Healthcare and Washington

I was hopeful when the House passed its version of the Healthcare Reform Bill with a public option. It looked like we might actually DO something that would address the healthcare crisis in this country. For too many Americans private healthcare insurance is becoming or is in fact too costly. Too many Americans are being priced out of the market with sky rocketing premiums that go nowhere but up. Even if you can afford the premiums, you can’t afford to get sick with outrageous deductibles and out of pocket expenses and caps on coverage. It makes you wonder why you are paying all that money each month to some big insurance company, only to be told that you are not covered or the portion you have to pay still bankrupts you. And we wonder where all that money has gone.

When the Senate began debating its version of the bill, things began to unravel big time. Even though Democrats have enough votes to pass a bill, they began to fall apart in the face of the Republican stone wall. The Party of NO dug in its heels and has done everything it can to end any hope of meaningful healthcare reform. But they did not do it alone they had help from conservative Democrats and independents like our old pal, “which way is the wind blowing” Joe Lieberman. First, they dropped the public healthcare option and then they scuttled the early Medicare buy-in option. They singlehandedly eliminated any kind of competition that would have forced the private insurance industry to start lowering their prices and cutting costs. The bill would still require everyone to purchase insurance, but without a low cost public option, what incentive would there be for the insurance industry to lower their costs? In fact, they would seem to benefit tremendously with millions of Americans being forced by law to buy into a broken healthcare system that they control. Yes, they would have to provide coverage for people with preexisting conditions, but what better excuse to make that coverage prohibitive with higher prices. Those who least could afford it would be caught in the squeeze of following the law and the inability to afford the coverage they need.

Once again FEAR and special interest groups reign supreme in our nation’s capitol. Reason and common sense have lost again. Our nation’s poor, working poor and middle class will be left out to dry. Once again this country will have the best healthcare system…that MONEY can buy.

Food for THOUGHT…