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The health insurance companies are spending millions of dollars to defeat any changes to our current health care system.   Why?  Is it because the insurance companies fear that can’t compete with a public option?   Let is consider several points.

1.  Some note that the Health Insurance Companies finance republican legislators and “blue dog” democrats.  Is this support to insure that these congresspersons vote as the Insurance companies desire?

2.  Health Insurance has been consolidated into only 7 companies.  The  companies are extremely profitable.  Do they fear losing business.

3.   Insurance companies only want to offer insurance policies to younger people and people who can pay.  The poor, sick and the elderly are not good risks.

4.  Health care companies want Medicare to continue.  They do not want to insure older Americans.  They want Medicaid to continue as they do not want to insure poor people.

5.  Health Companies, between 1960-1980, spent lots of time and money to get congress to redesign medicare so that it covered all Americans at age 65.  Insurance companies then canceled policies for older Americans.  Now some offer “supplemental” insurance that pays only when Medicare recognizes the procedure (that is profitable because Medicare does the administration)

6.  Companies & RNC fatcats are sponsoring TV ads to stimulate fear – - make up charges, like the government wants to kill seniors (like H. W. Bush ?).  Is it because they only want insurance to cover rich people?  They want to leave 45 million people without insurance – maybe let taxpayers take this burden.  They don’t want a “public option”, but what is it when people without insurance go to the emergency room for care (bill goes to government and is paid for by taxes)

Should Americans have public health care?

1.  The VA is rated the best health care system in the US.  It is 2/3 as expensive as Medicare (per patient).

2.  Medicare is the best civilian system,  Most efficient, least costly.

3.  VA/Medicare costs less than 5% (admin, operations, etc.)  95% to care.

4.  Private Insurance spends more than 20 % for admin.  Only 80% to care.

5.  Members of Congress have public health care – and love it. Why don’t they want it for you?

A choice must be made, but what is really best for the American people?

I just read a fund-raising letter.  It was not for elections in 2010 or 2012, but for policy fights now.

Seems that the republican party has dropped the American custom of accepting election results and becoming the loyal opposition.  Our history is filled with hard fought campaigns, followed by the losing party working with the winning party for the good of the nation.  It was not that the losing party suddenly agreed with the winning party, it was that they cooperated in most matters (especially national security), while keeping the government’s actions in check.

But now, for some reason, politicians are raising money to battle in the media for policy alternatives they failed to sell during the last election.  What are the trying to sell?  I have heard of three areas: economic recovery, the war, and healthcare.  All three of these issues were fought over in the last election campaign.  The election is over, so the fighting should now be in congress not in the media.

Congressional sessions are mostly dull and meaningless.  The democrats  propose a bill, and the republicans say no.  This is not working toward a solution to our problems, but an expensive avoidance.  This is not legislating, but attempted intimidation.  If a politician does not like a proposal, he buys media time for ads that attack the opponents,  instead of researching the issue and presenting either arguments diminishing the problem or alternatives to the offered solution.

Much of what politicians put in the media is flagrant fear mongering.

This must end.  The American people have not trusted congress for many years and with all the mindless bickering, the lack of trust will surely grow.  We the people need to stand up and tell congress to do their job.  We need to tell them to get to work at the people’s business or plan to be fired at the soonest opportunity.