How To Explain A National Health Insurance Plan To The Average American

[Yavin4]

If I were a Democratic candidate, here's what I would say:

"My fellow Americans, as your president, I will implement a National Health Insurance program which will have an emphasis on disease prevention.

I will pay for my plan by extending Medicare to everyone, not just those over 65. Look at your paycheck. Do they take out for Medicare? Yes. Do they take out for your private insurance if you have it? Yes. My plan would combine these two boxes into one, and for most of you, you will pay less for healthcare."

Simple. Straightforward and to the point. Anyone in America can understand that.

[cynatnite]

1. Watched Santos explaining it on West Wing...

Just got the 7th season on DVD. He did a fabulous job of explaining it on the debate. Got me to thinking it was a fine idea.

[Yavin4]

4. Okay, I "borrowed" from Him

He can sue me for copyright infringement if he wants.

[cynatnite]

6. Still a damn good idea that needs to be spread around

:)

[DaveJ]

2. The "pay less" part is key

There are so many hundreds, probably thousands of insurance companies, each with dozens of executives and dozens of sales people under them expecting to make a mint. Publicly funded healthcare would probably cost half as much.

Another thing that I've found effective is to note that every other modernized country has it, every single one of them. Nobody has been able to argue with me on that point, especially in that it appeals to their desire to keep the U.S. on top. If they argue that it's implemented poorly elsewhere, even though it may not be true, it's worthwhile to note that Americans have the ingenuity to do it better. Then, again, pride in their country keep them from denying the point.

[Yavin4]

5. Even More To Your Point: Globalization

We have to compete with workers around the world whose healthcare costs are subsidized by their government.

[Porcupine]

3. It doesn't allow theft by insurance companies.

What could you be thinking?

[Yavin4]

7. They're Stealing From Other Corporations

American labor intensive corporations that pay healthcare are the ones that they're stealing from.

[fed-up]

8. SB840 is better than the plan Arnold vetoed, see links below

Arnold thinks his bill should be a model for the nation
it still pays huge sums to insurance companies resulting in unaffordable health care costs

the bill SB 840 (that passed the House and Senate in California and which Arnold just vetoed) below is a zillion times better

http://www.healthcareforall.org/basics.html#why

http://www.healthcareforall.org/

and here, be sure to read link for history of the bill
http://www.healthcareforall.org/background_history.html

http://www.onecarenow.org/index.html


Click here to compare Schwarzenegger's plan to Kuehl's SB 840.
http://www.onecarenow.org/healthcarereformplancompare.htm

[Selatius]

9. The plan he vetoed is single-payer health care.

Arnold was operating at the behest of health insurance companies. They would've lost billions in revenue if most or even all of California's population switched and enrolled in the state-run program.