Which headline would you most like to see?
"Complete Full Coverage Health Care for $70 a month!"
or
"American's tax dollars pay for Record Insurance Profits Again!"
Please follow my logic here ...
If we lose the public option... what will happen?
I just saw on "dr. Nancy" on MSNBC a brief interview with a woman from the insurance industry (sorry didn't catch her name) saying that Republicans want "vouchers" to help the poor subsidize their health care. So it occurred to me that, without lowering the inflated cost of health care, the amount for services will still be high, insurance agencies will still be making record profits, giving record billions of dollars in bonuses, while the poor and needy will have our government "subsidizing" their health care because they can't afford it.
So, if I understand this correctly, the GOP's idea is for our government, using taxpayer's dollars, to pay for overpriced services, that puts the money... our money, in the insurance companies pockets?
What was the point of health care reform again?
This is pure crap!
This is why Republicans are okay with Co-ops, because co-ops won't be able to lower costs either. A co-op is more "palatable" to the GOP because it doesn't force them to offer affordable health care!
The GOP don't care about offering affordable health care, they only care about keeping the flow of overpriced products and services going so they can keep their record profits going so they can keep their power and influence over our government going strong!
Without a public option, this is not going to change.
More and more... everything I am hearing brings me to the conclusion, again and again, that we need to get "profit" out of health care.
Health care IS a social, societal need and not a corporate need.
It cannot be based on a "for profit" model because health care, like fire or roads, or police service, must go to those who need it and use it, not just those who can afford it.
Health care is a societal need, not a capitalist venture.
Doctors, nurses, and other health care workers become health care workers (I would hope to God they do...) because they care about being HEALERS! They care about helping people. If their motivation has become to just be RICH$ and have a parking spot at the local golf club, and only that, then I don't WANT them in the health care field. Is that how we want to motivate Doctors to enter the field?
I don't want a doctor to see me as a "customer" who is there to buy a "product or service" like a car wash or make over. Health care cannot continue to be a capitalist enterprise.
Sure, health care workers should be allowed to be wealthy and comfortably well off, but for a doctor or nurse to do his job effectively and to the best of his or her ability, requires for the worker to not be concerned if a patient can afford the cure! To not have to know if the proper "paperwork" has been filled out or "insurance authorization" has been given.
repeat after me:
Only your Doctor knows what healing procedures are required for you!
Whatever is "approved" or "not approved" does not matter.
IF the doctor, however is just there for a profit, well guess what, he's not a real healer concerned with your health , he's just a salesman "up-selling" his shop's "products and services" so he can make more profits for him and his investors.
Does THAT Doctor know what's best for me? Or is he just driving up insurance costs because he is up-selling to his wealthy clients and anyone who can pay for it?
This is not a good or moral health care model and it is not sustainable unless tax payers allow the government to use their money by direct subsidies or by issuing vouchers!
Vouchers and subsidies which would go directly to pay for overpriced and overused goods and services because it's all about "profit" and not "health".
Is this a good use of our taxpayer dollars?
IS this really the best way to deliver health care to Americans?
Do we want taxpayers to pay for the insurance industries ever increasing profits?
I think not.
But that's what we are already doing right now!
I work. Medicare takes less than $10.00 out of my paycheck every two weeks. That's less than $20 a month. What if we just doubled that to fix Medicare, since they say it will go bankrupt. So let's just say that $40 a month would fix Medicare and fill in that sad "doughnut hole" that grandma has been worried about. Now what if we just tripled that for younger workers who wanted to opt in to Medicaid early? That's still just $60 a month for full coverage health care. Hell, add $10 more and cover dental and vision while we are at it.
That's $70 a month.
Who would not pay $70 a month for the peace of mind of full and complete health care for all?
Anybody?
I'm glad the health care debate is happening. If we can keep it honest and out of the lame faux "death panel" zone, maybe we can all come to the realization that yes, we do NEED Universal Health Care... and we need to take steps to get there... and sooner rather than later.