I sometimes feel so inadequate in my attempts to highlight what I think sits at the core of health care reform - a broken, oft times corrupt multi-payer, private, for profit health insurance system that has, through extensive lobbying efforts, been allowed to gain control of the American Health care system strong arming medical providers and policy holders alike. The preponderance of evidence now points to the fact that some health insurers have been ripping off their clients for years. Mr. Olberman's and his team of researchers and writers did a wonderful job with this piece.
The big guns have picked up the ball on exposing corrupt health insurers. Now perhaps we can move forward and pass legislation that would close the loopholes in current health insurance regulation. H.R. 3200 is long and complicated, but the laws that regulate private health insurers are long and complicated. Changes will have to be made to the Public Health Service Act, the Social Security Codes and Federal tax codes among others.
Cleaning up health insurance regulations will protect those of us fortunate enough to have health insurance from being taken advantage of, but what about those who cannot afford health insurance? It remains to be seen what will be the final language of H.R. 3200, which takes many steps to reintroduce much needed regulation on health insurance, but, in a revised form, may not adequately meet the needs of the uninsured who cannot afford it. What are the alternatives? Can those alternatives coexist alongside H.R. 3200? We might do well to take a very close look at H.R. 676 (United States National Health Care Act or the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act)now currently in committee. As Laz wrote in a blog last week, this is a straight forward bill to create a pubic health care system based on the current system of Medicare. The bill is currently in committee, and has been since January 29,2009, but that doesn't mean it is dead.
What matters most in our efforts to achieve health care reform is that we remain steadfast when we say we want affordable health care. At some point we simply have to resign ourselves to the fact that the legislators will have the final headache of drafting the correct language. We are fearful of having a herd of sheep wool pulled over our collective eyes, but the final act of legislation belongs to Congress. We elect them and pay them to know what they are doing. If they do not, we vote them out. The end product of health care reform will be the proof of their actions. That is why the democratic process will always be ongoing, and there will never be a magic fix. I am deeply suspicious of anyone offering the quick fix.
The more immediate concern today is the spin factor. There is already an attempt to spin proposed funding for health care reform into another scare tactic aimed at seniors. President Obama explained that some of the funding for reform would come from cutting out the portions of Medicare that are wasteful and do not work. The right has already begun disseminating information telling seniors that the President wants to cut funding to Medicare. They of course fail to mention that conservatives themselves were the original arbitrators of deep cuts to Medicare under the Bush administration. To illustrate this point I would like to share this Statement of Congressman John D. Dingell, Chairman Committee on Energy and Commerce, dated February 28, 2008.
I attended and spoke at our district meeting for the Anchorage Democrats in Muldoon yesterday. It was a small but very knowledgeable group of people including our own Senator Bill Wielechowski. I would like to share some of their comments.
Senator Wielechowski shared his views on what got his attention in an email. He felt that personal, well stated arguments that demonstrated the persons passion for the subject as well as their knowledge were the most effective. Of course, the elected official must demonstrate a capacity to care about their constituents.
One woman was born and raised in Germany. Her family still lived there. She fielded many questions about the quality and quantity of German health care. She spoke of a niece who is receiving excellent treatment of Hodgkins Disease. We discussed the fact that Germans passed passed insurance laws in the 1600's right around the same time as they passed their brewery laws (Germany is a wonderful country).
A gentleman suggested that we encourage our state and US Congress folk spend some time actually interviewing the health officials in countries with national health care programs. First hand knowledge is the best. We are all sick of propagandizing of the right wing "think tanks," and the informative but sometimes agonizingly detailed (I hang my head) accounts from progressive sources can be confusing. Having someone who operates the system explain it might be the best solution.
If you haven't already done so, I highly encourage you to attend a house party on health care. If no has hosted one, contact Organizing for America, the Alaska Democratic party, the Anchorage Democrats, or any affiliation of your choosing and offer to host one. See if your district Representative or Senator will attend. If they can't, have them recommend someone who might be able to speak on the subject of health care reform. If they don't have anyone to recommend, ask them why they don't know anyone? I am not trying to be mean, but this is a very economically important issue, and one would hope that they have at least given it some thought. If they haven't, be the cattle prod. Learn, learn,learn and share,share, share.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Please, no foul language, and be constructive with your thoughts.