Health Care and the Public Option: When Local Should Be National
This story seems to be covered only locally, but should be a national story:
OXFORD — Friends say the Miami University graduate who died this week after reportedly suffering from swine flu delayed getting medical treatment because she did not have health insurance.
News of Kimberly Young’s death Wednesday, Sept. 23, came as a shock to those who knew the vibrant 22-year-old who was working at least two jobs in Oxford after graduating with a double major in December 2008.
Young became ill about two weeks ago, but didn’t seek care initially because she didn’t have health insurance and was worried about the cost, according to Brent Mowery, her friend and former roommate.
Mowery said Young eventually went to an urgent care facility in Hamilton where she was given pain medication and then sent home.
On Tuesday, Sept. 22, Young’s condition suddenly worsened and her roommate drove her to McCullough Hyde Memorial Hospital in Oxford, where she was flown in critical condition to University Hospital in Cincinnati.
“That’s the most tragic part about it. If she had insurance, she would have gone to the doctor,” Mowery said.
The story is nationally relevant for two reasons: first, that lack of health insurance was the primary reason she died. Second, her representative in Congress is John Boehner, a Republican leader and opponent of health care reform.
In better news, the public option is making a comeback, especially since a CBO report made it clear that the public option would save a lot of money, making the Blue-dog Democrats back down, and not helping the Republican cause a whole lot. If Obama and the Democrats can simply catch a hold of this swing and deliver the bill for a vote while the conditions are right, we might actually see a health care reform law which actually does good.
Obviously, this is most profound.
I am extremely confident that if there is a health reform bill that makes it to Obama’s desk, it will have the public option in it.
Can you imagine what the bill would look like if it didnt: a mandate by the government to force hundreds of millions of struggling Americans to hand over massive amounts of money to executives of insurance companies to purchase over priced junk insurance?
We may have a plutocracy, but it’s a plutocracy that’s not so stupid as to shed it’s democratic cloaking. On the other hand, if they did pass such a bill, and even worse, Obama signed it, it would signal the end of the American experiment in Democracy as a complete and utter failure. As it is, its on the ropes, and this issue is the balancing test as to whether it fails, or kicks the can of failure down the road a piece.
Such a bill would likely be like the 55 mph speed limit. People would just start ignoring it. Just like people are increasingly ignoring their debt obligations (one American files for bankruptcy ever 30 seconds) (And one American dies from lack of health insurance once ever 12 minutes). At some point the institutions, having turned banal, lack any and all credibility, and civil society just melts down. All this for plutocratic pursuit of wealth and power.
I maintain that government can’t impose mandates upon the public without providing the public with a public option.
So either there will be no health reform bill, or their will be a bill with public insurance on it – and the rest is just Kabuki theater.
I maintain that government can’t impose mandates upon the public without providing the public with a public option.
Part of the mandates is assistance for people who are middle class and below.
The public option itself is just a way strengthen governmental involvement in the market (which at this point is not necessarily a bad thing).
I believe the Japanese system is single-payer and thus exclusively “public option” and is the way to go on the road to single-payer. Opponents of single-payer are against the public option for this trojan-horse reason.
Government involvement can keep prices WAY down. Once I got sick while on vacation in the U.S. (severe nosebleed), and had to pay for hospital visits. When I returned to Japan, the national insurance paid for these–but only at rates set by the Japanese government. The refund wound up being about 15% of the total cost–meaning that Japanese treatment costs were that much cheaper. And frankly, with the lousy doctor I got in the U.S., I would have preferred treatment in Japan.
Problem Healthecare? I guess our citzenry don’t get it. They survey and get all our opinions catergorize us into 12 to 13 personality types and more subtypes then negotiate to subjugate our freedoms using our opinions
against us.When it really doesn’t matter what we say. Though it makes us feel better to release pent up feelings by talking and learning about our own and others thought processes and opinions. The ruling class elites use these to maintain their evil hold up on our lives as well as our children and grandchildrens both born and unborn. See, look at this.
or consider it this way momentarily for a second.
The healthcare debate is rife with rhetoric from both sides because both sides continuously lie. The media is the arm of the puppet. The judicial system is the brain of said puppet. The cops and security organizations as well as the military are the strings forcing each body part of the puppet to move. Furthermore, the political system we know have is the head of the puppet. It is the wizard of oz! pay no attention to that man behind the curtain. Folks, they have gazillions! They send billions and billions and millions to foreign countries everyday! They are the bankers, the ole’ royal family networks who rule our nation and world they move to whatever outcome they wont to happen. No matter what the issue. They divide and conquer. They destroy families, societies, children, ethnic groups, religions. You name it. The systems they have taught in schools since the 60’s not just public schools, private schools’ High schools, colleges. The system is meant to destroy us. To destoy our freedoms. Feed us confusion and strife. Make us live our live in delirium working and slaving for the system.
The arguments are mute. The debate is programmed. The healthcare debate is nothing but rant and rave. Put your faith in HIM most high.
For really that is all you really do have…. If you dont think what I am telling you is true? Push the limits of the system see how long you survive. No matter what your discipline. JUST DO IT!