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.
On Capitol Hill, Democratic leaders say they’re open to paring down a healthcare reform bill in order to sway “conservative” Democrats who’ve threatened to oppose the measure that would create a government-run public insurance option. We speak with progressive Democrat, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio). A House committee recently approved his amendment that would allow individual states to adopt a single-payer system. [includes rush transcript]... http://www.democracynow.org/2009/7/21/as_obama_continues_push_for_healthcare
Under a single payer system:
Q: What happens to private insurance companies?
A: They won't exist except to cover any benefits not covered under USNHC, such as cosmetic surgery or other services that are not medically necessary.
Q: What does this mean for the employer-sponsored private health insurance model?
A: It will cease to exist.
Q: Does this mean that employers will no longer pay premiums to private insurance companies to cover their employees' health care costs?
A: Yes. The money previously used for premiums can then be used for other purposes by employers, but the intention is to keep the funds in the healthcare system in one form or another.
Q: Where will the funds for a single-payer system come from?
A: Much of the funding for spending for healthcare under single-payer is already in place. These sources are: (1) Federal spending - e.g., Medicare, Medicaid, DSH; (2) State and local spending; (3) Other spending under the current health care system that would be freed up -- e.g., private Insurance premiums, out of pocket co-pays, deductibles, over the counter drug purchases; (4) Other private funds spending -- e.g., foundations.
Q: What will fill the gap in revenue caused by the loss of private insurance premiums?
A: The simple answer is another payroll tax not unlike Social Security. At the present time, estimates vary but it should be in the range of 4%. Other proposals for additional revenue include: (1) Stock transfer tax; (2) Corporate welfare reduction either through reforming the tax code or the elimination and reduction of subsidies; (3) Reversal of 2001 and 2002 tax cuts; (4) Tax surcharge -- i.e., 5% on highest top 5% earners and 10% on top 1% of earners, per HR 676.
Q: What happens to the tax free treatment of employer provided private health insurance?
A: With no private health care insurance, there will be no tax deductions or tax advantages to either employer or employee.
Q: Will the employer be relieved of the responsibility of providing health insurance to employees?
A: The employer will not only be relieved but also mandated not to provide private health insurance. However, the employer will be required to do some form of matching of the employees healthcare related payroll tax (perhaps an equal match of the employee).
Q: Do you think this simplifies healthcare reform?
A: Single payer streamlines the financing of healthcare reform by simplifying the way funds are collected and paid out to health care providers. Excessive administrative costs of private health insurers are eliminated (estimated at 20 to 30%). With everyone in a single risk pool, bargaining power efficiencies can be achieved with pharmaceuticals, equipment manufacturers, etc.
Q: But what about some of the other issues that are still "on the table"?
A: Everyone is covered and everyone contributes through a payroll tax. No one would be excluded for pre-existing conditions. Healthcare would not be dependent on employment (i.e., loss of job, changing a job or unemployment would not be a factor). There would be no bankruptcies caused by health care financial hardship.
On May 18th 2009 I sent President Obama and all 540 members of Congress a letter regarding cultural standards that support single-payer healthcare. That letter is available here: single-payer healthcare letter #1 from a concerned citizen
On August 26th 2009, as debate intensified, I sent a second letter focusing on economic forces that favor single-payer insurance to President Obama, the Chairs of all committees of jurisdiction in both chambers, the National Economic Council Chair, and the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers. That letter is available here: single-payer healthcare letter #2 from a concerned citizen
FYI --- Access to the individual state groups for Health Care for All with Non-Profit Single-Payer National Health Insurance
Every modern industrial country except the US has a government-paid health care system. It works. It's cheaper than a "system" run by insurance companies which make money off of not paying for medical procedures, and the issue of doctors and medical facilities not being "in the plan" does not show up. Americans in general understand this and thus overwhelmingly support our moving to such a system.
Sure it costs money -- but not as much as people (and corporations) currently pay in insurance premiums.
Some argue that a single payer syatem does not give people a choice of plans. But what is the normal choice? That of chosing what limitations on health care coverage you can accept. That of balancing a certain deductable against the premium. Such issues wouldn't arise with a program that proavides decent coverage and has a reasonalbe standard deductible (so that people won't swamp emergency rooms whenever their child has a cough).
Elective medical procedures (such as most plastic surgery) and private hospital rooms might not be covered by basic single-payer medical care. But people could still purchase additional insurance for such purposes -- as they do now. <>
The people support it. It makes sense. It saves money. It provides coverage to the 50 million people in our country who are uncoverd. Why doesn't Barak Obama support it?
Of course, the insurance companies oppose the idea -- but isn't Obama suppose to be one who stands up to Big Business in support of the common person? He shouldn't be afraid of risking corporate rath.
Obama's current plan is complicated and provides government subsidies to the insurance companies. He can do better than this. Why not take the simple position of extending Medicare for all?
Just think -- 50 million Americans have no health insurance. A vast number of them are poor and may have given up on our electoral system because they don't see how it can benefit them. If, they see that one candidate (Obama) will provide them and their children no-hassle health coverage and the other candidate won't, they will find a reason to vote.
I urge Barack Obama to join the vast majority of the American public to promote a "Medicare for all" health care plan. It's the right thing to do. The public supports it. And it could bring tens of millions of new voters to vote for him. Where's the downside?
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAugust 28, 2007
Contacts:Steffie Woolhandler, M.D. (617) 312-2766Quentin Young, MD (312) 782-6006Don McCanne, M.D. (949) 493-3714
CHICAGO — The U.S. Census Bureau released data today showing that the number of uninsured Americans jumped by 2.2 million in 2006 to 47.0 million people, with nearly all the increase (2.03 million) concentrated among middle-class Americans earning over $50,000 per year, according to an analysis by Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP). Strikingly, 1.4 million of the newly uninsured were in families making over $75,000 per year. An additional 600,000 were in families earning $50,000 to $75,000 per year. (The median household income in 2006 was $48,200).
“Middle income Americans are now experiencing the human suffering that comes with being uninsured. It makes any illness a potential economic and social catastrophe,” said Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Program and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Physicians for a National Health Program also noted the following:1- The 2.18 million rise in the number of uninsured is the biggest jump reported by the Census Bureau since 1992.2 - There are now more uninsured in the U.S. — 47.0 million — than at any time since passage of Medicare/Medicaid in the mid-1960’s.3 - 93% of the increase is among middle and high income families:Of the 2.18 million increase:
4 - In Massachusetts, often cited as a model for health reform, the number of uninsured increased from 583,000 in 2005 (9.2 percent) to 657,000 in 2006 (10.4 percent of the population).5 - The divergence between poverty and uninsurance is relatively new and striking. Until recently, as poverty went down uninsurance fell. That has changed.
6 - The number of uninsured children has fallen only 17 percent since SCHIP was enacted in 1997 from 10.74 million (adjusted to be comparable to current figures) to 8.66 million. The number of uninsured children rose by 611,000 between 2005 and 2006.
The doctors’ group said that the only solution to the rising number of uninsured and underinsured is a single-payer national health insurance program, publicly financed but delivered by private doctors and hospitals. Such a program could save more than $400 billion annually in administrative waste, enough to provide high-quality coverage to all and halt the erosion of the current private system.
“We can no longer afford the waste and inefficiency, the high overhead and outrageous executive salaries of the private insurance industry” said Dr. Don McCanne, senior health policy fellow for PNHP. “Only reforms that end our reliance on defective private coverage and assure guaranteed coverage for all will work.”
“The experience of other industrialized nations teaches us that high-quality, comprehensive care can be provided to all our citizens,” said Dr. Quentin Young, National Coordinator of Physicians for a National Health Program. “A single-payer national health insurance system has emerged as only solution to the nation’s health system debacle.”
Census Bureau Data: http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/hlthins/hlthin06.htmlDownload State By State Figures: http://www.pnhp.org/uninsured2007/Uninsuredbystate2004-2006.pdf
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Physicians for a National Health Program is an organization of 15,000 American physicians advocating for non-profit national health insurance. PNHP has chapters and spokespersons across the country. For local or national contacts, call (312) 782-6006.For more information, contact:Physicians for a National Health Program29 E Madison Suite 602, Chicago, IL 60602Phone (312) 782-6006
I just found another comment about single-payer health care from Obama. Daily Health Policy Report
Obama said that, although he favors a single-payer health care system, he likely would not propose such a system for the U.S. because of the complex, employer-sponsored system currently in place.
I've said it before and I'm likely to say it again... the noted complex, employer-sponsored system currently in place BENEFITS NO ONE! This is simply a cop-out, a refusal to challenge the system, a refusal to stand up to powerful corporations. This says that keeping corporations happy is more important than providing the people their right to health, so we'll keep the HMOs and Big Pharma happy with a compromise and the American people will take what they can get. As long as everyone is covered we can spin it to make it sound like a good deal. I know Barack is an intelligent guy, I know he understands what's going on in health care. I've said from the beginning that this guy gets it... well, he gets this too I assure you he does. There's no escaping this issue, and only a single-payer system solves the problem. If he proposes a plan that gives a single tax subsidy to this cartel of hospitals, insurance and pharmaceutical companies it will simply be a give away, and it will be dishonest to call it anything else. Do we want a health care system that makes people rich, or one that makes people well? This is a very simple question. Learn about the issue and contact Obama with your thoughts. Single-Payer National Health Insurance FAQ Also, remember... the solution is in House as we speak. H.R.676 - United States National Heath Insurance. I am an ardent supporter of Barack Obama. I given money, I bought things in the store, I've been campaigning and attending meetings for weeks now. I've been so looking forward to the unveiling of his health care plan, but he is seriously disappointing me. This is a deal breaker issue. Any plan that is not single-payer, is not a solution to our problem... period. If he is going to bold face lie to us and tell us that a compromise deal is the best we can do I'm dropping him like a hot rock. He's threatening to sell us out to some of the richest and most corrupt companies around on this health care thing. If he won't stand up to these bastards... who will he stand up to? The current cartel running health care are some of the most evil SOBs on the planet. If Obama won't protect THE PEOPLE from them... well we're just fair game aren't we? One thing fixes health care... one thing and one thing alone... single-payer universal health insurance. That's it. He proposes that or he's screwing us... just like Hillary, Edwards, and Richardson all intend to. I've seen all the plans, and they're all give aways. One plan, Kucinich's... H.R.676 - United States National Heath Insurance, fixes our health care system. Anything less is a sell out. Go watch the Center for American Progress' New Leadership on Health Care Forum. Watch all the videos, learn about what's being proposed. We have to push back on this, and apparently we have to push a lot harder than I thought we would have to. I just trusted Obama wanted to do the right thing. We should've known better, it's still just politics isn't it. Screw the people... protect the money. Same old song and dance. Peace!
