Before the 'Left' or any group supports health reform, they should know what they are supporting!

[debbierlus]

I am not of the mindset that any health care reform bill passed by Congress and supported by Obama should be given unqualified support by ANYONE.

I want single payer. Obviously, that is not going to happen right now. The insurance companies have dictated the debate, and the result will most likely be they dictate the legislation. A 'public option' theoretically could promote more affordable and accessible coverage, however, this does not seem a likely reality, as the public option become diluted to the point of being little more then a gesture towards placating the 'base' who are demanding this option. However, I would support a bill with a strong and real public option. If Congress passes a bill with a public option that is open to all Americans, provides comprehensive and affordable coverage to those who enroll in it, and does not deliberately weaken the public option solely with the intent of allowing insurance companies to maintain high profit margins, the bill will have my support.

I will NOT support a mandatory health insurance bill. We have mandatory health insurance in Massachusetts and it is not working for many people. If you make over 56,000 and want to purchase insurance from the health pool set up by the state, the price tag is 1,100 dollars a month for a family of three. If you make over 85,000, up that to 1,400 a month. Those are the prices that my sister was quoted when she looked into buying into the 'affordable' group private insurance pool set up by the state. She lost her insurance last month. And, there are still high co-pays and deductibles with these plans. Additionally, the Massachusetts plan will be financially insolvent in less then two years. And, my sister can't afford health insurance.

Why on earth would I support a similiar plan on a national level?

I do not buy the argument that if Obama fails to pass some type of reform, the Republicans will proclaim victory and we will never see real change.

I fear that we will pass a bill WRITTEN by the health insurance companies that will effectively cut off the possibility for real change. Perhaps the health insurance wants this rushed legislation passed now because they know the time is approaching when Ameicans of every political stripe will come to the realization the true cure for our health care system is to get rid of THEM? They are acting out of self-preservation, and the legislation they propose is not to increase affordability or accessiblity of care to American citizens, it is to maintain (or even increase) their profits.

Americans need and desire for real healthcare reform will not disappear, if a bad piece of legislation is not passed. It will only increase, and with that increased desire will come increased demand for a REAL solution. And, all politicians who stand in the way of true reform will face their political demise. Republicans and democrats alike.

I will not blindly support any politician for corporately dictated legislation.

Policy over politician. ALWAYS.

[nightrain]

1. Rec. Thoughtful and perceptive.

[debbierlus]

4. Thanks, I care very deeply about this issue.

I forgot to mention that my sister will be penalized a few hundred dollars a year for not buying insurance she can't afford.

[nightrain]

7. yes indeed, I can tell. Ignore the flamer. Your care comes through strongly.

[JimGinPA]

2. I Think We All Pretty Much Know What You Don't Support

:eyes:

[debbierlus]

3. Dismissive responsive to a heartfelt post

Nice dialogue

The smiley eye roll is a brillant retort.

[JimGinPA]

6. And Yet Really More Effort Than Your Many Months Of Anti-Obama Screed Deserves

[Sebastian Doyle]

8. What is "anti Obama" about this?

Obama said yesterday that he would not sign a bill without a public option. Will you hold him to that?

And I mean a REAL public option, not the type of corporate fellation scam or Romneycare clone that the DLC traitors are dreaming up even as we speak.

[debbierlus]

9. So, what in my actual post do you disagree with?

My desire for a strong public option?

Or, the fact that I do not want mandatory health insurance that is unaffordable with high co-pays and deductibles?

My belief that the legislation written by the for profit insurance corporations will not provide equal, accessible, and affordable coverage to everyone?

My belief that passing good legislation is more important then passing bad legislation to save face for a politician?

[Better Believe It]

5. K & R

[Kdillard]

10. K and R. I agree with you good policy is very important and

should be put above all else.

[debbierlus]

11. Good policy is suppossed to be the whole point. Many on DU seem to have forgotten this basic point

Given the unrecommendations of this post.

The need for blind compliance on the left is a front page journal entry

[Neecy]

12. K&R

Anyone considering a mandate on the federal level should look at the Massachusetts model to see how unworkable it is. The only winner in such a situation would be the insurance companies, period.

[kath]

13. Whoa! Those Massachusetts rates are RIDICULOUS! In BC Canada, a family of 3+ pays $108 per month,

and there are NO co-pays or deductibles - zero, zip, nada. Rates are similar in other Canadian provinces. (there was a thread on this yesterday) Prescription drugs are low cost, and in some cases free.

[debbierlus]

15. I know it. And, I didn't even address the back breaking cost of prescription meds

This isn't even being included in the discussion. I can't tell you how many times I have been in a line at a pharmacy and watched people leave without their prescriptions, they left them on the counter when they heard the price.

It is disgusting. This whole health reform 'debate' has been nothing but a big song and dance to force people to buy private insurance and allow the leeches to keep sucking the life blood of health care dollars out of the system.

[Bluenorthwest]

14. Mandates under bigoted, discriminatory law that will

treat some families differently from others, on the basis of religionist prejudice. This bill looks like it will destroy my family to serve the families of the 'faith community' and other bigots. The fact that DUers are happy to support such hate filled law is disappointing to me, the fact that they dare to question why people would defend our own families against political attacks is just disgusting.
Folks who post pics of their family, along with their desires to pay less for Insurance that they already have, who will shit on my family to save a buck. That is what I see when I see these people who expect support for anything, unexplained and without a price tag. They expect me to betray my loved ones for their political hero. Forget it. Such hypocrites are the worst of humanity. They are in fact, the problem. Straight folks willing to be Cambridge Cops to save a dime. That is exactly what they are.

[debbierlus]

16. Content of policy is what this SHOULD be all about.

[Bluenorthwest]

17. My Rep is trying to find some answers

about the discrimination and attempting to help us find out how much we will have to pay them for Insurance that my partner would already have if not for the bigots, through me, like real humans get to do. He's trying to find out how we will be required by the bigots to file, to apply. Are we single? We say no, the government says yes.
I am not sleeping from the worry about this. Up at 4 am to walk the house and wonder what will become of us after so many years. Old welfare programs forced families apart over money and benefits. It seems the goal of this plan is to do that to GLBT families, as much as possible, to please Leah Daughtry and Joshua DuBois and Ricky Warren. For their pleasure, families will be destroyed.

[bvar22]

18. My position exactly.

K&R

The Bill currently in The House (HR 3200) is a Health Insurance Industry Profit Protection Bill,
and should be labeled as such.

[debbierlus]

23. Health Insurance Industry Profit Protection Bill - BEAUTIFUL

[Better Believe It]

19. When will President Obama clearly indicate what kind of health care bill he wants passed?

The specifics, not just vague generalities.

[debbierlus]

20. Good question.

[DrToast]

21. You won't support a mandatory health insurance bill but you want single payer? That makes sense. nt

[debbierlus]

22. Yes, it makes lots of sense. There is a huge difference between health insurance & health CARE

Single payer means EVERYONE has access to health care, accessible & affordable for all.

Mandatory private health insurance keeps the same broken system we have NOW. Some will only have catastophic coverage (it will be all they will be able to afford), some will have full coverage, some will have none because they can't AFFORD the cost of it. Did you read my post? In MA, we are required to have insurance. A full coverage plan for a family of three making over 56,000 a year is 1,100 dollars a month. That is under the 'affordable state group pool' private insurance.

Single payer is the way to fix the problem. A strong public option is a step towards single payer. Mandatory private insurance is the corporate wet dream come true.