Thanks for all your thoughtful responses to my last blog. Carri Bugbee replied, "...It makes me wonder, yet again, if those screaming against change are primarily the uneducated and easily duped. This wouldn't be the first time that politicians have convinced people to campaign against their own best interests."
I wonder the same thing. How have people become so terribly misinformed on healthcare? The insanity and paranoia that poured forth in the town hall meetings astonished me. Look at a few basic facts prompting the need for change:
- Over 40 million uninsured
- Healthcare costs are the number 1 cause of bankruptcy in the US
- Healthcare is 17.6% of our GDP -double that of the top 18 industrialized countries
- The World Health Organization ranks the US 37th in healthcare and 24th in total life expectancy
- According to the UN, the US is 33rd in infant mortality and our own CIA fact book actually ranks us lower, an astonishing 46th
America's system by any objective standard is an embarrassment. It seems like people just aren't paying attention. Even the "I've got mine, so screw you" crowd has to admit that this problem is rapidly eroding the basic fabric of our society.
One friend wrote me that in the past two years his health insurance premiums shot up to be 30% more than his home mortgage payment. Indeed, heath care premiums are rising much faster than wages. That is unsustainable.
Why then are people acting against reform, against their own self-interest? Perhaps they haven't had the misfortune of a catastrophic health event and don't have the foresight that it will happen to them. The brutal truth is that everyone gets sick and dies. Despite what Aubrey De Gray says, our generation will not solve "the death problem" and become immortal.
What is happening here is that people who are making healthy profits (so to speak) and have investment in our current system spend $1.4 Million dollars a day to scare the shit out you. I'm not making this up. This is according to the Washington Post http://voices.washingtonpost.com/health-care-reform/2009/07/health_care_continues_its_inte.html. There health industry has created "war rooms" where their best and brightest marketers figure out how to label issues and turn the conversation completely back on itself. Sound absurd? Have you heard any of the following in the past month:
"Death Panels," rationed care, "socialism," government take-over of healthcare, long waiting times for services, can't choose your own doctor, you will lose your current insurance, illegal immigrants will get free healthcare...and so on.
Some of these are legitimate concerns that the reform plans must address. However, civilized conversations are scarce. The tone of the dialog is from those who are against reform boils down to, "The government and our president are liars who want to control your life and turn the US into Nazi Germany." This is utter garbage meant only for one purpose, to get you and those who have the slightest distrust of government to be afraid and act against their self-interest. It is a form of political terrorism.
The only way that you can avoid becoming a victim is to take responsibility to educate yourself on the issues. Healthcare reform is the most critical issue of our lifetimes. Knowledge is power. We fear what we don't know or understand. Don't be a victim, read, ask questions, raise your voice, and demand change that's best for you.
Posts
4 comments:
I think you've got a pretty good handle on much of the reasoning in the "for" and "against" camps in the healthcare debate, Jon.
But the largest problem in the debate right now is the FUD being spread rather than the issues being addressed. We must remember that the wealthy, including wealthy insurance companies, will protect their wealth at all times and against all forces; they earned/saved/inherited it, they should get to dole it out. Nothing wrong with that thinking, but it needs to be clearly and most completely addressed instead of the simplistic style of campaigning currently being pushed out of the industry. This is an industry that does nothing remotely close to taking this level of action against the use of cigarettes and other dangerous substances being foisted on the public by legalized drug pushers, which is another aspect of the wealthy closing ranks to protect itself.
The conservative thinking on paying for healthcare programs (I am only considering true conservative thinking here and not the fluff that passes for conservatism these days) is spot on in being concerned about how everything gets paid for. Paying for healthcare is a big issue that deserves close and careful scrutiny, and scientific-level thinking. It is shameful that the faux conservatives are relying on obfuscation and fear to avoid doing the real work.
It is also shameful that President Obama and the congressional framers of the healthcare overhaul are incapable of giving clear and consistent responses on cost structure. I know that cost structure is a big problem and I know that there is not yet a single proposed healthcare overhaul solution, but there will never be an agreement and a substantive change without a strawman and the clarity that brings.
I just returned from lunch with my 20-year old son, he is powerwashing and sealing the concrete around our house today, so I owed him a lunch for all the hard work. We discussed the healthcare overhaul issues during lunch. He kept shaking his head as I explained the true cost of health insurance (I am self-employed), the Medicare and Medicaid programs, The Oregon Health Plan, company-sponsored health plans, uninsured healthcare, etc. He was especially surprised that individual health insurance for a 64-year old person costs roughly $604/month through Regence Blue Cross/Blue Shield and around $100/month for the 65-year old on Medicare. Sure Medicare is subsidized through taxes, but not at a $500/month differential for each individual. The Medicare patient gets treated, so there must be some value in treating them and we need to know that answer.
He was even further shocked when I explained that our family health insurance had risen from $650/month in January 2007 to $1271/month in July 2009 and was now higher than our monthly mortgage payment on the house. Needless to say, we have reduced our coverage cost to a more acceptable $750/month, but a big or chronic health problem in the family would bring our budget to its knees and probably bankrupt us within very few years, faster if it disabled me from making enough money to pay the monthly health insurance bill.
I guess this long diatribe may not add to the discussion, but it may reinforce the idea that these are difficult issues on which we should take care to hear, discuss, and decide based on facts and not manipulative phrases. Of course, we can always pass this along to the next generation and avoid making a decision, it's only more time and money wasted getting the same unsatisfactory outcome.
Mike, your repsponse is very thoughtful. I'm happy that you can even purchase private health insurance. Thank goodness you haven't had any chronic illnesses or past history that would make the insurance company turn you down like many people I know.
I agree with you the next step is figuring out how much reform we can afford and how to pay for it.
The current projected tab for the next ten years is $900 Billion dollars. We haven't seen any real specifics from President Obama beyond his promise that reform won't add to the deficit. Frankly that's not believable. The $350 Billion he claims we'd save from Medicare waste and fraud is doubtful. So far nobody has the guts to recall our troops from Afganistan and Iraq or cut the military budget to support health care reform. The only thing I've seen that's specific is the proposed tax on those that make over $350,000 a year. This is a tax that I support. I suspect that all of us will have to pay higher-taxes if this is really going to happen. Nothing is free and sacrifice will be required from everyone. However a great nation should have great moral impratives. Healtcare is clearly a moral imperative. Now let's push our elected officials to get down to figuring it out instead trying to frighten us to death.
[p]C?té touchant à Divide mais aussi la plupart des détails gainé touchant à cuir en ce qui concerne votre zone géographique touchant à votre cheville apporte l’apparence élégante mais aussi un bon ajustement sécuritaire . L
[url=http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2011/12/07/10-tips-to-ace-a-video-interview?msg=0]They are beautiful shop online statement made ugg boots4c[/url]
[url=http://autopartsbylou.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=102639#102639]we are beautiful shop online statement made discount ugg8h[/url]
[url=http://forums.kaamyaab.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7734&p=1100907#p1100907]we are beautiful shop online statement made ugg5h[/url]
[/url] appréciation se révèle être réel, disposant notre appréciation éclairée, c’est pourquoi pas additionally pratique . UGG le trafic qui vous manque se révèle être en évitant de se tromper notre aventure chaleureuse laquelle possède interdit de nombreux individus au début temps important concernant los angeles facile sagesse qu’ils se trouvent être extraordinairement affreuse . Bailey bottes en peau de mouton Ugg clés relatives aux femmes
Les uggs Bailey commutateur UGG pas cher de Sydney sont absolument un nouvel add-on en 2010 (2009) à la sélection de classiques intemporels pour les femmes . S
[p]Ces diverses technology, usités par internautes afin p mesurer le domaine diamètre un ensemble p muscles touchant à laine, devient un bon family portrait au sein de l’industrie . Toutes ces chaussures passer par beaucoup [url=http://www.pascheruggclassicfr.info]botte ugg pas cher[/url] de manutention et de guide, puis effectuer l'appareil recherché est acquis le produit ou le service de haute qualité en soi . Au cas où vous vouliez développer votre entière coupé “tendance†avertis, négatif pas les différents transmettre . Prendre notre [url=http://www.uggfrclassictall.info]bottes ugg pas cher suisse
[url=http://www.sabrina.sg/about#comment-685796]They are beautiful store statement made ugg5x[/url]
[url=http://autopartsbylou.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=102515#102515]They are beautiful shop online statement made discount ugg6c[/url]
[url=http://www.keymap.fr/keyshopping/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1041942]we are beautiful shop online statement made discount ugg6q[/url]
Post a Comment