Fix and then Pass the Healthcare Bill

[Kenna]

I'd like to add, if I may...

Within 7 years in my career in Health Care and Human Services Management, I WORKED for Highmark Blue Shield, Medicare and then the Office of Medical Assistance Programs (Medicaid)...as well as working as a Department of Public Welfare Caseworker.
I tried sooooo hard at my personal level to make positive changes in "The System". Especially in the childrens' preventive health program that I managed for two years. "E.P.S.D.T" = Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment Program. A Preventive Health Program for ALL CHILDREN who are eligible for Medical Assistance in every State in the Nation. (Each State may call it something different...) I must be honest, I got very burned out... not because of the patients or clients I was there to serve... but because of Congress, our State Government and anyone else involved in Health Care Policy and Laws... I got sick of beating my head against a very solid brick wall, when all I was trying to do was "FIX THE SYSTEM" that was intended to SERVE THE PEOPLE.

I was a "High Level" Manager who wrote the health care policies AFTER the laws where passed. I drafted and submitted Legislative House and Senate Bill Analyses on health care related Bills and draft legislation/regulations... but I know that time and time again, the Government Officials chose the side of the Big Business instead of the People and they didn't give a Rat's A** what my Analysis stated...they were going to do what best served them, not the People. Things have got to change. I wish I had the courage and strength to take them on in person in a Legislative Hearing and testify on how "The Broken System" has affected my family.

I wish I had the strength and voice like Diane McGowan, who regrettably lost her 15 year old son to a PREVENTABLE, TREATABLE disease....Influenza!! She created the M.A.R.T.I.N. Foundation and testified to get the immunization requirements changed for ALL children in the United States...http://www.martinflufoundation.org/martin/about.cfm

[AtLast]

What is very clear to me is that this bill is critical to me (and so many others, not just a few of which, are members right here!). However, I honestly don't think it amounts to much without a public option and disalowing insurance companies their exemptions from anti-trust provisions.

[Toughy]

Without campaign finance reform......our choices are as follows (pick all that apply):

• do nothing
• allow health care financing to continue as a for-profit entity that is subsidized by tax dollars
• change health insurance financing to be a not-for-profit entity (it was that way when I was a kid)
• medicare for all at 55 yrs (and eventually for all despite age) and if under the current system, pay bunches more of tax dollars to big pharma and big health insurance
• overhaul how we finance healthcare and institute a single payer system along the lines of the VA system.

If you think big pharma and big health insurance will loose this battle......I would suggest you look at how we finance elections......money talks....

The first change to be made is how election campaigns are financed. All political campaigns should receive the exact same amount of exposure, head to head.

Unless we change election financing we are pissing in the wind.....

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by Toughy

Without campaign finance reform......our choices are as follows (pick all that apply):

• do nothing
• allow health care financing to continue as a for-profit entity that is subsidized by tax dollars
• change health insurance financing to be a not-for-profit entity (it was that way when I was a kid)
• medicare for all at 55 yrs (and eventually for all despite age) and if under the current system, pay bunches more of tax dollars to big pharma and big health insurance
• overhaul how we finance healthcare and institute a single payer system along the lines of the VA system.

If you think big pharma and big health insurance will loose this battle......I would suggest you look at how we finance elections......money talks....

The first change to be made is how election campaigns are financed. All political campaigns should receive the exact same amount of exposure, head to head.Unless we change election financing we are pissing in the wind.....

I agree! And now we have the Supreme Court decision that is going to give corporations MORE power over elections!

I am so damn tired of politicians running for re-election the day after they are sworn in! And elections being over a year long! The money that is spent in this process is crazy and could go a long way in health care and education. and, and....

What is amazing to me historically is that a single-payer system was initially part of the New Deal and was the final portion that FDR wanted to produce along with Social Security. this was not realized, unfortunately. Big business health care companies as we know tyhem today would never have formed if it had been. The SS Acts under Roosevelt were engineered by Francis Perkins, the Secretary of Labor (first woman to serve in a cabinet).

[key]

Bumping this thread to remind everyone, calling your congress critter really is the only way to let them know how you feel right now. Time is running out and (as usual) the reich wing has their ignorant minions out in force in Washington today to protest against everyone in America having health insurance. And as usual, the "liberal" (Military Industrial Media Complex) media will be covering these reich wingers as if they speak for all of America.

Please please please call your congress critter and Speaker Pelosi and tell them/her that you want all Americans to have decent affordable health care that does not go away if they get sick and actually need it, and does not force them to go bankrupt in order to pay for it. That is what the current bill does. It eliminates pre-existing conditions and rescission (dropping you when you get sick) and it puts a cap on out of pocket expenses so people do not have to sell their homes to get health care.

The bill ain't perfect but it is a heck of a lot better than what we have now.

To find out your congress critter's number go to http://www.contactingthecongress.org/ or just call the whitehouse 202-555-1212 and they will out you through.

PS do not be surprised if you get a busy signal....for a long time...People are calling, lets just make sure that the majority of calls are in favor of the bill.

[theoddz]

Don't know how many folks know about these free health care clinics, but I heard about them on Keith Olberman's show the other night when Michael Moore was guesting. I think it's a great thing and I contributed $100 to it.

This is what health care in America should be......NON PROFIT!!!

http://www.freeclinics.us/index.php

And this is what Michael has to say about the proposed passage of the current health care bill:

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4Ek2bd6jq8"]YouTube- Michael Moore on Countdown With Keith Olbermann (Guest Host Lawrence O'Donnell) - Part 2[/nomedia]

My thoughts and prayers are with Keith Olberman and his family for the recent loss of Keith's dad. Rest in peace, Mr. Olberman.

~Theo~

[Linus]

Those free health care clinics made me think of what it's like in Canada (at least for what I had experienced from growing up and living with for 37 years of my life). While the health care system still has things to fix, I think it'd be nice to have this kind of system here (or something similar -- even just the most basic health care covered to ALL).