Precursor: This is a piece I wrote back in August of 2009 after I had been a camp counselor for a week at a camp for children with bleeding disorders. I feel that it is relevant now, more than ever, as the Affordable Care Act’s health care exchange opened today, despite republican efforts to shut down the government over the matter. Check it out if you haven’t already at healthcare.gov.
After coming to camp, one of the things that’s on my mind constantly is health care in the United States. I guess the reason it’s so prominent in my mind is that i see all of these kids who end up dishing out $2000-$4000 for one dose of medicine when they need it. To me this kind of thing is a problem. So let’s think about it for a little bit. I’ll start out “small” and get “big” as I go along. There actually is no pun intended there…
At camp these kids here all have to have coagulation factor. Some get prophylaxis and can’t afford to have their factor. I’ve generally had my factor for camp donated from some various organizations, but others are not so lucky. Bleeding disorders are by no means an easy disease to have. Not only are there physical effects, but there is the effect on the pocket book. Thousands upon thousands, and even breaking millions, of dollars from families goes toward treating kids with bleeding disorders their medicine. This is money that could and should be spent on kids for their housing, food, clothes and every day needs. I especially notice this with some of the children from Chicago’s inner-city children who seem to come to camp with the bare minimum or even nothing at all.
Just this past week there was a child who didn’t come with a sleeping bag. Another time I took a child to brush his teeth and he was using his finger as a tooth brush. It’s imperative the we fix these problems; but how do we fix this problem? We’ll get to that in a little bit. Here is where we go “big”.
In this country we have 47,000,000 to 50,000,000 people without healthcare coverage. That’s about 16.5% of the nation alone. That’s a lot of people. To put in in retrospect let’s think about this: let’s say that you’re in a room filled with ten of your friends. It’s likely that one and maybe even two does not have health insurance. How would you feel for that friend? How should I feel for my blood brothers that cannot afford their medicine when they get a bleed? Should I let their joints deteriorate and eventually let them lose all range of motion in their arms or legs so that they can no longer walk or take care of themselves? Should you let that one friend in the room with you get sick, should you let them die because they can’t treat an illness?
There’s a harsh reality that some of us have to face; hopefully sooner rather than later. That reality is that there are millions of people that cannot afford coverage when they need it. There is no excuse to let people be unhealthy; we need universal coverage now. This is not a political issue. This is a human issue, and since we are all human it’s time that we picked up the ball and played the game.
Yes we need universal HEALTHCARE now. Unfortunately the ACA does nothing to provide it for those most in need. Before you tout that people do something, kindly try to educate yourself on the whole picture. Ferchristssake healthcare is not guaranteed with health insurance coverage.
http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2013/02/03/obamacare-a-primer/
I think the healthcare plan we have is better than the “public option” would have been. Here’s the President’s comprehensive take on our Affordable Care Act aka Obamacare.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaSx4yqeMqk
As President Obama says “See for yourself.”
You’re right, the ACA is just an insurance reform bill. I guess I didn’t make myself clear enough that the post was written before the ACA even passed. It was an opinion of what I wanted and I got about 30% of what I thought was needed. I still think we should just lower the Medicare age to cover everyone and voila! But I do realize that the ACA isn’t universal healthcare nor anything close, but rather an insurance mandate. 🙂
I apologize for not being more clear.
Even public transportation has to be paid for in this country, Dustin. It’s how our economy works. It was the insurance of Medicare and private companies that gave the healthcare industry the ability to raise costs without restraint. That created the recent untenable insurance costs climbing with greater percentage increases each year…except for the last one. Now Americans have the opportunity to have not only the best quality of medicine in the world, but the best quality at the best price. Pay no attention to our Windmill on this issue. Hear the President out on
our Affordable Care act:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaSx4yqeMqk .
Then go to healthcare.gov and see for yourself.
The “public option,” as presented in the context of the ACA was intended to be an alternative to the private insurers to effectively compete and help to control costs for insurance and for any actual care delivered. Speak up some more and thoroughly demonstrate your ignorance of the issue, I’m fine with that. I think we can all skip the liar link you provided. Count how many times he opens his mouth and you’ll have a rough idea of the number of lies. Or count the instances of, “if,” so an so, happened, then…
http://news.wpr.org/post/state-predicts-increase-premiums-after-health-care-law-implementation
In order for healthcare to become anywhere near affordable, it first needs to be mandated as a non-profit service available to all and the only option available to our elected representatives.
I really am taking issue with your assertion that I’m ignorant on the issue of healthcare. With all due respect, I have a bleeding disorder and am well aware of how insurance works and how I pay for it and what this bill does for me. Excuse you, but I’m not stupid, nor do I know nothing of what this bill does. I would appreciate a common sense and civil tone on my posts or I won’t have issue blowing your posts off as you’re doing mine. Choose to read my words, and at least respect my opinion.
And by all means, we most generally are in agreement. Take what you can get at this point and stop griping that we didn’t get anymore than that. It gives us purpose to fight and your continued effort is appreciated but I am undeserved of your anger and non-apologetic attitude towards government. Take your issue up with your state rep, senator, congressman or US senator.
Thank you. And if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all.
Dustin, my sense of non Quixote’s comment was that it was directed at Cat.
Sorry, about your bleeding issue.
John, that would make sense. Apologies and now I feel a little embarrassed!
Thanks JC, I was replying to whomever that person is.
And to Dustin, again, from the article I linked to in my first comment above:
From the intro in this article about how a 35 yr old can stop paying their utitilies to, “afford,” their premium and still not be able to use the insurance because of the co-pays, to the wrap-up of the for profit groups, “marketing,” this POS, take time to read it, please.
Up to three times these costs for people over 50, (too old to be profitable to private insurers because they need more healthcare) automatically dumped into Medicaid and the ramifications of claw-back there. No limits that I can find about how much more the premiums will be raised year to year as actuarials are determined by insurance companies going forward, no life-time caps on individual co-pays that I can find, should someone have a condition such as you have described of yourself and needs continuing care. Perhaps we could actually get a COL estimate, a poverty level if you will, that accurately included food and fuel costs.
The truth about this bill has very little that is nice and it is my patriotic duty to not sit back and accept what I can get or to quit gripping about getting my pocket picked while I am held at gunpoint by, “government,” backed privateers.
Cat, Wall Street doesn’t pay for anything. We give them money and they blow it. Then we give them more money.
I very much doubt that the health insurance oligopoly would have supported ACA if they had to surrender their ability to cancel coverage once a “pre-existing condition,” is discovered. My understanding is that they can declare a pre-existing condition anytime they want, they just have to pay a small fine.
At that point ACA may have options which are more heavily taxpayer subsidized, but the health insurance oligopoly gets to keep all the premiums that were paid in prior to discovery of the pre-existing condition. You wrote this to Dustin, “Even public transportation has to be paid for in this country, Dustin. It’s how our economy works.”
Is skimming premiums from folks when they are young and healthy, and then dumping them on the taxpayers, when they get sick, how our economy works?
How is their business plan “insurance” if they’re dumping all (99%) of the risk onto the taxpayers?
Twice you’ve linked to a 51-minute video of President Obama. Please list the times of what you consider the top three best paragraphs in the speech.
Cat, Transcript and Audio from an interview with NPR two days ago.
Barry conflates insurance with health care, and then blames the poor for driving up costs by being irresponsible and (lies) says in the first sentence here:
You don’t need to mandate I buy insurance, you regulate the insurance provider not deny coverage and you regulate the price that they can charge for the premium and co-pay.
And while BO secretly negotiates sending more jobs over seas, Trans Pacific Partnership, giving up US sovereignty over our environmental protections (what’s left of them) and labor laws to boot in that deal, he’s crying again about people, “who are willing to work hard,” should be able to succeed, as we have seen the highest worker productivity in history provide the least amounts of shared wealth with labor. Thank dog there is a transcript so I don’t have to puke actually listening to Barry’s spew during this 24 minute segment.
Pick a part of what he says here and defend how he is actually doing what he claims to be doing.
Link:
http://www.npr.org/2013/10/01/227916696/transcript-and-audio-npr-interview-with-president-obama
Windmill,
I don’t know what country you and John grew up in, but in America “you pays your money and you takes your chances.” Nothing is guaranteed. Everyone expects to be paid for their services, but nobody gives anybody anything.
John Casper, We don’t “give Wall Street money.” We invest in companies or conditions in the economy. Wall street provides a very complex and expensive “exchange” operating in real time that must maintain integrity and proficiency for people all over the world to trust the exchange with hundreds of billions of dollars a day. There is no room for slackards or crybabies. You don’t get to come back three or four years after a loss and demand your money back, not without going to court and proving there was some discrepancy.
As for as the Insurance companies, we (hospitals, clinics, doctors, construction companies, automobile makers and users, etc.,etc.)have to have them for the economy to run smoothly. They have to pay their claims when they arise…especially if it’s to a group member. They must carefully track their costs in order to know how to negotiate a competitive fee. You people expect a “public option” to eliminate those obligations? You, Windmill and our “unfriendly ghost” seem to be intelligent people. American currency has been trusted because we, as a people, a collective, pay our depts, do the work and expect to get paid. That’s the reality. If someone doesn’t like the way we negotiate, then try to do better somewhere else or prove there’s a better way. So far I haven’t seen one on this board.
Cat, if what you say is accurate, what’s up with this?
“Bank Of America Dumps $75 Trillion In Derivatives On U.S. Taxpayers With Federal Approval”
http://seekingalpha.com/article/301260-bank-of-america-dumps-75-trillion-in-derivatives-on-u-s-taxpayers-with-federal-approval
Just to put $75 Trillion into context, US GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in 2012 was around $14.5 trillion.
Really conservative estimates of what we blew (dollars not lives) in Iraq and Afghanistan is $4 – $6 trillion
http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-03-28/world/38097452_1_iraq-price-tag-first-gulf-war-veterans
Social Security’s trust fund is around $2.3 trillion.
Cat, Bank of America’s just one of the “too-big-to-fail,” banks. They ALL have derivatives and since Obama let them “socialize” their exposure onto the taxpayers, how does he say “no” to JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citi, and others?
John, that’s a result of the Bush Admin. castration of Glass+Steagall and the gradual elimination of banking oversight and regulation. Obama’s courage, for which I will ever love the man, was to realize that by the time it got to his watch, the world would go into decades of blight if those reckless obligations weren’t leveraged. He did this with my screaming objections sounding along with most of his base. He had his opponents on the ground and he lifted them up because he was not afraid to deny his own popularity for the good of the USA and the world. That move saved the faith and credit of America’s currency and stature in the world. And the irony is that most of the people who were saved hate The President for having the integrity, brains and courage they didn’t and obviously still don’t.
Cat, since you don’t believe in individual responsibility, you should join the GOP.
“If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.”
Cat,
Darrell Issa thanks you for your overly permissive attitudes.
“Darrell Issa’s Net Worth Goes Up 152% in One Year”
http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/09/17/darrell-issas-net-worth-goes-up-152-in-one-year/
Heard of teh google, yet?
President Bill Clinton repealed the Glass-Steagall Act which had prevented the coupling of investment banking and lending. To be exact, on November 12, 1999, President Bill Clinton signed into law the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which repealed the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933. One of the effects of the repeal is it allowed commercial and investment banks to consolidate. Economists have criticized the action.
Blame it on Bush though, a Democratic president would never act against, we the peoples’ best interests. Oh and get your chin up off the floor. Reality bites, don’t it.
Cat,
All three links cover the same event and say the same thing, President, Senate and House are all in bed with Wall Street.
“Obama signs STOCK Act modification”
http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/1007-other/293919-obama-signs-stock-act-step-back
“The STOCK Act Gets Gutted; Here’s Why You Should Care”
http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/breakout/stock-act-gets-gutted-why-care-173159298.html
“Did Obama And Congress Use National Security Fears To Gut The Stock Act?”
http://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanvardi/2013/04/21/did-obama-and-congress-use-national-security-fears-to-gut-the-stock-act/
If you don’t understand something, I’m more than happy to explain it.
Here’s the way it works. You steal a billion from the bank, because it’s all taxpayer insured money. Then, IF anyone catches you, you hire a smart Wall Street lawyer for a $10 million. He gets you off with an SEC fine for $90,000,000. SEC loves that because it fools people into thinking they’re doing something. Before taxes, you’re still $900,000,000 ahead. And so you won’t get caught next time, you hire the SEC lawyers who prosecuted you. Other lawyers at the SEC see where the real money is. They put in their time doing government work and then get hired by a Wall Street shark and make some real money.
The Department of Justice is supposed to oversee that, but their lawyers play by the same rules as the SEC lawyers.
“Why I let Wall Street walk
Justice Department prosecutor Lanny Breuer gives an unapologetic exit interview to Dealbook”
http://www.salon.com/2013/03/01/why_i_let_wall_street_walk/
No one wants to piss off Wall Street, because if you do, they won’t hire you.
The last guy to really go after Wall Street was Elliot Spitzer and look what happened to him. The NSA/FBI caught him with hookers. They can’t catch any sex trafficers, but the one politician who went after Wall Street, they nailed his ass.
Again Cat,
Pick any part of what Barry says here and defend how he is actually doing what he claims to be doing.
http://www.npr.org/2013/10/01/227916696/transcript-and-audio-npr-interview-with-president-obama
Just as I thought, personal attacks, third grade name calling and groundless spite are all you have. Nothing Barry claims in that interview can be defended as fact. But don’t feel like the lone ranger, unfortunately for the welfare of our country, there are plenty of people like yourself, unswervingly acting on your beliefs rather than recognizing any facts.
You do understand your buddy Jesus was attacking the for profit health care model, so I’m aghast at your attitude in refusing to recognize the facts of the perverse relationship between insurers and government that is going to criminalize the poor who cannot comply with the ObombemDon’tCare act, rewarding insurers with bonus profits when they then dump older Americans back into Medicaid by pricing them out of forced private coverage when paying for senior health care, eats too much into corporate profits. Privatize profits, socialize the costs.
So now, Windmill, you’re grinding dubious intentions into Jesus, as well as big, bad bully Barry…
I read that whole interview, and saw nothing to defend but the best of intentions. Now listen with an open mind–if you can control your spite–to the president himself on these matters.
Not only is blind party loyalty clouding your judgement, but it appears your reading comprehension suffers too. I was implying Jesus would be against anyone profiting from caring for the sick or needy. If that equals grinding dubious intentions, in your mind, so be it. It appears you are the only one who is confused about what I said.
You can name my honest evaluation of the Liar-in-Chief, spite, but that doesn’t make your analysis of my feelings correct. Words spoken verses actions taken have defined my view of Barry. Making this about me, is what you do when you cannot defend your beliefs about your down-trodden hero.
So, John, you walk in “Barry’s” shoes for a while and happen into a situation like that. You’re the newby on the block with a wife and two teen age daughters. What do you do? My feeling is you’d do what you could for the stability of the country and safety of your family. But I could be wrong there.
Wait, Barry didn’t have any walking shoes, last I noticed.
John C, have you got Barry’s shoes?
Cat, you don’t get it.
He does what the oligarchs want.
Right and left agree on Wall Street, withdrawing from foreign occupations, and marijuana. The oligarchs control Wall Street, they control big oil, and they control Big Pharma.
If he had moved on those three issues, he’d have been at least as revered as FDR/Eisenhower. Medicare-for-All could have gotten done his first two-years of his first-term. We could be at full employment moving on Climate Change infrastructure.
John,
Woulda, coulda, shoulda. Revered? As whom? FDR turned his back on Japan so they could get us unto WWII.
Eisenhower sat on his thumbs while Russia enslaved eastern Europe. Being the poster boy for world peace is a tough, thankless job with few druthers.
Real News Network Cat, kindly take the time to listen and learn.
Dr Margaret Flowers on the Unaffordable Care Act:
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=10805
Kevin Zeese with a clear of explanation of Barry’s next huge gift to his sponsors, the TPP.
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=10793
Sorry to go OT Dustin, but just illustrative of our Liar-in-Chief, and Cat, today is terror Tuesday. Who is going to be assassinated on Barry’s word this week? I don’t recall reading, “Blessed are the commanders of drones.” Whose teen-age daughters are going to be turned to dust this week?
No question Pres. Obama didn’t push hard enough for the public option. No question Senator Baucus had the bill written by an insurance insider to make it palatable to insurance companies. No question Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel sacrificed the public option for blue dog votes. Many blue dogs were booted out in 2010, Emmanuel lost any ability to do another national deal, and here we are now with a Democratic House minority, a government shutdown and debt limit shenanigans anyway. Seems like it would’ve been better to just pass a more robust bill in the first place to make all this worth it. But easier said, than done. Rep. Grayson is quoted in Salon yesterday as saying that his GOP counterparts are offended by the fact that someone not working or making less money could get health coverage or even have access to emergency room care. Compared to that thinking, anyone who helped move the dial even a little and get us ACA looks pretty good, right?
It’s best to look at the ACA as an organizing opportunity as opposed to an end product that we’re stuck with forever. If we want access to public health insurance for everyone going forward we’ll just have to elect a progressive governing majority. Half of the eligible electorate in this country don’t vote in mid term elections. What are we gonna do about that?
Precisely Steve; I look at the ACA as a start towards more comprehensive and meaningful (and truly universal) health care in our country.
Steve- I agree that the ACA is a starting point, not an ending one, and should be promoted heavily by Dems in 2014.
And you wanna get casual bystanders out to vote on the ACA, show them this story from up North, which shows how Gov Walker’s roadblocks kept ACA navigators from being licensed in time, preventing people from getting the health coverage they are entitled to.
Heck, it might make them mad enough to visit the Capitol and sing a few tunes! 😛
Jake,
Here’s hoping we can all go to the Capitol the day after the 2014 election and sing:
Well guys and Emma, best of luck with your hopey-changey for 2014.
Emma, slight correction, Barry, Rahm, et al, never intended to push for the public option, end of story.
Steve @ 4:30pm, I agree with your idea of getting the bums thrown out and electing a progressive majority, but not criticizing the ACA now, letting it slide in party compliance and acceptance doesn’t give you a leg to stand on when people see it for the POS that it is.
Zach at 8:15pm, I am with Dr Flowers on this as it is the start of the eventual full privatizing of Medicaid and Medicare, and a hurdle to be overcome, an unnecessary obstacle in the way of not-for-profit, universal HEALTH CARE. This is a Barry Betrayal of the public trust, pure and simple as will be his gift of the TPP to the 1%.
My hope lies with Dr Flowers pointing out the bright spot of public opinion swaying Congress to avoid the last missile crisis escalation in Syria, telling Barry to STFU and sit on his hands. Letting him get away with this give away, without relentless criticism, puts one directly in the private insurers corner. 20% direct giveaway for “overhead,” (what is it, 1% of the total contributions, for government to run SS?) plus profits sure to follow after refusing and or fighting paying for care to subscribers, they wrote the bill, don’t expect they didn’t write in the status quo.
Jake, I’m not sure how you intend to have the Dems promote anything about the ACA to woo voters in 2014. I’d suggest you look at the first link I provided as a starter if you haven’t yet, but I’ll be buying stock in lipstick you’re going to need for this pig.
OT, just for Cat, just in case you missed my link above:
http://thestrangedeathofliberalamerica.com/foreclosed-blame-bill-clintons-repeal-of-glass-steagall.html
Surprised none of the sharp-eyed Democrats here didn’t pick up the erroneous attribution by Cat earlier. Gives one hope that this, “Democrat,” Obombem’s equally egregious give away to the AHIPs will have absolutely no ill effects.