National Day of Calling For Healthcare Reform
There’s still time to call in support of this. Can anyone confirm my understanding of our electeds’ position on H.R. 676 (the Healthcare reform bill)?
Congressman Elect Eric Massa (D, NY-29) - Supports. In fact, campaigned on it.
Phone to thank him: (585) 425-4013
Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D, NY-28) - ??? Not listed as a co-sponsor. Anyone know why?
Phone to ask if she’ll co-sponsor: 585-232-4850
Congressman-Elect Dan Maffei (D, NY-25) - “I’m for healthcare for all. Medicare for all. At least Medikids for all.” But isn’t sure H.R. 676 is correct solution.
Trying to find a phone number. Meanwhile, you can email: Dan (at) maffeiforcongress.com
Congressman-Elect Chris Lee (R, NY-26) -
Ha ha ha ha! In Lee’s alternate reality the market-based approach, which is what we’ve been using, has actually lead to higher premiums and less access to healthcare. Another way that although the Dems can irritate me at times, the GOP party line tends to just plain suck.
As I’ve said before, my concern about any non-single-payer solution is this: I don’t trust insurance companies to act in good faith. They’ve made record profits on the backs of the rest of us. As corporations, they are required by law to maximize profit, which in their case, means denying as much healthcare to subscribers as possible.
The “side-by-side” public/private plan that Sen. Max Baucus and the insurance companies are proposing can easily be gamed to fail:
The public option MUST be allowed to compete on the same level as the private insurance companies. It MUST be open to all–not just the sick, elderly, and disabled. It’s what opens the door to single-payer health care.
It MUST be funded to the extent that it is a better alternative than the private insurance companies. The premiums MUST be affordable in the public option otherwise it will not exist.
Max Baucus does not want the public option to be a true competitor to the private insurance companies. He wants it open ONLY to the sick, elderly, and disabled and on an income-means test.
This former Congressional staffer continues:
[T]he insurance companies’ plans are…to oppose the public option. They’ll ask for the concession of limiting the public option in exchange for the “regulation” of accepting clients with pre-existing conditions. That’s what they’ll stake it on.
How do I know this? I used to work in Congress. It’s what they want.
This is leading me more and more to believe that the best answer is single-payer, as in HR 676.
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