Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Serious Concerns about Health Care reform
by Anthem Sled (a Northern New Jersey guest columnist and thinker)
I am a young, healthy, self-employed American. I have no health insurance. When I voted for President Obama I was, to use a favorite phrase of his, “cautiously optimistic” that this Congress would pass a health care reform bill that might allow me to obtain a simple, bare-bones plan for a reasonable cost (not for free!) that would protect me from bankruptcy if I got hit by a bus.
This week, my cautious optimism became doubt.
With the elimination of the public option, there is now nothing left in this “Health Care Reform” bill that constitutes any kind of “reform” at all.
Connecticut Independent Joe Lieberman has obstinately outweighed the combined efforts of his Democratic colleagues in the Senate who were willing to take a risk and go for the real change that the public option represents. Fresh off a shameless attempt to grab headlines by exploiting the Fort Hood tragedy to talk tough on “Terrorism” (in this case, the terrifying surname of a madman), the Iraq War supporter and (pardon me while I suppress my gag reflex...) former Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate has proven himself to be an Insurance Industry lap-dog. “According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Mr. Lieberman received $688,344 in contributions from the insurance industry during the 2008 election cycle, though there were several industries with bigger contributions. Lieberman said health insurers didn't influence his stands. "I've never hesitated to take on the insurance companies," he said.” Senator Lieberman declined to give an example.
Thanks to the efforts of my own two Senators, New Jersey’s Big Pharma delegation of Lautenberg and Menendez, along with President Obama, a provision to allow the hugely cost-saving re-importation of prescription drugs has been left out. This is good news not only for Pfizer and Merck, but also for the Niagara Bus Company, who can count on continuing to carry seniors hundreds of miles up to Canada, just to circumvent the kind of protectionism I was cautiously optimistic would go out with the Bushies.
One attempted compromise was to expand Medicare to cover uninsured 55- to 64-year-olds. That would only mean that the Federal Government would increasingly bear the burden of caring for the older, sicker portions of the population while Aetna, Cigna, et al can continue to cherry-pick. It’s the bank bailouts all over again: profits are privatized, but losses become the burden of the American taxpayer.
So what exactly are the Democrats in the Senate voting for? According to Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), "Rahm told us months ago: Everything can be compromised except our ultimate goal of getting something done. Everything else is negotiable."
So the ultimate goal here is to vote for a Healthcare Bill so Democrats in Congress can say, “I voted for the Healthcare Bill.” Whether it actually lowers costs, increases preventive care, or covers some of the uninsured... that’s negotiable.
Whether this sham of a healthcare reform bill passes or not, when I cross the street, I will continue to be cautiously optimistic that I won’t get hit by a bus.
I am a young, healthy, self-employed American. I have no health insurance. When I voted for President Obama I was, to use a favorite phrase of his, “cautiously optimistic” that this Congress would pass a health care reform bill that might allow me to obtain a simple, bare-bones plan for a reasonable cost (not for free!) that would protect me from bankruptcy if I got hit by a bus.
This week, my cautious optimism became doubt.
With the elimination of the public option, there is now nothing left in this “Health Care Reform” bill that constitutes any kind of “reform” at all.
Connecticut Independent Joe Lieberman has obstinately outweighed the combined efforts of his Democratic colleagues in the Senate who were willing to take a risk and go for the real change that the public option represents. Fresh off a shameless attempt to grab headlines by exploiting the Fort Hood tragedy to talk tough on “Terrorism” (in this case, the terrifying surname of a madman), the Iraq War supporter and (pardon me while I suppress my gag reflex...) former Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate has proven himself to be an Insurance Industry lap-dog. “According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Mr. Lieberman received $688,344 in contributions from the insurance industry during the 2008 election cycle, though there were several industries with bigger contributions. Lieberman said health insurers didn't influence his stands. "I've never hesitated to take on the insurance companies," he said.” Senator Lieberman declined to give an example.
Thanks to the efforts of my own two Senators, New Jersey’s Big Pharma delegation of Lautenberg and Menendez, along with President Obama, a provision to allow the hugely cost-saving re-importation of prescription drugs has been left out. This is good news not only for Pfizer and Merck, but also for the Niagara Bus Company, who can count on continuing to carry seniors hundreds of miles up to Canada, just to circumvent the kind of protectionism I was cautiously optimistic would go out with the Bushies.
One attempted compromise was to expand Medicare to cover uninsured 55- to 64-year-olds. That would only mean that the Federal Government would increasingly bear the burden of caring for the older, sicker portions of the population while Aetna, Cigna, et al can continue to cherry-pick. It’s the bank bailouts all over again: profits are privatized, but losses become the burden of the American taxpayer.
So what exactly are the Democrats in the Senate voting for? According to Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), "Rahm told us months ago: Everything can be compromised except our ultimate goal of getting something done. Everything else is negotiable."
So the ultimate goal here is to vote for a Healthcare Bill so Democrats in Congress can say, “I voted for the Healthcare Bill.” Whether it actually lowers costs, increases preventive care, or covers some of the uninsured... that’s negotiable.
Whether this sham of a healthcare reform bill passes or not, when I cross the street, I will continue to be cautiously optimistic that I won’t get hit by a bus.
Labels: 2008's President, Guest columns, Politics
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