Congress and health insurance companies are mired in dysfunction and denial
Polls show decisive majorities of Americans favor the “public option” health care reform proposed by President Barack Obama.
If U.S. democracy were working properly, the debate would be over, and Congress would be ironing out the details.
But entrenched powers resist change fiercely, and the dysfunctional U.S. Senate dithers.
Many cling to hope that America can return to business as usual. Many deny the need for change. At stake now is not only the future of health care in America, but also the viability of democracy in America, the ability of the American economy to adjust to new worldwide realities, and the willingness of American elites to accept necessary change.
In addition to health care for all, these questions are in play:
- Who controls America, a cabal of medical interest groups? Or do the American people control America through democracy?
- Who leads America? President Barack Obama? Congress? The health insurance companies?
- Is America locked into a spiral of economic and social decline. Or is American able to change?
Health care reform doesn’t mean business as usual. Health care reform is not about protecting and increasing profits for the private health insurance industry.
Health care reform is all about three things:
- Making excellent health care available to all Americans.
- Empowering doctors, nurses and hospitals to focus on providing excellent medical care.
- Reducing the waste and inefficiencies inherent in the present private health insurance system.
Health care reform requires the will to change
– Bernie Hayden
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4 Comments
June 26, 2009 at 12:09 am
First of all, the polls that showed a majority of US citizens support Obama’s health care was shown to be stacked with Obama supporters…
New York Times Poll Showing 72% Support for Obama’s Health Care Plan Was Stacked With Obama Supporters
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=49999
Second of all, America is a Constitutional Republic, not a democracy…
Do you really want the government practicing medicine? How does an asprin for a heart attack sound?
A brief history of quackery
http://republicofhealth.wordpress.com/2009/05/31/the-quackery-of-chemotherapy-gunpoint-medicine-and-the-disturbing-fate-of-13-year-old-daniel-hauser/
June 26, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Thanks for your input, Republic of Health. You say the polls by reputable news organizations like the NY Times were “stacked” with Obama supporters?
Astute observation!
Come to think of it, the November election was “stacked” with Obama supporters. It’s called a “majority.” Obama won.
Any poll you take has to be “stacked” with Obama supporters, because most Americans support Obama. — Bernie
June 26, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Good blog! I
July 1, 2009 at 2:34 pm
There’s no easy solution, and no perfect system. Not even close. I don’t want the government prescribing an aspirin for a heart attack any more than I want the government legislating many very personal choices.
But as an individual, when footing the bill for a health care system is only possible if I have an employment relationship with an organization, as soon as that organization is “done” with me, I’m cast adrift.
For more than 20 years, I was “employed,” and for the past 7, I’ve been a contract worker or freelance or both, and therefore, ineligible for “affordable” health care benefits – not to mention life insurance, disability insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance.
Picking up the tab even for the minimum (medical only) has cost a fortune, and left plenty of insurance gaps which haven’t been filled. Consequences I needn’t go into.
When I discuss with friends in France, who are frequently vocal about the drawbacks of their own system, they nonetheless are astounded that once we have no employer, we fall through the cracks, or go broke trying to pick up the tab for basic care. I repeat: BASIC CARE.
“Shameful” is the word I hear most often. I don’t have a solution, but I certainly know that what we have now is broken. We need government to stay out of our bedrooms, but to ensure basic services that even those of us who have fallen through the cracks continue to fund through taxes.