Health Care Reform: Do or DIE!

Posted on 20. Dec, 2009 by JohnCByrdIII in Politics

So I’m driving to work this morning listening to NPR and I’m reminded once again why I hate Republicans so much.

A couple weeks ago Florida Democratic Congressman Alan Grayson made what some would call an inflammatory statement when he said “The Republican health care plan is this: Don’t get sick, and if you do get sick, die quickly.” Ok… I’ll admit, this could possibly be seen as a bit of an over-simplification, but it’s true. Take away all the fluff, rhetoric and bullshit and you’re left with the fact that Republicans and “Blue Dog” Democrats value insurance companies’ profits over the best interest of their constituents. It’s no secret that the entirety of the congressional opposition to the President’s plan is sponsored primarily by health insurance companies. Their campaign contributions depend on their ability to maintain the status quo.

What President Obama is proposing is major reform to the current health care system. Let’s take a look at exactly what the Republicans are opposing.

Republicans oppose:

1. The prohibition of insurance companies’ policy of denying coverage to those with “pre-existing conditions”.

2. The prohibition of the insurance companies’ policy of terminating coverage for those who acquire new illnesses.

3. The prohibition of caps on the amount of coverage one can receive in a given year or in a lifetime.

4. Limits on how much one can be charged for out-of-pocket expenses.

5. The requirement for large businesses to cover portions of health care for their employees.

6. A cheaper “public option” provider to offer competition to the private “for profit” agencies.

Currently there are 30,000,000 American citizens who cannot get health coverage and everyday an additional 14,000 lose their coverage.  If you are self employed, your coverage costs three times more than the coverage you would get from your employer, so essentially one must be employed or rich to receive health care. On top of that, those who are insured are routinely denied vital life saving procedures. If insurance companies offered those procedures, it would undermine their billion dollar annual profits. Alan Grayson doesn’t seem like a fanatic anymore, does he?

Just yesterday, insurance companies release a statement that this plan will “raise health insurance premiums” for consumers. Now if you think about it, what they are really saying is this: These plans will cut into profits and in order to maintain them, we will raise your out of pocket costs.

What amazes me is that comments like this are made publicly, yet Republican leadership is still able to convince poor, rural, uninsured constituents (like the self proclaimed “Tea Party Patriots” who protested Grayson on Monday in Tavares, Fl) that Obama’s plan is against their best interest. Are most Republicans stark raving lunatics or these congressmen masters of Jedi mind tricks? I just don’t understand it!

At this point, unless a cloud of intelligence covers the continental United States and neon raindrops of common sense fall on all of us, it doesn’t look like there will be reform anytime soon. Someone find Hiro Nakamura. We need a do over!

Moral of the story: STAY HEALTHY!

Try these links:

QUIT SMOKING! /  EAT RAW FOODS

Tags: Alan Grayson, Blue Dog Democrats, Health Insurance, Obama, partisan, Pre-existing condition, public option, Recession, Republicans, single payer