I just read this article by the AP about the insurance/drug industries efforts to thwart public option health insurance. the article says that
Industry officials representing health insurers, hospitals, doctors, drug makers and a major labor union plan to be at White House on Monday to present the offer.
notably absent: Patients.
And the offer is essentially a commitment to cutting 2 Trillion dollars in costs over the next ten years. Translation: oh wait, I don't even have to translate. A tad later in the article it does it for me:
the industry groups are trying to strike a deal now with Obama officials to help get coverage for all Americans in the hopes they can stave off legislation that would restrict their profitability in future years.
so, strip public option, and they promise to stop raking in as much profits as they are now...
note: Went on a motorcycle ride with my wife and just got back. This diary was almost complete four hours ago, and while I see there are other discussions about this AP article now, I've decided to post anyway. Hopefully no one is annoyed by that
My wife is 22 and has 3rd stage chronic kidney disease. As a joke, I've aimed to apply for 52 health insurance programs over the next year, tracking my success with a blog called "Shopping for health insurance," an experiment in proving the effectiveness of our free market health care system. We got our first rejection letter this past week, which said, in effect, talk to the state. Get on a federal program, because we can't make any money on you.
After telling me I was rejected, they say:
We understand this is not the result you had hoped for. If you don't have an employer-sponsored health insurance alternative available, here are some other options you may wish to consider:
* Public Health Coverage and Assistance Programs. The Foundation for Health Coverage Education, a non-profit private organization, sponsors the U.S. Uninsured Help Line at 800-234-1317 and the Coverage For All website, where you will find a list of the options available in your state. Use their helpful tools and expert assistance to find and apply for a broad variety of state-sponsored health coverage and public assistance programs.
* Social Security and Medicare. If you have a disabling condition which has lasted or is expected to last 12 months or longer and you are unable to perform any work activity, you may be eligible. Contact Social Service Coordinators for an eligibility evaluation at no cost to you at 1-866-440-2983 or online at: www.sscdisability.com\ehealth
Now they are going to extra effort to make sure no public option is included, because they don't really want anyone except for the most painfully uninsurable to be eligible for government programs.
***
anyway, just got back from a canyon ride, and I've seen a bit of the discussion going on about this. Needless to say, we are slightly more cynical about this 2 trillion dollar offering. I think it just shows the extent to which the industry is determined to kill public option. Realizing they can't quite pull off squashing it with propaganda this time, they are trying to make an early deal to get it off the table.
On a better note, regardless of kidney failure and lack of insurance, we do live here: