busyI'm really unhappy that such a small group of people has been chosen to handle such a huge issue, and not by the voters -- nor are they swayed by what voters are demanding. They are serving the interests of insurance companies and drug companies who have more access to them than voters do. And more money.
Robert Reich | Why the Gang of Six Is Deciding Health Care for Three Hundred Million of Us
Robert Reich, Robert Reich's Blog: "Last night, the so-called 'gang of six' - three Republican and three Democratic senators on the Senate Finance Committee - met by conference call and, according to Senator Max Baucus, the committee's chair, reaffirmed their commitment 'toward a bipartisan health-care reform bill' (read: less coverage and no public insurance option). The Washington Post reports that the senators shared tales from their home states, where some have been besieged by protesters angry about a potential government takeover of the nation's health care system."
Once again: if you think that a government-run health plan would create "death panels" to kill people, be aware that the current health care system already kills people who are uninsured, underinsured, fall through the cracks, or have expensive needs that someone else can figure out a way not to pay for. The current Republican hype makes people believe that a real problem in the current system -- letting people die because they can't afford health care -- is not happening now but would happen under pretty much any plan the Democrats propose. This infuriates me, because they are pretending to oppose something (letting people die) that they actually support. That kind of bald-faced lying leads to bad decisions.
FOCUS | Dying for Affordable Health Care - the Uninsured Speak
Ed Pilkington, The Guardian UK: "In the furious debate gripping America over the future of its health system, one voice has been lost amid the shouting. It is that of a distinguished gynaecologist, aged 67, called Dr Joseph Manley. For 35 years Manley had a thriving health clinic in Kansas. He lived in the most affluent neighbourhood of Kansas City and treated himself to a new Porsche every year. But this is not a story about doctors' remuneration and their lavish lifestyles."
FINALLY. If the Republicans refuse to compromise -- since they have made demands, but still refused to support any of the health reform bills after their demands were met -- then they should be ignored while other people do the work of creating health care reform without them. A bipartisan approach only works if both sides are willing to play fair. When one side just chants NO NO NO without offering a functional and detailed counterproposal, nothing is going to get done, until or unless the active side determines to act on its own. Which is what the Democrats were mostly elected for in the first place, so if they want to stay there, they should get off their buns.
Obama May Abandon Effort to Reach Health Deal With Republicans
Edwin Chen, Bloomberg: "President Barack Obama is likely in September to end Democratic efforts to work with Republicans on health-care legislation and press for a party-line vote if the stalemate on the issue in the U.S. Senate persists, a person close to the White House said. The president and his advisers have started devising a strategy to pass a measure by relying only on the Democratic majority in each house of Congress, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity."
Our current health care system is not only unsustainable, ineffective, and ruinously expensive -- it is also extremely discriminatory, favoring rich white men and abandoning many other groups including poor people, children, women, and people of color. This article examines the negative health effects on women.
Sharon Lerner | Why Women Need Health Care Reform
Sharon Lerner, The Nation: "To be sure, no group is doing well under our network of private insurers, which is more holes than net. But women fare particularly badly in terms of health, being more likely than men to leave a prescription unfilled; forgo seeing a needed specialist; and skip a medical test, treatment or follow-up. Financially, women are worse off, too, in large part because they earn less money. Despite the fact that they skimp on their care to cut costs, three in five women are still unable to pay their medical bills."
August 25 2009, 12:07:02 UTC 11 years ago
Thus Obama's big money donors are happy, and Obama can blame the GOP.
Yes, there's something wrong with this....
Yes...
August 25 2009, 17:54:17 UTC 11 years ago