KUCINICH: Doctors support single-payer health insurance proposal

[Mairead]

Today, a new proposal was unveiled for single-payer National Health
Insurance, with the endorsement of thousands of physicians, including
former Surgeon Generals and hundreds of medical school deans and
professors. It is published in the Journal of the American Medical
Association. Dennis Kucinich, who has made National Health Insurance
a centerpiece of his campaign, issued this statement:

"This is a historic day with thousands of doctors backing healthcare
reform that addresses the key obstacle to universal coverage: private
health insurance. Doctors have seen this obstacle up close. Private
insurers add little to healthcare except waste, paperwork, marketing
and advertising costs, profits, high executive salaries and sales
commissions. Insurance firms don't heal or treat the sick, but they
soak up huge amounts of resources that should go to treatment. Our
country is already paying for national healthcare; we're just not
getting it.

"Other Democratic presidential candidates propose tinkering with a
flawed, bureaucratic system dominated by private insurance. But
incremental changes haven't gotten our country anywhere close to
universal coverage. As thousands of physicians are telling us,
National Health Insurance is the cost-effective solution."

[diamondsoul]

1. I got this e-mail earlier.

Fantastic news! One of the big arguments against it was that we'd never get physicians to support it. Well here ya are, folks, wanna try again?

Also, someone pointed out in a comment at Lessig's that Dean tries to compare his healthcare package to Canada, Sweden and other places with guaranteed health-care. She said it might be wise for Kucinich to point out that his plan is the one that follows those examples, not Dean's. That was a good point, and I didn't even notice it!

[AWD]

10. As of last Friday,

, over 8,000 physicians have endorsed it.

Now let's see what distraction the White House will pull tomorrow to keep this on the back burner.

[JohnKleeb]

2. Great for Dennis

:) its not only for the good of the people but it makes sense too.

[MercutioATC]

3. I like the idea, but the issue is geting it through Congress...

It's been tried before. Didn't get far.

[LWolf]

4. Dennis responds

on the Lessig blog:

http://lessig.org/blog/

1) It is almost certain that you will be working with a Republican-controlled Congress at least initially during your tenure. Given that, do you believe it likely that you will be able to get the Congress to pass bills authorizing programs for national health care, withdrawal from NAFTA and WTO, reversal of the Bush tax cuts (which will probably be permanent by then), and dealing with other hot-button issues that the Republicans have been so steadfastly against. You can’t just declare these things by executive order; and I don’t see how you can get such “radical liberal” programs passed. That makes many of your 10 key issues non-starters.

My nomination will set the stage for a Democratic Congress. In 1932, when president Franklin Roosevelt was nominated, he ran on a platform of broad economic reform, which excited people to come out in vote in their own enlightened self-interest. As a result, FDR led a Democratic sweep, which resulted in a pickup of 90 House seats and 13 Senate seats. This was accomplished because he represented profound change. He represented jobs, he represented rebuilding America, he represented a hope for popular control over predatory corporations. My nomination will reverse the results of the 1994 election when the Democrats were unable to regain the House and lost the Senate principally because the parties’ ties to corporate interests muted the differences between the parties and discouraged the Democratic base. My nomination will excite the Democratic base, will broaden the reach of the party, and will engage third party activists to join us in a mighty effort to reclaim our government.

[AWD]

5. Kucinich leaked it a day early

This wasn't supposed to be released until Wednesday.

It's a hell of a proposal...I've seen it, and plan to ram it down Ralph Regula's campaign's throat. He's been trying for years to bury all attempts at singer-payers. This report proves it'll REDUCE health care costs by a HUGE percentage (64-86%).

On edit - Want to see this get through Congress?? GET ME ELECTED AND I'LL HELP PUSH IT THROUGH!!!!!!!

[blm]

6. This is amazing stuff.

Great day for Dennis.

[AWD]

7. Wait until you see the full report...it's HUGE

Coverage

A single public plan would cover every American for all medically-necessary services including: acute, rehabilitative, long term and home care, mental health, dental services, occupational health care, prescription drugs and supplies, and preventive and public health measures. Boards of expert and community representatives would assess which services are unnecessary or ineffective, and exclude them from coverage. As in the Medicare program, private insurance duplicating the public coverage would be proscribed. Patient co-payments and deductibles would also be eliminated.

[JohnKleeb]

8. it sounds brilliant

So are you going to look forward to working with President Kucinich AWD?

[AWD]

9. If he's the Prez, sure

I'd be proud to work with him.

Plus, it'd drive my Repuke father INSANE.

[JohnKleeb]

11. I didnt know you were SOR

lol
Son of a republican
Glad it aint me
But looking forward to you being congressman and Kucinich being president.

[AWD]

12. Son of TWO Republicans

And my brother donated to Dean. just like I did.

[JohnKleeb]

13. poor thing you

Glad you are on the winning side I've known that for a while however and with the good guys. It's gonna be neat to have you in congress, if you say to win like Truman did, do what he did and have it say Regala defeats Seeker thats your last name right. Best of luck to you, woohoo socialized health care and it feels good.

[dsc]

14. I have two questions about Kucinich's health plan

He keeps calling it Medicare for all. So I wonder will his plan have the gaps that medicare currently has (nursing homes, copays, and drugs to name three). Also, will he pay for it the way we pay for Medicare (via a pay roll tax)?

[AWD]

16. It's actually not his....

The plan mentioned here is drawn up by the Physicians Working group for Single-Payer National Health Insurance.

Since I can't widely distribute the report until tomorrow, check your PM box, dsc.

[dsc]

19. Thanks I got it

I realize this isn't kucinich's plan which is why I asked what his plan actually is. The plan you sent sounds good but I don't see us eliminating all private insurance even Britian hasn't done that. It is an interesting idea though.

[DemBones DemBones]

20. dsc, here's a brief description of what Kucinich proposes

on health care, which is his #1 issue.

Universal Health Care with a Single Payer Plan

Over 40 million Americans have no health care and 30 million more have only minimal coverage. Those with coverage often pay exorbitant amounts. The current profit-driven system, dominated by private insurance firms and their bureaucracies, has failed.

A Kucinich administration would establish streamlined national health insurance, Medicare for All. It would be publicly-financed health care, privately delivered. It would provide affordable prescription drugs, thanks to bulk purchasing. The General Accounting Office of Congress has concluded:

"If the U.S. were to shift to a system of universal coverage and a single payer, as in Canada, the savings in administrative costs would be more than enough to offset the cost."

[dsc]

21. Thanks but with all due respect

that really doesn't answer either question. This one reason why I think his plan would have some difficulty passing to say the least.

[Mairead]

23. No, he specifies (in his plan, not this one which isn't his)

that he'd plug the gaps as well as expand it.

His expansion plan is depressingly conservative, btw -- it wouldn't even start til 2006, and then it would take mumble years (8, I think) to be fully implemented. Perhaps that's what he sees as necessary so as not to overflow the buffer, but it's disheartening anyhow. I prefer the Just Health Care implementation proposal instead.

[AnAmerican]

24. According to Kucinich...

His health care plan would cover ALL medically necessary costs, that includes nursing homes, prescription drugs, and he also backs the elimination of any co-pays.

His plan would be paid for by exisitng government healthcare spending and the addition of a 7.7% payroll tax, borne by employers. This is actually less than the avergae 8.5% that most employers now devote towards covering their employees.

Complete budgetary details can be found via a link at http://kucinich.us/issues/issue_universalhealth.htm

[Northwind]

15. And how many of those doctors are in Congress?

It is totally irrelevent that doctors support it. It might make nice copy and all, but a plan like this will not pass Congress.

Do you guys even remember the Clinton Healthcare plan? It was as comprehensive as Kucinich's (though different in detail), and he could not get it passed, and in case you do not remember, he had a Democratic majority in Congress when he was trying to get it through.

Kucinich will most likely be facing a GOP majority in at least one half of the legislature. Even if he doesn't, this will not get through. Are you under some insane delusion that all of the conservatice Dems like Leiberman will suddenly go totally liberal the minute Kucinich is elected (a dubious proposition anyway)? You think Joe Leiberman will be happy to work with someone he referred to as being out in the wilderness during the campaign? You think a Dem Rep or Senator who's constituency is largely supported by a few large insurance companies or pharmecueticals will support such a plan?

Let us say Kucinich gets elected (stifle your laughter for the moment at the thought), and he introduces this to Congress. he cannot simply will such a plan into law, it has to pass through both houses of Congress. The process of going through both of those houses will entail endless commitee meetings to discuss the plan. Compromises will be made. Things will be stripped out. Other things that benefit drug companies or insurance people or who knows what will get added in. If, for example, the GOP keeps control of the senate, they will have control of what legislation even comes up for a vote, and they will simply make sure the vote never happens on the bill (incidentally, this is why Jeffords leaving the GOP was so devastating, not because it gave the Dems a one vote majority, but because it gave them control of the commitee that decides when bills are voted upon).

In the end, if ANY healthcare bill passes, it will be unrecognizable as the one Kucinich started with, just like Clinton's! And just like Clinton, everyone will bitch and moan that he did not deliver what he promised. And in the end, it will be the fault of people who voted for him and believed his unrealistic promises.

[dweller]

17. No, it will be the fault

of the naysayers.

but you can just go ahead and harp your wares here anyway.

good luck all the same.

dp

[DemBones DemBones]

18. I think most of us do indeed remember the Clintons' health plan.

This plan is quite different. We are also quite aware of how Congress works.

Read what Dennis Kucinich said: we need a Democratic revolution. We need to elect him and replace a lot of the Republicans now in Congress with Democrats. It happened when FDR took office and it can happen again.

What's the saying? "Aim for the stars so that even if you miss, you'll hit the moon"? Why support the timid Dems who say "Well, maybe we can do a little something about healthcare"? If you try for a litte something, you may well end up with nothing at all.

Support the man who plans big changes: Dennis Kucinich.

[Desertrose]

25. No risk, no gain

so why not get out & support a clear change.....

Just becasue something has never happened before, doesn't mean it won't happen in the future...so you might as well go for something worth while rather than settle ...

I have always been impressed at how DK seems to figures all the possiblities...

Peace
DR

[genius]

22. We're lucky to have a great candidate like this

When people volunteer for this kind of candidate, they feel good about themselves.