Kids Speaking Up: A Second Modest Proposal

» Robert Bernstein on 03.19.09 @ 04:20 AM

Sky Adams, you are brilliant!

But Gov Schwarzenegger has beaten you to this idea! Many of us have been working since the early 1990s on a universal health bill in California.

It would cover everyone in the state, with better coverage than anyone currently has, at lower cost to everyone. It was called SB840. And, guess what! It passed the legislature! All ready to be signed into law by Gov Schwarzenegger!

And guess what! Gov Schwarzenegger vetoed it! Twice! Two years in a row!

Gov Schwarzenegger obviously had the same idea you had! Thanks, Sky Adams!

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» John Douglas on 03.19.09 @ 07:27 AM

Right on, Sky - well said. We need health care, not health insurance. We don’t need to overhaul the health care system - we just need to cut out the blood-sucking middlemen: the insurance companies and impose price controls on their partners in health care crime, the pharmaceutical industry.

The time is now for single payer health care.

Californians should urge our representatives in Sacramento to support SB 810, the California Universal Health Care Act:

http://dist03.casen.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC;={5938D509-03E9-4845-9605-F46F87A1758B}

http://www.onecarenow.org/endorsers06.htm
Santa Barbara chapter of HCA California: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

and urge our Congressional representatives and Senators to support H.R. 676, the United States National Health Insurance Act

http://www.hr676.org/

http://www.pnhp.org/publications/united_states_national_health_care_act_hr_676.php

Under the current system, 1/3 of every dollar spent on health care is sucked up by wasteful insurance companies, and drug companies and pharmacies charge up to 3000% of cost for prescription drugs. High quality health care for all is affordable if we cut out the money-wasters.

Would you rather pay a few more dollars in taxes each year and have everyone covered, be able to choose your own doctor, and have the government negotiate drug prices on everyone’s behalf rather than the current system of denial of care by insurance company committees, having to pay hundreds of dollars each month in insurance premiums and outrageous drug prices? - just like all the other western democracies, including Canada.

John Douglas
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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» Robert Bernstein on 03.19.09 @ 08:14 AM

The US ranks 37th in the world in medical outcomes, behind a number of third world countries, and behind every other industrial country.

We pay twice as much as any other country on earth per person for these poor outcomes.

When I was a child we lived under Socialized Medicine in Denmark. We could walk down the street to the family doctor, or go to any other we chose. The quality was excellent and the medical people were kind and caring.

And no one in Denmark could imagine any civilized country not having such care. Neither can I.

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» Sure kid, but... on 03.19.09 @ 01:17 PM

Healthcare isn’t free! Why should I pay for yours?

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» Facts please on 03.19.09 @ 01:34 PM

Sky If you are going to be a serious journalist you must back up statements like “the United Kingdom, where citizens pay less and get better service.” with some facts. I don’t believe that is true, and I would ask the same of Robert Bernstein who could have mentioned his source for the US being 37th as being from the World Health Organization (WHO)a liberal group who based the ranking on factors much more varied than simply quality of health care. Apparently our system is not socialist enough for their tastes. Or did you not know where you got your facts from?

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» Here's a tip on 03.19.09 @ 02:26 PM

If you want health insurance BUY IT! Problem solved.

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» jacksmith on 03.19.09 @ 02:42 PM

Finally, the time has arrived to fix Americas Healthcare crisis, and Americas healthcare knightmare. Hundreds of thousands of you are killed needlessly every year by your healthcare delivery system in a rush to profit. And because of a rush to profit Hundreds of thousands more of you are needlessly dying from treatable illness that people in other developed and civilized countries don’t DIE! from. Rich, middle class, and poor alike. Insured, and uninsured. Men, women, children, and babies.

Additionally, thousands more of you are driven into financial ruin, and bankruptcy just because you, or one of your loved ones got sick or injured. And all of this is happening at a time when America spends twice as much of it’s GDP (Gross Domestic Productivity) on health care than any other country in the developed world. Individual Americans spend about ten times as much on health care as any other people in the developed world. This is a CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY. AND IT MUST END!

But before we can truly fix this healthcare crisis and disgrace, everyone needs to clearly understand what the problem is. And everyone needs to clearly understand the real enormity of the problem. The problem is that HEALTHCARE AND MEDICAL DELIVERY IN AMERICA IS SEVERELY CORRUPTED AND COMPROMISED BY GREED! AND THE PRIVATE FOR PROFIT MOTIVE. And it is corrupted, and compromised IN EVERY ASPECT, AND EVERY PLACE OF HEALTHCARE AND MEDICAL DELIVERY. Unfortunately for all Americans, compromised healthcare ALWAYS results in needless suffering, injury, disability, and or death. Which is exactly what is happening now in America in shocking numbers.

Health care is NOT! a private for profit business. Healthcare is an essential public service. Like police, and fire. And healthcare is also a human right! PRIVATE FOR PROFIT HEALTHCARE IS AN OXYMORON, AND AN IMMORAL AND UNETHICAL PERVERSION OF HEALTHCARE AND HUMAN RIGHTS.
                       
So how do we fix this healthcare disgrace? I believe the fix for Americas healthcare disaster is essentially the same thing that every other developed country in the World has essentially done.  “NOT FOR PROFIT, TAX PAYER SUPPORTED, SINGLE PAYER, AUTOMATIC, FREE UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE FOR ALL. Essentially HR676 (enhanced, and expanded medicare for all). Just like every other CIVILIZED! country in the developed World has. There is no other way to truly fix and reform our current disastrous healthcare delivery system.

All Universal health care systems work best when everyone participates. But I know that the healthcare lobby, and some politicians will try and undermine “Not For Profit, Tax payer supported, Single payer, Automatic, Free Universal Healthcare for all” by falsely claiming that it will limit your choice, and require you to participate.

So, I propose that everyone be included in the national plan unless they choose to opt out. If you opt out and need medical care the national plan will insure your provider that they will be reimbursed under the rules for members in the national plan. But those who opted out, and their insurer will be responsible for the FULL! cost to the national plan for providing your care if you or your private insurer fails to reimburse the provider or the national plan in a timely manor to at least the standards of the national plan.

Including reporting you to credit agencies, withholding of taxes, leans, and garnishment of wages for unpaid medical bills. Just like you have now under private for profit healthcare, and private for profit health insurance.

Further, people who opted out will be required to provide proof of financial responsibility for future illness or be required to participate in the national plan. And everyone with children will be required to participate in the national plan. Or provide proof of insurance coverage on each child to the standards of the national plan. It will be against the law to report anyone in the national plan to a credit agency for unpaid medical bills.

Frankly, only a dope would want to opt out of the national plan and opt to keep our current disastrous private for profit medical, and insurance plans. But they will be free to choose. The most important thing is that the vast majority of Americans that want the protection, benefits, and higher quality of a universal national plan have that choice.

You see, one of the most important aspects of a universal healthcare system is easy access, and patient protection. This is accomplished by having a single payer without a conflict of interest in patient care. And by having a payer who has the power to enforce minimum standards of excellence in healthcare delivery for everyone in the plan. This is much of what Medicare does now for senors. “Aeger Primo” (The patient first). Unfortunately in our healthcare system the patient comes last. We are just a peace of meat to them. Cash cows to be slaughtered for profit.

So this is IT! my fellow Americans, My fellow human beings, My fellow World Citizens. And my fellow Cyber Warriors. :-) The time has come. D day. H hour. HEALTHCARE REFORM THIS YEAR! Let no one stand in our way. Contact your representative and tell them you want “Not For Profit, Tax Payer Supported, Single Payer, Automatic, Free Universal healthcare for all. And tell them you want that choice now. Tell them you want President Obama’s budget passed without delay. President Obama’s budget is brilliant. And exactly what is needed now.

President Obama, and his allies will need all the support you can give them. The healthcare lobby will try to take out his people if they can, like they did with Tom Daschle and Nancy Killefer. And they will try to neutralize President Obama’s popularity, and political power. Or they will try to take him down someway. Don’t stand for it. If they attack him. Go after them ten times harder and remove them from office. We had an election. And you the people chose President Obama’s leadership, and change agenda. Let no one in government disrespect the will of the American people and remain in office.

To President Obama, his Cabinet, the Congress of the United States, and the Supreme Court. I have noticed for some time a disturbing tendency for key members of your bodies to come down with illness, or medical problems at critical legislative times. This may just be coincidence. But I can tell you that there are a million subtle ways to medically injure someone just by doing nothing when something needs to be done. Or by doing things to someone when nothing needs to be done except to give them reassurance. I know for a fact that there are those that would have no qualms about hurting any of you to preserve our current disgraceful medical status quo.

So, I recommend as a matter of national security that you enlist the help of a friendly power to regularly review, and oversee the medical care you receive from your local regular healthcare providers. Briton, France and many other countries have excellent medical providers. As well as Canada. Briton, and Canada may be less of a language barrier for Americans.

Let’s get this healthcare reform done now my fellow Americans. This year. Take no prisoners.

God Bless All Of You

Jack Smith — Working Class :-)

http://jacksmithworkingclass.blogspot.com/
(http://jacksmithworkingclass.blogspot.com/)

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» Nick from Pittsburgh, PA on 03.20.09 @ 02:31 AM

Great article Sky!

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