Jun 24 2009
Private Health Insurance Companies Fear “Public Option”
President Barack Obama addressed the nation’s health care system and his plans for reform in a news conference yesterday at the White House. With nearly 50 million people in the United States without insurance, the President told reporters “Reform is not a luxury, it is a necessity.” While Obama is not proposing a single-payer system to replace private health care companies, the insurance industry is nevertheless vehemently objecting to his plan to create a “public option” choice for Americans. The two largest private insurance companies also let their views be known yesterday addressing members of the U.S. Senate in a letter warning against the implementation of a public option. The joint letter from America’s Health Insurance Plans and the Blue Cross Shield Association stated its contention saying “regardless of how it is initially structured, a government plan would use its built-in advantages to take over the health insurance market.” Instead, they propose that regulation of market rules would negate the need to institute a public option. President Obama questioned the logic of the argument asking simply how a government plan could be perceived as such a threat to private insurers when they have long touted their virtues over the public sector in administering health care. Public support for the public option is strong, as evidenced by a recent New York Times poll that revealed that 72% of Americans favored the ability to choose between a private plan and a government plan like Medicare.
GUEST: Judy Dugan, Research Director, Consumer Watchdog.
Find out more at www.consumerwatchdog.org.
2 Responses to “Private Health Insurance Companies Fear “Public Option””
AMERICA’S NATIONAL HEALTHCARE EMERGENCY!
It’s official. America and the World are now in a GLOBAL PANDEMIC. A World EPIDEMIC with potential catastrophic consequences for ALL of the American people. The first PANDEMIC in 41 years. And WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES will have to face this PANDEMIC with the 37th worst quality of healthcare in the developed World.
STAND READY AMERICA TO SEIZE CONTROL OF YOUR NATIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.
We spend over twice as much of our GDP on healthcare as any other country in the World. And Individual American spend about ten times as much out of pocket on healthcare as any other people in the World. All because of GREED! And the PRIVATE FOR PROFIT healthcare system in America.
And while all this is going on, some members of congress seem mostly concern about how to protect the corporate PROFITS! of our GREED DRIVEN, PRIVATE FOR PROFIT NATIONAL DISGRACE. A PRIVATE FOR PROFIT DISGRACE that is in fact, totally valueless to the public health. And a detriment to national security, public safety, and the public health.
Progressive democrats and others should stand firm in their demand for a robust public option for all Americans, with all of the minimum requirements progressive democrats demanded. If congress can not pass a robust public option with at least 51 votes and all robust minimum requirements, congress should immediately move to scrap healthcare reform and demand that President Obama declare a state of NATIONAL HEALTHCARE EMERGENCY! Seizing and replacing all PRIVATE FOR PROFIT health insurance plans with the immediate implementation of National Healthcare for all Americans under the provisions of HR676 (A Single-payer National Healthcare Plan For All).
Coverage can begin immediately through our current medicare system. With immediate expansion through recruitment of displaced workers from the canceled private sector insurance industry. Funding can also begin immediately by substitution of payroll deductions for private insurance plans with payroll deductions for the national healthcare plan. This is what the vast majority of the American people want. And this is what all objective experts unanimously agree would be the best, and most cost effective for the American people and our economy.
In Mexico on average people who received medical care for A-H1N1 (Swine Flu) with in 3 days survived. People who did not receive medical care until 7 days or more died. This has been the same results in the US. But 50 million Americans don’t even have any healthcare coverage. And at least 200 million of you with insurance could not get in to see your private insurance plans doctors in 2 or 3 days, even if your life depended on it. WHICH IT DOES!
Contact congress and your representatives NOW! AND SPREAD THE WORD!
God Bless You
Jacksmith – WORKING CLASS
We’re a group of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community. Your site provided us with valuable information to work on. You’ve done a formidable job and our whole community will be thankful to you.|