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The Health Care Crisis: Letters From Vermont and America
I sent an email to my Senate mailing list requesting support for a single-payer Medicare-for-All system, and for personal stories describing the problems people are having with their health care coverage. Within a few weeks, some 40,000 people signed the single-payer petition and more than 4,000 sent in their personal stories. I want to thank all of those who responded.
I collected some of the letters in a booklet, "The Health Care Crisis: Letters from Vermont and America." In poignant and heartbreaking terms, the letters describe the pain and outrage that people are experiencing within our dysfunctional health care system.
A man in Swanton, Vt., told the story of his younger brother, a combat-decorated veteran of the Vietnam conflict, who died three weeks after being diagnosed with colon cancer. "He was laid off from his job and could not afford COBRA coverage. When he was in enough pain to see a doctor, it was too late. He left a wife and two teenage sons in the prime of his life at 50 years old. The attending doctor said that if he had only sought treatment earlier he would still be alive."
A woman in Eagle, Idaho, wrote of "a beautiful, intelligent, hard working small business owner who died because she couldn't afford to buy health insurance for her family nor her employees. She was 53 and I will never forgive my county for allowing the greed of the insurance companies to limit her opportunity for preventable health care. A colonoscopy at 50 would have saved her life."
Because every American needs to hear what's going on with health care in this country, I intend to read some of these letters on the floor of the Senate and send a copy of the booklet to every member of Congress.
I am sure that you will agree with me that it is unacceptable that:
* 46 million Americans lack any health insurance and that even more are underinsured.
* More than 18,000 Americans die every year because they don't have access to a doctor of their own.
* One million Americans will go bankrupt this year because of medically-related debt.
* Despite spending almost twice as much per person we lag far behind many other nations in such health care outcomes as life expectancy, infant mortality and preventable deaths.
* While we have a major shortage in primary care physicians, nurses and dentists, almost one in every three dollars spent in this country on health care goes for administration, bureaucracy and profiteering.
It has become clear that the function of a private health insurance is to make as much money as possible. Every dollar not paid out in claims is another dollar made in profits for the company. Insurance companies spend millions to hire people to do everything they can to avoid paying out legitimate claims, denying coverage because of "pre-existing conditions" and terminating coverage because of high medical bills.
It is no surprise, therefore, that tens of thousands of doctors support a single-payer health care system, as well as the largest nurses unions in the country. These health care professionals do so not just because they are outraged by the lack of coverage Americans experience, but because they are sick and tired of wasting their valuable time arguing with insurance bureaucrats about how they will treat their patients.
In my view, the fight for universal and comprehensive health care is the civil rights battle of our time. Like the other great struggles in our history that have made us a more democratic and just society, victory will require a strong and united grassroots movement that is prepared to take on the very powerful and wealthy special interests that benefit from this failing health care system.
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30 Comments so far
Show AllThis is a crisis of our democracy. The vast majority of people, including doctors and health care professionals, support Single Payer Health care.
But not our Congress.
Big Pharma and the insurance corporations are spending ONE POINT FOUR MILLION DOLLARS EACH AND EVERY DAY TO LOBBY CONGRESS. I see a certain hint of corruption here, don't you?
"Big Pharma and the insurance corporations are spending ONE POINT FOUR MILLION DOLLARS EACH AND EVERY DAY TO LOBBY CONGRESS. "
That amount does not include the advertising, correct? If so, I wonder how much additional revenue they waste on sloppy advertising.
Thank You, Bernie Sanders!
"It has become clear that the function of a private health insurance is to make as much money as possible."
Of course, we have known this fact for quite a few years.
And, thanks to the health care professionals, doctors and nurses, who attended the Baucus hearings, and spoke out for all to hear, while Baucus called for "more order" and "more police." The arrests of the Baucus 13 did give the movement a bit of a shot in the arm, so to speak.
Since Con-gress's big solution here is to mandate buying insurance, what requirements are they going to put on the insurance companies? Spitzer found out that insurance companies were colluding by secretly allocating different policy lines while faking competing bids. I was a victim of that collusion, and it was a state-mandated insurance I was being overcharged for. Will congress be a part of the next con game at our expense? Or, if they are going to go into the business of delivering customers to insurance execs, are they going to oversee compensation, expense and competition? Are they going to go through their books? Ha.
I read about a half dozen of those letters, they were posted online somewhere, but it was last year and i can't remember where.
Probably would be a violation of Senate "ethics" (is there such a thing?) and protocol, but one wonders if Senator Sanders has any ideas of how to end or at least somewhat curtail, the process whereby most of his Senate colleage act, behave and are little more than corporate whores. Senator Sanders is from Vermont a small state with a small population where one senses more folks pay attention to public officials and issues. But then Senator Baucus is from a large state (Montana) with a small population but is a barely disguised whore for the well paying drug and insurance pimps.
Their is a very large class of Drs. that are also a BIG part of this problem. They are reaping millions from the present system and don't want any changes to it as well.
In the long distant past Doctors were independent businessmen who set their own prices. In those old days bright young men who wanted to make a lot of money went into medicine. This is no longer true. The doctors now are employees of the HMO's. Doctors no longer set prices.
The HMO's are now the BIG part of the problem. These HMO's set the prices and limit the delivery of health care. The answer to this BIG problem is to get the HMO's out of our health care system. The complete answer is SINGLE PAYER!
HMOs were created by Congress. To get rid of them you only have to repeal a law.
You are wrong about doctors. The AMA was founded to create and protect a monopoly. They're still at it. Many doctors are dedicated, some are even wonderful, but most are bullied into toeing the line for fear of losing licenses for using "unapproved" treatments, even when their patient testify they were healed.
Nutritional medicine/functional medicine is the real competition they are trying to shut out. After a while we would save literally hundreds of billions a year if people were allowed to know the truth and doctors were only prosecuted if they harmed patients or violated ethics. The reason any of these monopolistic groups are supporting health care reform is that the information is getting harder and harder to contain. Critical mass has either been reached or we are very close. They've got to shut it down. The same applies to Big Pharma.
The new "food safety" bill (HR2749) includes a provision to provide jail time if someone makes a health claim (even if research based) without FDA approval!! The price you will pay for any national health care system is your health, physical and financial.
40,000 people? That's it? Is it just me or would be expecting 40 million by now be normal? There are 47 million uninsured and plenty more underinsured. And what about Plan B? If Obama isn't going to push for even Plan B, I think I'll join the Obama critics. Something's just not right.
Senator Sanders didn't say how many people are on his emailing list, but I bet it's not 40 million. I'm not too worried he only got 40 thousand people who are tired of signing petitions to sign one more. Plus there are a lot of the 47 million (I think closer to 50 million now) uninsured who don't have internet access.
I'm one of the 47 million, and I have Internet access. However, I'm on so many email lists now to sign one petition or another- I'm sure I've signed several for Single Payer, and I've written to both of my senators, one of whom serves- with Baucus- on the Finance Committee. Sen. Bingman never even responded. And I've signed petitions urging investigations of the Bush Administration- which automatically go to Congresspeople. My rep emailed in response, that there are too many issues needing their immediate attention and they must "move forward." The standard BS. So, forgive me if I'm becoming complacent and not very interested in signing petitions or contacting my Congressional reps.
"A colonoscopy at 50 would have saved her life."
I don't deny the numerous health care problems you have, but there is no detail here to indicate whether a colonoscopy was indicated.
In British Columbia screening colonoscopy is not funded. Colonoscopy is done for indications, genetic risk, symptoms, 5-year follow up for previous polyps, positive occult blood screening test. This is evidence based medicine that seeks the most effective use of available funds.
The difference is that our population receives the same quality care rather than a stratified system of cadillac care for some and minimal or no care for others.
You know, the other day I figured out why the Democrats are always say they are trying to get "bipartisan agreement" on a health care bill. The reason is that, by saying they're trying to get the Republicans on board, they have a good excuse to stall do nothing, even though they have a filibuster-proof majority.
Let's see through this charade for what it is. If 75% of the American people support single payer and we don't get it, something is wrong. Instead of representative democracy, what we're really getting is representative/fascist democracy.
Senator Sanders, if Ralph Nader or no other progressive independent runs, will you please do this country a favor and run for the office of the presidency of the US in 2012? You're the only pol in the Senate who is trying to put single payer on the table while the rest of the Senate is getting totally out of touch. You have the money, the clout, that shining independence, and don't worry about these silly fears about personality, electability, socialist, etc ... Ronnie Raygun ran for president at 70 and he won but you're much more active than he is and you can win. And don't let anyone tell you that you're a "spoiler". A vote for Sanders is NOT a vote for Republicans. It's a vote against the status quo. I know you're not as perfect as Nader but you're much close and neither the media nor the duopoly can block your candidacy !
BERNIE SANDERS FOR PRESIDENT IN 2012 !! :)
Nothing significant is likely to be done until money is out of politics.
Senator Sanders: Were you at the subcommittee hearing Ted Kennedy held and Dr. Mark Hyman testified? If so, why are you not citing this testimony as a main way to cut costs? If not, I suggest you check a transcript, especially the part about saving 80% of treatment costs for ADHD using what he calls functional medicine, otherwise know as natural medicine/nutritional medicine/alternative medicine. I call it effective medicine.
Thanks Cassandra. I didn't know this one myself. I agree with your proposal to Sanders on truly effective medicine. He does need to take all good venues as much as possible. He may end up being another thorn to Big Pharma but good for all of us. I just hope that natural medicine doesn't get patented away from us all or something like that.
Thanks to Senator Sanders for keeping up the struggle. This piece seems to be all about the problem and not about the solution though. How about some of that famous Senate filibustering? I mean the kind where you actually stand and talk for days or weeks until that is all that's showing on CSPAN? Until everyone knows every dollar that's been spent buying senators? Until everyone has heard the data showing overall per capita health care spending in the U.S. is double that of the U.K.? That we could be getting first class care for every man, woman, child, and dog in this country with what we are currently spending? Until everyone understands Republican lying and fearmongering? Until everyone understands the Democrats are totally helping preserve the health profiteering system for cash and influence?
Really, you have this culture of greed that is actively cultivated by certain segments and it manifests in all these different ways. Then people like Sanders focus in all the symptoms, put energy into bandaging them up, and whether or not they are successful, usually not, two things inevitably result: The underlying problem remains undeterred, while the people continue to blindly support this misguided focus on the symptoms, rather than the underlying problem, this ongoing campaign, perpetrated by a few, to inflame greed in the society. You have to ask, why over the course of several years has not one group, or oner of these people in powerful positions challenged the perpetrators of the underlying problem, the cultivation of greed through media and other influence channels?
Really, you have this culture of greed that is actively cultivated by certain segments and it manifests in all these grotesque symptoms. Then people like Sanders jump on the symptoms, put energy into bandaging them up and when they fail, which is almost always, two things inevitably result: The underlying problem remains unaddressed, and the people continue focusing on the symptoms rather than the underlying problem, this ongoing campaign, perpetrated by a few, to inflame greed in the society. You have to ask why over the course of several years has not one group or one of these people in powerful positions challenged the perpetrators of the underlying problem, the cultivation of greed through media and other influence channels?
"In my view, the fight for universal and comprehensive health care is the civil rights battle of our time."
Notice the thick camouflage Sanders uses to obscure the underlying problem of institutional greed. He's a senator - that's his duty.
Many congresspeople want no government health care insurance for us but they love their own government health care. Selfishness knows no bounds.
"Big Pharma and the insurance corporations are spending ONE POINT FOUR MILLION DOLLARS EACH AND EVERY DAY TO LOBBY CONGRESS. "
NOT TRUE, BERNIE! THIS is what big pharma is doing:
Yes, I know you didn't say that in today's blog but I've heard you talk without specifics and names with this "big pharma" euphemism before. Are you afraid of getting sued?
Big Pharma and the insurance corporations are spending 1.4 million dollars each and every day to BRIBE, THREATEN, EXTORT and BLACKMAIL CONGRESS.
Bernie, you know it and so do we. You guys made bribing legal and called it lobbying. It's still corruption. Bernie, you were elected to fight this stuff. Reading letters to predatory dinosaurs in the senate doesn't do a damned thing to get legislation passed. Cut the theater. We want war filibustering and howls about Obama's turncoat behavior. Stop being a coward. You sound like you want big pharma to throw some money at YOUR campaign when you don't acuse them of corruption with NAMES. Stop with the "big Pharma" bullshit. Can you say Pfizer? How about Proctor and Gamble? Hello? Is Blue Cross or Wellpoint in your synaptic connections? Is Johnson and Johnson a memory jogger? Ely Lilly ring any bells? Time to shit or get off the pot. Either you are a socialist with principles or you are a Brooklyn Blowhard. Which one is it Bernie?
AGG,
I like how you hit the nail on the head. I had some hope (hmmm) back when Bernie was elected that there might be a trend for the election process to open up to 3rd parties that would better meet the general populations needs. I am beginning to think he's just another distraction because as you say AGG, he is obscuring what needs the healing light of sunshine, legalized bribery.
Hey Bernie,
Why have you never mentioned our fine, upstanding recently retired CEO of VERMONT Blue Cross Blue Shield as an example of a "good" health care executive? Could it be because he walked away after working less than eight years with six million dollars? No! Really? In our lovely, we take care of our own, Vermont? Such selective silence isn't edifying, Senator Sanders.
It IS telling, though.
Respectfully, Mr. Sanders, all it would take is a President willing to be a leader for all the people and make single payer health care his priority. That would provide the needed impetus. Unfortunately, Barack Obama has proved that he is nothing more than a leader of special interests. Citizens be damned...again.
Pres. Obama clearly stated that if it was in his power to start from scratch, a single payer system would clearly be best. However, he acknowledged that the political realities of the status quo prevented this course of action.
Cut him some slack, whydoncha.
If all the politicians who knew single payer was the right thing to do, but claimed it was just too politically hard, would have stood up and done the right thing, we'd have it already. This is such bullshit. What does starting from scratch mean? After the next revolutionary war for independence? After everyone is dead or broke from the continuing failure of the current system? I've cut all the slack I'm going to. I hope more people will join me in voting Green Party next time.
Come on Chet. How much slack do you need? NAFTA, FISA Bill, state secrets, habeas corpus, single payer, indefinite detention, transparency, banning lobbyists from administration, signing statements...
He could have made sure that single payer views were heard at official hearings and debates. Instead he allowed advocates to be ejected and arrested without public comment. Cowardice and inaction, at best.
Joe