Six Smart Progressive Complaints About House Health Bill

Published on Monday, November 9, 2009 by The Nation

Six Smart Progressive Complaints About House Health Bill

by John Nichols

Here are six smart progressive complaints about the House bill:

1. FROM CONGRESSMAN ERIC MASSA: "This Bill Will Enshrine in Law the Monopolistic Powers of the Private Health Insurance Industry"

At the highest level, this bill will enshrine in law the monopolistic powers of the private health insurance industry, period. There's really no other way to look at it. I believe the private health insurance industry is part of the problem.
This bill also, I believe, fails to address the fundamental question before the American people, and that is how do we control the costs of health care. It does not address interstate portability, as Medicare does. It does not address real medical malpractice insurance reform. It does not address the incredible waste and fraud that are currently in the system.

2. FROM THE CALIFORNIA NURSES ASSOCIATION: This Bill Fails to Control Costs

While the current bills will provide limited assistance for some, the inconvenient truth is they fall far short in effective controls on skyrocketing insurance, pharmaceutical and hospital costs, do little to stop insurance companies from denying needed medical care recommended by doctors, and provide little relief for Americans with employer-sponsored insurance worried about health security for themselves and their families.
3. FROM THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN: "This Bill Obliterates Women's Fundamental Right to Choose"

The House of Representatives has dealt the worst blow to women's fundamental right to self-determination in order to buy a few votes for reform of the profit-driven health insurance industry. We must protect the rights we fought for in Roe v. Wade. We cannot and will not support a health care bill that strips millions of women of their existing access to abortion.
Birth control and abortion are integral aspects of women's health care needs. Health care reform should not be a vehicle to obliterate a woman's fundamental right to choose.

The Stupak Amendment (to the House bill, which was approved and attached on Saturday) goes far beyond the abusive Hyde Amendment, which has denied federal funding of abortion since 1976. The Stupak Amendment, if incorporated into the final version of health insurance reform legislation, will:

• Prevent women receiving tax subsidies from using their own money to purchase private insurance that covers abortion;

•Prevent women participating in the public health insurance exchange, administered by private insurance companies, from using 100 percent of their own money to purchase private insurance that covers abortion;

• Prevent low-income women from accessing abortion entirely, in many cases.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/11/09-10

The final bill that reaches Obama's desk will not look any more "progressive" than the current House version, save elimination of the Stupak's nonsense perhaps.

and WHEN the bill proves not to control costs- the hue and cry will be that we tried reform and it didn't work.

I support reform, as bold as can be passed.

Surely, Nichols, Kucinich and other lefties will keep on living in la la land where purity and supposed principle trumps reality.

and as the CNA correctly notes- on the table right now isn't even designed to control costs! Under the circumstances, I'd say the ones living in La La land are the complicit and spineless "Democrats" serving up this big batch of fail.

Wait til you see what happens when people figure out that they're being mandated into double digit premium increases every year!

(On the bright side of course, it'll be the blue dogs in district with the smallest swings that will lose their seats first).

And likely Harry Reid.

:crazy:

Liberal keyboard warriors are sounding more and more like right wing radio jocks every day.

Oh, you best get Bernie Sanders on the horn and realign him with lefty values. He's gone all "corporatist" it seems... Saying the bill is "chock full of good things"...

The emasculated public option? "Competition" with other for profit insurers?

:rofl:

Face it dude- the Republicrats have hosed you and everybody else, and you're going to see not only major premium increases- but a continual decline in benefits.

Amazing, the right-wing nuggets that are allowed on DU these days.

I suppose you'd be happy if the liberal wing of the party just shut up and supported every single thing that the Democrats did, regardless of what it is. Much like you do.

"I support the most extensive reform that can be passed." Wow. How bold. You support whatever Congress passes.

I would also submit that it's a few supposed liberals (yes, those who boldly tap their irrational rants on their keyboards) who are saddling up with blue dogs and right wing haters to oppose reform.

Perhaps that's the difference -

I will support healthcare reform, the best we can achieve. You will oppose healthcare reform, regardless of what we achieve.

Bravo Donna.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/11/09-10

6. FROM "SICKO'S" DONNA SMITH: The Bill Does Not Cure What Ails Us

Passing a healthcare reform bill that does not provide me with better access to care or protection from bankruptcy and financial ruin is not what I asked you all to do. Stripping away all reference to a progressively financed, single standard of high quality healthcare for all - also known as single-payer -- is done only to more deeply ensconce the deep pocketed interests in healthcare: the private, for-profit insurance giants, the big pharmaceuticals, the medical equipment companies, the hospital corporations and all the other making huge profits as thousands die needless deaths.

Healthcare is a basic human right. Granting that right is not something to be calculated differently in swing Congressional districts, off-year election strategy or second-Presidential term planning. It is your (members of Congress') duty to me, to my fellow citizens and to your nation.

And (members of Congress) are marching away from reality when you think all the hard-working people who counted on you to make this a better healthcare system will not notice when you deliver insurance purchase mandates and a corporate bail-out that will dwarf the Wall Street trillions you've already justified.

Watch Smith's video: "American Sickos: Will the Current Bills Help? No"

It makes the criticism sound a little petty.

bus before....hell, most of the Dems have at one time or another.

Even Kim Gandy sent out an Alert about it. I even printed it out. It was one of Obama's first attempts at playing nice with the Repugnants. He even drove down to Congress to appeal to the assholes.

So to show the Repugnants he was willing to compromise, he took out a portion of the bill that would have helped women. I was furious.

What really pissed off Gandy was....even though Obama threw women under the bus, he did NOT pick up ONE Repugnant vote....which I knew he wouldn't. It was very early in his presidency.

I searched on NOW's website but I couldn't find the Alert she sent out. And damned if I can remember what the Legislative Bill was about. I'll search again. I may have kept the hard copy and filed it.

Maybe someone else remembers.

I have some problems with the all three.

1. Repeals the McCarran-Ferguson Act insurance antitrust exemption

So that it's not Monopolistic for the insurance companies.

For this one look here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8742991

2. CBO said it would control costs...hence the point that it got so much support in the end by Dems.

You can find info on this all over DU and it was this one the media hounds didn't fuck up with.


As for no.3----they will be reworded if not struck. Obama said so. It's bad and Obama put out a statement to end that crap...or at least reword it so it won't affect women's choice.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8745909

are the same ones telling us they don't have a foot in the door. Sounds like the last 8 years of lies to me.

Too late to recommend, but here's a kick.