Bill Scher: Insurance Lobby Loses Lone Argument

[marmar]

from OurFuture.org:



Insurance Lobby Loses Lone Argument
By Bill Scher

February 2nd, 2009 - 1:03pm ET



With Congress expected to address comprehensive health care reform this year, and with momentum squarely behind securing coverage for all through a public plan option that competes with private plans, the insurance lobby is sure to do everything it can to distort the public plan proposal and obstruct progress.

But a new poll conducted by Lake Research Partners on behalf of Health Care for America Now is likely causing panic in insurance CEO boardrooms.

Their go-to argument against any attempt to provide health care coverage for all is always to stoke fears of "big government." But the poll shows that those arguments fall flat:

...62% of voters believe a public health insurance plan will spend less on profits and administration and force private insurers to compete while only 28% of voters believe the attack that a public health insurance plan would be a “big, government bureaucracy.” 60% believe that if private insurers are really more efficient than government, then they won’t have any trouble competing with a public health insurance plan. Only 23% believe a public health insurance plan would have an unfair advantage over private plans.

The insurance lobby's twist on the "big government" argument has been, as reported earlier by the New York Times, that "the government plan would have unfair advantages, like the ability to impose lower fees, and could eventually attract so many customers that private insurers would be driven from the market." .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2009020602/insurance-lobby-loses-lone-argument

[Why Syzygy]

1. They got it wrong this time..

It's a bit too soon to be trying the "big government" scare tactic when we don't even have a fully functioning administration as of yet.

[hobbit709]

2. After dealing with the health insurance bureaucracy

I'm ready for government bureaucracy. In 2000 I dealt with NYLCare. I needed surgery to relocate the pinched nerve in my elbow. What a nightmare getting them to finally approve it. When I finally sent them a letter:

In late summer of 1999 I began experiencing difficulties in moving my left arm, including pain and numbness. I saw my Primary Care Physician, Dr. X, on Oct. 12.
He referred me to Dr. Y and after the referral was approved, made an appointment for Nov.1. Dr. Y took X-rays of my shoulder and neck and determined that there was nothing wrong with my shoulder but that there appeared to be bone spurs on my cervical vertebrae. It then took 2 ½ weeks to get the next referral approved. By then it was the Thanksgiving weekend. The week after Thanksgiving Dr. Z was on vacation. I then saw Dr. Z on Dec.8. He wanted some more X-rays and an MRI done. The approval for these tests came within 48 hours. I saw him again on Dec.15 with the test results. Dr. Z then wanted an EMG run on my arm.
Nothing was accomplished over the Christmas Holidays. After the New Year, I tried to get word on the approval. I finally got the approval when I went to Dr. Z's office in person on Jan.18. I then had the tests done on Jan. 21 by Dr. A. I went back to Dr. Z on Jan.25 and he determined that part of my problem was due to my diabetes but that I also had a pinched nerve in my arm. Once again I am waiting on a referral approval.
I went on medical leave from my place of employment on Dec.15 for two months, hoping to have everything cleared up now. I have two weeks left on that and nothing to show for it.
I AM IN CONSTANT PAIN, I AM UNABLE TO PERFORM SIMPLE BASIC TASKS.
MY WIFE HAS TO BRUSH MY HAIR AND TIE IT BACK, PUT MY SOCKS ON FOR ME BUT I AM NOT GOING TO ASK HER TO WIPE MY REAR END FOR ME.
AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, THIS CONSTANT NEEDING A REFERRAL APPROVED EVERY TIME MY DOCTOR WANTS TO DO SOMETHING IS DESIGNED THROUGH DELIBERATE DELAY AND OBFUSCATION TO DISCOURAGE A PATIENT FROM GETTING MEDICAL TREATMENT.
I AM STRESSED, ANGRY AND FRUSTRATED AND SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING CONSULTING MY ATTORNEY TO SEE IF THIS CAN SOMEHOW BE SPEEDED UP.

I marked this letter c.c. TX State Insurance Commission and my attorney.
Three days after I mailed it, the surgeon calls and asks if I'm ready for surgery on Thurs.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

3. Every single person in this country knows that healthcare is broken

and it doesn't matter if they're insured or not. We all know this. It has penetrated into every American family with the possible exceptionof the uber rich and even they are not immune (witness the Christopher Reeve story. Even Superman could not afford his healthcare).

They have trotted out the scary "big government" ooooooooh! myth and have thrown around the word "socialism" as much as they can, but they have lost traction.

Try to listen to Sean Hannity (again, mega rich Sean Hannity) tout our existing system as "the best healthcare in the world" and even his moronic listners are saying ". . . . yeah . . . .right. . ."