Health insurance
Welfare for health insurance companies
Dec/16/09 22:09 Filed in: Healthcare Policy | Politics
Up until last night, I supported the healthcare reform plans of President Obama. I did so, despite the evisceration of important parts of the proposed law, including the public option, stricter controls on insurance companies, and broader coverage for more people. What we are going to have is a law that is no more than a transfer of wealth from the taxpayers to rich health insurance companies. Sure, those companies have to accept customers with pre-existing conditions, but they get to charge more. Sure, they have to accept older individuals, but they get to charge them more.
Moreover, this bill will charge people who do not have insurance so that they might be covered. If they don’t have the money, the government will give it to you, and it will go to the insurance companies. Senators Joe Lieberman and Mary Landrieu, bought and paid for by the health insurance industry have sold out their values for these companies. Neither of them, supposed Democrats, have shown any conviction, any morals or any beliefs that are not bought in cash. The health insurance companies must be popping corks from bottles of Dom Perignon.
Some people say that it’s better to have a plan than none. I disagree. I think this plan will bankrupt the country, but in a wholly different way that the Republicans are saying. Without real reform, the cost to the citizens will be tremendous. Read More...
Moreover, this bill will charge people who do not have insurance so that they might be covered. If they don’t have the money, the government will give it to you, and it will go to the insurance companies. Senators Joe Lieberman and Mary Landrieu, bought and paid for by the health insurance industry have sold out their values for these companies. Neither of them, supposed Democrats, have shown any conviction, any morals or any beliefs that are not bought in cash. The health insurance companies must be popping corks from bottles of Dom Perignon.
Some people say that it’s better to have a plan than none. I disagree. I think this plan will bankrupt the country, but in a wholly different way that the Republicans are saying. Without real reform, the cost to the citizens will be tremendous. Read More...
Civilized medicine, Part II. Myths
Aug/09/09 10:17
I have found the commentary against the proposed healthcare reform to be both disturbing (Limbaugh’s comments dishonors the memory of the Holocaust) and silly (and kind of disturbing too). But almost all of the comments are based on myths, and as those of you who read this blog know, I can’t stand myths. The disinformation about Obama’s healthcare plan is poisoning the debate, because rational people tend to dismiss an opposing viewpoint if it has no sound foundation in logic. I think that there should be a reasoned debate on how to fix the healthcare system of the US. It’s not happening, because one side is channeling its hatred of the other side, and reason goes flying out the door.
Let me refute some of the more outlandish of the myths about healthcare reform. Let me state upfront that there were so many to choose, and some of them were so laughable, I didn’t know where to start. Read More...
Let me refute some of the more outlandish of the myths about healthcare reform. Let me state upfront that there were so many to choose, and some of them were so laughable, I didn’t know where to start. Read More...
Civilized medicine, Part I. Why?
Aug/05/09 01:01
Unless you live in a world that does not include the media or internet, you must be aware of the level and tone of debate about healthcare reform. Before we can discuss healthcare reform, we need to establish why we need healthcare reform. Cutting through the rhetoric as to what needs to be done, we still need to know the reasons that have lead the US to the point where we need to seriously consider some level of reform of the system. Setting aside some of the rhetoric and arguments, let’s look at the key issues regarding healthcare in the US. Read More...
Civilized medicine
Aug/04/09 23:44
I’m titling this post “Civilized Medicine” as opposed to “socialized medicine.” What I’m really going to discuss is Obama’s healthcare plan, but I wanted to start out by demolishing that old strawman argument that attempts to dismiss new ideas by calling them “socialist.” A civilized society owes its citizens the right to a healthy life. But that’s just semantics, and a thorough review the Obama’s proposal is warranted. When I first started to write this entry, I thought I could do it one article, albeit a long one. Instead, to make it easier to read, I’ve decided to do it over four parts over the next few days. Read More...