17 Responses to We found one: A serious healthcare reform proposal

1. bluebutterfly September 10th, 2009 at 9:40 pm «

   Here’s his petition.
   *******
   “A PETITION ESTABLISHING
   HEALTH CARE AS A CIVIL RIGHT

   Whereas, Universal Health Care was proposed by President Teddy Roosevelt in 1912; and

   Whereas today, nearly 100 years later, 47 million Americans are uninsured and another 50 million are underinsured bringing great social and economic harm to the American family; and

   Whereas, HR 676, authored by Congressmen John Conyers and Dennis Kucinich provides for Medicare for All, a universal, single payer, not-for-profit health care system which means the end of premiums, copays and deductibles; and

   Whereas we are already paying for a universal standard of care but are not getting it because one of every three dollars in the health care system goes to the activities of the for-profit insurance system; and

   Whereas HR676 firmly establishes health care as a Civil Right, consistent with the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States and Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution which defines a purpose of government “to promote the General Welfare,” now therefore,

   I HEREBY EXPRESS MY STRONG SUPPORT FOR HR676, SINGLE PAYER HEALTH CARE, AND THE PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMIC JUSTICE FOR WHICH IT STANDS: “

   http://healthcare.kucinich.us/petition/
2. DavidByron September 10th, 2009 at 9:49 pm «

   Health care as a right? Where do you think you are? Iraq?

   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…..80528.html
• TPAZ September 11th, 2009 at 5:54 am «

  We’re number 2; We’re number 2!
• ubetchaiam September 11th, 2009 at 10:50 am «

  No, we’re number 37
• Blub September 11th, 2009 at 11:20 am «

  or #46 (infant mortality)

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L…..ality_rate

  or #35 (life expectancy)

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L…..expectancy

  We’re AVERAGE!

  Or just dead last, for either of this two measures when weighted by the amount of money we spend per capita on healthcare.

  The rethug chant:
  “USA! USA! We’re Dead Last! Dead last! Dead Last!”
3. ralphbon September 10th, 2009 at 10:07 pm «

   I just got off the conference call Kucinich convened in connection with his petition and coalition building effort. Interestingly, at one point he fielded a question on the Weiner amendment and HR 676 floor vote, and his assessment was identical to mine.

   He’s under no illusions that the bill, which received virtually no hearings or discussion in any of the committees drafting legislation, has any chance of passage currently. “I know that,” he said. “And I’m the co-author of the bill.”

   He said that although Weiner is honorable and well-meaning, the floor vote is a “set-up” (his word) by the House leadership to shut up single-payer proponents.

   As I wrote in the above-linked comment,

   The floor vote on HR 676 is a nice-to-have, not a need-to-have, at least in 2009. And nothing worth having was worth negotiating away in order to get it.

   By contrast, Kucinich urged vigorous support for his amendment to allow federal waivers for states attempting to set up their own SP systems. Pelosi and Hoyer are pretty much free to strip it out of the House bill, and its chances of surviving the House/Senate conference are even dicier.
• hipparchia September 10th, 2009 at 10:32 pm «

  the offer of a floor vote looked like a set-up to me too, and it probably was meant to be.

  it’s also a good opportunity to capture the interest of the public if you want to get their support for single payer.
• Hmmm September 11th, 2009 at 2:13 pm «

  But statewise SP would be way, way less viable than national SP due to lack of scale. Any insurance pool — not just health insurance — needs maximum aggregate size both for stability and for initial funding while the capital pools is developed.
• hipparchia September 11th, 2009 at 9:38 pm «

  lack of scale isn’t as big a problem as budget requirements are. the federal govt can print more money if it needs it, or carry a big debt for years and years and years, but states can’t do that.
4. ubetchaiam September 10th, 2009 at 11:14 pm «

   “If you come to me with a serious set of proposals, I will be there to listen. My door is always open.” —-And I,said the Decider Obama, will decide what constitutes as serious set of proposals (sotto voice “or my good friend Rahm will”).
• TPAZ September 11th, 2009 at 5:46 am «

  Hey, I believed him…
5. fflambeau September 10th, 2009 at 11:38 pm «

   Ubetchaiam, in the same vein, when Obama gave his speech, he said, “Here are the details of my health care plan that the American people need to know” (or words to that effect) and not, “Here are the details of my plan.” Very dismissive.

   Thanks to the diarist for this clip of Dennis Kucinich. Here are some of his comments: “When you look at the details, people will have to buy insurance. …We’re investing in the wrong people (insurance companies). It’s the wrong approach. …Insurance companies will get a windfall. It’s mandated. This is a bailout.” And my favorite: “We’re looking at the inevitable demise of the public interest.”
• TPAZ September 11th, 2009 at 5:49 am «

  The truth shall set you free, brothers and sisters…
6. klynn September 11th, 2009 at 5:19 am «

   Great post. Thank you.
• TPAZ September 11th, 2009 at 5:44 am «

  We must keep fighting until the last dog is dead!
7. letsgetitdone September 11th, 2009 at 12:56 pm «

   Thanks to TPAZ for posting this Dennis interview. For an old CIA guy, Jack Rice is pretty good, isn’t he?

   And thanks also to ralphbon for pointing out that Dennis’s assessment agreed with the one he made and linked to above. That was a an excellent post too.
8. karenjj2 September 12th, 2009 at 5:51 am «

   could the states use the medicaid and workman’s comp funds as a base for state single payer? use existing medicaid structure for services. use payroll deduction to state for medicaid access card.