| Health Insurance Reform |
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Paul Kruger - www.JoetheVoter.org June 25, 2009
We do not need "Health Care Reform" we need insurance reform.
The argument presented to people assumes we are trying to reform the "health care system" when, in fact, what we are reforming is the very profitable health care insurance companies.
We are not changing hospitals, doctors or treatments. We are not trying to reform care at all ( other than the move to streamline data bases ).
Nearly every issue that prevents citizens from obtaining needed care is related to the insurance industry, not to those providing care. This is the reason we have such a poor system in terms of delivering the care to those who need it. Congress, Republicans in particular, seem perfectly willing to trade off the health needs of 50 million Americans in order to continue support for huge profits for the insurance giants.
Nearly all Republicans and a few right-leaning Democrats are willing to hold America hostage in exchange for campaign contributions from these insurance giants. Can you think of any other reason they would fight so hard to deny health care to so many citizens in need?
New York Times said it loud and clear 1, "As Congress prepares to debate drastic changes in the nation's health care system, its members are receiving vast campaign contributions from the medical industry, an amount apparently unprecedented for a non election year." And this was in 1993 ! Imagine the cash flow today. Nothing happened then either, did it?
These lobbyists have brainwashed many on Capitol Hill to believe that a public option is bad for business and bad for the insurance industry. I don't care. I am concerned that a failure to provide a public option is bad for American's citizens. So what if a government plan forces private insurance companies to lower their rates. Is a huge profit more important than a healthy child? CIGNA and Blue Cross etc. would say yes. I say no.
Many would try to tell the American people that we have the best health care system in the world and that a public option would some how undermine that. Simply not true. We do not have the best. In fact we rate 37th on the list compiled by the World Health Organization 2. Nearly every nation rating above us has a public health care system. France rates number one and even Colombia rates 22, well above us in delivering quality health care. This lie is spread by those who don't want anything to change. If health care were rated according to profit, we would be number one.
Every nation the lobby points to saying "...they have a failed health care system.." ranks well above us in the delivery of quality health care. What they say is an out right lie used for one purpose, protection of their profits.
Congress is not your friend when it comes to health care. They are looking the other way as Americans get sick, even die for lack of access to health care while CEO's of the big health insurance companies reap huge salaries and bonuses based, not of quality of care, but on maintaining high prices for medical care and insurance.
In past attempts to "reform" health care at the Medicare level, the health insurance and drug lobbies successfully wrote their own bills to protect their profits. Are you aware that congress not long ago, passed "reform" to Medicare and Medicaid that actually prohibits the US Government from negotiating lower costs for drugs YOU have to pay for? There are restrictions to try to prevent you from getting the exact same drugs in Canada where they often cost a fraction of what the do in the US. This has nothing to do with drug safety...how many dead Canadians do you hear about due to their drugs? They are the SAME, read my lips, SAME drugs bought from the same drug companies that insist we must pay more than anyone else for these SAME drugs.
This is not the case for the VA which, by the way, is a public run health insurance company run much the way a new public plan would work. Major difference is that you don't need to be a military veteran to use the services. They can and do negotiate lower drug prices.
Bottom line, health care is not about the care, it is about who gets it and who doesn't. It is about choice, but today only those with the cash get a choice. No money, no care. In one of the richest nations on earth it is a disgrace that we allow so many millions to go without care for the sake of protecting corporate profits. It is a double shame that the very people we elect to represent us, instead, represent these corporate money machines in exchange for their own hand outs at each election. That they have no shame compounds my disgust.
Each American has an obligation long ignored to be the squeaky wheel in their representative's offices. You can either sit and do nothing and take whatever is done in your name or you can stand up and be heard. Call, Fax, Write your representatives and tell them you didn't elect a lobbyist to represent your interests, you elected him/her to do what is in your best interest. You can email them from their web site as well.3 If nothing changes, YOUR are part of the problem.
NOTES:
2. http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html
3. http://www.senate.gov | http://www.house.gov
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