What I find to be so frustrating is that so many people wanted this. Healthcare reform was a huge part of President Obama's campaign and he was elected overwhelmingly by the American people; why is this such a problem now?
The single payer system, which is the same healthcare system that is run in England, France and Canada (and others), is the most cost effective way. The bureaucratic overhead is going to be less than the corporate 25%-35% profits that private insurance companies work into the current costs of healthcare. (percentages provided by Political Science professor)
The reform of healthcare would benefit all businesses, small and large, because it would lessen the burden that employers would have in providing (or helping to provide) their employees with healthcare. This would easily inject some life into the economy.
Why is it that America spends the most on healthcare each year; and is ranked 35th (or close to it) in the world? Why are there 47 million uninsured people in America? Why is there a system in place that allows companies to deny care to people with pre existing conditions? Why is healthcare not a basic human right? Who is it exactly that feels this way; the have's or the have nots?
Some arguments to healthcare reform include: "America has the best healthcare in the world." Is that so? Then why do most people want to change it? Looking at the questions I posed above, would those be characteristics of the best healthcare system in the world?
Conservatives were in the majority for about 6 years, with a two term Republican president, and majorities in the House and Senate; yet they did nothing during Bush's 8 years. Just as they have been since Obama has taken office, they continue to be the party of no.
Do you think that with about 370 electoral college votes, the vast majority of Americans want healthcare reform? Without even blinking an eye, the answer is easily yes. With the Democratic party being voted into the majority in Congress; don't you think that the American people are voting for the change that they want to see? Can the Democrats actually screw this up with a 60 seat majority in the Senate and a huge lead in the House?
Who doesn't want this change? Insurance companies. Insurance companies are pouring money into the fight against reform, and in some ways are winning. No union, organization, institution or corporation that I know of is against healthcare reform. Why is that? Because everyone wants it. Who is against it? The insurance companies, because like always, it comes down to money.
If the Democratic party has to go it alone to get this done, then so be it. I can only imagine the reason this is being done with such urgency, is because President Obama will never have as much political "credit" as he has now. So get it done now, because that seems to be the only way it will ever be done; and it's the right thing to do.
If America is the greatest country in the world, then it's about time we start acting like it. There are plenty of things to fight over: immigration, abortion, taxes and so on...this should not be one of them.
No comments:
Post a Comment