Well, I got an e-mail from Senator Bill Nelson yesterday. He's in favor of health care reform and since he's on the Finance Committee, that's a good sign, right?
Maybe. Or maybe he's weaseling really well. You decide.
Here's the meat of what the Senator said:
In essence, it will let folks happy with their insurance keep it, including seniors on Medicare and veterans. It also will create a marketplace--exchanges--where those without coverage, or those who are unhappy with what they have, can get coverage at an affordable price.
The bill will hold insurers' feet to the fire by requiring them to cover everyone and preventing them from dropping individuals who get sick. Additionally, it will contain several measures aimed at reducing overall medical and prescription drug costs and eliminating waste and fraud in the system.
I still intend to offer several amendments aimed at further improving the legislation. One of my amendments would require drugmakers to provide rebates to Medicare, just like they do to Medicaid. This would save Medicare a ton of money. Further, by eliminating the tax break drugmakers get for TV and other advertising, we would gain another $37 billion over the coming years to help pay for health care reforms.
Exchanges are there, but no mention of a "public option." So I got on the horn and spent about twenty minutes with the Senator's Washington office. I explained my situation, all the things health insurers have done to me, from rescission to denial. See my saga "I fired my health insurance" .
And the aide began talking about affordability, tax credits, exchanges and mandates that everyone be covered. And he quoted from the President's speech last week.
So I quoted back at him: "No American should ever have to look at a loved one and tell them, 'There's a treatment available for you, but I can't afford it.'" And then I told him about my son, injured in the line of duty with the Marines. He didn't get a disability, but he's disabled enough that no insurer will take him on. So no VA coverage, and no private insurance.
I then demanded to know how the Senator thought we were going to rein in insurers who have been violating their contracts all along with impunity.
Then I told him about a dear friend of mine who battled breast cancer for 7 years, during which time she had to keep a lawyer on retainer to prevent BC/BS from dropping her.
I said, "No American should have to keep an attorney on retainer to force an insurance company to follow its own contract."
And I added: "Insurance is supposed to distribute risk, but these insurers are busy cutting all risk from the pool to enhance their profits. Tell me how you're going to keep them honest when they violate their own contracts, unless we the people have a viable alternative?"
But the magic words are still missing: Public Option. It all sounds good, but nowhere do I see that the Senator is actually going to do something that will ensure that Americans are no longer being ripped off and robbed by these companies. Without a competitor, they'll keep on doing the same things.
And without a public option, I cannot support "mandates."
So tell me, Senator. I keep asking: How are you going to do this without a public option? How much reform are you really offering?
Quit skating around the question.