A simple request for my beloved Congress. Pass this legislation. NOW. (HR 676)

[Roland99]

http://www.hr676.org/5.html

Tell me a little bit about H.R. 676...

The opponents of national health care, mostly those who are badly misinformed or paid agents of big corporations that are now making huge profits off of the current system by denying needed care to millions, will try to scare you by calling it “socialized medicine”. You’re going to hear that a lot in the coming months but don't be fooled; nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, the goal of this program is simply to create a fair and equitable single payer health care plan that all Americans can afford and benefit from while leaving most of the existing structure of practicing health care professionals and facilities completely alone. You choose your doctors, your hospitals and need no permission from anyone to go see them whenever necessary. No exclusions, no pre-existing conditions, no denied claims, just top rate, affordable, professional care for you and your family including prescription drugs, mental health AND dental services in addition to long term care, whenever you need it.

...

Do we really want our health care system to be controlled by government bureaucrats?

Of all the straw man arguments that you hear from the opposition, and of course you will hear this one more and more as the election season heats up, this is the one that has has to take first prize. To begin with, government bureaucrats no not "run" the current Medicare system and they will not "run" the New Medicare either, at least not in the sense that they will intervene between doctor and patient where critical health care decisions are concerned as the current system presently allows. But the overwhelming irony comes from the fact that under the current system CORPORATE bureaucrats run the system with an iron fist denying needed health care to thousands for the sake of higher profits, patients who are paying huge premiums to get it. So the question becomes - why is it better for the system to be run by corporate bureaucrats than government ones? I guess you have to be the one to decide that issue but to a lot of Americans, given the track record of the corporate bureaucrats over the last half century, the issue is really a no brainer.


Won’t it require a massive imposition of new taxes to fund this program?
In a word… No! Those Americans who currently subscribe to commercial health insurance already pay huge and ever spiraling amounts in monthly premiums to maintain an ever shrinking level of coverage. National health insurance will simply require participating members to pay a similar monthly health insurance premium, perhaps in the form of a tax (but it's still the same thing as a premium no matter what you call it**), but into the New Medicare system instead - on a stable, affordable, progressive (sliding scale) basis. For example, those in the lower income brackets will pay very low premiums according their financial ability; some may not be able to pay anything at all. Those in the middle will pay a reasonable but affordable premium and those in the very high income brackets will pay a little bit more in accordance with their abilities, but the premiums will be fair and reasonable at all levels and all will be covered! In addition, under the New Medicare, there will be a new focus on preventative medical health care. Up until now, this has not been widely offered by private health insurance carriers because it does not tend to generate immediate profits but experts agree that over time it will not only save additional billions in medical costs nationwide but also contribute dramatically to improving the overall level of health for all Americans as well.

**Whatever they call it - It's very important to keep in mind that this is NOT an ADDITIONAL tax but a REPLACEMENT for current private health premiums.

RIGHT. FUCKING. NOW.

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. Sorry, can't agree. This is about Mandatory insurance, not decent heatlh care.

It benefits the insurance companies, who were allowed to privatize Medicare prescription drug plans, subsidized by US, the taxpayer.
Mandatory insurance, no matter who pays for it, means more profits to the insurance company, highter medical costs, limited treatment options so insurance companies can make more profits.
THAT is not about heatlh care. It is all about the bottom line.

The heatlh care reform we wanted was the kind every other first world country offers its citizens.
The one Congress is being paid by insurance companies to push down our throats is the for profit kind that benefits insurance companies.
Single payer was thrown under the bus in utero on this.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

2. +1!

[Roland99]

3. Um, I don't think you've read this. This bill addresses exactly those points! This *is* single-payer

Take my case. If I want health insurance now, I take a $3/hr cut in pay. $520/mo...over $6000/yr. PLUS deductibles and co-pays.

Under this plan, I'd pay about $205/mo, just over $2400/yr and NO high deductibles, NO co-pays, NO worries about any pre-existing condition.

[SmileyRose]

4. I thought HR 676 *IS* single payer - a la Dennis Kucinich

color me confused.

[Roland99]

5. HR 676 *is* sponsored by Rep. Kucinich (and Rep. Conyers)

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. I read it....I read this part 3 times:

National health insurance will simply require participating members to pay a similar monthly health insurance premium.
I read the words in the above sentence:
insurance
monthly premium.

What I did not see was who is included in " participating members".
and who can opt out.
If no one can opt out, that is called Mandatory insurance.

And what if those of us who are "uninsured" prefer being responsible for our own heatlh care costs?
Isn't the issue the "high cost of health care" rather than forcing people to pay premiums to cover the high cost of health care? Premiums which are indeed really a tax.
What if we insisted our government quit going into debt to give money away to banks, military contractors and weapons makers and insurance companies and instead used that money to pay doctors and hospitals to treat disease?
I think single payer has come to mean many defintions.
And I have heard nothing about the bill above that precludes insurance or other private companies from
"managing" the program, and at what cost.

[Roland99]

7. It's on a sliding scale via a small % increase in payroll taxes.

Shared by employee/employer.

Those who are indigent or disabled wouldn't be forced to pay into this. It would just be available to them:

http://conyers.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Issues.Home&Issue_id=063b74a4-19b9-b4b1-126b-f67f60e05f8c

[Darkhawk32]

8. kicked and rec'd! n/t

[bvar22]

9. Medicare for ALL.

K&R