Kucinich - "The Truth Comes Out: Shameless Greed On Full Display"

[goodhue]

Dear Friend:

In a rare moment the spin machine stopped, PR firms were not consulted, and
the truth came out.

What was exposed is that the for-profit health care industry is seeking to
double their profits and expand their grasp by further privatizing Medicare
and the health care industry.

Today The New York Times reported in a big story on the front page of its
Business Section that while seniors remain confused and unable to sign-up
for the overly complex and confusing Medicare Part D, "for many big
insurers, the new Medicare program is shaping up as a great opportunity."

As if the image of big insurers laughing all the way to the bank while
seniors are turned away at the pharmacy is not enough, the Times story
continues, "If things play out the way some big insurers hope, the drug
program could prove to be a feeder system into a much greater private
presence in Medicare - a longstanding goal of the Bush administration."

So, what is this all about? Money, of course.

According to Charles Boorady, a health care securities analyst at Citigroup,
as quoted in the Times, with the further privatization of Medicare, "the
insurance industry had a potential revenue opportunity of more than $450
billion a year or enough to almost double the revenue of the managed care
industry."

Today's Times story gives a rare unvarnished and uncensored look at the
Administration's and the for-profit health care industry vision of the
future of health care in America.

I do not share this vision. I believe we can and must do better than ever
increasing profits for giant corporations at the expense of the health and
well being of our nation.

Health care should be about patients, not profits. It is time to end health
care for profit in this country, and make high-quality health care
accessible and affordable to all.

That is why for years I have supported a national health plan that would
ensure that all Americans have access to a universal high standard of
medical care. Working closely with my colleague, Congressman John Conyers of
Michigan, I have co-authored legislation, HR 676, Medicare for All, to
provide full health care coverage for every American. This legislation would
provide coverage for all medically necessary procedures including dental
care, mental health care, long-term care and prescription drug coverage.
There would be no co-pays, no premiums and no deductibles.

We are already paying for this level of coverage, we are just not getting
it. American taxpayers alone pay almost twice as much per person in health
care costs than taxpayers in countries that provide universal health care.

Economists have estimated that a Medicare for All system could be paid for
simply by reallocating money that is currently in the system. It would
eliminate waste and capture dollars from current inefficiencies. In short,
patients would get better care and pay less for it.

The Conyers-Kucinich Bill, HR 676, currently has 68 co-sponsors in Congress
and is the subject of a national grassroots campaign. The legislation is
endorsed by 72 union organizations and town hall meetings have been or will
be held in 90 cities this year.

I will continue to work on this legislation to ensure everyone can access
health coverage, medical care is of a universally high quality, and patients
no longer face financial barriers to getting the care they need.

To learn more about this and other issues please visit my website at
http://www.kucinich.house.gov <http://www.kucinich.house.gov> . Please
continue to stay in touch!

Sincerely,
Dennis

[Selatius]

1. I fear we won't succeed in our lifetimes.

Fighting big business is a generational fight. I fear he will be long dead before the notion of universal health care is instituted on US soil. Politics and private cash is simply so intertwined in the US. Other nations have divorced the two precisely to avoid this predicament. In some countries, private contributions to politicians is considered outright bribery, especially if the nation has a publicly funded election system.

I could be wrong, and I hope I'm wrong, but there's a large part of me that feels otherwise when surveying the damage to our Republic.

[bluerum]

2. Now who would have guessed that a republican controlled house,

senate and exec would ram through a bill that would shaft the elderly and enrich corporations.

At the risk of being politically disgusting, the least they could have done with a Medicare and prescription drug bill was provide a free tube of KY jelly to all plan participants.

[Trevelyan]

3. Blue Cross of California terminates enrollees who file claims

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/3/29/20391/7821

Blue Cross of California terminates enrollees who file claims
by nyceve
Wed Mar 29, 2006
Is anyone surprised?

I've always hesitated before filing a claim. I knew in my gut that filing an insurance claim could condemn you to a black list.

Doubt no longer.

Seems some unlucky citizens in California lose their Blue Cross insurance simply for filing a claim....

[WhiteTara]

4. this is a great bill that should get lots of attention

write a ltte and call your rep and demand they support this bill

".. HR 676, Medicare for All, to
provide full health care coverage for every American. This legislation would
provide coverage for all medically necessary procedures including dental
care, mental health care, long-term care and prescription drug coverage.
There would be no co-pays, no premiums and no deductibles.

We are already paying for this level of coverage, we are just not getting
it. American taxpayers alone pay almost twice as much per person in health
care costs than taxpayers in countries that provide universal health care.

Economists have estimated that a Medicare for All system could be paid for
simply by reallocating money that is currently in the system. It would
eliminate waste and capture dollars from current inefficiencies. In short,
patients would get better care and pay less for it."

The Conyers-Kucinich Bill, HR 676, currently has 68 co-sponsors in Congress
and is the subject of a national grassroots campaign. The legislation is
endorsed by 72 union organizations and town hall meetings have been or will
be held in 90 cities this year.

[AlecBGreen]

5. GOD I love this man

He is a true progressive in every sense. A 130-pound Cleveland pitbull. Go get em Dennis!

[Kurovski]

6. K&R(nt)

[rman]

7. kick for democracism

[Disturbed]

8. We need to cleans this nation of the Neo Fascists!

Middle, Lower Middle Class and the Poor are being shoved lower while the Upper Classes are being rewarded by the Neo Fascists. Corporatism is alligned with the RWing, now the Neo Fascists.

[rman]

9. Maybe W will go down in history as a uniter after all

Just not the kind that he had in mind.

[kiteinthewind]

10. Yes, and until he sold his interests, Frist was one of (or maybe the

largest) stockholder of HCA, one of the LARGEST For-Profit health systems!!!
These people make me truly ill. :puke: