Universal health care facing opposition in California [Arnold's plan]

[antigop]

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/nation/16453309.htm

>>
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is taking on just about every major interest group in California in his audacious effort to bring universal healthcare to the nation's biggest state: unions, small business, doctors, hospitals, insurance companies and conservatives.

On Monday, the Republican governor unveiled a $12 billion-a-year plan on Monday to extend healthcare coverage to most of California's 6.5 million uninsured and make it the second state, behind Massachusetts, to require everyone to carry insurance. Coverage for the poorest would be free; for many others, it would be heavily subsidized.
...
But for all his optimism, Schwarzenegger is getting some resistance. Some of those who would have to pay are opposed or at least leery.
>>

No mention of the bill he refused to sign that passed the California state legislature that would have been single payer universal.

[bemildred]

1. Arnolds plan sucks.

It's a bailout for the HMOs. Arnold vetoed a real plan that was passed last year, and now he wants to shove this crap down our throats.

[antigop]

2. I agree -- Arnold's plan isn't the answer

But at least the press is writing about the opposition to it.

However, no mention in the article was made about Kuehl's bill that would have provided single payer universal health care.

[Selatius]

6. Arnold vetoed single-payer universal health care.

That plan actually would've allowed the people collective bargaining power in negotiating prices for drugs and medical treatment. The only thing that killed it was because HMOs didn't want to be put out of business.

[Warpy]

3. GOP and DLC both want to preserve the sainted insurance giants

under the guise of using the health care bureaucracy we already have. Unfortunately for them, that's the main thing sensible people want to get rid of!

Hillarycare and its bastard child, the GOP "universal" health plans, are frauds and should be voted down immediately. They leave the problem in place, the for profit insurance industry, and will solve nothing. Insurance companies are in business for profit, not to deliver needed services. They will wail until they force sick people to have huge deductibles and copays, they will continue to "lose" paperwork on patients they want to lose, and they will continue to devote much of their administrative overhead to finding ways to deny care.

Single payer. It's the only plan that will work, whether at the state or Federal level. We deserve no less and should never settle for less.

[antigop]

4. Absolutely, Warpy!

We deserve no less and should not settle for less.

[kath]

13. SINGLE PAYER. It's the only plan that will work, whether at the state or Federal level.

We deserve no less and should never settle for less."

Just had to see that again. Say it, Warpy!
The bloodsucking insurance companies have GOT to go. They suck HUGE quantities of money out of the system, and provide nothing of value.

Single payer works for every other first world nation, and has for decades. The US people deserve no less.
It's absolutely UN-CHRISTIAN that the US does not provide health care to all its people.

WWJPHCT?? Who Would Jesus Provide Health Care To???? (yeah, the grammar sucks. Probably should be "to whom would Jesus provide health care", but then you lose the ol' WWJ thing.)

[Warren DeMontague]

17. I agree about single payer. But I'd like to see everyone insured regardless.

Unfortunately the powers-that-be would sooner gnaw off their own feet than have a SPHC system. I suspect the Insurance companies are pitching a fit just because they're not allowed to disqualify people w/ "pre-existing conditions" under Arnoldcare.

I don't know what the answer is. SPHC continues to be my ideal, unfortunately you can't even mention it without the inevitable bleating regarding "socialized medicine".

[antigop]

19. The answer is -- WE HAVE SOCIALIZED MEDICINE TODAY

It's called Medicare -- it's available to EVERYONE 65 and over.

Then ask people, "Should we get rid of Medicare? Do you know anyone who wants to get rid of Medicare?"

Then you say, "All we need to do is expand Medicare to everyone -- regardless of age."

When I say that to people, they have no comeback. Some even think about it and agree.

[Warren DeMontague]

20. You're preaching to the choir.

And since the entrenched corporate industries don't control our media, getting that message out en masse should be no problem.

...Oh, wait.

[antigop]

21. That's why we have to become the media

It's up to us to get the message out.

[Warren DeMontague]

22. Yup.

http://www.cafepress.com/impeachw.14628849

[PFunk]

5. Probally because a better plan was already presented and would have been up and running...

...but, despite being well liked by almost everyone (save insurance companies) Alnuld vetoed it.

But I've heard someone's going to re-enter that same bill again.

[Cleita]

12. They shouldn't waste their time until we get a Democratic

Governor. I'm sure the industry is counting on their plan not passing and that will be the end of anything done about it, just like with Hillaryplan. It all went away until now.

They are in a win, win situation, no matter if Arnold's plan passes or doesn't pass. Now here's a law I would like to see passed. Make the insurance companies insure everyone whether or not they can pay, no matter what their medical condition is. You would see them running to get out of the business.

[xxqqqzme]

7. '...California has one of the highest

rates of uninsured people in the nation, in large part because it has lots of low-wage workers, many of them illegal immigrants....'

I call bullshit on this one - In California insurance is out of cost prohibitive unless you make $75,000/yr and then for a famly of 4 it is quite a chunk of money. Both my kids work full time, my son cannot afford health insurance - my daughter can only afford bare minimum w/ a high deductable. I was paying $465/mo 10 years ago for my health insurance. I cannot imagine what that would cost me today!

[Misskittycat]

8. It's a sucky plan that doesn't address the core problems of our dysfunctional health care system.

[bobbolink]

9. This sux so badly! Why, oh why, California, did you crown this guy??

GAK!!

So, he's fighting Kuehl's bill, eh? :mad:

Yanno, we *must* work harder to get more people edumakated about the ins and outs of "universal" health care. So many people don't even know that there is any other option besides insurance companies!

We need an Al Gore to take on Health Care--get a movie made, and get 1,000s of speakers all over the country, talking facts, and getting this misinformation cleared up!

Where oh where to start....

[Cleita]

11. We still had election fraud problems in this state.

When our Secretary of State, Kevin Shelley, decertified the E-voting machines, he was forced to resign under the cloud of a swiftboat type smear. His replacement appointed by Arnold recertified the machines and they were used in the last election.

Also, Arnold had a big Republican corporate machine behind him and as an actor he knows how to get the right publicity and to make the bad publicity go away. Phil Angelides didn't have sufficient funds behind him nor the big propaganda machine Arnold had behind him nor the PR savvy that Arnold has.

Arnold went to the center with his campaign promises, but like all Republican campaign promises they are just lies. Once elected he reverted to type. Beware of Republicans who suddenly sound like social democrats. You can be sure that there is corporate bonanza hidden in their agenda.

[bobbolink]

16. Yes, I remember--thanx for the memory jog. Still.... CA must now stand

up to this jerk, and shout him down, loudly!!

What a catastrophe if you all lose Universal Single Payer after voting for it, only to get this mess!! :mad:

Of course you're right about the PR. No more actors in office! I just hope the Kuehl supporters are savvy enough to overcome the propaganda blitz that's coming from the RW!

Best to you, Cleita! This is so very important! :hi: :hug: :hi:

[Cleita]

10. What a mensch!

First he attacks the first responders nurses, firemen and police, by trying to destroy their unions. Then he vetoes a bill passed by the California legislature that would cost less that this bonanza to his main campaign contributors and cover everyone in a meaningful way. This says it all:

Exactly where the insurance industry stands is not clear. The plan could mean a lot of new business for insurance companies -- perhaps 4 million to 5 million more customers. But insurers would no longer be allowed to turn people away for medical reasons.

You can be sure the insurance industry WROTE this bill. They don't have to turn anyone away because they will just gouge the insuree for more premiums. Arnold has provided them with guaranteed customers. If it comes to the state having to subsidize those who can't pay, it's lovely welfare for the insurance corporations at taxpayers expense. In the meantime all the problems that were created by this industry will still be there.

[hfojvt]

14. all that, and plus I am sure there will be a donut hole

Lower income people will get it subsidized or free. Slightly higher income people will get no subsidy because they make too much money and be forced to buy something they cannot really afford, and perhaps do not even need. For example, I went without insurance from the age of 23 until I was 40 without too many problems. At $200 a month for ten years that is $24,000 which is about the present value of my IRA. And $200 a month is a very low estimate.

[antigop]

15. Corporate welfare -- exactly!

>>
If it comes to the state having to subsidize those who can't pay, it's lovely welfare for the insurance corporations at taxpayers expense.
>>

Yes, that's exactly what it is --corporate welfare. Insurance companies only want to insure healthy people. They want to be able to cherry pick the healthiest people and not have to worry about those pesky, sick people who will have to file claims.

[Warren DeMontague]

18. I hope the self-described "democrats" who stumped for that ass are paying attention.

Feh.

[bobbolink]

25. Absolutely!! They badly need to stand accountable, and apologize.

THEN... work against these crappy policies!

[sandnsea]

23. And more people will suffer and die

While the far left waits for utopia.

[McCamy Taylor]

24. Single payer cradle to grave SAME provider is only sane plan.

Arnold is sucking up to the health insurance lobby. Watch him expand government coverage for anyone with pre-existing conditions, so that the industry is only forced to accept premiums from healthy people, allowing them to make out like bandits. They will set outrageous rates, since they will give big campaign contributions to the people who staff the insurance boards and anyone with an actual disease will be shuffled onto a state tax payer sponsored insurance plan. OR the private insurance companies will be allowed to raise all rates through the roof to cover the catastrophic patients, which will anger those who are not sick so much that they will demand that those with serious illness begin to pay more---remember this is California, the f*** you state.

Meanwhile, doctors can not raise prices they charge 4% to make up the 4% gross they have to pay because their rates are fixed by Medicare and the Insurance Companies. So, the money will come off the top---after you take off the 60-75% they pay in overhead, most of that salaries to deal with HMO and insurance paperwork for all the different insurance plans they must deal with.

The same goes for hospitals.

It is going to be Enron all over again, mark my words. UnitedHealth and the others are probably salivating at the thought of being able to go into California and say "You have to buy our insurance and HERE is what we are going to charge."

The only system that encourages prevention is single payer cradle to grave with the same payer, because then the insurance company has an incentive to invest in prevention now to save itself money twenty or thirty years from now.

California is being taken for a ride.

[BlackVelvet04]

26. I think there should be opposition

to this type of plan. The government requires you to have insurance and they decide if you can afford it or not? Maybe the government will decide you can afford it IF you get rid of your cable t.v., internet service, telephone service and going out to dinner EVER. Seriously, who are they to decide what someone can and can't afford?

[depakid]

27. That's because it's NOT universal care

Even though that's what the meme has come to be.

This is nothing but a boondoggle and a giveaway to the insurance parasites (as Massachusetts will soon find out the hard way).