My views are usually moderate. Except when it comes to healthcare. The time is now to finally let our elected officials know that too many people can’t afford and /or cut the red tape when it comes to affordable care. This came in my email . If you believe that the healthcare system needs change,
SIGN THE PETITION…
Here’s Howard Dean’s Letter.
I have an announcement. After four exciting years in Washington, I’m hitting the campaign trail again! Only this time, I’m campaigning to help President Obama win health care for all.
During the election, President Obama proposed a health care plan that would give every American the freedom to choose between keeping their private insurance—if they have any—and choosing a universally available public health insurance option like Medicare.
But for-profit insurance companies and HMOs are already working hard to strip this public health insurance option from any upcoming health care bill. They don’t want us to have a choice, and they’ll stop at nothing to kill real reform. Trouble is, some in Congress are siding with the insurance companies—and against what’s best for the rest of us.
Today, we draw a line in the sand. A public health insurance option is the only way to guarantee health care for all Americans. And to show that we mean business, we all need to tell Congress we won’t settle for less.
If 250,000 of you sign this petition, I will personally deliver it to Congress. Clicking here will add your name:
http://pol.moveon.org/standwithdrdean/o.pl?id=15863-11381997-tJVSJGx&t=1
Here’s our message to Congress: “Give America a choice. We support health care reform that allows individual Americans to choose either a universally available public health care option like Medicare or for-profit private insurance. A public option is the only way to guarantee health care for all Americans and its inclusion is non-negotiable. Any legislation without the choice of a public option is only insurance reform and not the health care reform America needs.”
The fight is heating up over whether or not to include the public health insurance option. This is going to be the biggest fight in the debate over health care reform. It would take the power away from the private insurance companies that have driven up costs and denied coverage for years—and they’re dead set against it.
But I’ve seen firsthand what people power can accomplish.And I know I can count on MoveOn members to help lead the charge.
Now is our moment to stand up. Together, we can generate broad-based support for a public health insurance option. We will need to canvass our neighborhoods, call our elected leaders, and arrange meetings with members of Congress in the coming months.
Our goal today is to show Congress that we are many and ready to fight. Can you click here to stand with me?
After you add your name, spread the word to your friends, family, and co-workers. Send a personal email and include a link to the website, update your Facebook status to tell people about the campaign, write a blog post about why you support this campaign—we need all hands on deck to win this fight.
Thank you for all you do.
Gov. Howard Dean, M.D.
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Howard Dean Draws a Line in the Sand. Sign the Healthcare Petition ……
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This blog’s great!! Thanks :).
Having been on Medicade as a young (17 years old), pregnant female, I can tell you it’s not worth it. To begin with, you’re treated differently. Both attitudewise, and care wise. Granted some people just don’t care, but regardless of who you are, you have a right to be treated like a person, which treatment really ceases when the dreaded “welfare” payment form is uttered. In addition, once that IS uttered, the standard of care decreases dramaticlly. I’ve been pregnant on Medicare & pregnant with private insurance, trust me, it’s apples to oranges….The medicare was many years ago, and only for a short time, and it was a case of true need. But it colored my view of people in general. Even other patients look down on the welfare recipient.
Do I think everyone deserves medical care? Most certainly. Do I think government has the answer? Most certainly not. In order for healthcare costs to be reduced, we have to go back to the source of the ridiculous costs. Is it people not paying? In part. But more than that, it is a group of arrogant, greedy, self-serving people. Who are these people you ask..? Well, they are the people who run the universities. Betcha didn’t see that coming, didja? But let’s look at this from a new angle. Why does it cost such ridiculous amounts of money to attend college? JUST TO GO! You’re talking 5 to 6 figures just for the honor of setting foot in the building. Doesn’t include books, lodging, food, recreation (entirely necessary). If our physicians weren’t having to start their adult, professional lives so deep in debt they really can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, they wouldn’t have to charge such exorbitant fees. They wouldn’t be afraid to offer care at prices people could afford. Once the fees decrease, the insurance companies could lower the cost of policies. Employers could offer more & better coverage. Self-employed could afford coverage – or even – Goddess forbid – not need coverage, just PAY FOR THEIR CARE.
Oh yeah, we need to look at malpractice practices, also. Doctors are HUMAN. They make mistakes. You know this when you go to them. When you walk into a location & ASK FOR HELP, you should be thankful that help is available. I’m pretty sure there aren’t many doctors out there intentionally causing harm to people…so why is it ok to hold this profession to a higher standard? Expect PERFECTION from them..? If a utility worker makes an error and paints the yellow line crooked, and someone has a wreck & kills someone else, is the utility worker to blame? Or is the driver who ignored common sense to drive in a manner he KNEW to be incorrect? What happened to taking responsibility for one’s actions? Today, everything is someone else’s fault, and everyone expects someone else to fix what they broke, with a smile on their face and a willingness to continue follow them around cleaning up their messes…
ahem…
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dawtch
Source: Economic Policy Institute
Many leading policy makers, including President Obama and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, have argued that the creation of a public insurance plan is a necessary part of comprehensive U.S. health care reform.
http://www.epi.org/publications/entry/pm141/
Really? Here are the author’s main points:
1) Introduce competition to previously limited markets
2) Reduce costs
3) Drive quality advancement and innovation
4) Serve as a benchmark for the insurance industry
Again, I say really?
1) They can create competition without essentially nationalizing health care (by the way how is nationalization competition). If there is an enforceable individual mandate then the issues of adverse selection will be eliminated. Small employers, rural employers and individuals will be able to purchase health care at what are effectively group rates just as large employers do.
2) Public plans (Medicare and Medicaid) reduce costs because they have the legislative power to do so, but don’t. SGR (Sustainable Growth Rate) has called for a reduction in physician reimbursement every year for the past several and the Congress over rode the reduction in all but one year. Currently they would have to reduce the rate 21% to meet the formula. They won’t politics and political interest groups will prevail. And by the way, the providers make up for what they perceive as public plan shortfalls by charging private plans substantially more.
3) Quality advancement and innovation are products of free enterprise, involvement of multiple viewpoints and the opportunity to profit from hard work and creativity. Are government bureaucracies creative? I will let you answer that question (think US Mail vs.Fedex)
4) As far as serving as a benchmark, Medicare pays significantly less than commercial plans. Has this lower cost benchmark caused insurance rates to fall?
http://www.ilovebenefits.wordpress.com
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