Robert Reich neatly and clearly sums up exactly what’s going on. Very hard to argue with. Wonder if any of the opposition would have the nerve to watch it.
4 thoughts on “The current health care debate in plain language”
But I remain extremely skeptical about the ability of all the Washington beurocrats to rid themselves of special-interest incentives and create a cost-efficient plan that will truly compete with private companies, without allowing them to simultaneously write the rules of the game. If enough of them had this ability to ignore special interest (both Republicans AND Democrats), you would think that there would already be legislative perameters around insurance companies, hindering them from denying people coverage; additionally you would have tort reform so doctors don’t have to pay 200grand/year for insurance, you could buy insurance across state lines, and enormous drug companies wouldn’t be subsidized by medicare and medicaid.
The worst part of all this in my mind, is that we’re trying something that has failed over and over again, not on the merits of the plan, but simply because of political sentiment. The Right chooses their side and puts up a darn good fight, yet each Democratic Administration that comes into the executive branch insists on having another go at it. All this money and effort would be better invested elsewhere.
I agree with you, yet, feel that this is the time and place to finally begin to do it. If this chance gets thrown out, which it probably will, there will not be another for a great many years. The insurance companies will really wreck havoc then. Health care premiums are going up 30% in the coming months, towns have to raise taxes to cover health insurance for their employees, and all the rest, and if it is not done this year we’re done for.
To this end there is a public forum on the problems of health care and what we can do to change it to better reflect our communities and treat health care as a human right rather than as a commodity. It is sponsored by the Washington County chapter of the Vermont Worker’s Center “Health Care is a Human Right,” Campaign. The forum will be on September 22 at the Montpelier High School Cafeteria, from 7-9 pm, and is open to the public to trade stories (due to time constraints it will be moderated) and discuss what can be done to change and reform it. Members of the Washington County Legislature have been invited to attend and participate as well. Let’s all make our voices heard.
“And lest anyone be confused, I think Watercloset means to indicate that Washington County members of the state legislature have been invited.”
NanuqFC: LOL..I must have been nearly fast asleep when I wrote and posted that one, my eyes closing as I hit the post buttons. But you’re right. That is what I meant. Thanks for picking that up.
That is going to be a serious bummer about the town committee meetings that day. There have already been so many other conflicting schedules with it. We’re pressing ahead, though. There will be others around the state with the same idea, with members of the state legislature from the different counties where they are held invited to them. Are you going to go?
Speaking of health care did anyone venture to go to the tea party shingig today at the state house? I was there for a bit, hovering in the fringes. A number of the marchers carried signs such as “government out of health care,” and like vintage. There were less than a hundred people there, and no media that I could see, but it was interesting all the same.
But I remain extremely skeptical about the ability of all the Washington beurocrats to rid themselves of special-interest incentives and create a cost-efficient plan that will truly compete with private companies, without allowing them to simultaneously write the rules of the game. If enough of them had this ability to ignore special interest (both Republicans AND Democrats), you would think that there would already be legislative perameters around insurance companies, hindering them from denying people coverage; additionally you would have tort reform so doctors don’t have to pay 200grand/year for insurance, you could buy insurance across state lines, and enormous drug companies wouldn’t be subsidized by medicare and medicaid.
The worst part of all this in my mind, is that we’re trying something that has failed over and over again, not on the merits of the plan, but simply because of political sentiment. The Right chooses their side and puts up a darn good fight, yet each Democratic Administration that comes into the executive branch insists on having another go at it. All this money and effort would be better invested elsewhere.
I agree with you, yet, feel that this is the time and place to finally begin to do it. If this chance gets thrown out, which it probably will, there will not be another for a great many years. The insurance companies will really wreck havoc then. Health care premiums are going up 30% in the coming months, towns have to raise taxes to cover health insurance for their employees, and all the rest, and if it is not done this year we’re done for.
To this end there is a public forum on the problems of health care and what we can do to change it to better reflect our communities and treat health care as a human right rather than as a commodity. It is sponsored by the Washington County chapter of the Vermont Worker’s Center “Health Care is a Human Right,” Campaign. The forum will be on September 22 at the Montpelier High School Cafeteria, from 7-9 pm, and is open to the public to trade stories (due to time constraints it will be moderated) and discuss what can be done to change and reform it. Members of the Washington County Legislature have been invited to attend and participate as well. Let’s all make our voices heard.
“And lest anyone be confused, I think Watercloset means to indicate that Washington County members of the state legislature have been invited.”
NanuqFC: LOL..I must have been nearly fast asleep when I wrote and posted that one, my eyes closing as I hit the post buttons. But you’re right. That is what I meant. Thanks for picking that up.
That is going to be a serious bummer about the town committee meetings that day. There have already been so many other conflicting schedules with it. We’re pressing ahead, though. There will be others around the state with the same idea, with members of the state legislature from the different counties where they are held invited to them. Are you going to go?
Speaking of health care did anyone venture to go to the tea party shingig today at the state house? I was there for a bit, hovering in the fringes. A number of the marchers carried signs such as “government out of health care,” and like vintage. There were less than a hundred people there, and no media that I could see, but it was interesting all the same.