Health Care - save the demonization for someone else…
Well, you know what is coming - don’t you - A full court press leading to demonizing anyone who challenges the Senate Health Care Plan or appears to challenge the White House. The theme is, hey it isn’t perfect but hold your nose and pass it. We will work on it later. Now, I’m I’m not talking about demonizing the opposition to Health care reform - like the Republicans, or those pesky conservaDems like Nelson or Lieberman. No, I’m talking about demonizing the folks on the left who demand a better bill. You know it will morph into name calling and conclusion jumping as those pushing for a better bill will be lumped together with the obstructionist G-NO-P.
So the full court press starts with Biden’s Op-ed, a statement by Al Franken, Sen Kennedy’s widow’s recent op-ed, Paul Krugman’s op-ed, the Facebook friends whose status says “Oh maybe we should pass the bill.” I’m sure there are others all coming out in favor of holding our nose and voting for the health care bill.
The arguments go something like this - Yeah it isn’t perfect but no pre-existing conditions, life-time caps and 31 million people have insurance. My personal favorite argument - don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
The other side -Well, Howard Dean has been pretty clear, MoveOn (finally), David Sirota, and yours truly at RT demand a better bill -
See we don’t like that adults have to wait until 2014 for pre-existing conditions NOT to be denied. That the language of life-time caps is murky at best, that the 31 million people comes from a mandate (Heck, why not mandate 40 million Americans?) and most of all that there isn’t any competition for the Insurance companies. Perfect be the enemy of the good? No, how about surrender?
Speaking for myself, what bothers me is the “we will work on it later” bit because frankly that rings hollow.
See, I’ve always expected a continued fight for additional health care, rock solid health care that brings us in line with the rest of the industrialized world but you have to fight. Again - I’m don’t think anyone is afraid of a fight. Look at the past 10 years - there was a fight that ultimately culminated in earning and expanding majorities in the House and Senate. Topped off was winning the White House. None of that came without a fight.
The President Obama staked his Presidency on passing Health Care reform. People geared up and in an unexpected surprise - leadership didn’t fight, we rolled over, compromised and rolled over again. As Aravosis says
The President and Congress never really fought for a specific plan. Sure, they made a lot of noise about wanting “reform,” but the White House was never behind a real “campaign” for health care reform. They simply enabled some of the worst suspects in the Senate to come up with a “compromise,” then sat back and did little while the entire process unraveled.
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Those of us who have been in national politics a while know what a real campaign looks like. This was not a real campaign. And that is why so man of us are so upset with our leaders. Not because we expected the impossible. But because we expected them to actually try. And they didn’t.
So, if we are going to fight for better health care, OK but ask yourself, if not now - when?
Something to think about as you hold your nose accepting what the bill is not instead of what it can be.
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Someday you will realize that government health care can not only never be close to perfect, but it is the worst option. Our Congressman and Senators, for the most part, do not know jack shit about economics, health care, insurance, etc. They only know what is in their best interest and try to guess what will be most advantageous at the ballot box.
These bills, that they write, are so voluminous that virtually no one knows what is really there or what the consequences will be. The current Senate plan is loaded with hidden cherries targeting specific states, all to gain a vote. Governor Paterson, this morning, announced that the plan could cost NYS over $1 billion per year in additional Medicaid costs.
The whole premise of government health care is wrong and will lead to higher costs. That premise is to sign up more people to put on the government dole. The goal should be a reduction in costs to make health care more affordable overall. The only way to accomplish that is to open up competition AND allow people to tailor policies to their needs, not through government mandated specific coverages. The only resource the government has to support health care is our money, and everybody knows we are taxed and stretched to the limit now.
Mike,
Nobody is asking for perfect. We’re merely asking for functional, affordable coverage for everyone. The only way to accomplish this is Universal Single Payer. Read HR 676.
Universal Single Payer is the most efficient way to mandate crappy coverage for all.
Analogies are often inaccurate, but as Universal Single Payer is kind of analogous to [Universal] Public School Education. Most people are comfortable with it, but those who are not do have choices. Some choose to supplement public schools with tutoring/camps/etc., some choose to send their kids to parochial/private schools, some to simply home school, and yet others are successful enough to get their choices funded by school vouchers, etc. Similarly, the mandated “crappy coverage for all” can be supplemented with private funds or private insurance. But basic healthcare will be available for all.
“The only way to accomplish that is to open up competition AND allow people to tailor policies to their needs” has been tried, is being tried, and has shown itself to be a failure.
Funny you should mention Public Schools, I agree that Universal Single Payer is analogous to Public Schools. They are both bad! Parents who prefer home-schooling or private schooling should not be forced to subsidize public education, or, they should receive $18,000 (approx NYS spending) per child to use as they see fit for their education. A friend of mine just published a book on the subject, yours truly did the cover photography. It would make a mighty fine Christmas present for parents of school-age children.