Robert "Paul Revere" Reich Sounds The Alarm: The Healthcare Fix Is In - And It Ain't Good. Fight Back Now!
By Susie Madrak Sunday Jun 07, 2009 1:00pm
Robert Reich says we have no time to waste if we want to save healthcare reform:
I'ved poked around Washington today, talking with friends on the Hill who confirm the worst: Big Pharma and Big Insurance are gaining ground in their campaign to kill the public option in the emerging health care bill.
You know why, of course. They don't want a public option that would compete with private insurers and use its bargaining power to negotiate better rates with drug companies. They argue that would be unfair. Unfair? Unfair to give more people better health care at lower cost? To Pharma and Insurance, "unfair" is anything that undermines their profits.
As Michael Moore pointed out in "Sicko", these companies are only doing what they supposed to do: Make money. The real problem is having a for-profit healthcare system.
So they're pulling out all the stops -- pushing Democrats and a handful of so-called "moderate" Republicans who say they're in favor of a public option to support legislation that would include it in name only. One of their proposals is to break up the public option into small pieces under multiple regional third-party administrators that would have little or no bargaining leverage. A second is to give the public option to the states where Big Pharma and Big Insurance can easily buy off legislators and officials, as they've been doing for years. A third is bind the public plan to the same rules private insurers have already wangled, thereby making it impossible for the public plan to put competitive pressure on the insurers.
Isn't that sweet?
Max Baucus, Chair of Senate Finance (now exactly why does the Senate Finance Committee have so much say over health care?) hasn't shown his cards but staffers tell me he's more than happy to sign on to any one of these. But Baucus is waiting for more support from his colleagues, and none of the three proposals has emerged as the leading candidate for those who want to kill the public option without showing they're killing it. Meanwhile, Ted Kennedy and his staff are still pushing for a full public option, but with Kennedy ailing, he might not be able to round up the votes. (Kennedy's health committee released a draft of a bill today, which contains the full public option.)
Enter Olympia Snowe. Her move is important, not because she's Republican (the Senate needs only 51 votes to pass this) but because she's well-respected and considered non-partisan, and therefore offers some cover to Democrats who may need it. Last night Snowe hosted a private meeting between members and staffers about a new proposal Pharma and Insurance are floating, and apparently she's already gained the tentative support of several Democrats (including Ron Wyden and Thomas Carper). Under Snowe's proposal, the public option would kick in years from now, but it would be triggered only if insurance companies fail to bring down healthcare costs and expand coverage in he meantime.
What's the catch? First, these conditions are likely to be achieved by other pieces of the emerging legislation; for example, computerized records will bring down costs a tad, and a mandate requiring everyone to have coverage will automatically expand coverage. If it ever comes to it, Pharma and Insurance can argue that their mere participation fulfills their part of the bargain, so no public option will need to be triggered. Second, as Pharma and Insurance well know, "years from now" in legislative terms means never. There will never be a better time than now to enact a public option. If it's not included, in a few years the public's attention will be elsewhere.
Much the same dynamic is occurring in the House. Two members who had originally supported single payer told me that Pharma and Insurance have launched the same strategy there, and many House members are looking to see what happens in the Senate. Snowe's "trigger" is already buzzing among members.
All this will be decided within days or weeks. And once those who want to kill the public option without their fingerprints on the murder weapon begin to agree on a proposal -- Snowe's "trigger" or any other -- the public option will be very hard to revive. The White House must now insist on a genuine public option. And you, dear reader, must insist as well.
This is it, folks. The concrete is being mixed and about to be poured. And after it's poured and hardens, universal health care will be with us for years to come in whatever form it now takes. Let your representative and senators know you want a public option without conditions or triggers -- one that gives the public insurer bargaining leverage over drug companies, and pushes insurers to do what they've promised to do. Don't wait until the concrete hardens and we've lost this battle.
You can contact your congress members and senators here.
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Sigh.
Reading all this, and knowing what huge majorities we have (but don't need for this) and STILL can't pull it off... WHAT'S IT GONNA TAKE???
I think it's time we let them know we're onto them. They hate our guts and have no intention of doing the job we elected them to do.
Send them every day to your senators, representatives, and the President. Single payer, that's what we want. Screw the insurance companies. If they go out of the health insurance business, good for us. No public option, either. Single payer ONLY. Single payer is like Medicare for everyone (BTW it costs $96 a month. How does that work for you?). Health care should not be a "for profit" industry for insurance companies. No more advertising drugs on TV and in magazines, either. No wonder they are so expensive. Enough. Start e-mailing.
DC has to fall into the ocean and we start all over again.
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have no concern for us, the electorate. They just want their goody bags from Blue Cross and Regence, et alia.
asking my republican representatives and Seantors to vote for single payer would be like me pissing into hurricane force winds and expecting not to pee on myself. Not gonna happen
we'll get no where. My senators are iffy, AFAIK. My rep, not. But you still have to let them know how you feel.
I expect he will listen. He's still entitled to be trusted. And it cannot hurt to hit the republicans, too. Remember, they want to get back into power.
Thom Hartmann said last week that e-mails are increasingly ineffective. He said the only way to have an impact was to either call or write a (real) letter - preferably BOTH.
He said Congresspersons (in general) decided the e-mails don't necessarily represent a genuine sampling of how the public feels. It's SUCH BS -- but I'm sure we all know that freeping is what they're using as an excuse here.
Hit everyone -- Obama and all your reps.
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Senator says Obama 'got nerve' to push lawmakers
The Associated Press - 4 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley says that President Barack Obama "got nerve" to go sightseeing in Paris while telling lawmakers it's time to deliver on a health care overhaul.
can't win... no matter what... they will ALWAYS bitch and whine...
Dim Son's interminable brush clearing forays? I mean it was over a year of vacation in 8, over 400 days. Including, Grassly, the Katrina vacation, you asshole.
Enough pussy footing around. Time to bitch-slap a few people.
What really gets to me is that the P(harms) and IN-surance moguls are using the millions that they have "overcharged" to buy off preferred treatment from the Pols. That and flooding the airwaves with thousands of fear ads and miracle cures, which has to be half the MSM revenue.
Saw an ad on TV yesterday (staring Brook Shields) for a new drug for "thicker longer eyelashes". I kid you not.
Low testosterone. Now poison middle aged men with hormones. Good marketing move, Big Pharma. Glad you have our backs. In your sites.
And I just about fell over. I mean, really, longer eyelashes? This is a massively important medical mystery to be solved?
I'm SO glad we're not wasting time and money on silly non-issues.
They will make it cheaper for corporate.
Business as usual.
I think the "fix" has been in since Obama took office (more likely shortly after the November 2008 elections) regarding healthcare, which should be obvious to most anyone who takes a close look. Obama has never been an advocate of the "single payer" model, so what the American people are going to get is basically "smoke and mirrors" which translates into a water-downed, bullshit, miserable failure. Sure, after they pass "something", Obama and his posse will claim it was all we could get in the interests of "bipartianship" (amazing in itself considering there are only 40 f**king Republicans in the Senate at least on the surface), or some other meaningless line of bullshit. Or, the line will probably go something like this..."Hey this is the best we could do and...after all...it may not be much or even the best healthcare plan for America, but it is better than nothing at all...!!!
Don't give up yet. Fight back. If we lose, we'll get even then.
The fix IS in. Instead of sitting down at the table with all involved--including and especially those favoring single-payer--Obama feels it necessary to go on tour.
Of course, he isn't touring Congress or the offices of the healthcare titans; rather, he's touring the country in order to convince taxpayers why it's simply not feasible to pass single-payer.
Don't let that happen.
and it puts NYC date night and a weekend in paris in perspective:
"michele, i'm going to be very busy for a while" ...
Obama Fast-Tracks Health Care Reform
ABC News - 17 hours ago
By GAIL RUSSELL CHADDOCK President Obama, with a strong assist from Congress's budget watchdog, is moving healthcare reform to the fast track on Capitol Hill -- with or without Republican support.
Video: Obama: 'Time to Deliver' on Health Care The Associated Press
Obama to Forge a Greater Role on Health Care New York Times
[...]
all 606 news articles »
http://news.google.com/news/more?pz=1&ned=us&...
of Daschle, the biggest health care insurance lobbyist there is - well, perhaps second to his own wife.
Go ahead, Pick a day in June... any day but pick just ONE day - the SAME day, nationally and call in SICK. AND STAY HOME. EVERY LAST ONE OF US. - And let the followers in Washington know that We, The People of The United States are SICK and TIRED of them ignoring US. Let them know that bribery is NO way to run a democracy. And if they do not respond? The Next week it will be TWO SICK DAYS. And then? I think you got the idea... Time to kick some Corporate @$$!
well, if I had a job
Do I have to tell you every detail?
(Just kidding - good luck finding a job - any job, 'cause it really sucks right now.)
--had a job offer with a government contractor putting in for a bid for a position, said to be very likely to happen. The military ended up bypassing the contractors and offering the position to a military spouse, that way they don't have to pay as much (because the military spouse doesn't need benefits).
So, no health insurance for me yet again this year!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4dc715ybIg&fe...
I think there is a perception among the Democrats in congress to believe
that Progressive Voters have no where to go so they don't need to worry.
This is not True, because HealthCare is the number "ONE Issue"for most
Democrats, and most i have talked to and i have talked to a lot of them, and they all say that they will simply sit Home on Election Day. I guess they figure that they might as well give up if the Dems. with a Majority
in both Houses can't get it done. I also will Predict that Obama will be a one Term Prez. if he let's the Insurance Companies and Big Pharma. Rig
HealthCare Reform as we all know they are. Trying to Negotiate with them is like trying to Negotiate with a Burglar about he what can steal from your House. In other words there both CROOKS.
Lets Throw this BUM out!
more headlines:
Democrats Weigh Health Mandate as Obama Urges Taxing Wealthy
Bloomberg - 1 hour ago
By Laura Litvan and Ryan Donmoyer June 7 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama wants Congress to consider taxing the wealthy instead of workers to pay for a health-care overhaul, as House Democrats discuss a plan to require health insurance for most ...
Health, climate change vie for boost in US Congress Reuters
SPIN METER: White House straddles health tax issue The Associated Press
CQPolitics.com - Ozarks First - Washington Times - Financial Times
all 137 news articles »
http://news.google.com/news/more?pz=1&ned=us&...
Here is a list of elected people taking payoffs to cheat the American people and the amounts of bribes being taken. This is just from health care and insurance.
It is mind boggling to think how much these people are taking from others!
Arlen Specter (R-D- PA- $4,026,933)
Max Baucus (DLC- MT- $2,833,731)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY- $2,758,468)
And when you just go right to Big Insurance, the non-presidential candidates who got the biggest legalized bribes were the 7 senators who have been tasked with the job of killing single-payer:
Ben Nelson (DLC-NE- $1,196,799)
Max Baucus (DLC- MT- $1,184,113)
Joe Lieberman (DLC- CT- $1,036,302)
Arlen Specter (R-D- PA- $1,035,530)
Chuck Schumer (D-NY- $981,400)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY- $929,207)
Chuck Grassley (R-IA- $884,724)
We need to investigate and prosecute these criminals now. Severe jail terms are in order for these criminals!
I wonder how they will vote. And whether they will give the insurance companies a receipt afterward.
"Years from now" means 'lets postpone and stall until the GOP is in control again' and they'll get the legislation the way RX and insurance wants it.
Should be taken out!
They are all in the pocket of the corporations.
It is the only reason these people got into government in the first place!
No health care for EVERYONE...
No vote for the Democrats ANYMORE.
And that means Obama's 2nd term too.
I just won't do it.
This would just prove that there IS NO LESSER EVIL.
I voted for Obama and all the Dems, believing the promises that if they were in control, they would get all of these things done. They keep blaming lack of progress on the Republicans. And now Obama supports taxing health benefits? WTF?!
Big Pharmaceuticals and Insurance companies are no better than the fascists of Mussolini. There is something seriously wrong when someone has to drop out of college because of medical fees from a broken leg. Or some kid dies from an oral infection because his mom couldn't find a hospital that would treat him.
I'm surprised they haven't gone Umbrella Corporation on us and started performing human experimentation. I'm just waiting for that big viral outbreak caused by Pfizer or some other company's fuck up, because they thought they could save money by cutting back on some "unnecessary" safety measures. It's really hard to have any real faith in a health care provider that is for-profit, when our health and well being is second to the bottom line.
Many of my acquaintances are being screwed by the health-care system but don't know what to do about it, if anything. Inside their loop of FOX News, RW talk radio and their ultra-conservative local newspaper - which they innocently think is all "just news" - they're not hearing anything unpleasant about Big Pharma and Big Insurance. MSM? Nothing there to enlighten them. Political blogs? What are they?
Many millions of Americans are like that. Obama will have a very tough time getting a health-care reform message through to them over over GOP noise, which seems even louder these days now that they're the oppositon. I can't stop dreaming of a public, mock trial - maybe on a stage in the Washington Mall, or Yankee Stadium, that charges RW media moguls and their pseudo-fascist lackies with crimes against the people. No, I can't think of any other way to hold them accountable for all the harm they do to this nation. Wish I could.
Not trying to be rude, but that will do nothing. E mail? Look, as people have said, these representatives don't care about you, they just don't. They care about keeping their power and money. Canada did not get their healthcare system by writing letters, they got off their asses and pushed the issue, and doctors and nurses got heavily involved as well. The "Baucus 13" needs to become the Baucus 300 million, you need to scare these people. They need to know that if they don't listen to the will of the people there will be hell to pay. You'll get arrested in masse, you'll camp at their offices, you'll make their meetings with their lobbyists impossible and you'll throw their asses out of office.
In America we really aren't used to taking part IN government, we aren't used to political participation; we're used to voting for people who ignore us and begging them to listen. Ideally there'd be a fourth branch or government to collectively check the other three, made up of crooks from teh same schools, class and with the same general ideas. Direct power, which we don't have and won't have for some time, if ever. If we don't change and raise hell in the meantime, nothing will change.
We have a situation where public opinion is miles apart from government policy. For me personally, it was obvious when I went to a protest before the war started, they designated a spot for people to protest and everyone listened like good little sheep. If they draw a line step over it and be brave. Call their bluff. If enough people do it what the hell CAN they do?
Are mass rallies or marches for health-care reform already being planned around the country? I'd like to stay tuned.
How likely are spontaneous protest demonstrations in DC? Or anywhere for that matter. Time is of the essence, and there is not enough time to get many going. Millions of e-mails are a good start. If people want to go further, good for them. Regarding protests and sit-ins, what worked for Nam will work again. However, sending an e-mail every day demanding single-payer coverage is something any one with e-mail can do. You certainly do have the spirit.
and maybe I was being a little harsh, it may be a START, and nothing more. I don't however think that anything worthwhile is spontaneous (it may appear so but a lot of organizing usually happened for long periods of time behind the scenes), and I don't think sit ins are the end all either. You have to basically make the representives lives hell and challenge their nonsense head on. It doesn't matter that we have a better argument, or that what they are planning will obviously not work nearly as well as single payer or that they are ignoring about 70% of the country on the issue, we have no direct power, what can we do realistically? I don't think it will happen within the US political system, unless people get direct power somehow or people are willing to basically push back pretty hard, breaking the law if need be. Realistically there will be no real fundamental change that would fix the problems of the system, basically the system will go from horrible to bad which is an improvement, if things are to change like most of the country wants. It is that simple. It doesn't mean they WILL, but it's the only real option. I'm not hopefull and the Democrats are not going to control all three branches forever. I realize that the Democrats are NOT really on the left, but they at least make issues like this moderately possible under miracle circumstances and even they, in an economic crisis with the majority of the public behind them, aren't going to even consider it. What REAL options are there?
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