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It’s Our Lives, It’s Our Money: Do Health Reform In the Sunshine
If there is nothing to protect that relates to national security, every bit of the health reform legislation debate and negotiation should be done in public. Period.
We read today that C-SPAN is arguing that the negotiations between the House and the Senate on their healthcare bills need to be done while their cameras are rolling. I agree.
But isn't it just a sign of our times that no major print media argued that issue on our behalf? The New York Times or Washington Post? Or even the Associated Press that reported on little ol' C-SPAN? Or how about one of the major news networks? ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN?
When I worked as a journalist in South Dakota, even when small city governments tried to go into executive session to avoid scrutiny of sweetheart deals for local contractors or campaign contributors or to avoid embarrassment for friends of the mayor or city commission members, we in the local press called those bodies to task for not following open meetings laws.
The public's business needs to be done in public. And this healthcare reform legislation is not only spending our money, it is determining the course of our lives in a very personal and profound way. We may live or die, suffer financial trauma or be fined, have access to doctors or be denied that access, all based on what Congress seeks to finish quickly behind closed doors. This is not an appropriate way to complete this process.
"Sunlight is the best disinfectant," reads a well-known quote from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, referring to the benefits of openness and transparency in public policy.
If this healthcare reform legislation has been done in the best interests of the public, no Congressional member ought to fear full and accurate vetting of every inch of the process and detail of the bill in full view of the public and the press.
Now, if we just had an engaged and
independent-of-corporate-
Do you hear the insurance industry really fighting any of this? Is the silence deafening to anyone else but me? Where is Karen Ignagni, the industry's top spokesperson? Perhaps she's waiting in the wings for the invitation to the Rose Garden bill signing ceremony and then into the front row for the State of the Union address. Safe bet she's been weighing in all along the way. We're just not privy to that, and we should be.
And we - the American people -- cannot even get a camera into the Congressional meetings in which our personal fate is being decided and our funds being committed for healthcare? If they have nothing to hide from us, let it all hang out. Let us see it and let us understand all the forces that made this health reform effort what it has been and what it will be. Let the cameras in. Let the reporters in. Let the American people in.
Everybody in, nobody out. It works for lots of arguments, including public policy and healthcare.
- Posted in
19 Comments so far
Show AllDonna Smith, you have my deepest admiration!
The reason that all of this is done in secrecy is because once you allow We the People to have any voice, we might get a taste for participation. Give us an inch we'll take a mile, in their view.
Here's a comment (2005) to reporter Ron Suskind from a high level Bush official. I'm still haunted by it:
"We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality--judiciously, as you will--we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors...and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do..... Let me clue you in. We don't care ..."
Illinois Senator Dick Durbin told the world last year that Wall Street owns the US Government. Since the insurance industry is one member of the Wall Street family there is no way Obama or Congress will impose any meaningful regulation or oversight.
rvrwalker 3:02 pm - The unattributed Bushie is right, 1000%. He said it straight. Told the truth straight out and you can't ask your enemy to do more. THEY ARE HERE TO CUT OUR THROATS AND COOK US AND EAT US. Deal with it. They are not invulnerable.
History's 'actors' have this fatal flaw: Like their Masters, the richfilth Oligarchy, they lack the gene for self-restraint, they ALWAYS overreach, and they ALWAYS destroy their host. ALWAYS. But people somehow go down on both knees before arrogant males broadcasting 'entitlement', the single-minded dominance traits of obsessive psychotics. They like to "own" things and people and they are willing to perpetrate ANY abomination to achieve their ends, to get their swag.
What makes their success possible however is a general population programmed to unquestioning obedience to Authority in a context of Authoritarian Patriarchy. They're programmed to suck dick for the Alpha Males EXCEPT these Alpha Males don't want a blow job. They want to cook you and eat you and your children. You or them, what's it gonna be.
And the 'crew' with BHO, Bushie retreads like Summers who think human die-back and demographic collapse are "Good for the Economy". Doesn't get any creepier than that.
All this would assume that those in power believe themselves accountable to us. We know that is not true. We know this proposed airing will not happen. We know they will serve their dark masters in secrecy. When they refuse to air this in the open it will be just another indicator of who is really in charge. Rememeber remember and do not vote again for these cowardly bastards.
Unless the 2010 elections manifest the most widespread epidemic of anti-incumbant fever in US history, there is no hope for turning this around.
It appears Democracy Now is involved in spreading misinformation about the insurace extrotion act as senior health advocate Mary Lynn (essays often published on CounterPunch) notes in the following critique:
Dear Amy Goodman: In Massachusetts, the elderly were informed by mailed letters in November of 2008 of health insurance premium increases of over 50% for 2010 (plus increases in co-pays and drug costs). My premium for Medicare Advantage HMO has gone up 52%; my neighbor’s has gone up 45%. My income is $13,000 yearly, from social security; and I live in subsidized elderly housing. There are over 200 low-income elderly in my housing project who have received the same notice of outrageous increases in monthly premiums, drug costs and co-payments.
Customer Service of my Medicare Advantage HMO informs me that the CEO began meeting in DC with the President in December of 2008 to work out reform possibilities. They say that the outcome was a cut in government funding of $40.00 per day per "beneficiary" on Medicare Advantage Programs, and an increase in cost of $40 per day. The "Grievance Analyst" of my Medicare HMO has written me the same: that these increases are in anticipation of cuts in government funding and expected increases in costs. They state they expect further increases for 2011. In Massachusetts, we used to have a plan called Prescription Advantage that helped the low-income with their Part D (drug coverage) premiums. That has been eliminated also due to huge cuts in government funding their staff have told me. (However, I am basing my figure of 52% increase on the actual premium without Prescription Advantage. The amount over what I paid last year with the assistance of Prescription Advantage would be equal to an 84% increase in my monthly premium for 2010.)
It is difficult to believe that your learned guest Dr. Atul Gawande does not know this is already happening to low-income elderly all over the nation (as well as in the state where he lives), and that these decisions were made prior to the passage of any health insurance overhaul bill. How can he possibly say the increases are no more than 8% on average here and across the country. We could live with that; but the facts on the ground are quite different. The only option for us now is to enroll in the Traditional Medicare, which does not cover annual physical exams, eyeglasses, ear and eye exams, or medications; and charges deductibles, 20% - 50% of the cost for physician, hospital, lab, medicines; and has no drug program. Traditional Medicare would cost me and my neighbors even more per month than the Medicare Advantage HMO program. That is what “Medicare For All” means. Another fact your guest seems to be ignorant of, or at least had nothing to say about other than repeating that familiar and misleading slogan. (Medicare Advantage HMO is more efficient, and costs less per service than Traditional Medicare according to the Report to Congress, Medicare Payment Policy March 2009.)
Possibly interviewing fewer of the rich and famous, and more of the real people impacted by the outrageous increases in 2010 healthcare insurance premiums would be useful. You are usually more informed, and challenge your guests. But on this topic you seem to have done no investigation of the subject, and rely only on what your select list of experts have to say. This is a tragedy, given the harm that is already being done, and the failure of independent media to fully investigate and report what is actually happening right now as a direct result of health insurance reform bill negotiations.)
Sincerely, Mary Lynn Cramer
Karlof1: Thanks so much for your post, and also for the detailed information included in the letter that accompanies your post!
This morning, I watched Democracy Now!, like I do every single morning, and I will tell you that I was very skeptical about the information dispensed by Dr. Gawande. His assessment of the Massachusetts health care system did NOT jive with information I had previously read, and/or heard -- from very knowledgeable people.
I was on counterpunch today, but I missed the letter, or, it hadn't yet been posted.
Again, thanks!
You're very welcome, Kay. You can search CounterPunch to find her essays. This one, http://www.counterpunch.org/cramer11242009.html promted me to email a comment to her which landed me on her email list. She wrote yesterdaay about a similar deception brodcast by NPR:
On NPR's Diane Rhem Show today, her learned guests insisted that the increases in health insurance premiums we are receiving have nothing to do with the new overhaul bill. My insurance company Customer Service Department and the Grievance Analyst have assured me that the increase of 52% has everything to do with the anticipated decreases in government funding in the new reform bill. Google her and Please send her a short email and let her know that you know what is actually going on. You can listen to the show, or send an email from her site: http://www.drshow.org Below is my off-the-top of my head email to her show this a.m.
"In Massachusetts elderly were informed by letter in November of 2008 of health insurance premium increases of 52% for 2010 (plus increases in co-pays and drug costs). My income is $13,000 yearly, from social security; and I live in subsidized elderly housing. There are over 200 low-income elderly in my project who have received the same notice. Customer Service of my Medicare Advantage HMO informs me that the CEO began meeting in DC with the President in December of 2008 to work out reform possibilities. They say that the outcome was a cut in government funding of $40.00 per day per "beneficiary" on Medicare Advantage Programs, and an increase in cost of $40 per day. The "Grievance Analysist" of my Medicare HMO has written me the same: that these increases are in anticipation of cuts in government funding and expected increases in costs. They state they expect further increases for 2011. It is difficult to believe that your learned guests do not know this is happening to low-income elderly all over the nation, and that these decisions were made prior to the passage of any health insurance overhaul bill. (The only option for us is to enroll in the Traditional Medicare, which does not cover annual physical exams, eyeglasses, ear and eye exams, or medications; and charges deductibles, 20% - 50% of the cost physician, hospital, lab, drug charges; and has no drug program. It would cost me even more per month than the Medicare Advantage HMO program.)"
Karlof1,
I thank you as well for this timely information.
Amy Goodman has had a variety of guests on her show. I believe she would be open to suggestions about who can best discuss the situation. Donna Smith might be one good choice. Her writing on the issue has always turned out to be correct.
I would welcome a detailed analysis of the financial and care impacts of the health insurance bill on various income strata, current and future Medicare recipients, young healthy families whose major needs are checkups and innoculatons, the chronically ill etc.
As others have pointed out, this bill is not about the overall questions of health, but about selling health insurance.
Joe
Hi Joe,
The woman whose emails I posted has numerous essays published at CounterPunch that provide a lot of the data you seek. Just use the search function at the top of the CounterPunch main page and type mary lynn.
Thanks karlof1
Joe
About all that's left of "healthcare reform" is some as yet unspecified protection for some insurance customers (apparently nowhere near all) against discrimination for pre-existing conditions. The rest is an appalling and masturbatory exercise in political positioning on one hand and on the other, a new slicing of the same grossly over expensive pie.
The Clinton's primary role in late 20th century American life was to destroy the opportunity for healthcare reform for at least 15 years. Obama will extend this for another at least 8 years, possibly a lot longer. If you cut and paste Clinton's head on Obama's shoulders you can't tell the difference between the two regimes.
Sunlight IS the best disinfectant, but in the usual fog the rumor of grunting, strenuous activity is often mistaken by the credulous and naïve as a sign of concentrated labor and diligence.
Once the fog lifts, the true nature of the hubbub is plainly revealed: pigs at the trough.
PS: I can't help but think of the Beatles' "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?"
· Yr Obd't Servant
Yr Obd't Servant says,
I can't help but think of the Beatles' "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?"
I think the insurance people and their political gophers have already thought of that; they are "doing it" to us in the road (at night with no lights at 120 mph).
From one future roadkill to another, all I can say is, at least it's quick.
This is just one more level of control. there is a long list that has been ignored. If this goes throgh at some point we will all get a stool softeners whether we need one or not. If we complain, there will be a behavioral medication, cry and it will be an antidepressant. Make a legitimate complaint, well I hate to say what happens but someone will make a tidy profit. So be quite and eat your sloppy joes it is almost time for your medication. Your insurance conultant has spoken.
Bypass, bypass, bypass. Investigate naturopathic physicians and MDs experienced in natural medicine, functional medicine, nutritional medicine or integrative medicine. Anyone who can afford to go this way should do so. More and more doctors are understanding there is another way. Help them reach critical mass. Self educate yourself. Start with "Why Stomach Acid Is Good For You" by J Wright, MD and L Lenard, PhD. Then you can understand the colossal proportions of this ripoff.
Donna says "..health care reform legislation...is determining the course of our live in a very personal and profound way."
This is the prolem with centralized power on all fronts.
How much more insult do we have to absorb from the brothel known as the U.S. Congress? How much more arrogance do we need to finally come to the conclusion that the U.S. electoral system is NOT in our interest? The healthcare cartel operates like the gangsters that they are and Congress acts like the gangster's street hookers!
I want to see folks like Goodman, Sirota, Kucinich, Hightower, McKinney and Nader convene a national conference to begin discussion on forming a viable alternative to the corruption we have now! Unless we have our own party committed to the interests of average working people, the disabled, the retired, the poor, it is a waste of our energy to continue hoping that the Democrats and their Wonder Boy from Chicago will make needed change! Do I hear an AMEN?
I retired from a telecommunications company and have health insurance provided as part of my retirement benefits after working there for 36 years. I paid $4.52 per month and have an annual deductible of $1100.00. After the deductible, the insurance paid 80% of covered procedures until I had a maximum annual out of pocket expense of $5,200.00. I had no issues with this insurance policy.
I turned 65 last July. I had to to on Medicare Part A and Part B or lose my retirement provided insurance. Medicare Part B cost me $95.00 per month and carried a $135.00 annual deductible. Any money paid prior to July did not count against the Medicare Part B deductible.
Starting this month, my Medicare Part B premium is $150.00 per month and I still have the $135.00 annual deductible. I still have the $1,100.00 annual deductible on the retirememt provided insurance as well. The retirement insurance only pays after Medicare has paid and I have paid $1,100.00 out of my pocket to meet their annual deductible. I was much better off without Medicare but unfortunately, I do not have a choice unless I want to decline coverage through my former employer and go out and purchase insurance on my own which is out of the question.
I realize that this is still better than no health coverage at all, but I think this is a classic example of a company making billions of dollars of profit per year being able to minimize their health insurance costs by moving their costs to government ran plans. I think that if a single payer system is started, all companies will just eliminate any insurance benefits they are currently providing and tell their employees and retires to get the government provided insurance. They are already allowed to do this when a person turns 65.