I often listen to a local Christian radio station on my commute. One segment is by Chuck Bently, CEO of Crown Financial Ministries ( http://www.crown.org/ ).
This segment was titled: Losing Healthcare Freedoms
Not surprisingly, it was a reference to a late-July Fortune article: http://money.cnn.com/...
In short, it is a laundry list of the same anti-reform spin that we have been hearing for quite some time. But it was the first time I heard it as a part of a financial advise segment on my radio station!
The full segment can be found here: http://www.crown.org/...
Here is the full transcript:
CNNMoney.com does not often criticize the Obama administration, but in a recent article, they struck a major blow at the President’s health care reform initiative.
Now, according to CNNMoney, both House and Senate versions of the proposed health care overhaul bill will eliminate 5 basic health care freedoms that all Americans currently enjoy.
1. Freedom to choose what's in your plan. All plans will be forced to provide coverage from Washington’s laundry list of benefits. Now, that’s a move that will eliminate competition.
2. Freedom to receive healthy living discounts. Under the White House plan, everyone will pay the same, regardless of age or health status. Young people can’t opt out of expensive, unnecessary coverage.
3. Freedom to buy only catastrophic plans. Everyone will be required to buy minimum coverage packages or pay a fine.
4. Freedom to keep your existing plan. Okay, you can keep it temporarily, but your provider will eventually be forced to make it look like the government plan, so it won’t make any difference.
5. Freedom to choose your own doctor. After 5 years, most Americans will be moved into coverage where you’ll be assigned a primary care doctor who will control your access to specialists and diagnostic procedures.
And the cost of this so-called reform is estimated to be $1 trillion over the next 10 years, and that’s on top of the huge budget deficits that we’re already spending. This doesn’t sound like good stewardship to me.
This morning I fired off an email to both Crown.org, and to the radio station complaining about the segment and addressing each point directly. I won't quote my entire email. But I will list the 5 "freedoms" and my response.
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"Both the house and senate versions ... will eliminate 5 basic healthcare freedoms that all Americans currently enjoy"
-- to assume that 'all Americans enjoy' these freedoms, one would have to turn a blind eye to the millions of uninsured Americans who can neither afford insurance, nor health care. The purpose of these reforms is to get America to a point where ALL Americans can enjoy quality, available healthcare.
- Freedom to choose what's in your plan
-- The vast majority of insured Americans receive their insurance through their employer. They are offered, at best, a choice of two or three levels of care. It is the insurance company that packages these plans, it is the employer that selects which plans to make available to their employees. Only those who seek private individual insurance are in a position to choose what is in their plan. Those insured through employers (the vast majority of insured), will notice little difference in how health insurance is offered to them.
- Freedom to receive healthy living discounts
-- Those who receive insurance through their employers, again the vast majority of insured, do not benefit from 'healthy living discounts'. The employer-offered plans have fixed rates that are uniform across their employees. The only cost difference is related to the size of the family being insured - individual, married, children. In fact, the way insurance rates are offered, it is often the case that a single sick employee can result in higher rates for the healthy, which is exactly the opposite of 'healthy living discounts'. That is the situation today.
- Freedom to buy only catastrophic plans
-- Those Americans who receive insurance from their employer are limited to only the plans offered by their employer. If a 'catastrophic plan' is not offered, then it may not be chosen. In any event, studies have shown that proper preventive care, and early diagnosis is critical in reducing overall health care costs. A 'catastrophic plan' ignores coverage for the type of care that is most benificial to lower overall healthcare costs, and higher quality of life.
- Freedom to keep your existing plan
-- For the vast majority of insured, those who receive insurance through their employer, there is no guarantee of keeping any plan. Each year the employer negotiates with insurance companies. At times switching insurance providers, at other times changing the plan offerings within the same provider. In any event, the employee is subject to the whims of their employer for what plans are offered each year.
- Freedom to choose your own doctor
-- The bulk of insurance plans today do not allow the free choice of doctor. One's primary care physician must still be listed as 'in-plan' by the insurance company. Specialists are not normally covered without a referral from your primary care physician. Tests, and procedures, recommended by your physician must be pre-approved by the insurance company before being performed.
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Given the stakes in this battle, I couldn't let the segment go uncommented on, although I know my arguments are neither well thought out, nor eloquent.
This is my first real diary. (at least that I'm counting). So I apologize for its lack of substance, and flair.