Health Policy Facts
Upcoming Events
Recent Events:
To see a webcast of this event click here
The Wireless Future of Health IT
For a summary of this event click here
New Health Insurance Marketplace
For a summary of this event click here
To see a webcast of this event click here
For previous events click here
Health Policy Links
Topics
User login
HEALTH REFORM: Advocacy Groups Get Ready to Send a Message: Health Reform Now!
Ready. Set. Message!
As members of Congress prepare to head home for Spring recess, they can expect to hear plenty of constituents speaking their minds. They want health care, and they want it now!
"The next few weeks will be critical to passing health care reform in 2009, so we're going in big with what we do best: organizing our 40 million members across the country to fan the flame under Washington's feet," AARP spokesman Jim Dau told Politico.
Divided We Fail (a "strange bedfellow" coalition of groups including the AARP, the National Federation of Independent Business, the Business Roundtable and the Service Employees International Union), has all sorts of events planned across the country. The progressive advocacy group Health Care for America Now is planning 80 events in 43 states, some in cooperation with local partners like Colorado Progressive Action. All told, you can expect to see tele-town hall meetings, carnivals, marches, and rallies all geared towards mobilizing citizens and making sure that lawmakers hear what the public has to say about health reform. These groups know it's not enough to work the halls of power in Washington, they also have to keep the pressure on at the grassroots.
The health insurance industry isn't taking a message holiday. America's Health Insurance Plans is holding recruitment and training seminars during the Spring recess, reaching out to small businesses, and encouraging seniors to write their Congressperson in support of private insurance.
A lot has changed since the failed Clinton reform attempts of 1993-1994. The economy is worse than it was in the early nineties, people are paying more for their health care, and we now have a better grasp of the Cost of Doing Nothing. Last time around, the opponents of reform were much better funded and organized than advocates. They didn't like the Clinton plan, and they spent a lot of time and money driving home the message that the American public shouldn't like it either. They were successful. And now we have 46 million uninsured people and a health care delivery system that needs an overhaul.
This time, advocates of reform are ready. They've got more money, are more organized, and as the Politico article noted, they are better prepared. Even Harry and Louise, the public face of the anti-health care ad campaign from 1993 and 1994 have returned and changed their tune.
The American people want health reform, and they want it now. And this time around, they're going to make sure Congress gets the message.
Single Payer
You left out a group that is pushing for single payer health care (http://www.votingbloc.org/Health_Bloc.php). I joined this group because I think both parties are leaving single payer out of the debate. Mandates are not the same thing.
PRIVATE FOR PROFIT HEALTHCARE IS AN OXYMORON
Finally, the time has arrived to fix Americas Healthcare crisis, and Americas healthcare nightmare. Hundreds of thousands of you are killed needlessly every year by your healthcare delivery system in a rush to profit. And because of a rush to profit Hundreds of thousands more of you are needlessly dying from treatable illness that people in other developed and civilized countries don't DIE! from. Rich, middle class, and poor alike. Insured, and uninsured. Men, women, children, and babies.
Additionally, thousands more of you are driven into financial ruin, and bankruptcy just because you, or one of your loved ones got sick or injured. And all of this is happening at a time when America spends twice as much of it's GDP (Gross Domestic Productivity) on health care than any other country in the developed world. Individual Americans spend about ten times as much on health care as any other people in the developed world. This is a CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY. AND IT MUST END!
But before we can truly fix this healthcare crisis and disgrace, everyone needs to clearly understand what the problem is. And everyone needs to clearly understand the real enormity of the problem. The problem is that HEALTHCARE AND MEDICAL DELIVERY IN AMERICA IS SEVERELY CORRUPTED AND COMPROMISED BY GREED! AND THE PRIVATE FOR PROFIT MOTIVE. And it is corrupted, and compromised IN EVERY ASPECT, AND EVERY PLACE OF HEALTHCARE AND MEDICAL DELIVERY. Unfortunately for all Americans, compromised healthcare ALWAYS results in needless suffering, injury, disability, and or death. Which is exactly what is happening now in America in shocking numbers.
Health care is NOT! a private for profit business. Healthcare is an essential public service. Like police, and fire. And healthcare is also a human right! PRIVATE FOR PROFIT HEALTHCARE IS AN OXYMORON, AND AN IMMORAL AND UNETHICAL PERVERSION OF HEALTHCARE AND HUMAN RIGHTS.
So how do we fix this healthcare disgrace? I believe the fix for Americas healthcare disaster is essentially the same thing that every other developed country in the World has essentially done. "NOT FOR PROFIT, TAX PAYER SUPPORTED, SINGLE PAYER, AUTOMATIC, FREE UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE FOR ALL". Essentially HR676 (enhanced, and improved medicare for all). Just like every other CIVILIZED! country in the developed World has. There is no other way to truly fix and reform our current disastrous healthcare delivery system.
All Universal health care systems work best when everyone participates. But I know that the healthcare lobby, and some politicians will try and undermine "Not For Profit, Tax payer supported, Single payer, Automatic, Free Universal Healthcare for all" by falsely claiming that it will limit your choice, and require you to participate.
So, I propose that everyone be included in the national plan unless they choose to opt out. If you opt out and need medical care the national plan will insure your provider that they will be reimbursed under the rules for members in the national plan. But those who opted out, and their insurer will be responsible for the FULL! cost to the national plan for providing your care if you or your private insurer fails to reimburse the provider or the national plan in a timely manor to at least the standards of the national plan.
Including reporting you to credit agencies, withholding of taxes, leans, and garnishment of wages for unpaid medical bills. Just like you have now under private for profit healthcare, and private for profit health insurance.
Further, people who opted out will be required to provide proof of financial responsibility for future illness or be required to participate in the national plan. And everyone with children will be required to participate in the national plan. Or provide proof of insurance coverage on each child to the standards of the national plan. It will be against the law to report anyone in the national plan to a credit agency for unpaid medical bills.
Frankly, only a dope would want to opt out of the national plan and opt to keep our current disastrous private for profit medical, and insurance plans. But they will be free to choose. The most important thing is that the vast majority of Americans that want the protection, benefits, and higher quality of a universal national plan have that choice.
You see, one of the most important aspects of a universal healthcare system is easy access, and patient protection. This is accomplished by having a single payer without a conflict of interest in patient care. And by having a payer who has the power to enforce minimum standards of excellence in healthcare delivery for everyone in the plan. This is much of what Medicare does now for senors. "Aeger Primo" (The patient comes first). Unfortunately in our healthcare system the patient comes last. We are just a peace of meat to them. Cash cows to be slaughtered for profit.
So this is IT! my fellow Americans, My fellow human beings, My fellow World Citizens. And my fellow Cyber Warriors. :-) The time has come. D day. H hour. HEALTHCARE REFORM THIS YEAR! Let no one stand in our way. Contact your representative and tell them you want "Not For Profit, Tax Payer Supported, Single Payer, Automatic, Free Universal healthcare for all. And tell them you want that choice now. Tell them you want President Obama's budget passed without delay. President Obama's budget is brilliant. And exactly what is needed now.
President Obama, and his allies will need all the support you can give them. The healthcare lobby will try to take out his people if they can, like they did with Tom Daschle and Nancy Killefer. And they will try to neutralize President Obama's popularity, and political power. Or they will try to take him down someway. Don't stand for it. If they attack him. Go after them ten times harder and remove them from office. We had an election. And you the people chose President Obama's leadership, and change agenda. Let no one in government disrespect the will of the American people and remain in office.
SPREAD THE WORD! And talk it up with your families, friends, and coworkers. Keep ratcheting up the pressure until there is a ROAR! across America for "NOT FOR PROFIT, TAX PAYER SUPPORTED, SINGLE PAYER, AUTOMATIC, FREE UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE FOR ALL".
Let's get this healthcare reform done now my fellow Americans. This year. Take no prisoners.
God Bless All Of You
Jack Smith — Working Class :-)
http://jacksmithworkingclass.blogspot.com/
(http://jacksmithworkingclass.blogspot.com/)
Cost of Healthcare
Senaters and Congressmen and Obama,who already have healthcare paid for by the tax payer don't consider that it will cost too many taxes for good Dr.s and Nurses to give care to healthy ,let alone ill patients.If the government runs it ,will it be just like the military run healthcare ,where you sit for hours before your seen?The government thinks it's okay to give murder of the unborn cardblanche with the tax dollar of the American tax payer.God is watching your deeds,thoughts ,and words concerning this issue and other issues.I don't support anyone who promotes what God is against,i.e.,abortion,gay rights,gay marriage.What's next,sex change operations at tax payer expense.God forbid!
Post new comment