Republicans Conservatives Continue To Block Health Care Reform
Conservatives have continued to block real reform with fear mongering and delusional psycho-talk, while protecting the greedy practices of the huge insurance companies, which put profits before people.
It was George W Bush and his fellow majority Congressional conservatives which blocked bipartisan legislation-twice, that would have provided health care to 4 million uninsured children; remember they voted against SCHIP. It was President Obama and the Democratic controlled Congress that finally passed health care to cover America’s children.
It was George W Bush and the Republican controlled Congressional conservatives that banned Medicare from negotiating with drug companies for lower prices, as is currently done with the Veterans Administration. Of course, AARP also was complicit in protecting the huge profits of United Health Care, from whom AARP receives a financial kickback. Americans pay the highest prices for prescription drugs than any other country in the world!Americans know there are billions in wasteful subsidies that are doled out to private insurance and drug companies through Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage, the programs that provide drug prescription coverage for seniors.
One of the biggest fallacies and distortions by Republicans and conservatives is their continued promotion of placing caps on jury awards in individual malpractice cases that would do nothing to lower health care costs but would help insurance companies. In fact, while health care companies and pharmaceutical companies have the right to frivolous law suits, they lie and fear monger Americans to disallow us the same right. In fact less than 1% of all medical costs can be equated to malpractice lawsuits.
Even more shocking is that while medical insurance premiums continue to skyrocket for working families, health insurance company profits have risen an amazing 1,084% in five years. This is a ‘free market’ experience that is NOT free as insurance companies are in collusion with each other in price fixing schemes and buying off Congress with huge financial campaign contributions.
The number one cause and more than half of all bankruptcies in America are due to medical expenses and many of these people have insurance through private plans. These personal bankruptcies in America are caused by exorbitant medical costs after a single catastrophic illness! As corporate CEOs and Wall Street have experienced multi-million dollar salaries and bonuses, skyrocketing medical insurance and costs are pricing health care out of the reach for Middle and Lower income American families and businesses, leaving millions of Americans without good health insurance choices.
Since 2000, family health insurance premiums have risen 57%.
47 million Americans are currently uninsured, up from 38 million in 2000, including 9 million of American children.
Only 60% of American businesses offered health benefits in 2007, down from 69% in 2000 and many of these businesses are either removing health coverage or substantially increasing the costs of health insurance for their employees.
From OurFuture.Org “Capping jury awards would have almost no impact on health costs, according to the Congressional Budget Office. But it would help conservatives protect insurance company profits, instead of patients victimized by fraud or negligence.”
Even the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the right hand of the Republican Party, claims single payer would bring down costs as Americans would avoid the excessive private insurance plans and poor quality health care offered by existing large, health insurance companies.
Americans have been conned, ripped off and oppressed by insurance companies’ lobbying for too long, it is time the United States catches up with the rest of the civilized world in taking care of its people’s basic needs with a single payer system. Compared with the rest of the modern world, this country is extremely HARSH – there is no safety net or no basic health care system.
WE can tell ourselves we are #1 and the “freeist” country on the planet but it simply isn’t true. As an American, I encourage everyone to contact their Congressional Representatives and urge them to sign on to and pass H.R. 676: (202) 224-3121. You can also help by signing the Healthcare Not Warfare petition. I encourage every American to support their families and children by supporting the OPTION for single payer health insurance.
See H.R. 676 FAQ
National Organizations supporting a single payer health care option:
Physicians for National Health Program. Lots of state chapters and you don’t have to be a doctor to join.
http://www.pnhp.org/
Guaranteed Health Care which is California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee:
http://www.guaranteedhealthcare.org/
HealthCare-Now!: Grassroots organization working for HR-676
http://www.healthcare-now.org/
Everybody In & Nobody Out: Supports state organizations working at the grassroots for universal health care:
http://www.everybodyinnobodyout.org/
Filed under: American Injustice
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