What's so great about private health insurance?

The bloody battle in Congress over a 'public option' ignores the insurers' role in creating the nation's healthcare crisis and their efforts to throttle reform.
Michael Hiltzik
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hiltzik3-2009aug03,0,1514405,print.column

Throughout the heroic struggle in Congress to provide a "public option" in health insurance, one question never seems to get answered: Why are we so intent on protecting the private option?

The "public option," as followers of the debate know, is a government-sponsored health plan that would be available as an alternative to, and in competition with, the for-profit health insurance industry, otherwise known as the private option.

On Friday, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce narrowly passed a reform bill incorporating a public option resembling Medicare. It was a bloody fight among members of Congress, some of whom believe that the public option will give the government unwarranted power over healthcare, and all of whom enjoy government-provided healthcare that's a lot better than what most of us get.

But the battle is just beginning. After the committee vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned that the health insurance industry will conduct a "shock and awe" campaign to kill the public option when Congress returns from vacation in September and starts debating the measure. We can expect to be overwhelmed with an industry ad campaign worth millions of dollars (remember Harry and Louise?) exhorting us to write our lawmakers to preserve the American way of healthcare.

So it's proper to remind ourselves what that American way entails. For if the insurers have proved anything over the last 15 years as the health crisis has gathered speed like an avalanche roaring downhill, it's that they're part of the problem, not the solution.

The firms take billions of dollars out of the U.S. healthcare wallet as profits, while imposing enormous administrative costs on doctors, hospitals, employers and patients. They've introduced complexity into the system at every level. Your doctor has to fight them to get approval for the treatment he or she thinks is best for you. Your hospital has to fight them for approval for every day you're laid up. Then they have to fight them to get their bills paid, and you do too.

k&r

So you can't fix the problem with more of the source of the problem.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2091rank.html

I think it's embarassing.

The number of Americans traveling abroad for healthcare grows every year.

Estimates vary widely, though in 2005 the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons reported that as many 500,000 people sought care overseas.

The medical tourism industry is forecast to grow to 40 million trips and $40 billion by 2010, according to Tourism Research and Marketing.

“A significant number of (Rio Grande) Valley patients can’t afford treatment,” said Mauricio Sampayo, who along with his brother helped develop the Centro Medico Internacional in Matamoros. “If they can’t pay it’s a lose-lose across the board. But, bring them here (to CMI) where it’s affordable for the patient and at least we’d be making something. It’s a win-win across the board for the hospital, doctor and patient.”

http://www.cmi-matamoros.com/news2.html

People are voting with their feet, in large numbers.

IT'S THE WORST POSSIBLE SETUP...

The rich can afford it, the poor can't.

The middle-class can afford the premiums, but must spend lots of $ when a crisis hits.

So, bottom line: the poor die, the middle-class must pay the wealthy to stay alive.

Win/win for the rich....so, what's the problem?

(do I need a sarcasm tag?)

But I'd be happier to see these same points made on the MSM, especially on the Sunday news shows.

I guess the point could also be made "Is Congress' health care too expensive or too good?" Followed with (of course) "How much does my Congressman pay for health coverage?"

If we don't continue to frame this argument in a way that pisses off the RW voters (with simple, basic and honest facts), we will lose.

why 18000 - 22000 Americans are dying every year as a testament to America's God; "The Almighty Dollar," those people are the annual sacrifice which must be given up to keep our deity happy.

People and or corporations with the most money are obviously closer to God as they have more of it.

Everything will be okay, so long as we're willing to give up that sacrifice; our Lord will smile on us, you can count on it, "In God We Trust" is on our money for a reason.

Thanks for the thread, cal.

This is part of the problem - the language. There is a lot of confusion about what a "public option" is. Since it's the people who don't follow the debate closely that have the ability to make or break it, we need to get the word out that our senators and congressmen, the elderly and many veterans enjoy a "public option."