Access to Affordable Health Care – An Imperative- The 21st Century’s Civil Rights Issue

Health Reform is ALIVE – Let us ensure it gets legs and that it walks through the House and the Senate. This is the civil rights issue of the 21st century. Access to affordable health care is an imperative.  People, this cannot fail. It must not fail.

Anyone who watched the “summit on health care” with the President and the Republican and Democratic leaders last week can have no doubt that the Republicans have no interest in meeting the needs of the millions of Americans who have no health care coverage, or access to affordable care.  It was a remarkable display of indifference and commitment to big pharmaceuticals and the private insurance companies.  Whether we are Democrats or Republicans we would have to be blind not to see what was happening. As an American citizen I was stunned at  John Boehner, Republican House Leader’s behavior.  He is truly frightening.

The president tried to get everyone in the room to focus on areas of agreement. Someone I once respected, Lamar Alexander, was incredibly obstructionist.  Many of the Republicans just flat out lied and did everything they could to undermine the President’s efforts at cooperation and bipartisanship.  The only obvious exceptions to the stone-walling and obstructionist behavior were Senator Thomas Coburn (a very conservative doctor from Oklahoma) and Representative Dave Camp, a lawyer from Michigan.  John Boehner has consistently been one of the most offensive, hostile and irresponsible representative in the House.  Eric Cantor is close behind.  Some of the Democrats are pretty spineless also.  This is why people like Bayh are leaving; they want to get work done, but Washington is in freeze mode.  There should be term limits.  Too many of our elected officials are serving the lobbyists rather than the people who elected them.  When they stay too long they get too powerful.

Finally, the President has gotten the message.  The Republicans have no intention of meeting the needs of the American people.  He has told the Democrats to get some spine and call a vote by the end of the month or soon.  This is where we – the people—come in. It is not too late to get Comprehensive Health Care Reform in America, and it is NOT TOO LATE for a Public Option.  We NEED to Mobilize!  Since the Republicans are not going to support any plan the President put forth anyway, we might as well go for broke and work for real comprehensive reform.

In 2007, the CEOs at the top seven for-profit, private insurance companies pocketed an average of $14.2 million each in total compensation (blog.aflcio.org)

 In the past few years insurance premiums have gone up 100 — 150 percent.  These costs are passed on to those who have such coverage and to their employers.  This is why many companies are cutting back on the benefits they offer. Insurance companies price their premiums much above what they expect inflation to be; this guarantees their investors a solid profit.  This is what the Republicans want to ensure.

 In an article written by Jason Shafrin, Ph.D., economist in the Healthcare Economist magazine we learn that William W. McGuire, CEO of UnitedHealth Group, received compensation of $124.8 million in 2005.  Managed Care Magazine also says that the average executive compensation (excluding unexercised stock options) for an executive of a ‘top 10 for profit health plan’ was $11.7 million and that was back in 2000.  The compensation for this one executive could pay the health care premium for 34,000 Americans.  Yet, most of these wealthy people pay no health care premiums at all.  Recently Anthem Blue Cross in California announced a 39 percent increase in health premiums on many customers; the increase is effective March 1; two weeks’ notice! They are raising premiums now to gauarantee their profits for a long time to come.  I am all for free markets, but this is straight  ripp off.

What justifies this increase?  GREED and POWER. They do it because they can.  What accounts for the extreme opposition to health care reform by the wealthy and powerful, and by the Republicans? It has nothing to do with these people caring about the average American; far from it. It has nothing to do with anyone losing coverage, or govt. being in our pockets; neither is it due to concern that the govt. is coming between patients and their doctors.  None of that is true.  These private insurance companies and for-profit health care groups simply want to maintain their enormous profit margins.  The Republicans simply want the President to fail. These people could care less about the average American.   UnitedHealth Group’s Profit Rises 30% UnitedHealth Group’s 4th-quarter profit climbs; commercial enrollment continues to stumble By TOM MURPHY AP Business Writer, INDIANAPOLIS January 21, 2010 (AP)

There are many groups –across the country– that are fighting for health care reform. Sadly, the mainstream media is not telling us about them; we hear a great deal about the Tea-Partiers and those who oppose health care.  We at OneWorld strongly encourage people to get involved and network with others who want reform; it is our only hope. 

Visit our web site www.oneworldpi.org the Health Literacy Section and get in touch with a state, community or national group.  Write an email or a letter to your congressional representative, or make phone calls.  Encourage family members and friends and church affiliates to participate.  This is the civil rights issue of the 21^st Century. Americans should not have to decide whether to have health care or a roof over their heads. The President and Congress can use Democrats only to pass a health care reform bill.  The Republicans did it when they wanted to pass the Bush tax cuts. They are now screaming about how unfair it will be to use reconcilliation, but it was fine when they used it on 14 of the 19 occassions it has been used since 1980.   Click the links below to get the fact on reconcilliation and the Republican and Democratic use of this process.  The hypocrisy is palpable.  Please get involved to relieved the suffering of hard-working Americans who have no access or limited access to affordable health care. 

FACTBOX-U.S. Democrats try to expedite healthcare bill | Reuters

Mar 4, 2010 … Reconciliation was used “for tax cuts for the rich twice under Bush.” … www.politifact.com/…/bush-tax-cuts-were-passed-reconciliations-50-votes/

This entry was posted on Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 4:03 am and is filed under Civic Engagement, Health, Public Good, Web Resources. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.