6/24/2009 6:00:00 AM Letter: Single-payer healthcare wrings out waste
These are the questions that we, and our politicians, should be asking about healthcare. Should our system be based on the for-profit business model or a not-for-profit public financing system of social insurance? Is the healthcare system for patients and their families or corporate market stakeholders and their investors? As a basic human need, is healthcare a right or not?
According to Sen. Bernie Sanders, the only way you're going to provide comprehensive, universal and cost-effective healthcare to every man, woman and child in this country is through a single-payer system. That's just a simple reality. And the reason for that is that to pay for universal comprehensive healthcare you have to deal with the enormous amount of waste that is currently within the private health insurance industry. The estimate is about $400 billion to $500 billion a year in administrative costs, in billing, in profits, in CEO compensation (one CEO made $250,000 a day), in advertising - these things which have nothing to do with providing healthcare.
A single-payer healthcare system wrings out all of the waste that the private dysfunctional healthcare system creates. According to the Harris Poll, only 7 percent of people judge private health insurance companies to be "honest and trustworthy." The health insurance industry appears about as popular with Americans as the tobacco industry, with both considered highly hazardous to your health. A report from the American Cancer Society and Kaiser Family Foundation showed that despite having private health insurance, cancer patients are running up large debts, filing for personal bankruptcy, and even delaying or forgoing treatment because they can't afford care. The study shows medical bills underlie 60 percent of all U.S. bankruptcies. A Lake Research Study found that a whopping 73 percent of voters want everyone to have a choice of a public health insurance plan, while only 15 percent want everyone to have private insurance.
Because we are again about to be sold out by our congressional representatives, you must participate in this decision about your healthcare. The time is now. This week the healthcare corporate lobbyists are swarming Capitol Hill to defeat true healthcare reform. Call Sen. Patty Murray, 202-224-2621. Call Sen. Maria Cantwell, 202-224-3441. Call Rep. Norm Dicks, 202-225-5916. This is what democracy is all about. Our economy and healthcare system depend on our massive involvement.
SEAN STEHURA
Port Townsend
Reader Comments
Posted: Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Article comment by:
Mike Mahoney
No Jack-what is really a disgrace is people actually buying the so-called fact that we have the 37th worst quality of care in the industrialised world. America has the best and most cutting-edge health the world has ever seen. Is the system perfect-no but it's better than anywhere else. If it's so bad here why don't you go get your health care in one of the 36 "better" countries if it's so important to you. You won't because you know where the truth is. Your just spouting more liberal propaganda.
Posted: Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Article comment by:
jacksmith
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!
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