It seems the 2 big compromises this week--that of the Copenhagen Summit on global warming (or climate change or pollution or whatever you want to call it) and health care reform, here in the US, have a great deal in common.
Both of them have people for them. Both have people against them. Both have people, somewhere in the middle who say this is the best we could get and that they are improvements and that we need to wrap our arms around them and move on.
God, I hope they're right.
On the Copenhagen summit on climate change, it seems we made progress, this time, as the US was for some good, solid action. This in stark contrast to the Kyoto Protocol that the George W. Bush administration kept us out of. At least we made that better transition. We're in on this one. We don't have to be embarassed this time and we've had input on this.
As to who knows what's in this thing right now, who can say? Frankly, following the mess this week that has been the negotiations on health care in the Senate has been demanding enough.
First, as I noted here, the White House threw out the single-payer option we needed so desperately.
Then, they threw away the "public option" so the insurance companies could stay happy and we wouldn't give them any real competition.
That stunk.
But the fact is, now people are coming out on all sides, some saying we should throw it away; others that we should keep it and that it does do some good.
It's disappointing and the Democrats caved but apparently, according to what the Congressional Budget Office says, it will help us, as a nation, to have smaller budget deficits.
I just wish it had done a lot more for the average Joe on the streets--the "you and me" of the world. I wish the Democrats had been more for us instead of for the insurance companies.
But so it goes.
Let's hope it's all progress.
In both cases, this is what compromise looks like.
We need more of that here in the States.
Links to related stories:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carl-pope/yes-it-is-the-end-of-the_b_397683.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/they-didnt-seal-the-deal_b_397765.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-grandia/cope-en-blame-em-today-fi_b_398006.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-mitchell/health-bill-limits-aborti_b_398084.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sen-paul-g-kirk-jr/a-rebuttal-to-howard-dean_b_398218.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-lux/that-gollum-like-feeling_b_398034.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-tv/arianna-on-ed-it-is-absur_b_393480.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/18/taibi-kuttner-debate-heal_n_397757.html
Showing posts with label Senator Joe Lieberman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Senator Joe Lieberman. Show all posts
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
No "opt out" clause
The insurance companies keep doing what they can to take care of themselves--but take advantage of us.
First, we should have had the "single-payer" option with this coming health care reform so we can reduce what waste we can in paperwork, at minimum, that courses through our health care system.
There are 1300 insurance companies in the US and each one has their own forms, as we all know.
That creates untold waste in paper, time, energy and so, money.
Unfortunately, according to Matt Taibbi and Rolling Stone magazine, President Obama gave this $350 billion dollar a year savings tool away to the insurance industry and their lobbyists at the beginning of our negotiations for this reform.
That shouldn't have happened.
That wasn't in our best interests.
Second, we should have the "public option" for insurance, absolutely.
We are one of the only countries in the world that lets insurance companies make huge, ugly profits on health care insurance.
It's "blood money", for sure, let's be clear.
Government-run (yes, government-run) health insurance is the only thing that makes sense when it comes to being covered. Lots of other countries still have successful, private insurance companies and industries while, at the same time, having government-run health insurance, too. It can work. But we have to let it. (See any of the last 3 links below and/or do a Google search for "T R Reid Health Care").
We have to get the costs of health insurance down, that's all there is to it.
The ongoing annual increases are eating us alive--both businesses and citizens--you and me, out here in the real world.
Six to 8 to 13 percent increases (mine, this very minute, is an 8 to 13 percent increase option I have, depending on which deductible rate I accept), are devouring our economies. This inflation is unworkable, not just unacceptable.
And now we have the spineless, cowering Congress, kowtowing further for and to the insurance industry by throwing this ridiculous "opt out" clause in our negotiations.
The thought is, sure, if you must have this awful reform we don't want, then let's throw in the good-sounding "opt-out" idea, so if whole states don't want to go down this government-insurance way, they can choose to "opt out".
Except what it does is further guarantee insurance agencies their increases, at least for a few years, while strapping all the rest of us to ever-higher costs.
It's insane.
The insurance industry and their lobbyists are throwing millions of dollars at our representatives in an effort to get what they want and stiff the American public.
Don't fall for it, folks.
"Opt-out" is not in our best interests.
Far from it.
Now, today, Joe Lieberman says he will filibuster to keep the "public option" out of this bill.
(Bang head here)
Links:
http://www.rollingstone.com/nationalaffairs/index.php/2009/08/19/matt-taibbi-on-health-care-reform-sick-and-wrong/
http://www.rollingstone.com/videos/video/29735557
/matt_taibbi_on_healthcare_sick_and_wrong
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114209669
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112172939
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/21/AR2009082101778.html
http://fora.tv/2009/09/14/TR_Reid_The_Healing_of_America
First, we should have had the "single-payer" option with this coming health care reform so we can reduce what waste we can in paperwork, at minimum, that courses through our health care system.
There are 1300 insurance companies in the US and each one has their own forms, as we all know.
That creates untold waste in paper, time, energy and so, money.
Unfortunately, according to Matt Taibbi and Rolling Stone magazine, President Obama gave this $350 billion dollar a year savings tool away to the insurance industry and their lobbyists at the beginning of our negotiations for this reform.
That shouldn't have happened.
That wasn't in our best interests.
Second, we should have the "public option" for insurance, absolutely.
We are one of the only countries in the world that lets insurance companies make huge, ugly profits on health care insurance.
It's "blood money", for sure, let's be clear.
Government-run (yes, government-run) health insurance is the only thing that makes sense when it comes to being covered. Lots of other countries still have successful, private insurance companies and industries while, at the same time, having government-run health insurance, too. It can work. But we have to let it. (See any of the last 3 links below and/or do a Google search for "T R Reid Health Care").
We have to get the costs of health insurance down, that's all there is to it.
The ongoing annual increases are eating us alive--both businesses and citizens--you and me, out here in the real world.
Six to 8 to 13 percent increases (mine, this very minute, is an 8 to 13 percent increase option I have, depending on which deductible rate I accept), are devouring our economies. This inflation is unworkable, not just unacceptable.
And now we have the spineless, cowering Congress, kowtowing further for and to the insurance industry by throwing this ridiculous "opt out" clause in our negotiations.
The thought is, sure, if you must have this awful reform we don't want, then let's throw in the good-sounding "opt-out" idea, so if whole states don't want to go down this government-insurance way, they can choose to "opt out".
Except what it does is further guarantee insurance agencies their increases, at least for a few years, while strapping all the rest of us to ever-higher costs.
It's insane.
The insurance industry and their lobbyists are throwing millions of dollars at our representatives in an effort to get what they want and stiff the American public.
Don't fall for it, folks.
"Opt-out" is not in our best interests.
Far from it.
Now, today, Joe Lieberman says he will filibuster to keep the "public option" out of this bill.
(Bang head here)
Links:
http://www.rollingstone.com/nationalaffairs/index.php/2009/08/19/matt-taibbi-on-health-care-reform-sick-and-wrong/
http://www.rollingstone.com/videos/video/29735557
/matt_taibbi_on_healthcare_sick_and_wrong
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114209669
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112172939
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/21/AR2009082101778.html
http://fora.tv/2009/09/14/TR_Reid_The_Healing_of_America
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