Jul 10 2008
Progressives Disagree on Healthcare Reform
GUESTS: Richard Kirsch, national campaign manager for Healthcare for America Now, Dr. David Himmelstein, associate professor of medicine at Harvard University, Physicians for a National Health Program
With the 2008 presidential race well under way, a new coalition of diverse organizations has formed to ensure health care remains a political priority. The Health Care for America Now campaign launched last Tuesday with the aim of applying pressure on Congress and the next president to reform the current system in 2009. The coalition, led by groups such as ACORN, Campaign for America’s Future, and Planned Parenthood, is planning a 25 million dollar national advertising blitz over the next five months to mobilize millions of Americans around the issue. Health Care for America Now will be publicly demanding quality, affordable health care for all – however, the campaign is not a single-payer system. Instead the coalition has opted to advocate for more cautious healthcare reforms giving people the choice of remaining in private insurance plans or selecting a public health care policy.
For more information, visit www.healthcareforamericanow.org, and www.pnhp.org.
3 Responses to “Progressives Disagree on Healthcare Reform”
The only solution is to eliminate the insurance middlemen, who add nothing but costs (and delays and denials) to the current system. Medicare (without the unnecessary and burdensome govt. subsidies to the for-profit “Advantage” plans) is run in a very cost-efficient manner. HR 676 (the Conyers bill) provides for a single payer plan – a Medicare for All – which would be administered by the government but preserves provider choice. Yes, taxes would increase, but would be offset because there would be no premiums, co-pays, denials, or worrying about losing coverage if you lose or change jobs; and significant savings would be realized by not renewing the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. Over 90 Representatives in the House have co-signed HR 676 and the recent U.S. Conference of Mayors unanimously endorsed it. It is definitely the way to go. We currently spend more than any other country on health care (over 15% of our GDP) yet we rank 37th in quality and delivery of health care (World Health Organization) Time for SERIOUS reform.
Presents a good contrast between what is being presented as the politically feasible approach (HCAN) and the approach (PHAP) that takes profit out of a broken health cafe system.
Today, I went to the beach front with my children.
I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year
old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She
placed the shell to her ear and screamed. There was
a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear. She never wants to go
back! LoL I know this is entirely off topic but I had to tell someone!