Bill Moyers: The Health Bill Is a Bonanza for the Insurance Industry and Other Monied Interests

[Echo In Light]

"So we got health care reform last week -- but it's a far cry from reformation. For all their gnashing of teeth, the insurance companies still make out like bandits."

That wickedly satirical Ambrose Bierce described politics as "the conduct of public affairs for private advantage."

Bierce vanished to Mexico nearly a hundred years ago -- to the relief of the American political class of his day, one assumes -- but in an eerie way he was forecasting America's political culture today. It seems like most efforts to reform a system that's gone awry -- to clean house and make a fresh start -- end up benefiting the very people who wrecked it in the first place. Which is why Bierce, in his classic little book, The Devil's Dictionary, defined reform as "a thing that mostly satisfies reformers opposed to reformation."

So we got health care reform last week -- but it's a far cry from reformation. You can't blame President Obama for celebrating what he did get -- he and the Democrats needed some political points on the scoreboard. And imagine the mood in the White House if the vote had gone the other way; they would have been cutting wrists instead of cake. Give the victors their due: the bill Obama signed expands coverage to many more people, stops some very ugly and immoral practices by the health insurance industry that should have been stopped long ago, and offers a framework for more change down the road, if there's any heart or will left to fight for it.

But reformation? Hardly. For all their screaming and gnashing of teeth, the insurance companies still make out like bandits. Millions of new customers, under penalty of law, will be required to buy the companies' policies, feeding the insatiable greed of their CEOs and filling the campaign coffers of the politicians they wine and dine. Profits are secure; they don't have to worry about competition from a public alternative to their cartel, and they can continue to scam us without fear of antitrust action.

The big drug companies bought their protection before the fight even began, when the White House agreed that if they supported Obama's brand of health care reform -- not reformation -- they could hold onto their monopoly. No imports of cheaper drugs from abroad, no prescriptions filled at a lower price by our friendly Canadian neighbors to the north. And let's not forget another, gigantic health care winner: a new report from the nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity says the battle for reform has been "a bonanza" for the lobbying industry. According to the Center's analysis, "About 1,750 businesses and organizations hired about 4,525 lobbyists, total -- eight for each member of Congress -- and spent at least $1.2 billion to influence health care bills and other issues."

http://www.alternet.org/story/146206/bill_moyers%3A_the_health_bill_is_a_bonanza_for_the_insurance_industry_and_other_monied_interests

[ananda]

1. Totally agree.

HCR is basically a corporate-fascist bill.

[WeekendWarrior]

13. Yeah, fascist

Uh-huh.

[aquart]

2. And they want us to be so happy about it. I'm just not.

[amborin]

3. it sure is! Corporations scored another huge win

[xchrom]

4. Recommend

[leftstreet]

5. Bus. Moyers. Under.

K&R

[Echo In Light]

7. +1

[walldude]

25. Good company down there...

At one time or another we have all been there.

[Dinger]

35. The.

bus.

[Cali_Democrat]

6. It may be a bonanza to them, but at least 32 million more people will be covered

It's better than the status quo. I'm not going to be against this bill just because health insurance companies benefit from it.

32 million more people covered is a good thing.

[Donnachaidh]

8. I'm sure the 23 million NOT covered are happy for them

:eyes:

[Cali_Democrat]

10. Some of the currently uninsured covered is better than none. n/t

[Donnachaidh]

17. tell that to the families that lose members because they AREN'T covered

MILLIONS not covered, because our government wants to keep a parasitic cartel in the healthcare loop.

[Cali_Democrat]

23. Yes, but millions more will be uncovered without this bill.

Something is better than nothing. The people uncovered after this bill passed would still have been uncovered before the bill passage.

On the bright side, at least 32 million MORE people are covered as a result of this bill. That's a good thing.

[Donnachaidh]

24. So those who aren't covered can go die?

Wow.

And that loophole that gives the insurance companies an out on kids -- guess that's tough luck too?

:wow:

enjoy that koolaid. :sarcasm:

[Cali_Democrat]

26. When did I say that they can go die?

You're really good at putting words into my mouth, aren't you? Hopefully we can get laws passed in the future to get everyone coverage, but right now there is no political support for single payer or the public option and that is unfortunate.

My point is simply that the people you refer to would be uncovered with or without this bill.

A good reason to support the bill is that it improves the current situation with regard to coverage.

More people covered is a good thing. That's why I support the bill.

[Cali_Democrat]

31. Why the koolaid reference?

Because you don't know how to keep conversations civil, I am done talking to you.

[Lorien]

39. If they could afford insurance they would have it

but often it's a choice between a service that does little to nothing or actually buying prescriptions, having heat or keeping a roof over your head. If you've never been poor or never purchased individual insurance then you have no clue as to what the situation really is. And don't give me the line about "government subsidies"; the government can subsidize for-profit insurance, but it sure as hell won't subsidize those unaffordable deductibles!

[sabrina 1]

44. They are being forced to buy

useless policies from a corrupt industry. If this was a Republican bill, which it is/was, there is no way anyone on this board would have supported it. They will be 'covered' but not 'treated'. All they will have is another bill to worry about and if they get sick, they will not be able to afford the co-pays, prescription drugs or deductibles. But their blood money will be collected by Big Insurance or their collection agency, the IRS, and spent on huge bonuses, along with all the other luxuries they have grown accustomed to.

I am against this bill primarily because it strengthens the predatory for-profit private insurance health care system we so badly needed to change, and funnels even more public funds into their bank accounts, making them even stronger and more influential, more able to buy politicians in the future. It makes even less possible than it was a year ago to get a real health care system where everyone is entitled to the same treatment, and no one is discriminated against as they are in this bill.

People in this country will continue to die for lack of access to health care, and to anyone with any conscience this is not acceptable, and every Democrat who refused to stand up and fight for the American people's interests should be kicked out of office and sent home.

[Greyhound]

29. I wouldn't count your coverage until you have it, then try to use it. n/t

[Feron]

34. Translation: forced to buy insurance..

that will likely be junk because the person can only afford the bronze plan and with co-pays/deductibles/co-insurance that the person cannot afford.

Which means that even with health insurance the person still goes without health care.

And of course that's assuming that the health insurance company pays any medical costs without complaint. Remember that most medical bankruptcies are from people with insurance. Coverage != access to health services.


It's worse than the status quo. The bill simply entrenches further our inefficient and patchy health care system.

[Lorien]

37. No, 32 million will be required to pay for insurance. Insurance DOES NOT

guarantee acess to health care. I've had the kind of private insurance they (we) will be required to buy; there's a 10-12k deductible before ANY coverage kicks in, and a 20% copay after that. If you're making only 24k per year there's no way in hell that you'll be able to afford your deductible, so you'll end up A0. poorer, and B0. likely to not be able to afford even the basic services and prescriptions that you have now because THAT money will be spent on "insurance" instead!

It is worse than the status quo. It's like trying to end homelessness by requiring everyone to buy a home-and jailing them if they can't afford it.

[girl gone mad]

43. Covered..

like an Eskimo in a windbreaker.

[ProSense]

9. Give the victors their due:

Give the victors their due: the bill Obama signed expands coverage to many more people, stops some very ugly and immoral practices by the health insurance industry that should have been stopped long ago, and offers a framework for more change down the road, if there's any heart or will left to fight for it.

But reformation? Hardly...

That's hardly reformation?


Still, he has praise for the student loan bill:

But while we're at it, a cheer for the federal student loan overhaul -- Democrats managed to pass that reform with an end run around powerful lobbyists, cleverly nestling it in the health care reconciliation package.

[laughingliberal]

11. So, that whole, "we;ll be able to fix it all later" thing was just a show?

Cause all I see, even with the first poison pill showing its head, is more defense of the bill as is and no calls for how we start getting it all amended. The ink's not dry and we already see one talking point to have been far less 'help.' What do you think will happen as more of the bill goes into affect? Less loopholes?

Perhaps it's time to start really looking at the criticism of the bill and lobbying our elected officials to fix some things.

[ProSense]

15. What does your response have to do with my comment?

I quoted Moyers. He pointed out the good in the bill and stated that "it offers a framework for more change down the road."

The bill is a great start, covering more people, instituting reform and laying the foundation for more reform.

[laughingliberal]

16. Time to quit talking about the 'great start' and start looking to what next?

Cause in case you haven't noticed the business interests are already out there fighting to change the parts they don't like while we celebrate. I predicted a while back the changes we see to this bill will be in other direction. The wealthy corporate interests still have more money and power than we do. It's going to take a lot of effort just to keep this bill from going further in the wrong direction let alone moving it any further in the correct direction.

If people don't stop defending it as a great start and start looking at getting some real changes made we are going to be really, really screwed.

[Jakes Progress]

27. You say this a lot.

Just what changes do you think Obama and the congress should start on? When should they start? If they don't do a damned thing about making changes for the next six years, will you be upset?

Has there ever been anything the administration has done that has upset you? Has there ever been anything they didn't do that upset you?

[Greyhound]

36. ..

[pleah]

12. K&R

[lyonn]

14. Insurance companies make out like bandits either way

The insured had no guarantees they had insurance when they needed it. They dropped coverage or raised the rates so high it was impossible for some to keep it. Who could stop them? Yes, we need some rules governing cost, we can only hope that there will be changes made in the near future to keep their financial books open to the public. Also, the books need to be public when it comes to the cost of medical malpractice for doctors. I believe they, the Dr's are being screwed.

We at least have our political foot in the door of the insurance companies. It was either this Bill or more of the same?!

[MarjorieG]

18. Long-time advocates Dingle and Kennedy understood impossibility to get Medicare for all.

We were almost at Medicare to 55 in the Senate, unless Lieberman gave cover to Conserva-Dems who also didn't want.

Love Moyers, but with this economy and scare tactics, we're at public private partnerships, with too entrenched insurance companies to start over like Europe (which many began when post-war equality more a reality). Moyers thinks we can get Nirvana; his religious grounding thinks we can legislate morality. Our selfish class system as much an impediment as lobbyists.

We have a for-profit system of doctors, hospitals, insurance, so impossible to deny their incomes, much of which is too high for the common good.

[inna]

19. Another excellent post. Thank you for this!

:yourock:

[Newest Reality]

20. I tend to reframe the HCR issue.

Once somebody is addicted to heroin, regardless of the choices that got them started, they become a captive consumer of said substance. We all know how that works, I bet.

Most of us are addicted to our bodies, in various degrees. In a culture of self with self esteem, individuality expressed as consumer choices, and such, the separate self is underscored and highlighted while actually being reduced in significance as a number in a mass of goods procurers.

Your addiction to your body compels you to require maintenance; one the items on the list of necessary upkeep is health care.

The health insurance industry has cornered the market on the distribution of what fulfills this addiction. They know it. Now, they can add more junkies to their list and increase their profit.

You may not like or agree with my drug cartel, (oh, and what about BIG Pharma?) analogy, but the need is dire and the syndicate has rather easily manged to retain its territory and rights to shake down the clients. That's reform?

So, we hear a very important question surface here now and then: Now that the HCR is out of the way, when do we move from insurance company wish lists to real HEALTH CARE REFORM? The middle man is going to drain us bone dry in the short and long term of this fleecing parade. I don't think the giant parasite that this industry is really cares if it sucks all of it's hosts lifeless. They can always reinvest the windfall profits and move to their subsidiaries since we have little in the way of regulations to stop "taking the money and running".

And the winner is?

[progressoid]

21. NO NO NO!!!1! Moyers is wrong!

This is a win for us. For America. It's HISTORICALRIFIC!!

I seen it all over the TV and the internets.

WE WON DAMMIT!

[Ignis]

40. Exactly! We got that Public Option that was promised in '08, right?

Right? :shrug:

[Nikki Stone1]

22. Moyers, you're a bit late on this

A lot of us were there a long time ago.

[Jakes Progress]

28. K&R Moyers is one we should listen to.

[Pedalpower]

30. Thank corporate Democrats :(

What actually stood in the way of COMPLETE reform, with a true, single-payer system, if its not the Health Insurance money that pollutes BOTH parties?

There was never going to be any repubelickin'support for beneficial reform, but with a majority, none was needed. The only obstacle to real gains was corporately-owned Democrats, who watered this bill down and held its passage hostage. We could have had a cheap, efficient system that the people would never allow to be diluted or taken away.

Instead, we have reform that most won't notice or won't notice for years, allows continued premium hikes, allows pre-existing condition exclusions (with minor penalties), will help repubelickin's gain seats, and runs the risk of being overturned.

It's just barely better than nothing.

We stink and I'm embarrassed.

The only solution is publicly-funded campaigns.

[Lorien]

41. Amen. But you can't get a whiff of interest in election reform around here

if it doesn't come from the mainstream media people think it's a non issue.

[Echo In Light]

45. +1

[Uncle Joe]

32. The final sentence offers the best solution.

"We can't know for sure what Ambrose Bierce would have made of all this; what The Devil's Dictionary author would say about the current DC scams. But he might have agreed that the only answer to organized money is organized people. That would be one hell of a reformation."

Thanks for thread, Echo In Light

[ixion]

33. Yep. That's exactly what it was.

which pretty much completes the US-taxpayer financing of the entire F.I.R.E vertical.

And by 'financing' I mean this: We assume the Risk, they assume the Profit.

[Solly Mack]

38. K&R

[ibegurpard]

42. no shit

but we won...

[Echo In Light]

46. Bump

[amborin]

47. big majority wanted PO

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-03-29-health-poll_N.htm?csp=YahooModule_News

[Echo In Light]

49. Too bad they hadn't any substantial representation

[slipslidingaway]

48. knr nt

[Echo In Light]

50. Bump