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By Brina-Rae Schuchman
Chair, TrueVoteSanDiego
The structure of our government in Washington is not making it easy to get changes we seek and need.
The Health Insurance Industry ran amok during the Bush Years because Bush et al showed contempt for government, citizens, regulation, fair play, justice, peace, responsibility, service, commitment, etc.
Of course the industry must be controlled. Of course there must be minimum rules to help create an even playing field. Insurers are supposed to be providing a public service, but they made 'making money' their goal; the paying subscribers were damned.
The idea of rejecting the insured for 'prior conditions' and other denials was made up by them to cut
their payouts and defraud their subscribers. Isn't it interesting that they all did the same sorts of things?
Sounds more like collusion than competition and 'free market', doesn't it? Those are crimes.
They got away with it. That is a crime. If they are going to be in this important public business, they HAVE TO do certain things and not do others.
I notice no one is talking about the huge salaries the company officers paid themselves, leaving less to pay to real healthcare providers. There need to be limits just as the Congress and President salaries have limits.
We must assure that all citizens have excellent medical care when they need it. Whether they buy insurance from our government or from private insurers, we must
--limit salaries of ceo's, directors and stock dividends. Limit administrative costs.
--not allow denial of coverage for ANY medical need, including women's reproductive health care. Period.
--makeover the Medicare System in relation to Supplemental private companies.
(Why have them? Why are they involved at all? They cost too much and do too little.)
--consider extending Medicare to everyone who wants it, for an affordable payment each month.
Let's remember that the Congresspeople have wonderful 'government' provided' health insurance options .
If we all had that, we would be well taken care of.
We have to DEMAND a Public Health Insurance Option that gives EVERY kind of necessary health care. Anything less is UnAmerican.
When people say that federal funds will not be used for reproductive health care, needed abortions, or contraceptives, they are crossing the line between Separation of Church and State and THAT is Unconstitutional.
There can be NO interference with any citizen's freedom to obtain needed medical care of any kind except if frivilous and abusing the system. All Rights and needs and their privacy have to be respected.
Those who say they don't want their taxes used for women's health care are discriminating against women.I am not interested in my taxes paying for killing and war. I have not been able to withhold taxes and stop war that way. Maybe we should talk about that.
Right now, my husband and I are on Medicare, and we have something taken out of our Social Security for Medicare each month, but Medicare pays providers far less than seems fair. We have EXPENSIVE Blue Shield Supplemental, which costs us nearly $6000 a year, which only pays 20% of the small Medicare approved amount. What controls are there on the Blue's charges, which keep rising; and administrative costs, high ceo salaries etc? Do we really need them? I imagine it costs TONS for Blue to pay out those tiny few dollar checks. What a waste of paper, time, money and postage.
What if we Seniors paid Medicare some of what we are paying the Blues and we got rid of the Blues?
Let's have THAT option too.
The mythic bird of American governance has a lot of broken bones and is hobbling about. Its not helping us get our needs met very well.
Because politics is politics, and not good governance, good luck to us all.
The opinions in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine. If you wish to submit an editorial for consideration, please contact editor@eatcountymagazine.org.
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