Since we've learned today that Rahm Emanuel is ready to toss the Public Option overboard, I'm wondering whether Rahm or anyone in the White House has read the thousands of insurance horror stories posted on Barack Obama's own website, Organizing for America?
Before I go any further, I want to let you know that tomorrow is the big day for me.I'm going to Washington to tell your healthcare horror stories that Rahm doesn't seem to care about. It's going to be a great event, I'll describe what it's like to live with junk insurance and without access to healthcare. Jane Hamsher is going to talk about the Whip Count Project.
If you'll be in Washington, please try and come. It's from 3-4:30 in room 2237 Rayburn.
Returning to Rahm and company, since they may be too busy negotiating with Chuck Grassley and giving Wall Street a wet dream, I'd like to remind them that thousands of Americans answered Obama's call, and took the time to write their healthcare horror stories on his web site.
Rahm Emanuel should be ashamed of himself for ignoring these desperate cries of anguish from American citizens who have been greviously harmed by the Murder By Spreadsheet insurance industry.
So since Rahm isn't reading them, we will.
This is from Susan.
Just as Enron figured out that selling nothing for something was the ticket to incredible profits, just as the banking industry figured out that Ponzi was its patron saint, health insurers figured out that the route to incredible profits was to charge a captive market whatever they could get away with and then minimize payouts. As soon as their mission was narrowed to producing profits, all practices that furthered that were justified. As far as they are concerned, when we talk about "fairness" we are speaking in irrelevancies. Their reason for being is to spread obligation and loss far and wide in order to concentrate wealth for a few. And they do it well. Because a captive market is the key to their success, they will fight like hell for the status quo. They should be told to be happy they’re not being prosecuted under RICO. And then we should move on. The survival of the insurance industry should be the new irrelevancy. No matter what happens to health reform in this country, I may still lose everything due to this illness, if only due to timing. But it's past time to put a stop to that.
Or this from Megan:
Dear President Obama, I am thirty one years old and am in several thousand dollars debt because I was unable to get insurance for several years because of a "pre existing condition". In m early twenties I was diagnosed with malignant melanoma. I was fortunate enough to have caught it early and had a minor surgery to have it removed. I did not have insurance at the time because my full time job did not offer it. I tried to get private insurance but because I have had a history of skin cancer, the only type of insurance I could buy was high risk/emergency medical coverage. This cost between $300.00 and $500.00 a month. Obviously, this was not something I could afford when making $12.00 an hour. Each I became ill and could not afford to go to the doctor, I had to go to the Emergency Room.
And Brian, who is literally frightened to go to a doctor because of the criminal retroactive cancellation practices in California.
I'm afraid of getting health care. If I am diagnosed with any kind of condition, I won't be able to do what I love: be an entrepreneur and small business owner. Even writing on this web site could be used against me to deny me health care, and I know I shouldn't do it. The questionnaire for applying for individual health care with Blue Cross demands that you list every interaction with a "health care provider", including therapists, in the last 10 years. All prescriptions. And phone numbers for every doctor. For 10 years. If you make any mistake, they grant you coverage but threaten to revoke it "retroactively".
Someone needs to remind Rahm Emanuel of this. We had an election, we voted for real change not some insignificant tinkering with the murderous healthcare status quo.
Please call the White House and tell them that health reform must include a public option available to all Americans on Day One and accountable to Congress.
Phone Numbers
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FAX: 202-456-2461
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Comments: 202-456-6213
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