The Health Insurers Have Already Won - BusinessWeek »
Posted By deathray 3 months, 3 weeks ago in Political News
How UnitedHealth and rival carriers, maneuvering behind the scenes in Washington, shaped health-care reform for their own benefit.
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deathray
Hm...summarizing a life...Investment banker, sailor, unintentional gourmet cook. Ex US Naval officer, also Foreign Service. Split my time between NYC and Miami Beach ...
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deathray3 months, 3 weeks ago
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Beau78903 months, 3 weeks ago
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The health insurance industry has hedged its bets by fighting on three fronts:
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Their industry was among groups (along with hospitals, drug manufacturers, medical device companies and service workers) that pledged to cut $2 trillion from future healthcare spending in a May 11 meeting with Obama. (I believe that meeting is what caused Democrats to drop any effort to implement a government-administered single-payer system.)
They fund groups fighting any effort by Congress to enact healthcare reform.
And they are working with the Blue Dogs to prevent a public option from being part of any reform that might pass. -
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donald513 months, 3 weeks ago
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Wellstone had it right that corporations should only be allowed to contribute that which any ordinary American can contribute..... corporations guaranteeed to rule as the oligarchy triumphs now moreso than it ever did in ancient Greeece!
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mmrhe3 months, 3 weeks ago
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My concern is once the Bill is passed, will they need to anymore?
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I've always believed with a larger pool of people the government or a consotium of public and private business could negotiate better terms!
To give that away is a big concern.
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AnteUp3 months, 3 weeks ago
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Exactly, icono1 - Don't you love Daschle? He really favors a public option but
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he's perfectly willing to share his expertise with the enemy to defeat the plan that
would be best for the people................all in a days work - eh?
No hard feelings, Tom - Hey - a guy's got to make a living - right?
Hero?...................another one bites the dust!
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sprzats3 months, 3 weeks ago
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For once it would be nice to see our government stand up to these unethical greedy corporations and say "screw you". We need a single payer health plan and we need it soon. Without it these insurance giants will keep on screwing with people. They are too greedy to change. As long as they are in business people will keep losing. We need to take the greed out of health care but I seriously doubt that it will ever become a reality.
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MeaJen303 months, 3 weeks ago
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I agree that we need reform - I don't agree that we need a single payer system. There are too many people who need these insurance companies to stay in business. We were told that we couldn't let the "Big 3" die because it would be too horrific to our economy, but think about how many people work for the insurance companies, work in medical billing, and sell the policies. As I've heard over 16% of our GDP is invested in health care. What would happen to all those people who would lose their job - at a time when there aren't enough jobs to go around already? How do you explain to them that being unemployed and penniless is better?
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epiphannyy3 months, 3 weeks ago
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I resent the fact that my congressman (Heath Shuler, NC) was elected as a democrat, but has been a faithful republican since stepping into office. Long before the "blue dog" label, he was voting against the democrats at every opportunity. Now, he's living at C-Street and is part of "the Family" there and his voice is one of the loudest opposing the health care initiative. He wasn't voted in to represent himself. He was voted in to represent the constituency who believed they were getting a democrat. It's likely he won't win reelection in the spring, but the damage he's been doing in the meantime is severe...not the least of which is leading the charge against Obama's health care reform.
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It's infuriating to realize that the republican base is so stupid (and yes, I do mean STUPID) that they believe the rhetoric from the insurance companies who have been ripping us off all these years, letting people die while appealing decisions to deny coverage, creating so much red tape that someone who has paid into the system for years can die before they get the procedures needed to save their lives. Think about it. Sarah Palin is ranting on about Obama's "death panels" deciding who is worthy of care and who isn't, but what are the insurance companies if not the main concentration camp? Does no one ever read the stories of people denied bone marrow transplants because insurance companies label it "experimental" while the patient dies waiting for an appeal? They aren't isolated incidents. But no...let's allow THOSE people to convince us that reform is "scary" and that they'll die if they accept it. Wake up people...you are dying already! It's pathetic!!! -
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DarkWizard3 months, 3 weeks ago
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I don't disagree with the premise this article makes, but to one exception. President Obama has already stated he will veto any bill that comes before him that doesn't meet certain criteria. I believe he's serious about this.
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Therefore, to become apathetic in the face of corporate lobbying and misaligned loyalties of politicians is not an option for me. I will continue to email, write, and/or call my Congress representatives with information, just like what this article presents, to convince them that we won't stand for this con! -
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Natureboy3 months, 3 weeks ago
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Just for the record -
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Obama is the enthusiastic, slavering, drooling, bent-over crack-h0re of the Insurance industry, the AMA, the AHA and big pharma.
Let me state that emphatically, and for the record. Obama can say what he wants. And history will speak the truth about Obama.-
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sinophil493 months, 3 weeks ago
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Are you for real? Are you dyslexic?
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The insurance companies are fighting against Obama's program for reform. They are wooing and bedazzling conservatives and the blue dogs to weaken and defang Obama's reforms.
Obama is trying to provide health care insurance to all uninsured Americans and lower both costs and premiums.
I seldom use the epithet, but I will make an exception for you. You are an idiot.
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bigG3 months, 3 weeks ago
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That won't do it.
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Give me a good reason we need "for profit" medical insurance companies anyway.
Employment isn't a good answer as we would still need people to process the payments, etc., anyway.
There used to be non-profit insurance and hospitals, but greed got in the way. -
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tchef3 months, 3 weeks ago
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AnteUp3 months, 3 weeks ago
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Oh but if it's their manipulations that craft the bill that passes, you will find that the funds
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for the buses and the rhetoric and the ads will dry up. The organizations that have inspired
the "grassroots" movement will move on to the next front - having achieved a very satisfactory
outcome with their tactics on this one.
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AnteUp3 months, 3 weeks ago
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fta:
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Congress is considering taxes on the wealthy and on benefits now provided to many white-collar workers.
Okay, I have heard about consideration of increased taxes on
wealthier citizens - but what in Heaven's name does the second half of that line refer to?
..and on benefits now provided to many white-collar workers.
Are they referring to taxing employee health benefits, or is
this some other idea? When they talk about taxing employee
health benefits they didn't limit that idea to white-collar
workers - or did they?
Can someone respond or comment on that, please?-
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Beau78903 months, 3 weeks ago
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Yes, they're talking about taxing employee health benefits, and that's not restricted to white-collar workers. The only reason I can think of for it to be described that way in the article is to set up a false premise of class warfare.
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Taxing employee health benefits is one of the roots of the argument many of Obama's opponents use (but rarely understand the basis of) when they claim Obama will raise taxes on those making less than $250,000.
Here's the question about that: no one says healthcare reform will not cost money--so one question becomes, where should the money come from? I'd prefer not to tax employee benefits that are now tax-free. But without taxing health benefits, someone will have to figure out a way to make up the difference.
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fritz10213 months, 3 weeks ago
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Yes they have what should be every Person Born Right in the Nation Good Decent affordable Health Care.They have Managed to make a Freak side show out of it.As your Congress person or your Senator if they are willing to give up their Health Care that we all Pay for?
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ekklesiawarriorComment removed: Hard Banned3 Replies
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coolrayfruge3 months, 3 weeks ago
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I can't help but feel that the poorer class are being coehearse financually into socialism.
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By the high cost of medical and everything else.
Made to choose between the lesser of the two evils.
Its like those who complain about Walmart running the Ma and Pop stores out of Business.
Yes its unfair.
But Walmart is sucessful because they are able to make it Affordable for the poorer class.
Its a matter of survival.
If you can't afford the other ,your gonna go for what is affordable and less a financual burdon on you..
It ain't so much about being Liberial or republican.
As it is about being rich or poor.
The well to do need to learn to be conciderate of others and their plight.
Cause it was your own Fking Greed and selfish ambitions that pushed it to this.-
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tchef3 months, 3 weeks ago
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With the rising cost of supplying health care benefits even larger companies have been forced to reduce the benefits that they offer. That is one of the things that has brought the health care debate back to the surface and made it one of the largest issues of the recent election. It's not about being rich or poor. It's affecting both. If you have a preexisting condition you can't get coverage whether you are rich or poor ( unless you are poor enough to get covered by medicaid ).
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german-shepard3 months, 3 weeks ago
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I agree with you 1000% about Walmart, but that is exactly the problem, that big companies are forcing the small ones out. See tchef's post above to understand more of what is meant by pushing this legislation through.
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The problem you have is that you are fixated on the word "socialism." Walmart has nothing to do with socialism, rather with capitalism, and that at its worst. Walmart makes its money by importing lots of cheap products made in China that have neither wage nor environmental controls. They exploit both Nature and Humanity. On top of that, they destroy jobs here in the United States of America and make enormous profits.
Where you are correct is in recognizing that about Walmart, you are dead wrong about it being our own "Fking Greed and selfish ambitions that pushed it to this."
I had to see tchef's neg to stop and think about why I would pos you and he would neg. Then I thought his reasoning was better and I changed my vote. It's still a free country.
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ettucatk3 months, 3 weeks ago
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Don't see the difference here. Either the insurance companies are dictating your care, or the government will do it. There are ways to correct what is happening to our health care system without government control, but neither party wants to give up their own self interests in order to actually "serve" the American people. Government health care must be defeated, and a reform of health care must be designed by Congress that is going to work for the people and lower costs. Get rid of lobbyists, get rid of fraud and corruption in all the other government run programs. Vote these b-----ds out and start with a fresh slate. Maybe those who are supposed to serve the public will get the idea.
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ettucatk3 months, 3 weeks ago
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If there is ONLY a public option, I will be for this reform. To have both private and public plans is to ensure that the majority of the people will have a degraded system with rationing. This of course will still allow the wealthy and powerful to enjoy the best care. When you need a liver transplant, and someone in Congress needs one also, who do you think will step to the head of the list? The entire system has to be single payer if it is to work with any degree of integrity. There will still be those "loopholes" that allow others to butt in line, but it will be much more obvious, and will occur to a lesser degree.
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MeaJen303 months, 3 weeks ago
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OH but to be sure, even if they came up with a single payer only, they would write in a way for them to keep their cadillac care. Congress isn't going to put themselves on the same level as their constituents...that would just be...crazy.
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ettucatk3 months, 3 weeks ago
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Watched Daniel Hannon (I think that is his name, from Britain) and he said that their national health care is a mess, and it is the 3rd largest employer IN THE WORLD. So, while you think you will be getting something for less, or nothing, think again. How much money do you think will be your share to support all these workers, and receive a degraded system of care? Why do you suppose our government "servants," from the Supreme Court Justices, to the President, to the Congress, and all the rest, are making themselves exempt from the government program?
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