Dr. Dean has 350,000 signitures in favor of health care plan with public option

[WI_DEM]

from e-mail just received:

Even while Republicans fight tooth and nail against allowing Americans the choice of a universally available public healthcare option; the American people continue to show overwhelming support -- 8 out of 10 Americans in the latest NBC/Wall Street Journal poll.

But for-profit insurance companies and HMO's are working hard to strip it from any upcoming healthcare bill. They don't want Americans to have a choice because they know they'll have to lower costs and provide better care. They will stop at nothing to kill real reform and there are a lot of Senators in Congress looking for ways to help them.

Republicans have insurance companies on their side. We have the American people on ours. Now that we have the momentum for real reform, we need to make it clear we won't accept anything less than a strong public option.

We're at 350,000 signatures as of this morning. How many more can we get before I present the signatures this Thursday in Washington D.C.? Please add your name right now or -- if you have already signed -- forward this message to a friend, family member or likeminded co-worker and ask them to join you.

www.StandwithDrDean.com/LastChance



We can guarantee healthcare for all if we give every American the freedom to choose between keeping their private insurance - if they have any - and a universally available public healthcare option like Medicare. A public option is the only way to guarantee healthcare for all Americans and its inclusion in any healthcare reform bill passed this year is non-negotiable.

Our friends in the Congressional Progressive Caucus have stood strong and united, insisting they will vote against any legislation without the choice of a public option. They are working hard to beat back pressure in the House to "compromise" for right-wing special interests. Now's the time to make it clear we back members of the Progressive Caucus up. First we led the way, now we'll have their backs.

But for the rest of Congress, they still need to decide. Do they stand with the 76% of the American people who want the choice of a public health insurance option? Or are they working for the health insurance industry that will deny Americans the choice of a public health insurance option?

They will decide. We will hold them accountable.

Let's see if we can get another 10,000 signatures this week before I present them Thursday morning at the Capital.

ADD YOUR NAME NOW THEN PASS IT ON

Working together, we will get healthcare for all Americans. Thank you for everything you do to make it happen.

-Howard

Gov. Howard Dean, M.D.
Founder, Democracy for America

[Eric J in MN]

1. K & R (NT)

NT

[ContinentalOp]

2. I almost signed this but I'm not sure that I agree with it.

"We support healthcare reform that allows individual Americans to choose either a universally available public healthcare option like Medicare or for-profit private insurance."

I support single payer, not the "choice" between a public option and for profit private insurance.

[WI_DEM]

3. I don't think any plan will force people to give up private insurance that they like.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

6. In NZ and AU, you can purchase private insurance IF you want it

but you don't need it.

[ContinentalOp]

10. It's not about forcing you to give up your private insurance.

But covering everyone automatically under a universal public plan that's paid for with taxes. The private is still optional then but the public plan is not.

[girl gone mad]

4. Sign Bernie Sanders' petition.

http://sanders.senate.gov/petitions/index.cfm?uid=7fd59f2e-88e1-477a-8eaf-762a5b050809

[ContinentalOp]

9. Thank you, I'll do that now -nt-

[condoleeza]

17. Me too

[RufusTFirefly]

12. Right. I agree with you. This is a recipe for disaster

Trust me, if it goes through it will be further watered down and will almost certainly put a Republican in the White House in 2012.

What a "choice" means is that private insurers will cherry-pick only the wealthiest, healthiest people and leave the rest for the public option. The reason national health works in civilized countries is because everyone contributes to the system. A public/private scenario will strain the resources of the government plan. And you can be almost certain that Republicans will work to make things even worse by starving the program of money.

The only way to provide health care for all without creating a more complex and more expensive system is through single-payer, which takes private insurance and its billionaire CEOs completely out of the equation.

[ContinentalOp]

13. I'd almost rather have health care reform fail completely and put another Republican in office...

than have a half-assed attempt at reform that's going to fail, give universal health care a bad name, and set the cause back decades.

[RufusTFirefly]

14. Subsequent efforts to push for single-payer will be met with specious assertions that...

"We already tried that, and it was a disaster."

As Robert Kuttner points out, "The reform package, as drafted by the Obama administration and the House leadership, is dubious legislation even with the inclusion of a public option. Basically, it leaves the two worst aspects of the system intact. First, private insurers will continue to dominate. Second, most people will continue to get their insurance through their employers."

[condoleeza]

18. Very well said - completely agree this would happen

People who can afford it will still be able to supplement their insurance with further coverage.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

5. dont just stand there, SIGN THE PETITION and recommend this thread

for the children.

Yes we can haz health care.

[felinetta]

7. Already signed it and am emailing to friends and relatives1

[HelenWheels]

8. Already signed Dean's petition

and made a donation towards it.

[BR_Parkway]

11. I can't help but think the good Dr understood he'd need to be outside

the Administration to be able to speak this honestly about the issue - and knowing what sort of fight the Insurance companies were going to put up. I know there are those who feel like it was a slight to him not to have him as Sec General or something -- but him and Obama are pretty damn good at the political fights, Dr Dean couldn't sit inside the admin and call it out like this without the whiny ass Repubs constantly distracting from the issue with their typical noisy BS

[Sirveri]

15. doesn't matter. This country is owned by the corpers.

We will never get single payer. It's a two party system that represents maybe 10% of society. The fringe nutjobs and the corporate powers. I'm starting to think the destruction of the education system had joint support.

[Glenda]

16. I signed - I love Dr Dean

:loveya:

can't help it, i love the guy