Americans Don’t Think Employer Belief Should Impede Their Access To Insurance Coverage

A solid nominee for the “Duh!” moment of the day: polling shows that Americans think they should have unfettered access to insurance coverage – that procedures and treatments should be available to those who are insured.

Put another way – why should employers get to decide what insured Americans get access to?  The Teabaggers didn’t think that the government should have that ability (not that the recent health insurance legislation ever proposed doing so), so why should it be okay for employers to restrict access, as Republican politicians are advocating?

All that said, this whole thing wouldn’t even be an issue if universal health care was enacted instead of forcing millions of Americans into the for-profit insurance industry.

Rep. Grayson’s “Medicare You Can Buy Into Act”

Activists are disappointed (to put it lightly) that health insurance legislation, and not health care reform, passed after a year of intense debate and discussion at the highest levels of government.  A few solidly progressive items made it through the process; many more did not.  Among those that did not is a public option, to say nothing of single-payer.

Flying somewhat below the back-and-forth arguments of whether or not a public option should have been a part of the legislation and what form it might or might not take is an effort that should be lauded.  Rep. Alan Grayson (D,FL-08) has a piece of legislation that accomplishes many progressive goals: H.R. 4789, the “Medicare You Can Buy Into Act”.  Rep. Grayson has done what many activists wish our elected officials would do: show some leadership.

H.R. 4789 has been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.  It has already garnered 80 co-sponsors.  In answer to complaints in the Colorado blogosphere, I would point out that both Rep. Jared Polis (D,CO-02) and Rep. Diana DeGette (D,CO-01) are among those co-sponsors.  Notably, Rep. Polis was an original co-sponsor, another sign of progressive leadership.

This likely isn’t going to be the sole effort to keep the public option discussion going as we move forward.  However, it is concrete and it is available to us right now.  The Progressive Change Campaign Committee has a tool up so people can ask their Representatives to join as a co-sponsor to the bill.  While CO-01 and CO-02 have been taken care of, there are plenty of other representatives who could sign on and I’m sure we all have friends and family in other states to point this to.  I am unaware of similar action coming out from the Senate.  It would be refreshing to see a Senator present something fashioned closely to H.R. 4789.

Cross-posted at SquareState.

Why We Can’t Trust Insurance Companies To Keep Costs Down

Because when they have the opportunity, they spend millions of dollars of Americans’ premiums to maintain the shitty status quo:

A campaign finance watchdog’s analysis of insurance and HMO political contributions and lobbying expenses found the industries spent $126,430,438 over the first half of 2009 and $585,725,712 over the past two and a half years to influence public policy and elected officials. The group, Public Campaign Action Fund, found that in the first part of 2009, the industries were spending money at nearly a $700,000 a day clip to influence the political process and that the monthly pace of political spending this year has increased by nearly $400,000 over the average spent per month in the previous two years.

CorporateDems and Republicans are equally sought after by these immoral corporations.

How much health care could have been provided for $126 Million?

How much health care could have been provided for Half A Billion dollars?

Guess what, America – those of us with health insurance – we paid that money so the corporations can keep their monopoly on the market.  There’s no competition.  There’s not enough care going on (way too much management!).  The crap in Congress?  Health insurance “reform”, not health care reform.  There is a critical difference.

So the next time your premiums are increased by a double-digit percentage, you know exactly where the money is going.  To prevent reform of the system.

Tell me again why we’re so proud to have insurance middle-men get between us and our health care.