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  • TUESDAY JUNE 30 2009 9:30 AM

Democrats Blowing It On Health Care

It’s really quite interesting to watch the Democrats throw it all away. This time, they seem to think blowing the chance at decent health care reform will aid them in future elections. Or perhaps they have taken so much money from the health care industry that they don’t give a shit. Either way, it doesn’t matter. Fixing health care is the biggest problem facing our country. If we don’t do something drastic, it will completely destroy our economy in the years to come. As it is, we’re in bad shape. Democrats, specifically Senate Democrats, have decided to help the poor insurance industry out as much as possible. Es no bueno.

Most of the debate is over the dreaded “public option.” Oh, dear no. We can’t have a public option. That’s socialized medicine! Americans must be able to choose! And by that I mean they can’t choose a public option! They have to be able to choose between private monopolies! This is fucking America! We demand to be fucked over by private companies as much as possible!

And make no mistake about it; those against the “public option” want to continue with monopolies.

But the notion that most American consumers enjoy anything like a competitive marketplace for health care is flatly false. And a study issued last month by a pro-reform group makes that strikingly clear.

The report, released by Health Care for America Now (HCAN), uses data compiled by the American Medical Association to show that 94 percent of the country's insurance markets are defined as "highly concentrated," according to Justice Department guidelines. Predictably, that's led to skyrocketing costs for patients, and monster profits for the big health insurers. Premiums have gone up over the past six years by more than 87 percent, on average, while profits at ten of the largest publicly traded health insurance companies rose 428 percent from 2000 to 2007.



So, that's what the "free market" kids are fighting for. Monopolies. Yay!

A public option would guarantee the possibility of lower cost, reliable coverage. It will bring cost control by reforming how we pay for medical care. It will create competition between private insurers that simply does not exist today. It will also force private insurers to perform better, something they are not doing today.

To those who say the public option would drive the private companies out of business; I thought everything government did sucked? Is government bad or highly efficient? Please stick to one talking point, no matter the subject. Secondly, the private insurance companies have had their chance and to say they fucked it up would be an understatement. They deserve no protection. I have no interest in keeping pedophiles in business, either. Their time has come and gone. They could have kept costs lower, kept people from dying, insured anyone with preconditions, but they decided to go for the biggest profits possible and now they are on the deserving end of what’s coming. They only compete to insure the well and reject the sick. Then they employ adjusters to get the company out of paying for health care services when the well become sick. Welcome to the world of failure. They made their bed, now they have to lie in it.

If any of you loud mouthed, utopian, not living in the real world Libertarians bring up regulation, feel free to explain the exact regulation that makes health care so expensive. If you can’t detail these so called regulations, shut your face and stick your broad stroke arguments up your ass. Your simplicity has grown tiresome. This current debate is for adults and what you want will never be, so stay out of it or act like an adult and accept that what you want ain’t going to happen.

As far as the public plan, Democrats are right now working on a way to water it down until it is completely ineffective. Senator Jay Rockefeller, who is a son of a bitch because of his FISA legislation, has come up with a good public health care plan. His plan would partner a public plan with Medicare for more bargaining power and access to provider networks. According the non-partisan Lewin Group and the Commonwealth Foundation, Rockefeller’s plan would drop premiums 20 to 30 percent. Can’t have that, now can we?

Rockefeller’s plan would force private insurance companies to be more honest. They would have to cut their bullshit administrative costs and fire quite a few of those adjusters whose job is to find ways to not pay for care. Right now, you have no choice. You can choose between one horrible private insurance company or another. There really isn’t much difference. The idea is to force them to become insurers instead of profiteers.

Other Democrats are working on plans that would do almost nothing. Senator Chuck Schumer has a “level playing field” public plan that won’t save much at all. It will just create a plan that will allow private companies to dump old, sick and high-risk patients onto the public plan. This is considered a compromise. It will be awesome because by doing it halfway, they will create exactly what the right wing claims will happen. It will be a terribly ineffective, expensive plan. It would not use low rates that Medicare sets or use taxpayer subsidies. It wouldn’t force its way into networks. It would just be like any other insurer, except for the fact that it would be a dumping ground for private insurers to unload their expensive patients. It’s one of those genius “Democrats compromise and create a pile of shit plans.”

Finally, there’s Ben Nelson’s “Trigger Plan.” You know it’s good because Nelson has taken millions and millions of dollars from insurance companies. The Trigger Plan would be like a big, invisible, scary fist looming over the insurance industry. If the private market didn’t offer cost control or enough options, the public plan would come into existence - but it would be at the state level. It’s a regional Trigger. Some states might have a public plan and others would not. It’s basically set up as a way for private companies to game the system. Ben Nelson doesn’t seem to realize the trigger should have been pulled 8 years ago. If he wants to set the threshold where costs are now, it’s a big lose. Go Blue Dogs!

Those are the public plan options. Now which one do you think Democrats in the Senate will choose? I’d bet big money on the “Level playing field” plan because it doesn’t actually threaten the private insurance market. It actually helps them in their quest to be the biggest douche bags on Earth.

Prepare for failure.

FearTheReaper is a writer, actor and stand up comedian. Check back each Tuesday and Friday for more from FearTheReaper You may also enjoy his blog, Stop All Monsters.

 

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Comments
Otoki

Otoki

SUICIDEGIRL

Minnesota, USA

JUL 08, 2009 01:16 AM

ZakSmith said:

Otoki said:
I'll have everyone know that once I pay my deductible, my abortions cost me a $10 copay.



When they start paying you then we'll know this shit's gotten straightened out.



But that would give women EVEN MORE incentive to get pregnant and go through an abortion! It's already so much fun!

RudieCantFail

RudieCantFail

Baton Rouge, LA
January 2006

JUL 08, 2009 01:24 AM

ABORTIONS FOR SOME, MINIATURE AMERICAN FLAGS FOR OTHERS!

END TRANSMISSION.

Admiral_Pants

Admiral_Pants

Austin, TX
May 2004

JUL 08, 2009 01:33 AM

zoom image

sick

sick

Minneapolis, MN
June 2003

JUL 08, 2009 05:13 AM

Otoki said:
I'll have everyone know that once I pay my deductible, my abortions cost me a $10 copay. That's right. So if and when I get an abortion, it won't take me weeks and weeks to save up the money for my safe medical procedure.



You have a $10 copay? Screw you...mine is $20. wink

And don't get me started on my prescription drug prices.

badgers

badgers

United Kingdom
January 2006

JUL 08, 2009 05:56 AM

FWIW, I'm in the UK, and think the NHS is fucking Awesome.

Yeah, there have been a few fuck-ups here and there, but doctors and nurses are still human and, generally, are not omniscient, but my experience of the services of the NHS, considering it's FREE (at the point of service), is great.

I've had emergency surgery on a broken arm, which was pretty messed up - the process was efficient, the hospital clean, the doctors and nurses caring and friendly, beds were comfy, and the morphine was warm. On another occasion, i had to get airlifted from the side of a mountain by helicopter, then taken to hospital for another operation on a very broken elbow. I can't begin to imagine how much that helicopter ride would have cost me privately.

You guys should just get public health care. You'll be so much happier for it.

gfvella

gfvella

Australia
November 2004

JUL 08, 2009 08:16 PM

Sick said:
And don't get me started on my prescription drug prices.



In Australia we have the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme where the federal government lists specific drugs (according to their efficacy and usage) and then negotiates to buy those drugs in bulk and thus gets a massive discount. The drugs are then distributed through chemists and hospitals like any other drug, but at an even more discounted price that the government sets. In fact I believe that the Australian Federal government through the PBS is the single biggest buyer of pharmaceuticals in the world.

For instance I have a friend with a nasty nervous disorder and her drugs cost over $350 a week retail, but through PBS she pays $15.

The big pharma companies absolutely hate this system. They tried very hard to have it closed down as part of the negotiations that led to our free trade relationship with the US. However; it is popular for very obvious reasons and even the liberal party (who are the conservatives in Australia) refused to give it up.

Otoki

Otoki

SUICIDEGIRL

Minnesota, USA

JUL 08, 2009 08:31 PM

gfvella said:

Sick said:
And don't get me started on my prescription drug prices.



In Australia we have the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme where the federal government lists specific drugs (according to their efficacy and usage) and then negotiates to buy those drugs in bulk and thus gets a massive discount. The drugs are then distributed through chemists and hospitals like any other drug, but at an even more discounted price that the government sets. In fact I believe that the Australian Federal government through the PBS is the single biggest buyer of pharmaceuticals in the world.

For instance I have a friend with a nasty nervous disorder and her drugs cost over $350 a week retail, but through PBS she pays $15.

The big pharma companies absolutely hate this system. They tried very hard to have it closed down as part of the negotiations that led to our free trade relationship with the US. However; it is popular for very obvious reasons and even the liberal party (who are the conservatives in Australia) refused to give it up.


That's badass.

sick

sick

Minneapolis, MN
June 2003

JUL 08, 2009 08:32 PM

gfvella said:

Sick said:
And don't get me started on my prescription drug prices.



In Australia we have the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme where the federal government lists specific drugs (according to their efficacy and usage) and then negotiates to buy those drugs in bulk and thus gets a massive discount. The drugs are then distributed through chemists and hospitals like any other drug, but at an even more discounted price that the government sets. In fact I believe that the Australian Federal government through the PBS is the single biggest buyer of pharmaceuticals in the world.

For instance I have a friend with a nasty nervous disorder and her drugs cost over $350 a week retail, but through PBS she pays $15.

The big pharma companies absolutely hate this system. They tried very hard to have it closed down as part of the negotiations that led to our free trade relationship with the US. However; it is popular for very obvious reasons and even the liberal party (who are the conservatives in Australia) refused to give it up.



I can't even really complain about the drug prices, because my insurance covers nearly the entire thing, but they do some ridiculous things as well.

Case in point: one of my prescriptions is for 40 mg a day. If I get it as one 40 mg capsule per day, I have a $50 copay. However, if I get it as two 20 mg capsules per day, the copay is $15. Same medication. Same generic version of the same brand-name drug.

It doesn't make any sense.

And you know I have to remind the pharmacy to give me two 20 mg capsules a day every time I have it filled. Otherwise they give me the higher priced version every time.

I suspect they bill the insurance company at the low price, and keep the remainder. I'm going to switch pharmacies.

nicole_powers

nicole_powers

NEWSWIRE

I'm lost

JUL 10, 2009 12:00 PM

I'm really confused by anyone at this point who's ambivalent or resistant to a public healthcare plan.

The health insurance companies have proven that they're no longer worthy of the very responsibilty they're there to uphold. I wouldn't trust them to bill me fairly or accurately for an aspirin, so why would I trust them with something as important as my life?

But at this point, with no general public option, I have no choice.

I make too much to qualify for Medicaid, however like 50%-75% of those that file for bankruptcy (depending on whose figures you believe), even with health insurance, any serious medical condition would still leave me with a level of debt that would be hard to recover from.

Furthermore, my premium has gone up 50% this year -- and at existing premium levels in another 10 years I won't be able to afford to be insured at all. I'll be forced out of the private insurance system at an age when I'll start to need it most -- which of course is precisely the intention of the insurance companies. They want to force out those that are statistically likely to become sick -- hence their rates increase exponentially to the point of unaffordability as one gets older.

According to a World Healthcare Organization survey, America spent 15.2 GDP on health, yet our nation was ranked at #37 for health system performance. Conversely Great Britain, which has a national healthcare system, was ranked at #18 yet spent just 8.2 GDP on health.

Those GDP figures are dated however. America now spends around 17% GDP on health and that's projected to rise to 20% by 2017. Think about it, $2 out of every $10 earnt will go on healthcare. If that's not a tax on life I don't know what is? And what do the poor and middle class get from that monumental healthcare spend? Treatment that's considered worse than that in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic according to the WHO.

In times of record job losses, we also have record numbers of uninsured. This means the burden of emergency care is being placed on fewer and fewer companies and individuals that are able to pay for plans, which is compounding an already dire situation with massive premium increases and benefit cuts. And with big business failing under the weight of grandfathered in healthcare expenditure, the lack of a public option is even having ramifications for the rich.

It's not surprising therefore that according to a recent NBC/Wall Street Journal survey 76% of Americans now want a public option.

However, under a barrage of obscene spending by the health industry on lobbyists, Obama is folding, his plan for a public option is on the verge of being withdrawn.

Don't allow this to happen. Take action now. Call your representative in congress and demand a pledge to support the the public option. Click HERE for a list of their numbers. Call them -- and share what they say in the comments section.

Are they choosing the health of the health insurance industry over your dead body?





sick

sick

Minneapolis, MN
June 2003

JUL 10, 2009 02:22 PM

nicole_powers said:
I'm really confused by anyone at this point who's ambivalent or resistant to a public healthcare plan.



At this point it's pure pigheadedness and stupidity. There are a few guys at work who go on about it all day. How everyone should pay his own way, and they shouldn't have to pay for other people's health care or education or whatever the topic of the day is.

I'm pretty tired of it. I'm about heartbeat away from saying:

"Look, you freeloaders, I'm tired of you sucking off the teat of society without contributing, and justifying it by saying everyone should pay his own way.

Everything you have, you have because you live in a society that makes it possible, and what do you give back? You don't want to pay for decent infrastructure to support our economy. You don't want to pay for education so we can have an educated, productive populace. You don't want to pay for health care so our workers can be healthy. So what do you contribute? Nothing. You're a net drain on society, you damned hypocrites."

mingol

mingol

Singapore
July 2005

JUL 10, 2009 02:24 PM

Sick said:
There are a few guys at work who go on about it all day. How everyone should pay his own way, and they shouldn't have to pay for other people's health care or education or whatever the topic of the day is.

I'm pretty tired of it. I'm about heartbeat away from saying:

"Look, you freeloaders, I'm tired of you sucking off the teat of society without contributing, and justifying it by saying everyone should pay his own way.

Everything you have, you have because you live in a society that makes it possible, and what do you give back? You don't want to pay for decent infrastructure to support our economy. You don't want to pay for education so we can have an educated, productive populace. You don't want to pay for health care so our workers can be healthy. So what do you contribute? Nothing. You're a net drain on society, you damned hypocrites."


You should tell them exactly this.

nicole_powers

nicole_powers

NEWSWIRE

I'm lost

JUL 10, 2009 03:10 PM

mingol said:

Sick said:
There are a few guys at work who go on about it all day. How everyone should pay his own way, and they shouldn't have to pay for other people's health care or education or whatever the topic of the day is.

I'm pretty tired of it. I'm about heartbeat away from saying:

"Look, you freeloaders, I'm tired of you sucking off the teat of society without contributing, and justifying it by saying everyone should pay his own way.

Everything you have, you have because you live in a society that makes it possible, and what do you give back? You don't want to pay for decent infrastructure to support our economy. You don't want to pay for education so we can have an educated, productive populace. You don't want to pay for health care so our workers can be healthy. So what do you contribute? Nothing. You're a net drain on society, you damned hypocrites."


You should tell them exactly this.



Well said. And I agree.

nicole_powers

nicole_powers

NEWSWIRE

I'm lost

JUL 13, 2009 03:18 PM

Just returned from Vegas, a city that's been devastated by the recession more than most. At best employers are using news of the economic downturn to force wage and benefit cuts on their staff (the folks at the hotel I stayed at for example had recently kissed goodbye to their 401Ks and were providing stellar service with a gritted teeth smile for 10% less). At worst, companies have just let people go en masse.

I was there for a friend's birthday party. He's one of the lucky ones who still has a job (he lost pension benefits however and is being forced to take two weeks unpaid leave). Sadly many of his friends haven't been so fortunate. Some had not only lost their jobs but had reached the limits of their unemployment benefit and were taking drastic measures to make ends meet (one ex-insurance agent is now a stripper, another girl with an accounting degree does odd jobs for $10 per hour). Several were also facing the loss of their homes (short sale anyone?).

And with the maximum unemployment benefit in Nevada coming in at $362 per week, health insurance -- especially COBRA -- was way beyond their budgets. So you'd think public health insurance might be a priority for those in Las Vegas. You'd be wrong.

Here's the Top 5 Reasons Why the Public Option is a Bad Idea as expressed to me by the folks I met in Sin City this past weekend:


    1. There aren't enough doctors.
    2. My health insurance costs $276 per month so I couldn't afford a $200 public option.
    3. We need tort reform first.
    4. As it is doctors only get 60-65% of what they bill.
    5. I can only afford catastrophic health insurance, so for all intents and purposes I'm not insured for regular doctors visits.



You might be forgiven for thinking that the above statements would be reasons for the public option, not against it. And that's what disturbed me the most. These otherwise intelligent people would make a statement that was seemingly pro-public option, then follow up with a passionate argument about how black was really white.

The only explanation for this confused thinking that clearly defied logic was the decades of brainwashing by governments, politicians and the "health" industry, which has falsely managed to equate universal healthcare with communism and lack of choice in most people's mind. Personally, I'd like everyone to have the option of health care that goes beyond mere emergency room triage. That to me is real choice.

But I guess these people were feeling lucky, since they were all happy to roll the dice and play the health industry's wheel of fortune game. You'd think they'd know better -- and that the house always wins.

FearTheReaper

FearTheReaper

NEWSWIRE

I'm lost

JUL 13, 2009 04:08 PM

Waiter at the cafe I eat at all the time has cancer. Of course, the restaurant doesn't provide health benefits and he couldn't afford insurance, so he's in that zone of "you make too much money to be covered, but not enough to buy your own."

His last screening came back cancer free. Now he's got a couple hundred thousand worth of debt.

Pip

Pip

Framingham, MA
OLD SKOOL

JUL 13, 2009 04:38 PM

FearTheReaper said:
Waiter at the cafe I eat at all the time has cancer. Of course, the restaurant doesn't provide health benefits and he couldn't afford insurance, so he's in that zone of "you make too much money to be covered, but not enough to buy your own."

His last screening came back cancer free. Now he's got a couple hundred thousand worth of debt.



Welcome to the world of Mandates. At least he has cancer and the public option would pick him up. puke Massachusetts at least has levels of assistance so people stuck in the middle get something. But mandates are the perfect way to keep the rich, rich and the poor, poor.

NATIONALIZE IT!!!! It will cost us less to provide better care to more people. Plus it will finally all of our corporations to be able to compete against companies who's home nations cover their employees health care.

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