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NPR [7 min 42 sec] |
... that Medicare is "a very good example of what we should not have happen with all of our health care." Asked to respond to Rep. Anthony Weiner’s (D-NY) argument that "if you like Medicare and you don’t want to make any cuts to it, then you’re basically defending a single payer system," Steele attacked Medicare implying that the government run Medicare public health insurance program should be privatized into the private health insurance industry:The partial privatization of Medicare, that a Republican controlled Congress and the Bush Administration pushed on seniors as part of the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act, is costing U.S. taxpayers billions. It is the Privatized Medicare program (known as “Medicare Advantage” or “MA” plans) that Steele seeks to not only protect from reform, but also pushes to expand.I mean the reality of it is that, you know, this single payer program known as Medicare is a very good example of what we should not have happen with all of our health care.
... Government cannot run a health care system. They’ve already shown that. Trust the private markets to do it the right way. If there are reforms to be put in place, let’s deal specifically with those reforms.
Despite Republican arguments that private Medicare plans operating under MA could eventually save money, the cost to treat the average patient in the MA program is 14 percent higher than the cost to treat the average senior under traditional Medicare.A part of that additional cost, consists of funds used for MA plan administration overhead costs, marketing and profits and not direct health care services for beneficiaries. RNC Chair Steele, in his "protect Medicare argument," is actually arguing to protect this "privatized Medicare" program that subsidizes private health insurance industry profits, management bonuses, overhead and marketing.
The argument that private Medicare plans, subsidized by the government, are necessary to keep Medicare sustainable is belied by the fact that private plans cost taxpayers more than if the same coverage is provided under the standard public Medicare program where public money is not siphoned off into private profits, management bonuses, overhead and marketing.Republican defenders of the privatized Medicare Advantage program on Capitol Hill have successfully thwarted most Democratic attempts in recent years reduce Medicare costs by reigning in the costs and abuses in the privatized Medicare Advantage program.
New York Times - Medicare Audits Show Problems in Private Plans : Tens of thousands of Medicare recipients have been victims of deceptive sales tactics, found they lack of coverage they thought their insurance policy provided and have had claims improperly denied by private insurers that run the huge new Medicare drug benefit program and offer other privatized Medicare Advantage program options, a review of scores of federal audits has found.The Under the House health reform bill, which has already passed through the Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Education and Labor committees — the three panels with jurisdiction over the issue — the privatized Medicare Advantage payments would be pulled back under public administration over several years in an attempt to eliminate the 14 percent cost overhead where public money is not siphoned off into private profits, management bonuses, overhead and marketing. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the cuts will save taxpayers $156 billion over 10 years.
At an AARP-sponsored health reform forum last month, President Obama promoted his proposal saying, “We’ll eliminate billions in unwarranted subsidies to insurance companies in the Medicare Advantage program — giveaways that boost insurance company profits but don’t make you any healthier.”If the Democrats are successful in their efforts to reform the privatized Medicare Advantage program, it could mark a set-back to the decades-old Republican push to fullly privatize Medicare. In October 1995, for example, then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) took the podium at a Blue Cross/Blue Shield conference in Washington and promoted a health reform strategy he knew would be music to his audience. Labeling Medicare “a centralized command bureaucracy,” Gingrich proposed to shift the popular program from “a government monopoly plan” to a fully privatized “free-market plan.” [Washington Independent]President Obama's also commented at that AARP-hosted town hall that, "I got a letter the other day from a woman. She said, 'I don't want government-run health care. I don't want socialized medicine. And don't touch my Medicare.' I wanted to say, you know, that's what Medicare is: a government-run health care plan that people are very happy with."
The lady that wrote, "don't touch my Medicare" was likely referring to her Medicare Advantage paid private health insurance policy. Those opposed to health insurance reform have been telling seniors that Democrats will eliminate or drastically cut health care coverage for those seniors that have a Medicare Advantage paid private health insurance policy. This is the fear that GOP Chair Michael Steele is attempting to stoke in his rhetoric about "protecting Medicare."
RNC Chair Michael Steele has been advocating this week in his media blitz to protect the “free-market" privatized Medicare beachhead established in 2003 when the Republican congress and Bush White House worked together to enact the Medicare Modernization Act.Related Links:
AirAmerica radio [10 min 55 sec] |
Back on July 30 we posted a story headlined, "Sen. Hutchison Says Will Resign Senate Seat In Oct. Or Nov." A few hours after she clearly said she would resign on a local radio program [Radio Interview Transcript at Houston Chronicle ] she kind of retracted the statement.
Senator Ted Kennedy has died, losing his battle to brain cancer. "It's a bonanza," said Robert Laszewski, a health insurance executive for 20 years who now tracks reform legislation as president of the consulting firm Health Policy and Strategy Associates Inc.Updated August 18, 2009 - from NYtimes OpEd Columnist Bob Herbert -
Some insurance company leaders continue to profess concern about the unpredictable course of President Obama's massive healthcare initiative, and they vigorously oppose elements of his agenda. But Laszewski said the industry's reaction to early negotiations boiled down to a single word: "Hallelujah!" . . .Read the full story in the LATimes.
The hope of a government-run insurance option is all but gone. So there will be no effective alternative for consumers in the market for health coverage, which means no competitive pressure for private insurers to rein in premiums and other charges. (Forget about the nonprofit cooperatives. That’s like sending peewee footballers up against the Super Bowl champs.)Original June 8, 2009 post continues:
Insurance companies are delighted with the way “reform” is unfolding. Think of it: The government is planning to require most uninsured Americans to buy health coverage. Millions of young and healthy individuals will be herded into the industry’s welcoming arms. This is the population the insurers drool over.
This additional business — a gold mine — will more than offset the cost of important new regulations that, among other things, will prevent insurers from denying coverage to applicants with pre-existing conditions or imposing lifetime limits on benefits. Poor people will either be funneled into Medicaid, which will have its eligibility ceiling raised, or will receive a government [tax credit] subsidy to help with the purchase of private insurance. --For full OpEd click here--
Private insurers lost an estimated 9 million customers between 2000 and 2007. In many cases, people lost coverage because they or their employers could no longer afford it as premium increases outpaced wage growth and inflation.
According to the National Coalition on Healthcare, nearly 266,000 companies dropped their employees' health care coverage from 2000 to 2005 and for those employees that have not yet lost coverage the average employee health insurance premium is rising nearly eight times faster than income.
Yet, while the private insurance industry is hemorrhaging customers, profits at 10 of the country’s largest publicly traded health insurance companies rose 428 percent from 2000 to 2007. Clearly, there is a vicious cycle where an ever shrinking number of people are paying ever increasing monthly insurance premiums for less coverage. (more statistics)
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This is because private insurance bureaucracy and paperwork consume one-third (31 percent) of every health care dollar. Streamlining payment through a single nonprofit payer would save more than $350 billion per year, enough to provide comprehensive, high-quality coverage for all Americans.
By Stuart Carlson posted at carlsontoons.comCONSERVATIVES FOR PATIENTS' RIGHTS -- created and funded by health care entrepreneur Rick Scott, the co-founder of Solantic urgent care walk-in centers. These centers advertise themselves as the option for those without insurance (so he specializes in ripping off poor and working class folks). This is also the guy who had to resign as CEO of the Columbia/HCA hospitals when they were investigated by the federal government for fraud.These are the real opponents of health care reform in America.
FREEDOMWORKS -- This is formerRep. Dick Armey, who used to be the majority leader for Republicans in the House of Representatives. No one is farther to the right than this guy. He's also the person who said there's nothing wrong with our economy except Americans being cowards. This group also contains Steve Forbes, billionaire and former presidential candidate, and Richard J. Stephenson, who founded Cancer Treatment Centers of America.
PATIENTS FIRST and PATIENTS UNITED -- Were both created and funded by the ultra right-wing group Americans for Prosperity (AFP). AFP was started by billionaire David Koch of Koch Industries. It's president is Tim Phillips, who used to be in business with Christian Coalition director Ralph Reed. AFP and FreedomWorks both funded and organized the "tea parties". They hope to organize 600 anti-health care rallies by Labor Day.
CLUB FOR GROWTH -- A right-wing anti-tax organization headed by former Indiana Republican congressman Chris Chocola. This group has just announced a $1.2 million anti-health care ad campaign in in North Dakota, Colorado, Arkansas and Nevada.
60 PLUS ASSOCIATION -- This group was originally started to abolish the estate tax. Its current spokesman is Pat Boone, former singer and current right-wing fundamentalist. Its current goal seems to be to scare the elderly. In just the last week, the group has spent $1.5 million in anti-health care ads.
John Darkow The Columbia Daily Tribune
A fundraiser launched Tuesday by progressive bloggers as part of an effort to support progressive members of Congress with the guts to stand up to Big Insurance, Big Pharma and to the pressure from their own party bosses has topped $100,000 from more than 1,500 donors in just 24 hours and counting.
