Universal Health Care - Playing the "Fear Card"

Imagine if Bush had given THIS speech on September 24th:

"Good evening. This is an extraordinary period for America.

Over the past few weeks, many Americans have felt anxiety about their health and their future. I understand their worry and their frustration. Nearly 50 million Americans have no health insurance. Many more find themselves at the mercy of the Insurance and Pharmaceutical Companies, who are more concerned with profit than with providing quality care.

We're in the midst of a serious health care crisis, and the federal government is responding with decisive action.

I'm a strong believer in free enterprise, so my natural instinct is to oppose government intervention.

Under normal circumstances, I would have followed this course. But these are not normal circumstances. Our current health care system is not functioning properly. There has been a widespread loss of confidence.

The government's top health and economic experts warn that, without immediate action by Congress, thousands of Americans will die prematurely. Thousands more will be forced into bankruptcy.

I know that an economic rescue package will present a tough vote for many members of Congress. It is difficult to pass a bill that commits so much of the taxpayers' hard-earned money. However, I can assure you that a universal, single-payer health care system, like the one proposed in House Resolution 676 (Medicare For All), will actually cost LESS than the inefficient system currently in place. How will it work? Well, back in 1948, when Great Britain enacted universal health care, they sent out a pamphlet to all British citizens. It stated:

“Your new National Health Service (NHS) begins on July 5th. It will provide you with all medical, dental and nursing care. Everyone, rich or poor, man, woman or child could use it or any part of it. There are no charges except for a few special items. There are no insurer qualifications, but it is not a charity. You’re paying for it mainly as taxpayers and it will relieve your money worries in times of illness”

Pretty straight forward, and a good place for us to start. I promise you this - All decisions concerning your health care will be made solely by you and your doctor. The government will not have the power to deny or restrict your treatment options. No one will be refused coverage due to pre-existing conditions. You will be able to choose any doctor or hospital you wish.

I know that Americans sometimes get discouraged by the tone in Washington and the seemingly endless partisan struggles, yet history has shown that, in times of real trial, elected officials rise to the occasion.

And together we will show the world once again what kind of country America is: a nation that tackles problems head on, where leaders come together to meet great tests, and where people of every background can work hard, develop their talents, and realize their dreams.

Thank you for listening. May God bless you."



And within a week, Congress passed the bill.......

Brilliantly done.

Coming from you that's quite a compliment. (Didn't prevent it from getting buried, though....)
:toast:

Imagine what we could accomplish...

I have both medicaid and BC/BS and today my doctor told me that unless I can work something out between the two I'm going to owe him a lot of money. Apparently medicaid told them that my insurance should cover it and BC/BS said medicaid would take care of it. WTF? And I almost didn't get my meds today because of this AND on top of that I still had to change both my medication and my pharmacy.

BTW, does anyone know the number of people who die each year due to lack of access to medical care?

(maybe I heard it in "Sicko"?) but the number I heard for people in the U.S. who die because of lack of or delayed access to medical care is 18,000. I believe that that figures refers to people who die "prematurely" which makes me wonder if the 75 year old who isn't getting their blood pressure medicine gets counted - maybe they would have lived to be 90 with their meds - we'll never know.

Has your doctor only submitted your claim to BCBS once? If so, it should be sent in again and you may want to call your state insurance commissioner or attorney general. Just because they won't pay, doesn't mean what ever the claim is for isn't covered. Some of the insurance companies have a policy of turning down claims just because they know most people won't question them or fight it.

273+ people die each day, for a figure of 100,000 deaths each year.

Single-payer NOW.

I respond by pointing out that we have socialized fire and police protection. If the fire department responds to a fire at their home they don't ask how much you pay in property taxes, they just put out the fire. With the exception of Wasilla AK when the police do an investigation they do not hand you a bill. Both of those socialized systems work quite well. Next you can point out that the overhead for private health insurance runs between 31-34% of the premium while medicare is only 3%.

Lastly I go for the moral approach. there is something fundamentally wrong about someone making money by denying another treatment. that is what a for profit health care system inevitably leads to.

and rationing food.