Doctors, Nurses Say Kill the Health Care Bill
While the U.S. Senate trudges willfully along on the health care reform legislation, progressives are still divided on whether or not to kill the bill. Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean had his sights set on its demise last week before softening his gaze. Jane Hamsher, David Sirota, and a handful of other mainstays in the liberal media are still holding firm in their resolve that it's no good.
On the other side of the tent, New York Times columnist and Nobel-winning economist Paul Krugman thinks the bill, though flawed, makes significant strides.
Stepping into the debate now, we have physicians and nurses. Physicians for a National Health Program, a group of 17,000 single-payer advocates who just happen to also be doctors, issued a press release today urging the Senate to shut it down. They see the good and the bad of the bill, and believe there's more bad. Their biggest issues are the individual mandate, the cuts to Medicare, and the fact that some 23 million people will still be left uninsured when it's all said and done.
The docs want Congress to go back and build a Medicare-for-all plan. Their open letter to the Senate included this passage: “We ask that you defeat the bill currently under debate, and immediately move to consider the single-payer approach – an expanded and improved Medicare-for-All program – which prioritizes the advancement of our nation’s health over the enhancement of private, profit-seeking interests.”
Representing more than 150,000 nurses in the National Nurses Union, the group's co-president Karen Higgins, RN, contributes this to a piece in The Nation: "Sadly, we have ended up with legislation that fails to meet the test of true health-care reform, guaranteeing high quality, cost effective care for all Americans, and instead are further locking into place a system that entrenches the choke-hold of the profit-making insurance giants on our health. If this bill passes, the industry will become more powerful and could be beyond the reach of reform for generations."
The organization also cites 10 major flaws in the bill currently under consideration, including the mandate, various major loopholes, and what they call an affordability mirage.
There are voices on both sides of this fight that I have enormous respect for, people much smarter and knowledgeable than I am on this issue. That makes it very hard to know which team to cheer for.
Comments [15]
Health Care Fiasco
A lot of my views about this are summed up in this video from last year. It's Ron Paul explaining his perspective as a former doctor:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjuEdJ0DAGc&feature=related
Clue.Less.
I'm fast losing respect for people/organizations I formerly held in high esteem because they are so absolutely and undeniable clueless about the toxic atmosphere in Congress and what can be accomplished.
Make the bill better? With what votes? 51 votes with reconciliation? Not going to happen without the support of key Chairs in the Senate. The support is NOT there now and less likely to be there next year.
Enough already. Pass it and move on to jobs.
"When you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it, you surely will." ~ Pollyanna
Why are the Washington elite exempt from participating? Hummm.
The current bill is a joke. There is only one group that will benefit from this, and it's the insurance companies... Once again, the all mighty corporate pigs have bought the Washington elite, kept the real truth's from the voters, taken bribes for a yes vote, and could care less about real health care reform.
There is a HUGE difference between forcing people to BUY insurance from corporate sloth's, and reforming how health care is delivered to the masses.
There is not one insurance company, in this country, that has ever treated an ill patient, performed a surgery, delivered a baby, transplanted a kidney, or reset a broken bone. They are the 'middleman', the money managers, the obstacle, the scum that denies needed medical care to those in need. Now we're supposed to believe that somehow they are the health care saviors? No fucking way. The insurance lobby bought every single 'yes' vote, made sure that there was no public option involved, and has kept their monopoly alive and well - and every politician in Washington knows it.
We need a single payer system - it doesn't need to be like Canada's, or any existing European model. We can, and must, set the standard for humane care for all Americans... We are better than this waterdowned, bastardized bullshit being presented as - health care reform. This is simply an insurance company dream come true...they continue their monopoly, and we get fucked via our elected officials.
It's been explained to me that gay couples, and families, will not receive 'couple' or 'family' status with this bill... So - along with the status quo and ensuing discrimination, comes a larger portion of the financial burden for gay families, and individuals.
Scrap it, and start over with the vision of real, meaningful change the mandate.... we deserve better.
Pass the dam* thing!
Try something! The majority of the crapping thing won't take place for another 3 years anyway! Need to try something - people are getting fed up....you can pass an insurance type reform bill for people to have coverage, or you can do nothing and pay all of the assistance for those who find it more beneficial to give up!
@kdhales
I'm with
Krugman, its an imperfect bill, but we need some kind of step forward.
I do not believe given the political climate that this senate or the next one is/will be capable of delivering any true reform. the insurance companies are too strong and they're lobby and wealth only gets stronger over time -- thats been seen with each previous administrations.
Pass this fucker and lets move on to the environment.
tweet tweet @gracemoon
We can do better.....
But, until the public demands it - it won't happen. We should never settle for less than we deserve. Ever.
Your statement about the strength, corruption, and influence that the insurance companies have in Washington is the very reason that this bill should be shelved...It's not about us, not now. Originally, the idea was inclusive of the needs of all people, now it's simply a manipulated piece of trash that will never be fixed if passed.
Like you just said Grace, "the insurance companies are too strong and they're lobby and wealth only gets stronger over time", that's true - and, it doesn't bode well for the public's future interests if this bill passes.
yeah
i'm not into total idealism, i'm more of a pragmatist. you can't fight the corruption in one go, has to be slow steady chipping away... lets hope they keep chipping.
ps. re. not seeing the msnbc videos what browser and OS are you using?
tweet tweet @gracemoon
This is the second RM video I've been unable to see...
I have seen prior Maddow videos .... I'm running Mac OS X Version 10.4.11, and my browser is Safari version 4.0.4
Ok, as someone who's living
Ok, as someone who's living in a state with a mandate to buy from the insurance companies, can I just say it's not the worst thing in the world. It's made coverage affordable for people like me and my girlfriend who are self-employed/don't get insurance from our employers. And there are generous subsidies for those who can't afford it. The problem, of course, is that premiums are still going up--but they're looking at regulating the insurers more rigorously. Ultimately I want single-payer system too, and it actually looks like that's the only way to keep Medicare afloat (bring in younger, healthier patients to subsidize the elderly), but this country is too scared to make real change--especially now. We can blame the insurers and the politicians, but ultimately the fault lies with the public, the majority of whom apparently would rather put up with the devil they know than the one they don't know.
i'm looking for
the silver lining on this with you... bring in more people, and cross our fingers the gov't can/will regulate costs.
tweet tweet @gracemoon
Yeah
As much as I like Jane and Kos, Krugman has Big Brains, as Pooh might say. I sort of lean that way myself even though I really would rather see single-payer because I'm a lefty pinko commie that way.
Won't you be my neighbor? @theKELword
Me too
Yup, pass it and revisit it later. Tom Harkin's out there saying he'll bring the public option up again down the line and maybe they can pass something with a simple majority rather than this 60-vote filibuster-proof BS. Also, they can pass more laws to regulate the private insurers--Switzerland has private healthcare, but the gov't regulates the f*ck out of it.
Medicine makes for difficult politics
This is as close as we have ever gotten to some reform. The reality is the system we have now is not sustainable. Period.
There is much to be concerned about the House & Senate Bills but there is much good too. I say pass the Senate Bill and let it go to Conference Committee. And when they are reconciling the bills disagreements, they should make Nebraska pay its fair share.
Civility is not a sign of weakness.
Nebraska blows
This might be the first time I agree with Lindsey Graham!
Won't you be my neighbor? @theKELword
Or the rest of us could sue
I just can't help thinking that we ought to be able to do that. It's like reverse discriminaiton: If you aren't from Nebraska, you have to pay.