NEEDS
YOU.
The health care industry (especially Insurers and Big Pharma) are moving all their troops (lobbyists) into their battle to protect billions in profits and a health care system that is among the least efficient in the industrialize world. Of course, their most powerful lobbyists are those who hold positions in the government, the Republicans, WHO SAY SINGLE PAYER HEALTH-CARE IS "OFF THE TABLE".
How do you like these $%#$@# &#@&#$-ers working FOR the Insurance companies and against the interests of the entire population AND our economy? If we continue with the system we have now it will break the Government and weaken our economy -- billions going to administrative costs and profits of the Insurers and Pharmaceutical companies in the most inefficient system that could be devised ... multiple insurers duplicating costs (plus profits) which would not be duplicated (and minus the profits) with ONE INSURER.
The argument AGAINST this system is simple and unassailable. The current system costs more and delivers less - in terms of health care (in terms of profits for insurers and Big Pharma it's great!). But is that what the health care system is for? ... to generate profits for some companies for an inefficient way to provide health care? WE need better health care AND we could really use all that money wasted on inefficiency elsewhere - suchas paying for health care instead of profits to Insurance companies.
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20090610_why_so_scared_of_a_public_plan">Here is a good article on the single payer system and the forces marshalled against it.
But the same arguments that have distorted the debate over health care will emerge again—especially the claim that private insurance is somehow more efficient than a public program would be, or that we cannot “afford” a public plan.
The opposite is true, as surprising as that may seem. During the decade that ended in 2006, to cite just one set of relevant statistics, the level of health spending per head (for similar benefits) grew 4.6 percent annually under Medicare, while spending under private health insurance rose by 7.3 percent. For many years, in fact, Medicare has performed better at controlling costs than private insurance companies.
One reason is simple and obvious: Eliminating profits for shareholders and management cuts out a major cost factor.
Another is less obvious: Private insurers consistently spend more on overhead and administration than Medicare. To anyone who shares the broad prejudice against government, the difference will be startling, although these numbers are very well known to health experts. The average overhead cost of Medicare is roughly 2 or 3 percent, far below the administrative costs of private insurers, which range between 27 and 40 percent.
If enough people send emails to Congress and the White House DEMANDING A SINGLE PAYER SYSTEM things COULD CHANGE.. If enough of us speak up, we CAN have an affect. Surely, this is something worth fighting for.
NOW IS YOUR CHANCE TO HAVE AN IMPACT. GET IN THE FIGHT. IT'S YOUR FIGHT.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/">White House contact page
Congress.org where you enter your zip code and the site returns your Senators and Representatives. You enter your email and the site sends it for you. EASY! When you get your Senators and Representatives, click on the one and get then click on the "contact" tab. Select compose your own letter among the options and click on "NEXT Step". Then type your message into the input field.
To give you some ideas here is sample message:
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The Honorable _________;
The United States cannot afford the current health care system of multiple insurers duplicating costs and profits. We must have a Universal Health Care system where the Government acts as the single insurer. This will eliminate duplication of administrative costs and private insurer profits and make the money saved available for what it should be used for -- paying for professional health care services and medicine. All citizens should be insured and the Government will negotiate with the Pharmaceutical firms for reasonable
bulk pricing of prescription drugs. Thus, the Government would be acting like any cost conscious businessman would (as many in Congress have urged it should).
It is clear that the current system of private insurers cannot be maintained. It will break the Government's budget while providing some of the worst health care in the industrialized world. I expect you to act in the best interests of the people you represent.