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Teddy Kennedy is putting up a new Healthcare Bill... Not Single Payer.

by: btchakir

Sat Jun 06, 2009 at 10:34:17 AM EDT


Before we get into this discussion, go toTruthout.org and get the background on Teddy's Bill: http://www.truthout.org.

Now this is a real winner for the Insurance Companies that are already sucking the money out of the Healthcare system and making it more expensive for the majority of us. For one thing, EVERYONE would be required to buy insurance... and those who couldn't afford it would get a government subsidy... your tax money in Insurance company pockets.

btchakir :: Teddy Kennedy is putting up a new Healthcare Bill... Not Single Payer.
While the ICs would make somewhat less than they are gouging now, they would be guaranteed continued profits... money that would not go back into the "Health" part of the Healthcare system. This, of course, is opposed to the Single Payer system where the government is the insurer of choice for the masses and the commercial companies can compete for the rich if they want to (it is NOT, I repeat, NOT SOCIALIZED MEDICINE.)

One comment on the Truthout summary of Teddy's plan came from a poster named BillyDoc, who I acknowledge with sincere appreciation:

Now, instead of the "off the table" but oh-so-reasonable "single payer" option that the entire rest of the world uses with success we get "and require everyone to purchase insurance."  How nice for the insurance industry.  And it only cost them a pittance in bribes.

My personal feeling is that Teddy has caved to the Insurers because he wants to get a reformed program through before the Cancer he is carrying kills him. It is his Legacy. I wish his Legacy would be the Single Payer system he originally supported (as did the Campaigning Obama)... Teddy needs to listen to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

Under The LobsterScope

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this is unfortunate (0.00 / 0)

and it really defeats the purpose. If single payer isn't going to happen, we at least must NOT allow the public health option to die. the private insurers need a government plan to compete with them keep them in check. To simply require everyone to buy from this sick, broken system without any real impetus to make it better is just encouragement for them to keep doing what they've been doing. BTW, Obama never really campaigned for a single-payer system: he did say, however, that if we were starting from scratch, he would be for it but didn't make any kind of commitment to it happening during his presidency.

However, there is some hope that Baucus is meeting (finally) with some single-payer advocates.

Keep the heat on, people. Call/email/fax Baucus' office and remind him that we are not going away. (there is a link at the end of the Daily Kos article to help you there).

Remember: the average health insurance company CEO's salary is $14.2 MILLION DOLLARS. If we cut out just one of those CEO's, think of all the money we'd save. What if we cut out all of them? You do the math.

 

 



Beauty will save the world

10JUN Education and Labor Single Payer Hearing in the House and other Committee stuff (0.00 / 0)
DrSteveB has a run down of all members and phone numbers in the House

slinkerwink lists the Senators on Finance along with Baucus, include our own Jay Rock!

At CongressMatters Casual Wednesday has been examining the work of each committee, and here is the HELP, Sen. Kennedy's' Health Committee, diary. Its lists all the members.

There bas been a turf war going on from the beginning. We may end up with competing plans in the Senate, folks. Keep an eye over at CongressMatters for each day's floor and hearing schedule, one-stop shopping.

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