Ed Schultz: Insurance Companies Are At The Table, Why Not Single Payer? (Video)

[democracy1st]

I could sum up this segment from Ed Schultz's show, but David Swanson from Afterdowningstreet.org has already done such a great job, I think I'll let him do it:


I can't recall a better corporate news video segment in at least the past decade than the story that Ed Schultz just aired on MSNBC in which he interviews Margaret Flowers of Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) and Senator Debbie Stabenow on the topic of healthcare reform.

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/42410

Sure, Ed slaps a gratuitous insult on the heroines of Code Pink, says he's against protesting and "getting arrested" as a rule but thinks it's OK if doctors in suits and "educated professional people" do it, and pretends to believe (or actually believes) that President Obama favors considering the possibility of creating single-payer healthcare. But the heart of this story is the gaping chasm between majority opinion and the corporate agenda of the United States Senate. And Ed Schultz hits it out of the park.

Ed goes after the health insurance companies, the pharmaceutical companies, and the HMOs. He plays video of activist Kevin Zeese speaking up at the recent Senate Finance Committee hearing and being arrested. He explains perfectly what single-payer healthcare is. (I recommend this flyer (PDF).) And he denounces the anti-democratic exclusion of single-payer advocates by Committee Chairman Max Baucus.

http://guaranteedhealthcare4all.org/sites/default/files/10-Reasons.pdf

And then Ed brings on Margaret Flowers who absolutely nails every question he asks, and he asks the right questions. Flowers lists the polls showing that over 60 percent of Americans and 60 percent of physicians want single-payer, explains that PNHP has 16,000 members and is part of the Leadership Conference for Guaranteed Healthcare which has 20 million members. Flowers points out that the next senate hearing is on May 12th and that advocates are asking for at least one supporter of single-payer to be included.

That sort of mention of an upcoming event and very nearly inclusion of exactly what people can do to improve their country is rare indeed on our televisions. Let me take it a slight step further: Senator Max Baucus's phone number is [phone].

After Flowers, Senator Stabenow comes on to give a perfect representation of an evasive, dishonest, sleazy senator, claiming not to know why single-payer advocates have been excluded, condescendingly encouraging them to keep shouting even though her gang won't listen, and pretending that "lots of folks" in her state want to keep the insurance they have -- as if trading it for completely comprehensive and completely free coverage (paid in taxes by businesses) would constitute some sort of a loss, would have a down side. Schultz dismisses the senator and lays out his position:

"Does Senator Baucus have his head screwed on wrong, or what? Does he not know that the majority of Americans want single-payer? Now I don't care what the conservatives want when it comes to healthcare. They had their chance, and look where we are right now."

This is the will of the majority of Americans versus the antidemocratic corporate agenda of Senator Max Baucus. Schultz makes that crystal clear. Of course, the Senate (and usually the House too) normally act contrary to the will of the majority of Americans, but it is very useful to have that pointed out once in a while, even if pointed out in a manner that suggests it's a rarity.

Schultz then appeals to President Obama to "nudge" Senator Baucus, despite the fact that Obama hasn't supported single-payer since before he entered national politics, didn't support it as a candidate, and has adamantly opposed it as president, himself excluding any single-payer advocates from discussion forums until threatened with protests. In addition, a president should not make legislation, and a president is further removed from the people than even a senator.

Schultz may be confused about Obama and about the proper division of labor among our branches of government, but he hammers Baucus beautifully, pointing out that Baucus has taken more money from pharmaceutical and health insurance companies than any other Democrat in Congress (even if it is pocket change compared to what Obama has taken):

"Baucus got $183,000 from health insurance companies and $229,000 from drug companies," Schultz concludes. "May I remind you: they were at the table."

(Video Link)
http://crooksandliars.com/node/27986

[snowdays]

1. Single payer advocates were EXCLUDED from Obama's first Health SUMMIT meeting until

just the day before--when finally the WH relented at the threat of a protest outside the WH by this group. These exclusionary practices are a shame to Democrats.

[snowdays]

2. K and R for single-payer to be at the table.

[madrchsod]

3. but there is a sound track of obama supporting single payer...

i heard it today....

if we do not not get single payer/universal health care then forget about economic recovery. this is another crucial factor in our recovery as a nation. it`s becoming change that will never happen

[Jeep789]

4. Yep, Obama has said he supported Single Payer but that he

didn't think it could be accomplished yet. He does seem to listen, and if we inundate him with the message, perhaps he will see that maybe the time has come. I certainly think it has and would hate to miss the opportunity just because he had already decided the time wasn't right.

[bunkerbuster1]

9. He's repeatedly said that if he were starting from scratch, single-payer would be the best way to go

And I've always taken that to mean that he is amenable to a path to single payer, if such a thing is possible.

It's something that gives hope anyway.

[snowdays]

5. Error: You've already recommended that thread.

[snowdays]

6. **THIS THREAD NEEDS RECOMMENDATIONS.

[snowdays]

7. BRIEF SUMMARY"H.R. 676"The U.S. National Health Insurance Act

http://www.healthcare-now.org/

BRIEF SUMMARY"H.R. 676"The U.S. National Health Insurance Act


Introduced by John Conyers, Jr., (D-Michigan) with 75 co-sponsors (as of 8/11/06)

� Establishes an American-styled national health insurance program that would create a publicly financed, privately delivered health care program that uses the already existing Medicare program by expanding and improving it for all U.S. residents. This legislation is an example of a "single-payer" system, referring to the government, instead of multiple insurance companies and you, paying the health care bills. The providers remain private and we choose who to go to.


� With close to 46 million uninsured and more than that underinsured, it is time to change our inefficient, costly, and fragmented health care system. An increasing number of Americans are paying more out-of-pocket or neglecting their health.


� According to Dean Baker of the Center for Economic Research and Policy, using 2005 figures, HR 676 would save $56 billion in overall health care spending while covering all of the uninsured. Administrative costs would be reduced from 20-30% under the current insurance company system, to 3%, under Medicare. The profit margin in paying for health care costs would be eliminated. The government would negotiate for lower drug prices from the pharmaceutical companies, further lowering costs.

[snowdays]

8. Baucus draws big money from health industry--Billings Post, Billings Montana........

http://hcfany.org/2009/03/10/report-from-white-house-health-care-summit /

3/12/09 Billings Post, Billings Montana

Baucus draws big money from health industry

by Cathy Siegner - Helena Handbag

A new study released this week by a California advocacy group shows that U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., has received more campaign contributions from health insurance firms and pharmaceutical manufacturers over the past four years than any other Democrat in Congress.

According to the Consumer Watchdog study using Federal Election Commission data, Sen. Baucus has received $413,000 since 2005 from insurance companies and drug makers, third behind U.S. Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

The study by Santa Monica-based Consumer Watchdog (www.consumerwatchdog.org ) was the subject of a story in Sunday’s Washington Post, which also noted that the ailing U.S. healthcare system appears poised for significant reform, possibly this year.

Sen. Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has already had a lot of influence on the discussion, including issuing a “white paper” last fall advocating mandatory health-insurance coverage in the United States.

He has indicated that he doesn’t favor a single-payer approach to health coverage in this country, a position at odds with the ever-growing number of his constituents who have had it with the health-insurance industry. Sen. Baucus has said that the United States needs a combination of public and private coverage and that the country “isn’t ready” for a single-payer system..................

[bunkerbuster1]

10. Ed's hitting his stride here.

I know Big Ed gets knocked around a bit here at DU, sometimes with justification.

But when it comes to lunchpail issues like this, he can be hard to beat. He frames this one pretty well, I think.

[nilram]

11. Cool. Not what I expect out of Ed. k&r