"The health reform debate has brought together members with diverse opinions to work toward quality, affordable health care for all Americans. I am particularly pleased that today's agreement solidifies the creation of a public health insurance option that will promote competition and ensure choice."
−Congressman Charles B. Rangel
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Let's put a single-payer plan forward. Medicare works far better than the private insurers. Let's start lowering the age for Medicare -- 55 next year, 45 in 2011, etc.
What are your views on single-payer?
It doesn't seem likely that we can go directly to a single payer, though we certainly need a strong commitment to that as an option for many who are not being covered at all.
Not only is Medicare a good plan, but so is the one that the members of Congress themselves have. And so is the one for the military. So we have long had a strong public sector plan all along. Stand up to the "conservatives" whose real agenda seems largely to do the bidding of the private insurance companies who have served so many of us so badly for so long. A good public plan will go a long way toward pressuring the private ones to give better and more affordable coverage.
We have a real chance now to get this long overdue reform of our terrible health care coverage going strong. Let's get it right and not give in to special interests.
Please ensure that a public option is included in the health care package up for a vote. I think Single Payer would be better but will compromise and accept a public option.
1. As a school board member it is horrible that our district tries to “get rid” of our older experienced teachers due to their effect on our overall benefit costs – what kind of a society gives the bums rush to loyal, dedicated workers because the are a “drain” on our budget – as the system stands, if you are old or infirm – GET OUT! Very bad for our students and community and it is immoral to boot!
2. As a board member it troubles me that our class sizes have been creeping up – why? Health care costs – pure and simple. It costs our district $1200/ mo per teacher just for health care. So we have not been hiring unless we must. Every study proves that smaller class size has the largest impact on outcome. We get grants and stimulus money – but I cannot get our district to hire more teachers, they always say that that the benefits are too expensive and is an ongoing expense. So we buy computers or something. But it is the teachers that give us better results. Help us make the right decision – help us afford to lower class size. Public option will help.
A public option will not have to be profitable. That is not competition. That is a government takeover because the insurance companies cannot compete with a "company" that doesn't have to make a profit. What is wrong with profit????? Profits = jobs!!
We urge you to put this health care reform on the shelf until you and your colleagues can demonstrate an ability to manage programs as simple as cash for clunkers, AND see some solid improvement in the economy.
Please!
Two answers to this: First, if government can’t do anything right and is always wasteful and inefficient, then why worry about it out-competing private insurance companies, with or without the need to make profits? And if the public option actually works and people prefer it (like Social Security and Medicare), then why shouldn’t they have a right to it?
Second, where the market works well we should rely on it, and where it doesn’t we shouldn’t. There are many well-known reasons why the market does not work efficiently for health care. That is why most rich (capitalist) countries have single payer public insurance and get better results than us at lower cost. Personally, I don’t like my health care being determined by insurance companies’ bottom lines.
Single payer is being ruled out not because it’s a bad idea but because of the power of the interests lined up against it. I would like to see people like Rep. Rangel – and the President – out there educating people in order to change this equation. Otherwise we’ll be revisiting the health care crisis again and again.
They can't; they can't defend it. Once WE THE PEOPLE read the bill, which they didn't of course, there was nothing they could say. It's printed; look it up. Health rationing, invasion of privacy and if this comment makes it into the blog I'll be highly surprised.
If you really read the bill, you will see that there is no "health rationing". That's a talking point of the propaganda spreaders who want to scare people into fighting the bill.
Do you have all the health care you want right now? Can you get any care you ask for, when you want it and for a reasonable cost? If so, you are very lucky and unusual.
HR 676 is the only true healthcare reform this nation can afford. Naysayers who suggest it isn't politically feasible at this time are swaying to pressure and a lack of faith in the strong need and desires of many Americans who do not want anyone profiting from their health.
Medicare works, the VA system works, and all the numbers prove out that the cheapest and most effective model is single payer.
I hope Congressman Rangel will once again fully support and advocate for HR 676, it is what those of us in his district deserve and need.