Linda Powers’ Guide

Republicans are idiots with regard to health care

June 9th, 2009

And that’s only if I’m not being particularly cynical. A few days ago I heard on Ed Schultz’s TV show an elected Republican say that everyone in this country has coverage because all they have to do is show up at any emergency room. Really? People without insurance are charged much more than people with insurance, and everyone ends up subsidizing the uninsured who can’t pay. Maybe even the insurance industry. If you happen to be an honorable person who pays their bills and if you are uninsured, this whole process can sink you. Sixty percent of all bankruptcies today are health care related.

Elected Republican leaders would have us believe that there is actually competition in the health care marketplace. My brother is a physician, and his rates are effectively set by insurance companies. Because of antitrust laws he is not allowed to discuss his fees with any other provider, which means they can’t possibly join together to negotiate with the insurance companies. Furthermore, if they complain too loudly they may be kicked out of the preferred provider network.

Basically no one is able to negotiate with the insurance companies, and they establish the charges and fees for everything. The people at both ends of the delivery system are hurt.

People in this country are proud of figuring things out for themselves. In this instance, I think we would be well advised to look overseas. Other countries have figured this out, and it’s a truly idiotic person who stubbornly insists on reinventing the wheel.

Republicans argue that socialized medicine means rationed care. Really? If I can’t afford to see a physician because I don’t have insurance or because the deductibles are too high, is that care not being rationed? And when my insurance company denies a prescription or procedure my doctor recommends, is that care not being rationed? And if I have to wait several weeks or months to see a specialist, is that care not being rationed?

Give me a break.

Our health care if the most expensive in the world, and by all measures on average our health care sucks. One of the best measures of a country’s health care is the infant mortality rate, and we’re down there with third world countries.

The Republicans (and a few Dems) would have us believe we can’t afford single-payer health care. Is this true? If we adopted one of the models being used elsewhere, there are many items we, as individuals or businesses, likely would not have to pay for anymore: family coverage, dental coverage, prescription coverage, tests, the medical portion of our car insurance, workers compensation and probably much more. What is the real cost of these items? How much are we all actually paying for them today?

If we were all lumped into one giant group, how much would the real cost be for each of us under a single payer plan? If I could trade my current plan for a such a plan that covers all the stuff I listed above, I would jump at it. Would the costs be comparable? We don’t know. And we should.

The big boys at the top of the insurance industry have benefited greatly. So have their lobbyists. We all know where their interests lie, and it is not with us, the general public. If I assume elected Republicans, and a few Democrats, are not bought and paid for by the insurance industry, that means either they are complete idiots or they are incredibly mean spirited.

There’s one sure way to find out. We must not allow our Republican legislators (and the few Dems) to continue lining the pockets of their insurance industry/corporate friends. We must hound our elected representatives to provide us with a single payer system. It works (my husband is VA), it’s affordable (my mother’s on Medicare), and we can do this. We must not be bullied. It’s time to bring this idiocy to an end.

Lastly for a bit of self-promotion — I help people get out of debt. If you have medical bills that need paying, I may be able to help you get out from under more quickly than you ever thought possible. Please visit — www.myhomefreeandclear.com.

Categories: Commentary, Politics | Tags: care, health, idiots, insurance, myhomefreeandclear, Republicans