Ultimately, the combination of the mandate to buy insurance, federal subsidies to low income families to purchase private plans, failure to adequately control insurance prices or crack down on the abuse of insurance denials make the House bill -- and its Senate counterpart -- look a lot like a massive bailout for the private insurance industry.
Don't be misled by the howling from insurance industry which has been spending some $1.4 million a day to steer the direction of legislation. They would have preferred the status quo, but will be more than happy to count the increased revenues coming their way.
As Rep. Dennis Kucinich said on the House floor, "we cannot fault the insurance companies for being what they are. But we can fault legislation in which the government incentivizes the perpetuation, indeed the strengthening, of the for-profit health insurance industry, the very source of the problem."
Read the rest of this summation of the health care reform that just passed in the House here at Counterpunch.org. Excellent article (still no numbers, though!) by Rose Ann DeMoro is executive director of the California Nurses Association.
Why is a Democrat-majority house so happy there were rumored tears of joy when they passed a health care bill that infringed on women's existing rights and absolutely screwed the poor of this country by mandating the purchase of an expensive service? A service that, I imagine, they would probably have purchased before if they could actually afford it in the first place? For instance, my parents. This bill, should it pass the Senate, would completely screw them over, laughable subsidies included. Me? Above the poverty line, sure, but still paying a tenth of my income on health care for my family. It is unacceptable to pretend that you're talking about "Health Care Reform" when you're just demanding that people who can't afford health insurance as it stands now produce sizable penalties when they still can't afford health insurance!
Thanks for nothing.
The subsidiaries are a joke of an amount, when they're discussed at all. I've been googling and googling for a number that means anything, and all I can get are obscure references to obscure percentages or statements to the fact that they're holding that info close to their chest. Hm. Maybe because it's a tease to keep us compliant and hopeful that this "reform" will actually help the poor, but they know that when they actually publish clear statements of what these health care subsidiaries will mean to you and I, they will have a riot on their hands.
Perhaps the tears were relief stemmed from no longer having to deal with the absolutely obnoxious conduct of the Republican party as they tried to conduct their business.
However, relief that you no longer have to deal with heckling doesn't excuse the fact that you, and 64 other Democrats, actually passed this horrible bill through the House. Where were all the progressives from the Progressive Caucus who swore they wouldn't pass anything less than a robust public option?
Cuz, in case you didn't notice, it ain't there.
According to NOW:
The Stupak Amendment, if incorporated into the final version of health insurance reform legislation, will:
Prevent women receiving tax subsidies from using their own money to purchase private insurance that covers abortion;
Prevent women participating in the public health insurance exchange, administered by private insurance companies, from using 100 percent of their own money to purchase private insurance that covers abortion;
Prevent low-income women from accessing abortion entirely, in many cases.
A New Enemy Within? Greens, Gay Rights, Pro-Choicers and Peaceniks
More than in 1994 though, Democrats in Congress might be facing backlash from both sides as 2010 advances. The climate bill’s “giveaways” alone would not have been enough to energize hardcore progressives to unseat sitting Democrats, but add in the escalation in Afghanistan; a lack of progress on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell;” and, now the health care vote and its abortion amendment and Democratic leaders may have done just enough to instigate a mutiny that unites the four most active and important political power players within the party: greens, gay rights groups, anti-war advocates and pro-choice women’s interests.
In other words, it is not inconceivable that by splitting the baby (turning John Kerry’s famous phrase on its head, many Dems from deep blue states voted against the anti-abortion amendment before they voted for the bill), Democrats who were already vulnerable have made themselves beatable.
You said it. I'm ready to vote the Democrats out (including and especially Obama and Pelosi, prime sell-outs), and vote in someone who actually knows what the term "progressive" stands for.
I voted yesterday to protect the rights of domestic partners in Washington State, among other things.
I vote to protect my rights and those around me whom those in power would do their best to disenfranchise, to keep the consolidation of power right where they want it. I wish every woman would do the same.
Look at the courage of this woman, alone in a sea of unfriendly looking men, demanding her right to vote.
Have you seen Iron Jawed Angels, yet? This movie is the true story of Alice Paul, one of the leaders of the American women's suffrage movement that finally ended in my right to vote. After understanding the bare minimum of the pain that they endured to secure this right of mine, I can no more shrug it off or "not bother" than I could spit in their faces.
If you only read one, read #6. It's the most fascinating.
My entire family--and my sister's family who also went to the expo with us--got the swine flu from PAX. Everyone will live (though in the case of my brother-in-law, it's developed into pneumonia). Hail to the freak who failed to wash his hands (ewww) and then handled all the game controllers (the two 13-year-olds were hit the hardest).
I obsessed on my single good find from PAX: Bejeweled. Which is why my son considers my geekhood to be a fail. HA. I'm not the one who infected the entire family with H1N1. *sniff*
I helped John fix up a free lawnmower someone had put out by the road to give away. "Needs a little help." (Ok, ok, I fetched things and admired his muscles and fantastically long eyelashes. So sue me.) All those toasters he picked apart in pubescence continue to serve us very well.
The biggest, hairiest spider invaded our studio and sent John into a fit. We overdid the Raid and I went to bed with a headache behind my eyes. I think when they designated it as "indoor", they did not take into account our rabid--and yes, hysterical--enthusiasm. Edited 10/26 to say: we now have a 'bigger' spider story. Meet the Giant House Spider. Non-poisonous and deeply terrifying. Try it fried in tempura for extra, extra protein hit.
I took this picture of the moon one Friday morning (click for a larger view).
Speaking of spiders, a new volcanic crater was found in Papua New Guinea, in which you can find such new species as fanged frogs, giant rats the size of cats and grunting fish; your basic proof of evolution. Yet the number of American's who believe in evolution hovers around... 40%. Which might explain why this fascinating story is not all over the regular news the way it deserves to be... they're afraid of pissing off the fundies.
The first song on the album John is working on with his brothers is just about complete. He's finalizing the last mix down (as long as the spiders aren't out to play). I wish you could hear it, but that will have to wait.
My daughter started her first year of high school. And dyed her hair blond, hot pink, blue and purple... in spots.
I watched Obama gut his public option and water down his "health-care reform bill" to a health-insurance reform bill and was extremely, extremely disappointed. And even a little pissed off.
I've started on my aforementioned art project for the bathroom. It will be joining several other projects I've been putting together, which I'll post in entirety later (lucky you).
And in conclusion, John and I had an awesome date on Saturday. I won't bore you with the details. But I will say it's nice to be within walking distance of a restaurant with great food and great Scotch.
Stand Up for Health Insurance Reform at Westlake! (Health Insurance Reform Now)
Join Congressman Jim McDermott, along with Organizing for America, Health Care for America NOW!, SEIU, UFCW 21, the Washington State Labor Council, WashPIRG, FUSE, and Planned Parenthood Votes for an evening rally at Westlake Park.
We will release the full list of speakers and acts once confirmed.
Please join us as we send the strongest signal yet to Congress that Washingtonians support strong Health Insurance Reform.
Time: Thursday, September 3 from 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Host: Dustin Lambro Location: Westlake Park (Seattle, WA)
I received the following reply from an email I sent to the Washington congressman Jim McDermott:
Thank you for writing me about the need for health care reform. I appreciate the time you took to write on this most important issue. As you know, our current system of health care coverage is miserably inadequate, leaving millions of Americans without an affordable way to get the coverage and the care they need. I have advocated a system of universal, guaranteed health insurance since 1972, when I made my first speech about it in the Washington State Legislature. Here in Congress, I have introduced HR1200, the American Health Security Act, every session since the 103rd Congress.
More and more families face increasing financial burdens as their premium contributions to employer-sponsored insurance increase sharply. Others are losing their coverage entirely as jobs are changed or lost. When a family member suffers serious illness or injury, many families go bankrupt trying to ensure their loved one receives the care he or she needs. I believe all Americans should have the certainty of comprehensive coverage and appropriate care. While I am disappointed with the health care reform parameters established by President Obama, especially his statement that a single payer system of coverage would not be on the table, I do think it is crucial that the Congress take action this year to enact substantive reforms of our health care system.
H.R. 3200, the America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, was recently reported out of the House Committee on Ways and Means, of which I am a senior member. Under the legislation, all insurance plans offered to American consumers are required to provide their enrollees a certain minimum level of benefits. I am especially concerned that this package include generous coverage of women's and children's health needs. The legislation also prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions, ensures that all plans are subject to guaranteed issue and renewability, and eliminates lifetime benefit caps. These insurance market reforms are long overdue, but they will not resolve all of the accessibility problems in our system. It is also essential that we include in the reform structure a strong public option: a coverage plan offered by the government to provide individuals and families with an attractive and affordable alternative to private insurance products. The public option must be a non-negotiable component of this health care reform effort.
Please be assured that as this bill moves forward, I will strongly oppose any efforts to weaken the public option. America's private insurance plans have long dominated the insurance marketplace, with very unsatisfactory results; millions of Americans are uninsured or underinsured, and millions more are finding that they simply cannot afford the ever-increasing costs of the coverage they have. These problems will not go away; on the contrary, they are worsening steadily. We simply must make significant changes in our health care system, and those changes must include a strong public plan of coverage.
Thank you again for your thoughtful comments. I hope you will continue to share your views with me.
Sincerely,
Jim McDermott Member of Congress
I don't know what HR1200, the American Health Security Act, is, so I'll have to do some research. But it's good to know our congressman indicated support for the single payer system of coverage, and more practically, that he'll resist efforts to water down the public options. That gets my vote.
I just erased an entire paragraph of useless "I'm so shocked and horrified!"s. Rather, it's only worth stating that this video is a perfect example of the egregious, criminal deluge of misinformation and ridiculous propaganda the Right Wing talking heads have disseminated among the people too stupid to do their own research.
Do your research before you go spouting off some bullshit that wouldn't hold up under the light of day. Turn on the light. Open your eyes. Read the print (of the bill, not Glenn Beck's website!)
It's summer... summer, summer, summer. You won't see much of me during this time of year--I prefer to be out and about in the sun, while I can. My physician diagnosed me as deficient in vitamin D, which is--ha!--a fact of life for pretty much every person in the Pacific Northwest. We simply don't get enough sun. So when we do, I love it.
I am apparently alone in my sun-worship. Bento box + bonus fan service We had weather a couple weeks ago ranging between the 80's - 90's, topping off a day or two at 100+ degrees. Stuck in a bus full of people who consider the 80's too hot, without any air-conditioning, and it's too much. Granted. :) But overall, I've loved it.
I keep including pictures of my bento boxes, packed in the morning for me by my husband, because they're pretty, it amuses me and I like to brag about how he spoils me. Because he's good at that. :) But more than his cooking and compulsive nurturing, I love his mind. You can find his insightful political posts here, under "John Lindsey."
As for Obama's "Bold Action" (as pictured above), I have to go on record with my disappointment in the lack thereof just now. The White House's waffling on the subject of a public option is terribly disheartening. Without a viable public option, this is not any kind of "Health care Reform", it's just a waste of every one's time, money and general indignation. Health care is a right, not a privilege. I thought I was done being embarrassed to be an American when Obama was elected, but it's aaaallll coming back to me now.
Can we do something right, something for the people, with this democracy? Just look at the polls. People want health care reform, they want health care, period! Why does the democracy apply only to companies-registered-as-people, and not the people-who-are-people? Where did we go wrong? Because this is wrong. Democracy is fueled by what what the people want, and the people want health care reform, not to protect the insurance company's bankroll. Democracy that actually provides the people with what they're asking for is being incorrectly-and-intentionally mislabeled as socialism by people who don't have your best interests at heart, and they're getting away with it.
Another day, another nauseating anti-health care reform commercial, spouting the patently untrue line that the house bill will set up the government to "decide if older patients are worth the cost." What blatant tripe. Like the ridiculous statement by Sarah Palin, this lie is continuously perpetuated by nut-cases bent on furthering their own political ends by riling up the public to basically vote against their own interests. This absolutely enrages me.
This is probably not the most offensive commercial advertising against the house's health care bill out there right now, but I'm going to focus here for a bit. I won't bother defending against the stupidity of their claim--what a waste of my time, not to mention dignity. Instead I'll focus on the real issue: the Why of the lie. The Who of the lie.
According to his wiki under the "politics" section, you will find:
In 2006, Boone wrote an article for WorldNetDaily, in which he argued that Democrats and others who were against the President during the Iraq War could be questioned for their patriotism. He was interviewed by Neil Cavuto on Fox News, where he expressed his outrage against the opponents of George W. Bush (namely the Dixie Chicks) that their criticisms of the President showed they did not "respect their elders." Another article defended Mel Gibson after the actor was recorded making an antisemitic rant.
In early 2007, Boone wrote two articles claiming that the theory of evolution is an "absurd," "nonsensical" "bankrupt false religion." He later wrote an editorial in the form of a fairy tale where a young Prince Charming was seduced by a dwarf, got AIDS, and then overdosed.
In the 2007 Kentucky gubernatorial election, Pat Boone campaigned for incumbent Republican Ernie Fletcher with a prerecorded automated telephone message stating that the Democratic Party candidate Steve Beshear would support "every homosexual cause." As part of the campaign, Boone asked, "Now do you want a governor who'd like Kentucky to be another San Francisco?" This caused a great deal of controversy and backlash for Boone.
More recently, he assisted the John McCain 2008 presidential campaign by lending his voice to automated campaign phonecalls.
On December 6, 2008 Pat Boone wrote an article for WorldNetDaily wherein he drew analogies between recent gay rights protests, and recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India. He reminds readers of hostage taking, exploding bombs systematic murder and chaotic conditions of carnage. In it, he asserts that marriage is a biblically ordained institution, which the government has no part in defining. He then states that equal rights for women, blacks and slavery were not "obtained by threats and violent demonstrations and civil disruption" but rather through due process. He concludes by warning that unless they're checked, the "hedonistic, irresponsible, blindly selfish goals and tactics of homegrown sexual jihadists will escalate into acts vile, violent and destructive." The Human Rights Campaign has called this article "a new low in anti-gay rhetoric".
This is a guy who is going to lie to you. This is a guy with his own agenda (and it ain't a pretty one). Read up on the associations sponsoring all the crappy advertising you're seeing, and know who's motivated by what before you believe them. These people don't have our best interests at heart.
A breath of fresh air wafting, finally, through the bullshit-ladden halls. Followed, apparently, by a sucker-punch. :D You go, Anthony Weiner.
MADDOW: When you where deciding about what to do with this amendment, deciding what your role was going to be in health care, what you could do in this committee, did the Medicare idea come to you because you knew it would be an embarrassment? Did you think that any Republicans would actually vote against Medicare?
WEINER: Well, I did. And you should make note that this is the 44th anniversary to the day of the creation of Medicare. But it does lead us to the next logical step where I need colleagues on both sides of the aisle to start to come to. And that is not why have a public option, but why have a private option at all.
If we know, for example, the one experiment we have is very successful, the publicly funded health care through Medicare, why do we even need insurance companies? What constructive role are they playing? We know they're taking tens of billions of dollars each year and putting it into profits that should be going into health care.
So, tomorrow, I'm going to be taking the next step in offering a true single-payer health care plan, and I want people today to start to think about, "Hey, maybe that's the way we do it. It's simpler and we know that it's works."
My tangle with the truck broke no bones, and my Dr.'s comment was "Wow, you're a tough one, aren't you? Get hit by a truck and get up and go home." Of course, I didn't just stroll there, and I've been regretting my instinctive desire to head for home and privacy ever since.
Though the insurance of the driver of the truck has accepted all liability and I am covered 100% for medical, I have been turned away from 5 medical establishments in the week following the accident, many of them well-respected and hospital affiliated, who "weren't set up for third party billing" and expected me to pay out of pocket for my medical expenses, and then try to collect from the car insurance. As if I'm stupid enough to put myself in that position! I actually had to limp out of two of them, after setting up appointments, because even though I advised them it was a motor vehicle accident and was paying through car insurance, they didn't see fit to advise me before-hand that they wouldn't accept payment (100% coverage!) through 'third party insurance.'
I'm sorry, how is car insurance coverage more third party than health insurance? This is the best medical coverage out there? This is ideal? It took me a week to get seen by a Dr. after being thrown to the ground by a truck. I was weeping with sheer frustration outside building of the second doctor's office I was turned away from until the office security came over to assure me 'everything would get better, whatever it was'--maybe he thought I'd been advised I had cancer or something, rather than being overcome with sheer frustrated rage.
Our doctor offices and hospital affiliations are so small, or understaffed, or cannot afford to go through all the red tape to bill for my coverage? This is Seattle, for gawd's sake, not some backwater place with few healthcare options. What this really is, is bullshit. Healthcare reform now, please, thx.
"And what do we know so far about what middle class Americans can expect from the legislation being privately crafted?
First, no matter what percentage of your take home pay it takes, you will be legally required to buy private health insurance. Second, if all you can afford is a policy that leaves you financially exposed to bankruptcy and foreclosure, then you will still be legally required to purchase that private insurance product. Third, should you fail to buy a policy, you will pay a fine.
Like it so far? Feeling free and protected? Like the choices so far? It gets better.
The private, for-profit insurance industry has made concessions we are asked to celebrate. First, they'll issue every one of us a policy provided every one of us is legally forced to buy coverage. Second, they stop discriminating against women because they have uteruses and child-bearing capacity, provided we all have to buy their product. And third, and this was a real coup according to our leaders, the insurance companies, medical equipment folks and providers will slow the rate of increase in charging for their products to charge just a bit less in terms of percentages of overall costs than they had planned to do and as is predicted. Laughable concessions sold as real compromise." -- Donna Smith
If this is true, then I wonder why Obama even bothered to make a stink about addressing healthcare reform this year. Sure, it was part of his campaign, but such a paltry change would be more a slap in the face of the american people who need this healthcare reform so badly than if he hadn't bothered to do anything at all. Because a faux reform will only mean it'll be that much longer before we can expect anything of substance to happen.
Don't bother if you can't do it right, Obama. I can kinda understand if you've taken on too much to do this first year and as a result are too distracted by sending more soldiers into countries we illegally invaded. That would weigh on my mind, too. But don't give the american people short shift by--again!-- letting the people who got us into our current health care joke of a system lead the way and make the decisions on how they're supposedly going to fix that.
The american people want a single payer healthcare system. Nothing half or a quarter thereof.
"There are 50 million people without insurance in this country. That's equivalent to 24 state populations. If we had 24 states where nobody had insurance they would be out in the streets raising all kinds of hell," said Phil Campbell, spokesman for the group Montanans for Single-Payer and the former political director of the Montana Education Association before it merged with the Montana Federation of teachers. "We're just frustrated with Baucus because all the players are at the table, all the insurance companies and other folks, except advocates for single-payer. We think it's the solution to the problem. It's a system that will pay for itself rather than figure out how we're going to pay for the system."
With some polls showing approximately 60 percent of Americans in support of single-payer health insurance, advocates say Congress is excluding the majority of Americans from a critical national debate. Single-payer supporters say politicians are unfairly criticizing the idea as politically unfeasible without even having an open and public dialogue on its merits.
Read the rest of this excellent article by John S. Adamshere.
