August 2009 Archives
I'm still officially not replying to the gigantic family email thread which, to some, must look like a preaching to a Hallelujah gospel choir all in (violent?) agreement "I gots mine! Amen!" and to others is making them madder and madder. There's a large number of silent recipients and the best outcome is most of those are bounced email addresses...cause I really don't think there's as much consensus as some posters seem to believe.
The healthcare discussion is complicated, yeah. And you could read a lot of postings, or take some of the older, more authoritative, emailers at their word. But there's an easy way to tell whether any of these "public options" or "single payer" are going to be good for you - (assuming you are not a billion-dollar insurance company, or a for-profit hospital). Just look at who benefits from the change.
When Obama's team floated the idea of ditching the public option, insurance company stock went up nearly 6% in one day. That's $4.6 billion dollars. In one day. By some calculation
it seems the insurers are willing to spend about $30 billion, or 40% of their total value, to make sure there is no public option. That money is funnelled to advertisements, interest groups, but mostly congresscritters. It's pretty hard to get them to fix what is a pretty obviously broken system when so much money coming their way says it likes things just like they are now.
Who's going to benefit from keeping the same system, from getting Congress to water down reforms to no "public option" or "cooperatives"? It's pretty clear from the market, it's not you.
Insurance Fraud (American Prospect) :
I'm remembering back when I was a "moron" working for the government - funny, it seemed like we did a pretty good job (2008 poll). Without even a profit motive to help us out.
The healthcare discussion is complicated, yeah. And you could read a lot of postings, or take some of the older, more authoritative, emailers at their word. But there's an easy way to tell whether any of these "public options" or "single payer" are going to be good for you - (assuming you are not a billion-dollar insurance company, or a for-profit hospital). Just look at who benefits from the change.
When Obama's team floated the idea of ditching the public option, insurance company stock went up nearly 6% in one day. That's $4.6 billion dollars. In one day. By some calculation
it seems the insurers are willing to spend about $30 billion, or 40% of their total value, to make sure there is no public option. That money is funnelled to advertisements, interest groups, but mostly congresscritters. It's pretty hard to get them to fix what is a pretty obviously broken system when so much money coming their way says it likes things just like they are now.
Who's going to benefit from keeping the same system, from getting Congress to water down reforms to no "public option" or "cooperatives"? It's pretty clear from the market, it's not you.
Insurance Fraud (American Prospect) :
Finally, those decrying the terrible "government" plan - I'd put more stock in the advice if it didn't come from those who already have actual insurance - Medicare. Paid for by the rest of us on the email chain (younger than 65). At least yours can't be cancelled because you once had acne. The rest of us, who pay both Medicare and private insurance, or go without, have nothing - we pay, but still can be rescinded when we get an illness or lose our job. It's inherent in a for-profit health system.But here's a question: If the insurance companies have finally come to understand that it's wrong to kick people off their coverage when they get sick; and it's wrong to deny coverage to people who have previously been sick; and it's wrong to hide lifetime limits in the fine print, forcing people into bankruptcy if they face a serious illness; and it's wrong to discriminate against pregnant women and their families; why don't they stop doing these things? Like, how about today? Why are they waiting for Congress to outlaw their most abominable practices?
I'm remembering back when I was a "moron" working for the government - funny, it seemed like we did a pretty good job (2008 poll). Without even a profit motive to help us out.
I've been debating whether or not to respond to the huge email chain going around bouncing off Obama and health care reform at various points. It's been keeping me up all night! Hard to believe I didn't remember I do have a bully pulpit right here where no one will read what I write. :) So I don't need to respond; I can just post. So expect a few more posts these days.
I have more to say on Obama and Health Care reform, but for now let me just say I am for both! A few links I've been wanting to post around:
How American Health Care Killed My Father (The Atlantic) This one is the most important. Please do read this; a good summary of all the arguments being spun on all sides around insurance - the author's father is only used as a narrative to tie it together.
The Tree of Crazy in America
Quote from Metafilter on these antireformers at town meetings (and perhaps even these email chains?):
I have more to say on Obama and Health Care reform, but for now let me just say I am for both! A few links I've been wanting to post around:
How American Health Care Killed My Father (The Atlantic) This one is the most important. Please do read this; a good summary of all the arguments being spun on all sides around insurance - the author's father is only used as a narrative to tie it together.
The Tree of Crazy in America
Quote from Metafilter on these antireformers at town meetings (and perhaps even these email chains?):
Roger Ebert on "Death Panels" (with some videos from Passion De Jeanne D'Arc, great if you love classic movies!)The disruptions at these town hall meetings are not democracy, but an undermining of democracy. They are pure political theater, organized by PR firms and based in a deliberate campaign of misinformation intended to terrify the very ignorant, and then turn their terror into outrage, and they are supported by Republicans in office, not because Obama's nascent health care plan is especially bad, but because they're sole purpose is the craven seeking of power, and they are so furious to have lost the power that they so hideously abused for eight years that they have turned bullying and obstructionist, and will do anything at all to try and make Obama seem like a devil, and make his policies fail, so they can trumpet his failures during the next election to attempt to seize power again. It is pure political theater, and a hideous betrayal of our democratic ideals, which rely on the free exchange of valid and factually accurate ideas.
