Some States Wrest Control from America’s Broken Fascist Health Care System
Posted: Wednesday, March 16, 2011
by David Levitt
In the spirit that is toppling socially repressive regimes around the world, helping to bring to light the fact that the citizens of the world deserve to live with some measure of dignity and security which has become reserved for an entitled few, some states across America are taking advantage of what could be a small window of opportunity provided by the Obama Care health insurance overhaul to wrest control from America’s broken fascist health care system.
The system in place had little to do with health care coverage for our citizens and had everything to do with insuring profits for health insurance companies, which in essence made them for profit off of health entities, or lack thereof, and not health care coverage insurers. Obama Care was instituted to attempt to gain coverage for those uninsured, and those who were uninsurable due to pre-existing conditions that were not eligible to acquire insurance at all.
The under-insured, who pay high premiums for their health care coverage but really can't afford to use it because of all the other associated costs involved, that the insurance companies conveniently call participation in their health care costs, basically have what amounts to hospitalization coverage. Which means if their health problems ever become bad enough to require hospitalization they can gain admittance so they can save their lives, but their homes and life's savings are gone forever.
The rich just got richer, in this instance the insurance companies, and the poor just got poorer. This is an acceptable system for those who have the means to play the game, and for those whose health coverage is already federally subsidized (Medicare recipients, V.A. recipients, government officials and employees, etc.), but the millions who do not fall under one of these categories will continue to pay for the profits of the few. Medicare is increasingly becoming subject to private sector profit also.
There may however be a conscionable, benevolent light at the end of the tunnel, as several states are taking advantage of the Obama Care alternative to providing a more cost effective system that provides an affordable, accessible system that insures more of its citizens than his plan provides may be enacted instead of his government proposal. Through this process it will be possible to show that there are alternatives to the present money grab at the expense of citizen’s health and lives.
Vermont is exploring a three year effort for a single-payer system that would phase out most private insurance, with a modest benefit package for all residents and all payments to doctors, hospitals and other providers coming from a single administrator working under a state contract. A strategy rejected by Congress as too radical for the rest of the nation, but the rest of the nation doesn't have near as much money to lobby Congress as does the most profitable industry in the country, Health Inc.Minnesota, Washington D.C., and Connecticut, have leveraged more federal dollars to expand coverage of childless adults, while Oregon is focusing on preventive care and proven treatments. Democratic Governor John Kitzhaber, a former emergency room physician, says he hopes to redesign his state's health care system and eliminate wasteful spending through preventive care and providing treatments proven to be most effective.
Democratic Governor Mark Dayton of Minnesota said, "from the state of Minnesota's standpoint, 98,000 additional people are receiving better quality health care, and importantly, every health care provider, every hospital, doctor, health clinic in Minnesota, is getting a better reimbursement." For some states already innovating as opposed to fighting the new health care provisions, the law has provided federal money to bolster health care efforts.
Critics squeal about paying for such a comprehensive system that actually pays for medical services rather than focusing on corporate profits, but the truth be told other industrialized countries pay for universal coverage at only a fraction of the G.D.P. that Americans pay for their health care services that effectively provides for very few of its citizens. The math, nor the loss of life doesn't make sense, so it's time that some states wrest control from America’s broken fascist health care system.
Source : Associated Press as reported in the Houston Chronicle, Wednesday, March 16th, 2011
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)There is one thing about things getting worse, David - it's that it always happens before they get better. Hopefully that's what is happening here.You're right Jennifer, it can't get much worse. Death is final. Thanks for reading girl.
Hi David.So there is some hope after all.Hugs,DianneThere is always hope, even when it's all that we have Dianne. Thanks for reading, and the comment.
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