[Peace-discuss] Half of the bankruptcies due to not being able to pay hospital bills.

[Chuck Minne]

>From http://kucinich.us/node/3859

MODERATOR: Next we're going to hear from Congressman Dennis Kucinich.

DENNIS: Good afternoon. Good afternoon.

It's wonderful to be here with you. And as I'm listening to this discussion
today, it reminds me that you are the ones who have to insist that America
reconnect...and its goodness.

Yesterday, in the House of Representatives, Americans were told that we can't
have peace; we have to keep a war going for another year or two in order to have
peace. I voted against that because I believe that we have to take a new
direction, which is: if you want peace, you vote for peace and you have a plan
for peace.

We're being told, in this state and other places, that you can't have
kindergarten care or universal pre-kindergarten care. And yet, when you accept
that, efforts are made to just cut short a movement.

Today, at this forum, the sub-message is that you can't break the hold that the
insurance companies have. Not a single candidate up here has challenged the
underlying problem with our health care system. And that is: insurance companies
are holding our health care system hostage and forcing millions of Americans
into poverty with unconscionable premiums, co-pays, deductibles.

[Applause and cheers.]

So I ask you: Is it consonant with America's greatness that candidates step away
from the one solution that could change it all? A not-for-profit health care
system is not only possible, but H.R. 676 -- a bill that I've introduced in a
number of congresses (the Conyers-Kucinich Bill) -- actually establishes
Medicare for All; a single-payer system, and it's a not-for-profit system. It's
time we ended this thought that health care is a privilege. It is a basic right,
and it's time we ended the control that insurance companies have, not only over
health care, but over our political system.

[Applause.]

Think for a moment if Lincoln had decided, "Well, you know, there's just too
much resistance to this idea of emancipation." Think if the Suffragettes had
decided, "Well, you know, we can't take on these men who are determined not to
include women in the political process." What if Martin Luther King had said,
"You know, we can only push so far for civil rights"? Or if Cesar Chavez had
said, "Well, you know, no puede"?

What if? What if we buy into this logic that says that [we] can't have peace?

We're being told here today to buy into a view of the world which says that,
"Well, you know, the insurance companies run the system. We'll work out
competition between the insurance companies, and maybe we'll have government
subsidize the insurance companies."

Where is our call for greatness? What if FDR had said, "Well, you know, we can't
really do the New Deal"?

I'm talking about a real deal for the American people; a universal,
single-payer, not-for-profit Medicare for All, and it's good to be here with you
to talk about it. It's already in legislative forums. Sixty-two members of
Congress have signed onto the bill. Over 14 thousand physicians have signed onto
the bill. The people of California voted for a plan just like it. The Senate of
New Hampshire endorsed it the other day. The legislature in Kansas put their
name on it and endorsed the idea.

We can do this. Si, se puede; yes we can. Break the hold of the insurance
companies on our health care system and lift the American people out of poverty:
that's what my presidency is going to be about. Thank you. 

[Applause and cheers from audience members.]

Thank you. [Continued applause.] Thank you.

So let's talk; let's have a conversation.

MODERATOR: Well, Congressman, you are the first advocate we've heard today of a
single-payer health care system -- essentially Medicare for everybody. However,
the last time my understanding is that it was on the ballot, was in Oregon,
which is, except for Vermont, probably the most liberal state in the country on
these issues; and it didn't pass. Where do you find the political will for a
single-payer system?

DENNIS: I traveled this country in the last election; came to an understanding
that health care is the one issue that unites everyone. Where does the support
come for a not-for-profit health care system? It comes from all over the
country. But it's waiting for a candidate for President who will lead the way;
and I've already done that. The Conyers-Kucinich Bill, H.R. 676, is the vehicle.

Now, how can you break the hold that insurance companies have? Because, let's
fact it: in Oregon, they pumped millions of dollars into doing everything they
could to try to defeat the initiative.

This is really simple: You need a President who doesn't have strings attached;
someone who is ready to confront these insurance industries; someone who isn't
owned by the interests. Look it: Right now on Wall Street, these hedge funds are
coming together for a million...

[The recording stalls during the next few seconds of the video. Consequently,
there is silence, along with an abrupt break in content.]

...because simply, I don't have any strings attached. I've been in politics 40
years. I've been a Councilman, a Clerk of Courts, a Mayor, a State Senator, and
a six-term U.S. Congressman. I'm known for having integrity, and a willingness
to take a stand, and for changing the outcome when others say it can't be done.

This is the moment that I call upon you, and the SEIU, and the American people
to say, "Let's join this movement that already exists, call upon the power of
our hearts and our intellects." 

What are the animating forces? How's this: Half of the bankruptcies in America
right now are directly connected to people not being able to pay their hospital
bills. And, of that amount, 75% of the people are working, have jobs. People's
whole lives are on the line, here. So the question is, "Will the American people
be given a real choice in this election?"

You know, this isn't American Idol, here. I mean, really, you know? 

I mean, I could come up here and do a little dance about, "Well, you know, we're
going to take on those insurance companies." Oh really? Are you going to take
away the profits? Are you going to remove the fact that 31% of the money that's
in the system right now, of $2.2 trillion a year, goes for the activities of the
for-profit system? If we take that money away from the insurance companies and
use it for the American people, well, guess what? We have enough money for
vision care, dental care, mental health, prescription drugs, and long-term care.

I'm going to call on the American people to stand up for their right: health
care as a right, not as a privilege.

[Applause and cheers.]

MODERATOR: Congressman, we have an e-mail question from James in Patterson,
California, who wants to know, "Why are health care costs going up so much, and
what can we do to stop these increases?"

And could I just add a question to that...

DENNIS: Of course.

MODERATOR: ...because, in the framework of a single-payer system, people say the
consequence of trying to contain costs in a single-payer system would ultimately
be rationing. So could you take us through, first, how a single-payer system
would address costs and, also, what you say about these sorts of concerns that
people raise about it?

DENNIS: You know, think about this, now. The insurance companies, when they look
at a single-payer system, a not-for-profit system, they'll say, "My God, you're
going to end up with rationing." What do we have now? Forty-six million
Americans don't even have coverage...talk about rationing! They're not even in
the line. Okay? "Give me my portion." "No."

[Applause and cheers.]

Another 50 million people are under-insured, and the rest are paying these high
premiums, co-pays, and deductibles. We've got to break the hold that the
insurance companies have. 

And their public relations operations will say, "Well, rationing." The fact of
the matter is, this plan that I'm talking about covers everyone.

How do you reduce costs? Let's look at the costs that are involved in the system
right now. Corporate profits, stock options, executive salaries, advertising,
marketing, the cost of paperwork: all of this takes about 31% out of the health
care dollar. What does all that have to do with health care? Zero. Zip. Nada.

I'm talking about creating a system, which, by the way, is similar to that in
every other industrialized nation in the world. We take the profit out of
medicine: health care is a right; it is not a privilege.

So how do we control costs? By having everyone in the same pool -- everyone --
having everyone covered, and having the benefits stay available to everyone --
whatever their income; no means testing -- and by creating a movement.

Now, I want to add something to an earlier question you raised. And that is
that...my good friend Senator Edwards (he and I campaigned together four years
ago)...he raised this question, which is *the* question in Washington: "Well,
it's just not feasible to take this plan for not-for-profit health care."

Senator Clinton talked about challenging the insurance companies but doesn't
really get to the ultimate challenge; and that is, "Who controls health care in
America?"

Senator Obama is still developing his plan.

This plan that I'm talking about, I co-authored this plan. I'm one of the ones
who wrote the plan. I know the way the system is set up. The area that I
represent in Cleveland, people are losing their homes because they can't pay
their doctor bills. And so, the question is -- what it ultimately comes down to
-- is, "Who has the courage and the willingness to take a stand...

[The recording stalls during the next few seconds of the video. Consequently,
there is silence, along with an abrupt break in content.]

...breadth and depth of the American people, and call forth our greatness. To
say we're going to change this. We're not going to be trapped by these insurance
companies who give us diminishing returns, who insist on a high-premiums,
co-pays, and deductibles.

[Applause.]

MODERATOR: Thank you. Congressman, you're kind of an urban kind of guy. And
Ashley Osborne, who is a labor and delivery nurse in Elko, which is a rural
county in northern Nevada, has a question for you about how you would address
concerns in people who are in her situation.

ASHLEY: Good morning. As you know, my name is Ashley Osborne, and I'm a labor
nurse in Elko, Nevada, which is a rural area up in northeastern Nevada. And,
commonly, I see moms come into my department with pregnancy-induced -- severe
pregnancy-induced -- health care issues that could be eliminated or caught early
with prenatal care. Unfortunately, they are unable to get that. What are your
plans on improving health care in the rural area in the U.S.?

DENNIS: Well, first of all, this plan covers everyone; rural as well as urban
areas, alike. Rural areas tend to be underserved. I'm looking also at creating
an infrastructure program to create millions of jobs -- rebuilding America's
infrastructure -- which would build hospitals in rural areas. And rural people
would then have access, because access is the huge question in rural areas. And
when you talked about women being able to get the care they need, this system --
prenatal care, post-natal care -- I have a plan for child...

[The recording stalls during the next few seconds of the video. Consequently,
there is silence, along with an abrupt break in content.]

...doesn't try to stop women from getting the care they need because there's an
insurance agent telling an OB-GYN doctor, "We just can't do that. You're asking
for too much."

This system will meet the health care needs of the American people. We're being
told we just can't have those needs met. We've got to start thinking
differently.

Does that answer your question?

[There is no verbal reply, but it is apparent that Ashley nods affirmatively,
because Dennis continues by saying...]

Thank you.

[Applause.]

MODERATOR: Thanks. And now I would like to turn to a public health student here
at UNLV, Megan McCormack, who raises a pertinent point. I mean, if there's any
place where you're interested in outcomes, it's in health care. Megan?

MEGAN: Hello. I'm Megan McCormack. I'm a junior at UNLV here. We're spending an
increasing percentage of our Gross Domestic Product on health care, while we
continue to have poorer outcomes than those countries who are allocating a lower
percentage of their GDP towards their own health care. How does America plan to
stay globally competitive with increasing health care costs?

DENNIS: That is a key question. I mean, in my own congressional district, we
have auto plants that have been threatened and others across the country have
been threatened, because the high cost of health care is causing Ford and GM to
pay billions of dollars in health care costs. Now Canada, on the other hand, has
a much stronger industry because they have a health care plan for their people.

This plan that I'm talking about is going to help American business. It's going
to strengthen the economy. It's going to make it possible for individuals to be
able to hold onto more of their money.

It's true that many families right now are spending in excess of $10 thousand a
year for health care. With this plan, only a fraction of the money that is being
spent right now would have to be part of the financing of the system. I mean, do
you know that 60% (right now) of the money that is in health care is spent by
the Government? The Government has 60% of the spending right now. If you
eliminate administrative costs, if you purchase bulk purchase of drugs -- just
the way veterans do -- you start to come up with the money that you need to
provide coverage for everyone, and that is a major help for small businesses and
large businesses, alike.

This patchwork proposal that you've been given here today by the other
candidates locks us into insurance companies who then take their pound of flesh.
And, generally, it keeps people from being able to have any control over their
own budgets.

I want to go back to what most American people are experiencing: economic
uncertainty, because of the way the American health care system is set up.
People are aware, no matter how much money they have, that if they have an
illness in the family, it could wipe them out. Who isn't going to make the
choice to take care of a loved one? You do what you have to. But why, I would
ask you, should someone have to lose their home in order to ensure the health of
a loved one? Why should someone not be able to get the long-term care they need
for a loved one or have to sign on the dotted line to give away everything
you've worked for for a lifetime in order to get the long-term care you need?

See, what I'm talking about is a real transformation. I think the American
people are ready for that. But they need someone to be, not just a messenger,
but someone who knows this issue and is ready to stand up and speak out.

Yes, we can improve our economy and save our businesses, large and small. And
I'm dedicated to doing that. And I'm able to do it, too. 

Thank you.

[Applause.]

MODERATOR: You know, Congressman, earlier, Senator Edwards...

[The recording stalls during the next few seconds of the video. Consequently,
there is silence, along with an abrupt break in content.]

...payer Medicare-like option built into his plan, and it would be one of the
things that people could consider in making their health care choices. And he
raised the possibility that, if that were out there as an option, and people
started choosing it and found out that they really liked it, then the country
could almost evolve toward a single-payer system. Do you see this as a real
scenario, given the other interests that are out there; or do you think that, in
fact, it's going to have to sort of come down in one fell swoop, if it's ever
going to happen?

DENNIS: Well, you just answered the question. And that is that, if you have
competition between insurance companies, everyone knows what happens. That
doesn't drive down costs; it drives up profits. That's the fact. If you say,
"Well, you're going to give people a choice" -- either be on a private plan or
being with the Government - what happens is that the private companies start
cherry-picking people in the best health and then you end up with what's called
adverse selection: those who are the most medically compromised end up on
programs that the Government is paying for; and then the Government program
starts to go down. You end up in an insurance death spiral, is what it is called
in the industry.

Now think about it. Candidates are up here advocating that government provides
subsidies to the insurance industry. What's that about? 

[Cheers and applause.]

I mean, didn't we have enough of subsidizing the pharmaceutical companies with
that phony Medicare D program that President Bush had? How are we any different
as Democrats? Think about that.

Do you know what? Universal health care: oh, everybody's for it. Almost is
resonant with that fellow in "The Music Man" who says "There's trouble in River
City." Universal health care. You know what? Even the insurance companies are
for universal health care...especially the insurance companies if the Government
is subsidizing them. What a deal that is for the insurance companies! But what a
rotten deal it is for the American people!

We've got to have not-for-profit health care, get the insurance companies out of
the picture. Health care is not a privilege, it is a right, and it is a human
right.

[Applause and cheers.]

Universal health care...right! I mean, come on! You need a president who didn't
fall off a Christmas tree. You need a president who will be involved in straight
talk, straight from the shoulder. And you need a president who doesn't have a
key in the back that is being wound up by special interests to come before the
American people and tell them what the interests want.

I'm telling you what the American people want, and I'm ready to take that
message all across this country, and I'd like your help in doing it.

[Cheers and applause.]

Thank you.

I have four seconds left, buzzer-shot. You want not-for-profit health care, I'm
the candidate who can deliver. Kucinich.us. Thank you very much.

MODERATOR: Thank you very much, Congressman.



  
  
  
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