HEALTH CARE HONESTY

It is time to call the bluff of all the partisan posers, the greed mongers, and those who simply do not know what they are talking about when it comes to health care reform.

Health care reform is needed.  It is absolutely true that if this reform does not take place very soon, the health care and insurance industries are going to drain the United States dry.  We cannot sustain the inhumane way we treat people in need of health care -- financially, medically, or morally.  We stand alone among industrial nations in our horrendous health care system, skewed in favor of the wealthy and those who can afford the expensive health care premiums.  Every average American lives with the fear of bankruptcy from health care costs or lack of adequate health care.  People are dying in huge numbers today in America for lack of adequate health care.  People are losing their homes and/or filing for bankruptcy every day because of our predatory health care and insurance greed.  About 50 million Americans have no health care insurance at all.  Emergency rooms in hospitals are treating people who wait until the last minute for treatment because they do not have coverage to help them get ongoing, regular health screenings.  ER personnel are not trained for this, and people are dying prematurely because they wait too long.  This is the health care scenario of a Third World nation.

Additionally, to maximize profits and minimize costs. hospitals and other health care delivery systems are poorly or inadequately staffed with lesser paid personnel.  About 100,000 Americans die every year because of mistakes made in hospitals.  Folks, that is a major, catasrophic epidemic!

What is needed is a compatible combination of a national health care system with room for competitive, private insurance companies, as they have in Germany.  Yes, Germany has what right-wing extremists call "socialized medicine," but it also has competitive private insurance companies fluorishing.  Every German is covered by a health care program, and Germans can relax about health care costs.  What would Americans do to get such peace of mind regarding health care costs?  It is a dream, but a dream that can be realized with reform.  And the German health care system is excellent.  Recently the leader of the Egyptian government went to Germany to get surgical treatment because he wanted the best.  That is what is available to every German as well.  The long waiting lists for immediate treatment is a myth.

The health care and insurance industry has spread some amazing myths about reform.  The right-wing has told outright lies about health care reform.  Exaggeration is the by-word for right-wing supporters of price- and profit-gouging insurance companies and related health care organizations.  Amazingly, the American Medical Association and AARP support current bills for health care reform.  Is that a message?  What more do you want?  Do you expect an angel to come down from heaven and tell you that health care reform is needed now?  Do you want to wait until the government and financial system of the U.S. comes tumbling down around us because you want to wait?  We cannot sustain today's program of health care in America, period.  Let the irrational nutcases talk of what a good thing it would be if the government and financial system did come tumbling down.  Funny?  No!

The current health care reform legislation that is being proposed is not perfect.  In fact, I do not like it very much at all.  But major aspects of it are so needed that we all should compromise and get this badly needed reform into action and not allow political extremists to deny health care from you and me.  Yes, I wish President Obama had taken positive action to pass reform when he took office and not turn it over to a bumbling, politically-sensitive and partisan Congress.  But this is what we now have, and the reform is so needed that we must act.

Wait?  We have waited since President Teddy Roosevelt first proposed health care reform!  Every little step toward improving our health care system has been fought against by conservatives and right-wingers.  They have no intention to wait and make reform better; they want to stop reform at all costs.  These right-wing blockers are in the hip-pocket of insurance and health-care corporations, intentionally or unintentionally.  We need reform now.  To wait for perfect legislation is to wait for something unattainable.  Get reform passed now!