I don't see how we can have real health care reform without the public option. Corporate control of our health care is resulting in people dying for the good of the insurance company. It's immoral. Corporations should not have control over our lives. A government run public option can co-exist with private plans. People can choose what they want, or stay with the plan they have. Obama's plan is NOT a government take over. The public option makes perfect sense and there is now an urgency to lower costs, and hold the greedy companies accountable for their many abuses, which have resulted in the deaths of American people. It is a serious crisis. The wingnut commentators are scaring people with lies. The Republicons want to see Obama fail, no matter how many Americans die. They hate Obama more than they love America. And they hate him because he is Black. We must have a public option, it's a human need.Here are some facts and stats:
45,000 uninsured Americans die each year, according to research done by the Harvard Medical School. That's one person every 12 minutes.
46.3 million Americans lacked coverage in 2008. Uninsured adults under age 64 have a 40% higher risk of dying than those who have coverage. These people are dying from complications associated with preventable diseases such as diabetes because they can't afford proper care. The insurance companies run the real "death panels."
The New England Journal of Medicine reports that 73% of doctors favor a public option.
65% of Americans favor a public option.
14,000 people a day are losing their health insurance.
Where is our compassion for fellow human beings? We are all in this together, why not pool the wealth to help each other out? No one should have to die because they can't afford health insurance.
Did you know that young adults ages 19-29 make up 30% of the nation's uninsured? An average health insurance premium for young adults for the school year 2007-2008 was $850.00.
According to The Kaiser Family Foundation, the average cost of a family's health care policy is now more than $13,000 annually, having more than doubled in a decade. It is unaffordable for middle class people, especially those who (like us) are self-employed and have to pay the entire amount. Our policy is going up to $932.00 a month, and that's just for 2 people, since our child is enrolled in CHIP, which is a great government run program for kids. We would choose the public option.
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56 comments:
We must have a universal, single payor system ("Medicare for all") but one step at a time :)
Great post Angie!
Merci anon 1:37!
Yes, Anon 1:38 I agree.The government run CHIP program for kids is very comprehensive, covers vision and dental, and is available to ALL children regardless of parent's income. And speaking of Medicare, I have heard that they may lower the qualifying age to 55.
The (gov't run) VA works real good too.
Yes, the VA! And isn't it funny that the majority of people who are opposed to the public option are senior citizens on Medicare?
Most people cannot afford to get sick considering the ever-rising cost of health care insurance.
Health care should not be privilege only for the privileged.
Time for me to start looking for a Canadian husband.
Angie, Good Post.
Angie,
Considering the conflict in the Middle East and no end to it any time soon, we can expect to hear even more horror stories concerning the VA Hospitals treatment of returning wounded soldiers. The age of the typical soldier receiving treatment will be in the age group 19-24 years old and be on Trident health care which is another government run health care insurance that took the place of Champus and ChampVA.
Hi Heidi, thanks! Preventative measures, (and this goes for both men and women, but I think more so for women because of reproductive health issues) such as mammograms, etc. are so important. And of course it should be illegal for HIC's to deny anyone coverage due to a pre-existing condition, or loss of a job.
I found some great background info on the public option there:
http://www.nytimes.com/info/public-health-insurance-option/?inline=nyt-classifier
Thanks anon 11:29, I'll check it out. Did anyone see Keith's special comment last night? Very moving. We need more passion from the left. We can't let the heartless bastards and wingnut douchebag commentators have any power at all. This is about life and death, not politics or ratings.
Here's an excerpt from Keith Olbermann's passionate commentary on HCR:
"Afford to live? Are we at that point? Are we so heartless that we let the rich live and the poor die and everybody in between become wracked with fear — fear not of disease but of Deductibles? Right now, right now, somebody's father is dying because they don't have that dollar to spend."
Great timing Mrs. Dottie:) Keith mentioned some of the same research that you have outlined in your well written post. I agree, we need more passion from the left. We can't go on like this, the loss of life could be disastrous. The drive for corporate profit has overtaken America, and we, as Democrats, should not allow this to continue. We cannot just stand by while Washington plays politics with our lives, and the media buffoons on the right misinform the public.
BG
Yes, BG I agree! Thanks
"we need more passion from the left"
I agree. And I believe if Obama would lean harder and more deliberately to the LEFT, on this issue, and others, that you'd see the left's passion re-awakened. I get the feeling the left is somewhat disillusioned (or totally fed up) with Obama's albeit admirable attempts at bi-partisanship. I still trust Obama (I believe he's doing a "rope-a-dope" strategy with his loony/racist critics) but enough already. Start scoring some points with the center-lefties who voted you in, Mr. President.
Yes, BV, I heard a commentator last night refer to Obama's strategy as "rope a dope." His last speech was kinda tough, but the loonies are still at it, and they need to be slapped around (not a threat)
... figuratively of course (lemme at 'em) ...
Another great post, Villas! I love your "liberal" stuff and your "justice mission" stuff. It's all good. Keep it coming!
Merci.
And in a related story
Anon 7:27: Wow, it's so cool that Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize. That just goes to show how highly he is regarded around the world, and that there is now hope for world peace because of his efforts. Quite a contrast to how some Americans view the POTUS.
I am really disappointed that only 30 out of 60 Democratic Senators signed the letter demanding a public option. I am sick of politicians, D's and R's who pander to corporate lobbyists instead of representing the people who voted for them.
"Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize"
Well, this'll distract the right wingnuts for a while, eh?
And while Obama getting the Nobel Peace Prize is sort of like announcing the Cy Young Award winner (baseball's most coveted pitching prize) in spring training, it just goes to show all of us how much the rest of the world believes in Barack Obama's potential to be one of the greatest statesman the world community has ever produced. I think it also shows that humility-laced public acknowledgments of past wrong-doings from the previously infallible Super Power U.S. are very much appreciated, and respected, globally.
When Obama gets his universal healthcare fastball over the plate in his second term we should give him the Cy Young Award.
In the meantime, let's give him a Grammy Award cuz everything he says is music to my ears.
"Wow, it's so cool that Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize." -Mrs Dottie
I second that! WOW indeed. Maybe the prize is a way for the Nobel Committee to encourage US politicians to grow up and help bring change about. I think there's definitely a message in the committee giving Obama the prize so early in his presidency.
"In the meantime, let's give him a Grammy Award cuz everything he says is music to my ears." -Mr. Dottie
:) agreed!
The public option must be closely monitored this could be just what the right is looking for a loophole for failure. Social programs that are done with good intensions maybe end up being the bleeding ulcer this plan does not need. With that said how about that Nobel Peace Prize! I think that this one will stir controversy for sure. I mean it is a bit early in his diplomatic career for such a thing to be bestowed. However my mother was just visiting our relatives in the southern France and they are still smitten with Mr Obama. I think maybe our international friends are willing to give him more of a chance than we are.
I think part of the message in choosing Obama is that the people of the world appreciate the HUGE accomplishment of a Black man getting elected as POTUS, in racist America. That in itself is enough for a Nobel Peace Prize.
"I think maybe our international friends are willing to give him more of a chance than we are."
(Hey Tom) sure looks that way ... but don't forget, Obama got a real healthy, and a legitimate "mandate" majority last election. As you've astutely mentioned here before, where in the heck did this mandate majority get to? The media ain't covering us; they're covering tea bagging.
Hey BV, I think the media is too busy covering those phony "grassroots" protesters who are really actors being paid by the corporations and right wing orgs. What a bunch of BS and negativity in the media. Wingnut fallout on this latest Obama achievement will be hilarious to watch.
Well your right! I mean left Bill but thats the trouble the confusion is the story not the issues or the resolutions. We have a shallow consensus among the left in this country no balls when the time comes for action and the press is board hey the friggin tea baggers had a march on Washington did we!!
You're absolutely right, TB (about the right's organized hate). Heck, they (i.e., employees of healthcare companies) riled up town halls in AUGUST while us lefties were all at Martha's Vineyard w/ Kennedy cousins.
I couldn't believe how the NeoCons cheered Obama's "failure" to attract the Olympics to Chicago.
Wait'll they hear how he snapped a shoelace tying his shoe this morning. Yet another humiliating defeat!
"Hey BV" -Mrs. Dottie
Hey you (what're ya doing later tonite?)
After the Yankee game, I mean ...
Not to go too far OT, but I just got this e-mail from friends of Senator Levin:(Here's a positive accomplishment to look forward to)
"This week, Congress took an important step to protect those who have been targeted because of the color of their skin, their religion, their disability, their gender, or their sexual orientation.
Yesterday, the Senate and House Armed Services Committees agreed to a final version of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 that included the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. This legislation will likely be passed by both Houses of Congress and signed into law by President Obama in the coming days."
This is fun but I gotta get back to work!!
Senators committed to public option:
http://bit.ly/2xUwYo
PA has Bob Casey Jr.
"humility-laced public acknowledgments"
Readers, thanks to you, LVS is the #1 Most Influential Political Blog in Pennsylvania again this week in Liberal Influence and LVS is the overall 4th Most Influential Political Blog in PA, all categories, and #1 in The Lehigh Valley over all other blogs.
Oui, merci.
LVS is the best local blog, by far.
Chris Casey (posting anonymously) said...
"Where do you clowns get your statistics? You guys are also out of it. God will judge you."
Domain Name > rcn.com ? (Commercial)
IP Address > 65.78.112.119 (RCN Corporation)
ISP > RCN Corporation
City > Allentown
Operating System > Microsoft WinXP
Browser > Internet Explorer 6.0
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; SV1)
Time of Visit > Oct 9 2009 9:44:28 pm
Merci, 4:43, we agree.
Villas, I can't believe how jealous all the local hate bloggers are of you, it's downright creepy ...
[Yawn] We're used to it, try to ignore them. Hey the Yankees won again.
"Where do you clowns get your statistics? You guys are also out of it. God will judge you." -Anon 9:44pm
What's the issue with the statistics? I found the same statistics in a US Census Bureau report (46.3 million Americans lacked coverage in 2008), in a New York Times/CBS poll (65% of Americans favor a public option) and in an op-ed by Congressman Mike Thompson (14000 people a day are losing their health insurance.)
Thanks for the corroboration, 12:07. The hate bloggers really hate FACTS. To them, FACTS are just plain "nUtZ" because they get in the way of their agendas.
Actually though, we thought Whopper Turd Chris Casey, Evil Intent O'Hare, Duped Dunce Donovan, and attorney (for now) David Najarian were foaming at the mouth over THESE statistics:
LVS #1 Most Influential Political Blog in Pennsylvania in Liberal Influence
LVS 4th Most Influential Political Blog in PA, All Categories = #1 in The Lehigh Valley
See, we know for a fact that Chris Casey spends countless hours each week totally ignoring and neglecting his adorable fluffy pooches (and, sadly, his long-suffering wife), instead compulsively self-key-stroking himself, Najarian, Molovinsky, and Bill White's blogs at BNN. They all use "self-loading software" too, which is recommended in O'Hare's Gaming Tutorial.
And yet we've still pulverized 'em all in the BNN ratings (which are on par w/ the Nobel Peace Prize) for 37 of the past 41 weeks. And we make it look E-A-S-Y.
Here at LVS, we get our #1 Ranking the old-fashioned way:
we earn it,
and the hate bloggers really hate that, and us (natch).
C'est la vie.
If these blog war(ts) really want "peace," why don't they STOP taunting you anonymously at YOUR blog?! Why don't they just stay on THEIR blogs?! They come here LOOKING for trouble, they GET some, and then they file criminal harassment charges against YOU. What a joke.
RE: "Where do you clowns get your statistics? You guys are also out of it. God will judge you."
Dear dumbass: I included links to where I got the facts for this post. And really lame attempt to use your "holier than thou" BS about God here. I think God knows who the truly evil, lying cretins are in our local blahgassmear, and sadly, you have been duped because you are such a dumbass. Mind your own business, and stick with your own pathetic crowd of losers. Yeah, we're "out of it": that is, out of the cesspool of local wingnut liars and buffoons affiliated with the rag that passes as a "newspaper" around here.
Well-said, sweetness.
7:48, they're all a joke, but sadly, we'll have the last laugh, in court, even if we have to appeal all the way to the PA Supreme Court to get beyond the reach of their duped Magistrates, DA's, and judges. Thankfully, God has provided us w/ the means to do this and w/ plenty left over to purchase a Democratic victory for Lehigh County DA next election.
"Money doesn't talk. It swears." -Bob Dylan
So fuck you, hate bloggers and crooks.
Mea Culpa for going OT :)
This is a very nicely balanced post and comments. While I don't always agree w/ you two, I do find myself agreeing w/ everything in this post and the comments. "Bon Chance!" (Good Luck!)
Merci.
"LVS is the best local blog, by far."
And the only Liberal blog, thanks for THAT!
Nous avons le plaisir.
Corruption Finds a Way
Thought about your blog post when I read this.
"A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that support for a government-run health-care plan to compete with private insurers has rebounded from its summertime lows and wins clear majority support from the public."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/19/AR2009101902451.html?nav=hcmoduletmv
Yep.
Here's that link.
Thanks for thinking of us ...
Reagan said it best...
"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant: It's just that they know so much that isn't so."
Take a pause from your Obama worship for 2 seconds to realize that although not perfect, we do have the best medical care in the world. That's why people from countries with government-run healthcare come HERE when they really need care.
"Medical care" ... and "health insurance" ... are two different issues.
I'm crazy about my doctor too. I think he's the best and I believe everything he tells me because I trust him.
My doctor told me that our health insurance "system" is basically "middle men" who add a completely needless 35% mark-up and are gouging consumers to death. Literally.
And this is why (note: FACT coming, be sure to duck) the U.S. spends more, per person, on healthcare, than any other country on the planet.
The result of this FACT includes these 20 Disturbing Facts.
Sorry to screw up your Reagan worship w/ FACTS.
U.S. healthcare needs reform, and lots of it.
We're on it.
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