republicans proved during the stimulus bill that despite all the concessions made to them then, they would never vote in favor of anything the President wants.
With Democrats, Independents and Moderate Republicans like me on his side, the President should focus on keeping his campaign promises because John Boaner, Mitch McConnell, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity are opposed to fresh air, sunshine and Jesus, so long as they think President Obama is in favor of them.
Mr. President, you have helped them marginalize themselves to the maximum extent imaginable. Now it’s time to stand true to your word. Frankly, not everything you promised was what I wanted, but if you do what you told us you’d do, I will continue to support you, and I will vote against those who oppose you, regardless what party they’re in.
