[Peace-discuss] Healthcare proposal

[Karen Aram]

David

The information you have provided below looks great, but as I said, listen to “The Real News” reviewing the reality of politics in relation to the Healthcare proposal. While everyone hails it as a phenomenal 1st. step forward, there are problems, political problems related to financing.

I urge everyone to get behind it, and push and demand it be implemented asap, We need to cut military spending, and huge tax breaks for the super rich.

The political wrangling over “how to finance it” is going to be a major force preventing it from happening.

Raising taxes on the working class will invite a back lash, supported by those who profit from our current medical industry.

There are too many people who do not believe that healthcare is a “human right, if it impacts on them.”  See FOX news.


On Sep 14, 2017, at 07:41, David Johnson <davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net<mailto:davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net>> wrote:

Where are you getting your info Karen ?

This is not what I saw in the draft legislation, provided by ; The national Labor Campaign for Single Payer, Physicians for a National healthcare Program, Healthcare NOW and Margaret Flowers organization Healthcare over Profit.

Below is what Physicians for a National Healthcare Program have said about Sanders bill and their criticisms of it.

Below is PNHP's breakdown of the bill. They support it and are asking people to call their senators, but point out areas for improvement:
What’s in the bill?
Based on our initial analysis, we find the Medicare For All Act of 2017 to be a significant step forward in the fight for single payer. Taken together with the Expanded & Improved Medicare for All Act (H.R. 676<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=X%2Fqq7bJf1bixL%2FtiPhzfgXwWlIoVos0n>), it would transform the U.S. healthcare system in a manner consistent with PNHP’s vision.
Eligibility

Everyone is covered automatically at birth. All residents covered regardless of immigration status.

Benefits

Covers medically-necessary services including primary and preventive care, mental health care, reproductive care, vision and dental care, and prescription drugs.

Patient Choice

Full choice of any participating doctor or hospital. Providers may not dual-practice within and outside the Medicare system.

Patient Costs

No premiums, deductibles or copays for medical services. Balance billing prohibited. Copays for some drugs.

Cost Controls

Eliminates most roles for private insurance by prohibiting duplicative coverage. Drug prices negotiated with manufacturers.

How can the bill be improved?
Based on decades of careful analysis and research, PNHP recommends several improvements to the Medicare for All Act that would save even more money and improve patient care:

Fully cover all medications, without copayment: Sen. Sanders’ bill requires patient copays on some non-generic prescription drugs. Research shows that copays of any kind discourage<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=RcQplbEMEcpGUp7fC479hHwWlIoVos0n> patients from seeking needed medical care, increasing sickness and long-term costs. Experience in other nations prove that they are not needed for cost control.

Establish a national long-term care program: In Sen. Sanders’ plan, long-term care would be administered by the states only for low-income individuals, similar to Medicaid today. Long-term care should be provided to all as part of a national health plan. Nearly 10 million Americans<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Kt%2FOV7a8bfGGSojyomuG5nwWlIoVos0n> need help with the basic tasks of living or help to maintain their independence. More than 80 percent of those who need care live in their communities, not in nursing homes, and nearly 40 percent of them are under age 65.

Fund hospitals through global budgeting: A “global budget” is a lump sum paid to hospitals and similar institutions to cover operating expenses, thereby eliminating wasteful per-patient billing. Global budgets could not be used for expansion or modernization (which would be funded separately through capital allocations), advertising, profit, or bonuses. Global budgeting minimizes hospitals’ incentives to avoid (or seek out) particular patients or services, inflate volumes, or upcode. Without global budgets, the national system has little power to constrain long-term cost growth.

Ban investor-owned health facilities: For-profit health care facilities and agencies provide lower-quality care at higher costs than non-profits, resulting<http://org.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=zMAoFSaLK0oNPFLNU0awZnwWlIoVos0n> in both higher mortality rates and greater payments compared to not-for-profit providers.


From: Peace-discuss [mailto:peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of Karen Aram via Peace-discuss
Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2017 9:36 AM
To: Karen Aram via Peace-discuss
Subject: [Peace-discuss] Healthcare proposal

My rant this morning:
Forgive my lack of enthusiasm for Bernie's successful vote on Single Payer Healthcare, which though better than what we currently have, is still flawed, covering only 80%, and with deductibles as high as $6,700. It is not what other developed nations provide.
Bernies' one small step for mankind is a very small step indeed.
It provides little if nothing for the next four years, which will keep those five Democratic Presidential hopefuls who supported his bill, with enough support for their campaigns, and discussion of the details, to keep us all distracted from the realities of our drowning nation.
According to "left" economist Dean Baker, we don't want to scare people too much, he is referring of course to the powers that be, who are supported by the medical and pharma industries. Yes, we wouldn't want to scare our government now would we?
Yet, he has no problem scaring the working class when he insists, rightfully so, that the middle or working classes, not the wealthy will be taxed to pay for it, the elephant in the room, that Bernie has failed to address, that of how to finance it, will be debated endlessly over the next four years, with it likely failing.
No one, not one person on "The Real News" or elsewhere has mentioned our military budget which is eating middle class/or working class taxpayers alive, is what we should be focused on in respect to paying for a "universal healthcare system" as other nations possess.
What we have is another example of Americans being forced to scramble for crumbs.

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