Single payer health care for America
June 11th 2009 04:21
If you listen to everyone from right wing pundits to the conservative on the street, they will tell you Democrats are bringing "socialized medicine" to America, and it will ruin "the best health care system in the world." Few of them actually understand what that means, or what it would do for American health care.
First, it's a mistake to say "best health care in the world." In reality, it's only the most expensive. Not even in the top 20 in terms of actual results. Why the discrepancy? In short, for-profit insurance companies. Sure, if you've got the money, you'll get great health care. If you can afford Cedar Sinai, you have little to complain about. If, on the other hand, you aren't insured are find yourself under-insured, good luck.
I have a good analogy that helps illustrate the big difference between single payer health care and what we have in America now. Imagine single payer in a box. The box is only so big, restricted by the budget ascribed to it. Care is given out from that box. The good part is, we, through our elected officials, can change the box. If it's too big or too small, it can be changed. It doesn't have to be a static box.
Private insurance, on the other hand, is more like a trash compactor. Sure, it starts out square like a box, but it has constant pressure on it to make it smaller, to squeeze more profits out of the box. What makes a health insurance company money? Limiting care, but maximizing billing. Deny care whenever possible, and skim as much off the system as possible.
Conservatives say "I don't want the government managing my health care." So you prefer an organization that is going to squeeze 25-30 percent right off the top, just to run itself and pay it's CEO millions? They say health care decisions, if government is involved, won't be between doctor and patient. Are they now? Be realistic. Health care decisions now are based on what the insurance company will agree to pay.
Conservatives will tell you there will be rationing big lines. Not if we do it right. But can anyone say with a straight face there isn't rationing of health care now?
The big step is removing the big profit skim. Will single payer be perfect? Of course not. There will be problems to work out, and there will be adjustments. But if we are involved from the start and stay involved, we can make a system that works good for all of us.
It looks like, in all probability, we won't get a soley single payer health care system right now. But we need to make sure we do get the so-called "public option." What that most likely will look like is a plan that people can buy into that is ran similar to Medicare. It would compete with other insurance plans. Funny, the conservatives are usually ranting about the need for competition and choice, yet they are deathly afraid of single payer health care, even as an option?
Why? Because they know what we have now is a scam, and they know if people are ever given a choice to move away from the current debacle they will in droves. And conservative leaders (and regrettably, some Democrats too) get their bread and butter from big health care, in the form of huge campaign contributions. Money talks in Washington. And the conservative on the street will do what their leadership tells them to do, regardless of whether or not it is in their best interest.
But now is the time, and here is the place. We need to all be active. Call your representatives, talk to your friends, do whatever you can - because big health insurance companies are bringing all their guns to this fight, they don't want to lose billions. A public option will make them compete, make them reduce premiums, make them pay their CEO's in paltry seven-figure salaries.
First, it's a mistake to say "best health care in the world." In reality, it's only the most expensive. Not even in the top 20 in terms of actual results. Why the discrepancy? In short, for-profit insurance companies. Sure, if you've got the money, you'll get great health care. If you can afford Cedar Sinai, you have little to complain about. If, on the other hand, you aren't insured are find yourself under-insured, good luck.
I have a good analogy that helps illustrate the big difference between single payer health care and what we have in America now. Imagine single payer in a box. The box is only so big, restricted by the budget ascribed to it. Care is given out from that box. The good part is, we, through our elected officials, can change the box. If it's too big or too small, it can be changed. It doesn't have to be a static box.
Private insurance, on the other hand, is more like a trash compactor. Sure, it starts out square like a box, but it has constant pressure on it to make it smaller, to squeeze more profits out of the box. What makes a health insurance company money? Limiting care, but maximizing billing. Deny care whenever possible, and skim as much off the system as possible.
Conservatives say "I don't want the government managing my health care." So you prefer an organization that is going to squeeze 25-30 percent right off the top, just to run itself and pay it's CEO millions? They say health care decisions, if government is involved, won't be between doctor and patient. Are they now? Be realistic. Health care decisions now are based on what the insurance company will agree to pay.
Conservatives will tell you there will be rationing big lines. Not if we do it right. But can anyone say with a straight face there isn't rationing of health care now?
The big step is removing the big profit skim. Will single payer be perfect? Of course not. There will be problems to work out, and there will be adjustments. But if we are involved from the start and stay involved, we can make a system that works good for all of us.
It looks like, in all probability, we won't get a soley single payer health care system right now. But we need to make sure we do get the so-called "public option." What that most likely will look like is a plan that people can buy into that is ran similar to Medicare. It would compete with other insurance plans. Funny, the conservatives are usually ranting about the need for competition and choice, yet they are deathly afraid of single payer health care, even as an option?
Why? Because they know what we have now is a scam, and they know if people are ever given a choice to move away from the current debacle they will in droves. And conservative leaders (and regrettably, some Democrats too) get their bread and butter from big health care, in the form of huge campaign contributions. Money talks in Washington. And the conservative on the street will do what their leadership tells them to do, regardless of whether or not it is in their best interest.
But now is the time, and here is the place. We need to all be active. Call your representatives, talk to your friends, do whatever you can - because big health insurance companies are bringing all their guns to this fight, they don't want to lose billions. A public option will make them compete, make them reduce premiums, make them pay their CEO's in paltry seven-figure salaries.
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