Senator Kennedy Announces Plan to Submit Bill For Universal Health Care

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: Washington Post

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), making his second appearance on Capitol Hill since he began treatment for a malignant brain tumor in June, told reporters yesterday that he would advance a bill early next year calling for universal health care.

Some Democrats, including members of President-elect Barack Obama's circle, have begun to view expanded coverage as a longer-term goal.

The brief appearance by Kennedy, who made a surprise return in July to vote on a Medicare bill, represented an opportunity for him to show colleagues that he remains energetic and engaged, and that he intends to reclaim his committee post in January and take charge of the Obama health-care agenda. Some Democrats had speculated that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) would attempt to assume the chairmanship of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) rolled out his own health-care bill days after Obama was elected, and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also expects to be a leading participant in the effort to establish universal health care.

Kennedy has a head start on them all. Despite his illness, he directed his staff months ago to begin work on legislation that would vastly expand health coverage, a career-long goal of his....

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

[onehandle]

1. Thank God. Go Ted! nt

[fed_up_mother]

17. Long live Senator Kennedy and Kennedy Care :)

[mascarax]

71. I really like "Kennedy Care" or "KennedyCare"

It was great to see Ted again.

[quidam56]

66. Acceptable Standards of Health Care in Tennessee

---> http://www.wisecountyissues.com

affordable, universal health care isn't enough, we also deserve acceptable health care ! These days "profit" care comes way before "patient" care.

[rurallib]

2. I hope Ted can live long enough to succeed.

[Chulanowa]

58. He's too much of a stubborn ass to let little things like brain tumors stop him!

Lion of the senate my ass, Ted's a rhinoceros.

[aquart]

3. GIVE HIM WHAT HE WANTS.

Since the Senate is so very sentimental about its members, this would be a nice time to give Senator Kennedy a legacy that would eclipse his brothers.

[Fearless]

4. Damn right!

[Zuiderelle]

11. I love that way of looking at it. Ted Kennedy's legacy, to save thousands of American lives.

And eventually millions.

[RaleighNCDUer]

149. Well, it wouldn't really save thousands of lives -

but it would vastly prolong and improve the lives of millions. Which is probably what you meant.

[BrklynLiberal]

32. True. That would be a great legacy for him.

[Coexist]

72. Hell yeah.

[4_TN_TITANS]

5. This could be his final, monumental

tribute to a life in service of the little guy. I hope his plan provides coverage for spinal transplants for the rest of the Senate Dems.

[bobbolink]

53. " I hope his plan provides coverage for spinal transplants for the rest of the Senate Dems."

From your keyboard to the monitor of the goddess.

[High Plains]

6. Yes, we need universal health care.

And this would make up for all those years in the 1970s when he was trying to pass that horrible crime bill.

[WriteDown]

7. I seriously doubt this will EVER pass....

Just look at this thread. People only want UHC if it doesn't affect their little fiefdom.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[Lionel Mandrake]

8. The timing may not be right.

Passage of such a bill will depend on the example of Medicare as a successful single payer system. The problem is that Medicare is now a mess. It needs to be cleaned up before it is expanded. Part D must become less of a gift to big Pharma. The payments to doctors' offices under part B must be streamlined and de-privatized, so that the doctors will not have to wait month after month to get paid.

[Winterblues]

13. No the example would be Veteran's Health Care

It is pretty damn good. There are always problems to be found if one searches hard enough but on the whole it is as solid as it gets..

[Lionel Mandrake]

18. Maybe

Whether the example is Medicare or VA (or both) depends on the details, which even Ted probably hasn't decided on yet.

By the way, until recently Medicare was pretty damn solid, too. Bush et al. have messed it up. The damage they caused must be undone as soon as possible.

[DollyM]

135. You haven't used the VA in Marion Illinois!!!!

My husband nearly lost his foot due to their incompetence. They federal government had to step in and ban them from doing surgeries after 10 patients died who shouldn't have. I know it doesn't make sense but VA health care is also based on cost, the administrators who save money can pocket it so patients get denied basic things like bandages that won't pull on the skin when removed. Indian Health Care is the same way, substandard care so administrators can pocket any left over funds. Because these are two groups that will largely shut their mouths and put up with substandard care, it keeps going on.

[LanternWaste]

15. There is never a better time for dramatic change...

I believe that there is never a better time for dramatic change than in the here and the now. Especially in this here and in this now...

[Lionel Mandrake]

27. With respect, I disagree.

Timing is everything in politics. Some dramatic changes must be carefully prepared.

A master politician like FDR knew what could be done now and what would have to wait. US entry into WW2 was impossible before the attack on Pearl Harbor. What was possible was for us to become the "arsenal of democracy", lend-lease, etc. One step at a time.

[LanternWaste]

45. The steps and preparation already taken for universal health care are many...

The steps and preparation already taken for universal health care are many. Dating back to the early 70's. The groundwork and the prep work has been done. IMHO the only remaining obstacle is public opinion-- and that particular lesson was learned the hard way in 1993.

The 30's and 40's are a vastly different animal compared to the here and now, and I seriously doubt Universal Health Care will have a Germany declaring war on the U.S. (or any other hand-me-down analogy) to force it into reality...

[Hayduke Lives]

61. The groundwork is the death of US auto industry

The for-profit health insurance industry (and the 1 Million Man Bureaucracy that pushes medical bills around) is the anchor on the US Economy.

Selling single-payer must be sold based on the efficiency argument. If it becomes a "compassion for the poor" type argument, it loses. We all know that's a pathetic fact, but it's the reality of american politics.

The math (around health costs) isn't difficult. The inefficiencies of our system can be understood by anyone simply by using comparison to other countries. Moreover, after GM goes bankrupt, people will pay attention to the post-mortem analysis. But sadly, I fear democrats won't have the balls to do what has to be done. 1,000,000 unemployed paper-pushers will be an unpalatable side effect, but this is our only way out.

[Lionel Mandrake]

62. Since you brought up 1993, let's talk about that.

The Clinton health care plan of 1993 failed. What lesson should we learn from that? I think you'll find that different people draw different conclusions from that debacle. For background, see

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton_health_care_plan

You are right to focus on public opinion. Unfortunately, public opinion can be manipulated by those with lots of money. Remember Harry and Louise?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_and_Louise

So the question is, how and when do we get public opinion to line up in favor of Universal Health Care? I think this may not be an auspicious time, for reasons I have already explained.

As for how: I think the only viable form of Universal Health Care would be a single-payer system like Medicare. I hope that is what Ted has in mind.

[bobbolink]

54. Amen. You are soooo right!

And every civil rights worker knows the truth of this!

[MNDemNY]

64. Wrong the timing is perfect.

We must work hard and fast, shoving progressive bill after progressive bill down the throats of the beaten and battered GOP.

[Lionel Mandrake]

68. These things must be done in a certain order.

Some problems are more urgent than others.

As far as health care is concerned, fixing Medicare is more urgent than expanding it. The doctors need to get paid now for services already rendered. The sooner they get paid, the fewer of them will abandon Medicare patients. In some states, like California, the situation is critical. It needs to be fixed by yesterday at the latest.

[Zhade]

93. Meanwhile, people die.

NT!

[Lionel Mandrake]

96. And still more will die if we repeat the mistakes of 1993.

We need to get it right this time.

Festina lente.

[Dawgs]

113. The mistake of 1993 was losing the political capital Bill gained after getting elected.

Waiting would be a disaster.

[ryanmuegge]

140. It will take a hell of a lot of political capital to get something like this passed.

[MNDemNY]

139. And sending the doctors who abuse the system to jail, and take their assets.

[Daemonaquila]

112. The wait wasn't the problem

I agree about Part D - but we all knew from the outset it was a gift for big pharma, and what the fix was. That should be pretty easy.

Re: Part B, I ran the business/billing end of a clinic for a while when my dad went down with a major heart attack. (I had helped out part time a lot through the years, so I knew their setup and was able to almost seamlessly take over for 6 months. Job sharing with your dad = kind of weird.) Obviously I can't speak for all doctors' problems with Medicare, but for this clinic the wait wasn't the issue. It was really no worse than a lot of private insurers, and speedier than medicaid. The big problem was the constant refusal to pay for things in ways that didn't make sense for patients, having to rebill over and over for charges that were never responded to yea or nay, etc. For example, this office had a lot of patients on dilantin long-term. You want to make sure their blood level is therapeutic, not dangerously high or uselessly low. To do that, you do a simple, cheap (we charged $5) blood test in the office, get the results on the spot, and modify the dose up or down. It's one of those tests you really want the answer to immediately, not a week later.

Medicare would not reimburse for the blood tests. Ever. For any reason. If we had sent the patients out to a reference lab for the same test that would've cost multiple times what we charged to do it in-house, and which would've come back with results days (up to a week) later, the reference lab would've gotten paid. It totally undermined the point of the test and would cost medicare much more. It was stuff like this that made no financial or medical sense that created the frustration. This office's solution was to do the test anyway, knowing we wouldn't get paid for it, and eat the cost. That gets expensive after a while.

The other sort of thing that made 'em crazy was the threat, over and over, that medicare reimbursement was going to get cut depending on the next bill, etc. It makes it really hard to plan whether you're going to be able to continue treating medicare patients when that happens, and next to impossible to plan long-term for the business. But overall, medicare was actually better to deal with than HMOs (the clinic withdrew from all HMO networks and only took HMO patients whose plan had a point-of-service option).

[Lionel Mandrake]

126. Very interesting.

You have a lot of relevant knowledge and experience. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

130. I'm thinking this is the kind of report that would be useful

to send to Obama's team and to any other agencies that are interested in solving problems. The more real case studies delineating the weaknesses (same for strengths), the better equipped they would be. Seems to me.

[smiley]

9. Just more political rhetoric

It will get shot down, right after they give another bailout to another corporation.

[Dawgs]

114. Are you talking about the LOAN to save American Automaker's jobs?

I'm keeping my eye on you.

[SammyWinstonJack]

124. !!!

[JimboBillyBubbaBob]

10. Now

It is time that we as citizens stand up for this concept. We must strive to create a tsunami of will and opinion that cannot be denied. In this age of science health care is a right, not a "free market" commodity. Let us stand together and be heard.

[NorthCarolina]

12. Is he talking "Universal" as proposed in HR 676?

eom

[harun]

70. My same question. Universal as in make people buy for-profit insurance that

costs more than they can afford or Universal as in Universal (H.R. 676).

[LanternWaste]

14. Let's get the dialogue started!

Let's get the dialogue started!

Let's open up the discussion in the Senate, in the House, and in our communities-- and let us quickly preempt that standard GOP bullet point nonsense that are sure to arise on talk radio.

Yay, Sen. Kennedy!!!!

[bobbolink]

55. and WE need to be talking to friends, neighbors, etc.

This won't pass just by the government.. it must be DEMANDED, and to do that, we MUST create understanding and bust the propaganda.

How 'bout full page ads in the NY Times for a start???

[antimatter98]

16. Watch Democrats sabatoge or block Kennedy's effort.

This is because Democrats are as connected to corporate power as Republicans are,
and as we're seeing they are contemptuous of 'ordinary Americans,' thinking of us
as 'the left,' and rabble.

We don't realize it yet, but we've elected a Republican, again.

[smiley]

26. I couldn't agree more.

[Soylent Brice]

19. GO TED GO!!!

call you senators folks!!

let's make this happen!!

on edit: K&R

[tom_paine]

20. Go Ted GO! K & R!

[leftyladyfrommo]

21. Bless him. May the luck of the Irish be with him.

I really hope it makes it. And it would be a wonderful legacy for him.

[bobbolink]

56. He won't do it without us, and that takes a lot more than luck.

If we don't do OUR part, nothing happens.

[leftyladyfrommo]

127. He's alive. According to the National Enquirer a few weeks ago

Ted Kennedy was on his death bed and wouldn't make Thanksgiving.

I am so glad they are wrong.

[Swede Atlanta]

22. Hold your horses

I agree this needs to be a priority but I would prefer the new administration focus on getting the economy back on track and working to shore up our national security by improving relations with other countries, improving intelligence, etc.

I would prefer Obama wait until the 2010 State of the Union to lay out any large, strategic initiatives including health care, energy independence and climate change, education reforms, immigration modernization, etc.

[Lars39]

25. A healthy citizenry is high priority.

How many people are you wanting to let die from lack of health care?

[bobbolink]

57. Exactly what I was going to say. How many NEEDLESS deaths in that wait?

[w4rma]

35. This is one of the things that will help the economy get back on track. (nt)

[Raksha]

80. I'd go further than that: Single-payer health care

is THE most important thing we can do to get the economy back on track. American manufacturers are hamstrung by the bloated and overpriced for-profit health care system we have in this country. It makes it impossible for them to compete with more civilized countries that do have a single-payer system. Of course the powerful and connected health care racket will fight it tooth and nail as they've been doing for decades, but it's come down to them against everyone else. They are parasites on the rest of the economy, and I think most Americans realize that.

[w4rma]

121. You're right. And they are parasites on Americans and our economy. (nt)

[BREMPRO]

37. I respectfully disagree. The time is for bold evolutionary action....

All these issue are tied together and you can't do it piecemeal. That's been the systemic problem with our public policy. It's like giving another pill to someone who needs a transplant. Businesses are hamstrung by health care costs. Environmental/energy issues such as renewables, eclectic autos and grid upgrades have to be integral to any economic recovery plan. This gives us not only new job creation, but health care for all and long-term economic stability.
That's what i love about Obama, he's a SYSTEMS thinker, not a SILO thinker. He's got vision for the country beyond the moments political battle. The status quo will resist this kind of evolution, but we have to insist on this.

[Doremus]

41. As part of a stimulus package, this is very appropriate.

They're throwing money hand over fist at banks and it's doing nothing. They're hoarding it and it's not stimulating anything except the fatcats who get off on the smell of greenbacks.

Obama has said numerous times that his first priority is a stimulus package aimed at the middle class. Using part of that money to fund a universal health care plan is timely and appropriate.

There is nothing extreme or foolhardy about it. It is smart, just like our President-elect.

[dana_b]

86. right! we give those fools tons of money

but can't help the everyday person? that has got to stop. Besides that, if everyone has health care, the health care costs will actually go down and we'll save money overall. It will be expensive to get started but we have to do it sooner or later and sooner is better.

[jwirr]

103. We have control of the gov. NOW from experience I can tell you that

we had best get what we can WHILE we can. Further I am sure that we can do more than one thing at a time. This president and his cabinet are intelligent compared to the last 8 years.

[Oak2004]

108. The two are intimately intertwined

American business is not competitive because of the heavy burden it must assume in employee health insurance.

TRying to shore up banks that will not loan, and investment houses which are not banks, with what's left of the GNP will do diddle for the economy compared to relieving American business of the burden of employee health care costs.

Not to mention that if the public, which thought they were voting for health care, get instead more bailout, that *will* be the end of Obama's political capital.

[HeeBGBz]

117. I need health care now

I've been walking around with Hepatitis C for 20 years and I need treatment. I've filed for compensation with the VA, but there is no guarantee I'll get it. The only way the VA will treat me is if I prove it was service related.

Treatment will cost about $3000 a month for 4-6 months.

Meanwhile the disease is killing my liver.

How about getting back some of that AIG party money and sharing it with people who are sick and need care.

[LSK]

23. its so simple, HR 676, Medicare for all

With so many younger people buying into it, it will fund itself.

Why mess around with all this other nonsense???

[sakabatou]

24. w00t

[desktop]

28. I love Ted Kennedy

Some people say wait, we need to strike while the iron is hot. Our economy needs to be restructured which is completely interwoven with our health care system. You can't fix one with out the other, unless of course you are going to screw the middle and lower classes. Which is what the GOP and bribe taking democrats will want to do.

[BREMPRO]

29. hang in there teddy! UHC would be a momentus accomplishment for the american people.

Will be politically and personally difficult for the Repukes to fight him on this.
I hope he can get it done.

[W_HAMILTON]

30. Good for him.

Even if this issue gets bogged down by all the jerks that don't want Americans to have healthcare coverage like they are blessed to receive, it's good to see that at least someone is trying to do something about it.

I wasn't going to be all that surprised if it was a huge issue on the campaign, then completely brushed aside once the election was decided. At worst, Kennedy is keeping the issue at the forefront, and I thank him for that.

God bless him.

[BrklynLiberal]

31. May he be well and strong for a very long time...

[Fearless]

39. K&R!

[Cleita]

33. There is already a health care bill in committee in Congress HR676

which would extend Medicare to all. I hope his bill isn't the same as the Massachusetts universal health care which is only a bonanza for the insurance companies and places a burden on the people and the government.

http://www.pnhp.org/news/2008/october/massachusetts_nee...
http://www.pnhp.org/news/2006/april/massachusetts_healt...

This is what they say about Max Baucus's plan.

http://www.pnhp.org/news/2006/april/massachusetts_healt...

[Hayduke Lives]

63. You hit the nail on head

Health care reform has to eliminate the inefficiency created by insurance companies.

I'm baffeled by the failure of the American business owners to get behind HR676. It's in their interst as much as the American people's interest. Maybe the collapse of GM will help them gain some perspective.

[ryanmuegge]

141. Because they aren't interested in creating jobs here anyway. What do they care?

They're moving everything that isn't nailed down to China. They don't care in the least. Plus, interlocking board members.

[Vinca]

34. Ted Kennedy is a truly great man.

To those who want to put this on the back burner, they should realize the reason businesses in this country are going to hell in a handbasket is healthcare. If GM wasn't on the hook for employee and retiree healthcare, they probably wouldn't be begging Congress for money this very afternoon.

[penndragon69]

36. Health care NOW!

Weather it be universal or modeled after the VA. health care system, we need it now.
Portability and affordability are what we want.
And i say this because i am also a cancer survivor, can you imagine if i had
to find ins. for myself on the open market like dip-shit McBush wanted?

I only hope Ted can at least see some progress and not check out before the dream is achieved...
Just like dear "TOOT" did.

[bdamomma]

38. what a good man he is.

Love you Senator Kennedy

[Deep13]

40. Ted! Ted! Ted! Ted!

Ted Kennedy a giant among men. I don't always agree with him (though I usually do), but I always love him.

[Doremus]

42. Bless this man.

This will be the crowning glory on a distinguished senate career.

Thank you, Senator.

[Ms. Toad]

43. Thank goodness - I hope this moves far and fast.

It tears me apart every time I have to tell my 18 year old daughter that she cannot afford to follow her dreams of being an artist - I would love to be able to tell her, "Go for it - do what makes you happy and worry about settling into a career that pays more later, if money becomes important to you."

Unfortunately, she in uninsurable (i.e. she can only get health insurance during open enrollment when insurance companies are required to ensure virtually all comers, and the premium would be $12,000-$15,000/year). Without coverage, her fixed medical costs are around $5000/year - assuming only the previously identified issues create medical costs, and nothing goes wrong (and statistically, she is ripe to have something go very wrong in the next 5 years or so).

So unless things change I have to encourage her to to find something other than what she loves to do which will earn her a job that provides health care.

[AllHereTruth]

44. yes yeS yES YES

[valerief]

46. America NEEDS Ted Kennedy!

[wysi]

47. If this were to happen...

... I'd seriously consider coming home to the US again. Go Ted!

[NikolaC]

48. That's Great News!

God bless that man! I really hope that it will go through. Our "healthcare" system is simply a big damn mess. I would love to see if they could work with HR676.

[CADEMOCRAT7]

49. We need you Senator Kennedy and we need UHC !!! Please Please Please make it happen ! n/t

[hangman86]

50. Hopefully we weeded out enough Repukes for this to have chance.

There still is the matter concerning DINOs though. I don't see Joe Lieberman or Jim Webb supporting this.

[EndElectoral]

51. It's guys like Ted Kennedy and Dennis Kuccinich that keep me a Dem - How I wish there were more!

[LynneSin]

52. Oh but Ted supported Lieberman - we should trounce him!!!

I for one am excited to see this on the DU home page. Ted Kennedy benefits from an excellent health care plan and he knows that everyone should have that same benefit - not just folks like him.

[DailyGrind51]

59. As your brother-in-cancer, I applaud you, Senator!

[gorfle]

60. It is an idea who's time has come.

If the country has trillions to spend on bankers and trillions for Iraqi welfare I no longer have the patience to hear that there is no health care or social security for me.

It is time for the average American Citizen to get some of the payoff, dammit.

[reprehensor]

65. Do it.

Thumbs up.

[urbanaddictiondotcom]

67. Only the Dems Will Get US Healthcare for ALL!

Thank you Ted Kennedy and all the other Democrats willing to fight this fight. The time is NOW. The healthcare system is part of what is crippling our economy. Now that torture is no longer in vogue, maybe we can become a moral example to the world again.

[faulknercindy]

69. Go get em Ted

I am pulling for you

[fascisthunter]

73. Not Enough Democrats Want Universal Healthcare... too many in the pocket

of the health insurance industry. "Hope" I am wrong...

[politicasista]

74. Kick for Uncle Ted

[Divine Discontent]

75. God bless your recovery Sen Kennedy! You are a witness to walking in the right path

and being on the right side of history and social justice for all. What a wonderful human being this man is!

I agree - we got a strong majority - we need to push things through YESTERDAY!

We may even get Snowe/Collins/Lieberman in on this with the rest of the Dems!

Many different Yes We Did items in the Obama/Biden section www.cafepress.com/warisprofitable

[MrsBrady]

76. Go Teddy go! Go Teddy go! n/t

[superconnected]

77. Go Ted!

[L0oniX]

78. longer-term goal ...WTF? Yea well I'll stick to my short term goal of voting them out...

I expect them to fuck it up and I will vote anti Dem incumbent as part of my longer-term goal. Time for a REAL change! They can bail out them rich bastards but they don't give a flying fuck about me and I know it. It's all 100% bull shit like usual. When ya want to start a real revolution let me know and I'll be the first to sign up. If hostile is all they understand I'll give em some hostile ...fucking longer-term goal my ass! Single payer health care NOW damn it all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Betsy Ross]

79. YES! K&R

[4_Legs_Good]

81. Way to go Ted!!!

I likes me what I'm hearing.

Let's get this thing done!

David

[ecstatic]

82. It all makes sense now--Kennedy will have the honor of passing

a healthcare bill--one of his last and major accomplishments in the Senate.

Therefore, Hillary had to move into something totally unrelated to healthcare.

Puzzle solved.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

97. Micheal Moore says that the health-care industry donates the most to Hillary.

Bill is in deep with big pharmaceuticals. I wouldn't want Hillary anywhere near our health care system; there's too much of a conflict of interest.

Putting the Clintons in charge of our health care is like putting Exxon Mobile in charge of our energy; and we all know how that turns out.

[Swagman]

83. now there is a true Patriot !

[shellgame26]

84. HALLELULIA!!!

[dana_b]

85. Do it, Congress... support Ted and this NECESSARY bill!!

We will really need to push HARD on Congress to pass this. I think it's going to be a big fight.

[RoccoR5955]

87. What a fitting tribute..

..to the Lion of the Senate!
Go Teddy, Go!

I sure hope that he gets this passed. It would be a fitting tribute to his lifelong service to our country.

[burrowowl]

88. YES! GO TEDDY!

We need 2 things: Universal Health Care (e.g. Boeing sent jobs to Italy and Japan, cheaper, workers aren't paid less but they have Health Care!) and jobs, like FDR's program: rebuild the damn Infrastructure. NO MONEY to Wall Street, which is fiance and not the ECONOMY!

[unkachuck]

89. thank you Ted....

....please don't waste any time....we're hurting and we're desperate for Universal Healthcare....

....God speed, dear Senator....

[defendandprotect]

90. No report of it NOT on "Olbermann" tonight

Someone else covering for him --

[defendandprotect]

91. Thank You, Sen. Ted Kennedy ...!!!

[David Zephyr]

92. Kennedy may take it further than Hillary or Obama promised. He can, you know.

With Democrats now firmly in charge of both sides of Congress, and with Obama in the White House, and with his own health failing, Edward Kennedy (a hero of mine) might just take this whole issue to a whole new level. We've not had a chance like this since LBJ was president and delivered Medicare.

CARPE DIEM.

[Xenotime]

94. This is so important for the safety and security of america.

I know this will pass and be come law.

[Canuckistanian]

95. About bloody time SOMEONE did

Go, Ted, Go!

Neither you nor America will regret it.

To Hell with the critics.

[The Maestro]

98. Keep fighting the good fight, Ted

Hopefully Senator Kennedy can nudge Obama away from keeping insurance companies out of the equation. Universal health care is the only cost effective way to go.

[bjobotts]

99. Until they get the profiteers out of our ins coverage, nothing will change

[bjobotts]

100. The lobbyists will continue to write our laws. Mandated Medicare for all.

[bjobotts]

101. Think of it as just part of being an American and get used to it

[rapturedbyrobots]

102. not universal health CARE

nobody in the senate is actually proposing universal health care. everyone is pushing for universal (translation...affordable) health insurance. this doesn't and can't guarantee actual health care for anybody...only guaranteed premiums paid to insurance companies. don't be so easily distracted. we need health care for everyone NOT more leverage for the insurance companies that often stand in the way of patients receiving needed care.

[kath]

110. Thanks for bringing this up - this universal (or mandatory) INSURANCE crap is bullshit - we need

universal HEALTH CARE (like the Europeans have), not universal INSURANCE. The fuckin' bloodsucking insurance companies suck out approx 35 cents out of every health care dollar, and they provide nothing of value in return. They've gotta go. (they can still sell life insurance, auto, homeowners', etc - but they have no place in the provision of health care. Fuckin' parasites.)

Single payer is the only way to go.

[nodehopper]

116. European systems are different from each other

Netherlands, for example, has mandated health insurance, which is privatized. But the industry is so heavily regulated that practically it means that everyone does have access to medical care. There is a government-set maximum on premiums, no such bullshit as preexisting conditions, and virtually no copays. People below a certain income level get it fully subsidized. Oh, and because there isn't a need for hospitals to rack up prices for non-insured people, the actual out-of-pocket costs are reasonable. My boyfriend had to go to the ER here for a deep cut, this was before we got our insurance cards, so he had to pay out of pocket--his visit cost 60 Euro. I went to a general practitioner, and the visit, again, out of pocket, was 24EU. And this was BEFORE we got our insurance policies--now it doesn't cost anything beyond the monthly premium, which is about 80 EU for me and free for my child. Being here has made me realize that privatized health insurance can work as long as it is strongly regulated by the government, which is looking out for public welfare, rather than the insurance lobby.

Aesthetically, the French system still appeals more to me--higher taxes and free medical care for everyone all the time--but the Dutch model could be something that the US could replicate and thus get around the stupid bogeyman of "OMG socialized medicine" Socialized or privatized...just regulate the hell out of those bloodsuckers, and people will be able to have universal access to healthcare.

[grahamhgreen]

119. SINGLE PAYER NOT-FOR-PROFIT health care...

[Dawgs]

115. Then run for office and change it. Until then, quit being so fucking negative.

It's not healthy.

[Odin2005]

104. Go,Terddy, Go!!!

[Rosa Luxemburg]

105. Hurrah!

[OHDEM]

106. It was wonderful to see him back at work!

And working on his legacy!

PBS was timely tonight replaying "Sick Around the World" on Frontline. A fantastic look at healthcare abroad including Great Britain, Japan, Taiwan, Germany and others. A fascinating discussion of how care is paid for, % of GDP, how much doctors make, waiting periods and patient satisfaction. The most interesting thing to me was the discussion of Taiwan, which became a rich nation in the past 20 years and did a comprehensive study of healthcare plans around the world to find out what works and what doesn't for their citizens. None are perfect, but all appear better and cheaper than ours! Of course, when you have no access to care or when it will bankrupt you, anything looks better!

Anyone think we can be smart enough and open-minded enough to honestly debate healthcare around the world and model a universal plan based on the best things out there? I fear we're not capable of that, but it's what we deserve.

[LuckyLib]

107. There couldn't be a better time. Folks know something has to change. Health care cannot continue

to be the huge drain on our resources. Getting rid of the profit-fueled middle men (insurers) is a first step. You go Ted!

[ClayZ]

109. Yay! K and R

[Thunderbeast]

111. How dumb are we?

When Bin Laden attacked US soil in 2001, we mourned and grieved the loss of 3,000 innocents. We responded by lashing out at the Muslim world, and gave little thought to sacrificing our soldiers and emptying the treasury at a rate on over $200 Billion per year for misguided wars (in addition to the baseline Pentagon budget).

Each year, over 47,000 American men, women and children die because they do not have health insurance. THE LOSS OF LIFE IS EQUIVALENT OF A 9/11 ATTACK EVERY 24 DAYS! If we are to believe the harshest critics of health care reform, the cost to provide health insurance to those that can not afford it now would be about $75 Billion per year.

I am not naive about the serious external threats to our country. We do need to protect ourselves from external threats. Why though, do we spend more than twice the cost of universal health care to avenge the 3,000, when we could have prevented more than a quarter million deaths in the United States by investing health security?

This does take into account that re-structuring the health care delivery system will reduce costs by changing incentives, slashing administrative costs, and stressing preventative care.

Clearly, we are pretty dumb to let this go on for so long. Let's hope that the various alternatives on the table in Congress (Kennedy, Clinton, Kucinich, Wyden) can quickly be synthesized into a package that President Obama can sign.

[LongTomH]

118. What's your source for the 47.000 number?

I've been hearing 18,000 unnecessary deaths per year for people who don't have health care. I'm not doubting your word - I'd just like to know your source. I'd like to quote that myself and I like to be sure of my sources.

[area51]

132. It's actually 100,000 people dying here per year,

which rounds out to 273 people per day. Source here.

[DeepModem Mom]

120. Thanks for this post, Thunderbeast -- and welcome to DU!!!

[nolabels]

122. We can't try for universal health care, the republicans will filibuster

Just kidding, it's really the perfect time for it

[Shardik]

129. Welcome to DU

and well said.

[JerseygirlCT]

146. Welcome to DU. nt

[ThatsMyBarack]

123. Rec. #99!

[RadiationTherapy]

125. This shoud get major support from the 85% religious population, right?

MAJOR SUPPORT.

What religious, compassionate or moral person could put profits or politics ahead of this?

[Piewhacket]

128. Teddy! Teddy! Hes our man! With Ted we can do it, YES WE CAN!

[AlphaCentauri]

131. Kick for a true American n/t

[zelta gaisma]

133. Aren't we the only 1st world country...

to NOT have universal health care? I honestly am not sure on this one and am not sure where the cut off for "1st world countries" is