Pesky doctors. Always having an opinion.

Senator Baucus needs to be off the committee, and maybe out of office too.

What part of representative do these idiots not get?

Replace Medicaid with volunteer pro-bono medical care
In the days before Medicare and Medicaid, the poor and elderly were admitted to hospitals at the same rate they are now, and received good care. Before those programs came into existence, every physician understood that he or she had a responsibility towards the less fortunate and free medical care was the norm. Hardly anyone is aware of this today, since it doesn’t fit into the typical, by the script story of government rescuing us from a predatory private sector.

Private medical savings accounts, not government meddling
The most obvious way to break this cycle is to get the government out of the business of meddling in health care, which was far more affordable and accessible before government got involved. Short of that, and more politically feasible in the immediate run, is to allow consumers and their doctors to pull themselves out of the system through medical savings accounts.

Transfer funds from debt & empire-building to healthcare
We have a mess because a lot of people are very dependent on health care. But we’re going broke, with $500 billion going to debt every single year, and we have a foreign policy that is draining us. I say, take care of these poor people. I’m not against that. But save the money someplace. The only place available for us to save it is to change our attitude about running a world empire and bankrupting this country. We can take care of the poor people, save money and actually cut some of our deficit.

Socialized medicine won’t work; nor managed care
You don’t have to throw anybody out in the street, but long term you have move toward the marketplace. You cannot expect socialized medicine of the Hillary brand to work. And you can’t expect the managed care system that we have today [to work, because it] promotes and rewards the corporations. It’s the drug companies & the HMOs & even the AMA that lobbies us for this managed care, and that’s why the prices are high. It’s only in medicine that technology has raised prices rather than lowering prices.

Shouldn't citizens be free to purchase their own health care and use private insurance?

Health care providers should charge what they feel is necessary. If a health care provider charges to high then people can't afford it and they won't buy it, therefore, that health care provider loses out. Health care prices would self-regulate to meet the standards of the consumer. It would be best to cease funding provincial health care programs.

The power and politics of government makes it arrogant, inefficient, corrupt and dangerous. Because of this inherent nature of government, government programs almost always fail to do what they were supposed to. And expanding government power to do what you think it should ensures that future politicians will use it in ways you think they shouldn’t.

Great post , I will protest . I am so angry I cannot think of what else to say .

bluestranger, It's their campaign money. I hope they know that they may cheat us out of single payer, but I will work tirelessly for public campaign financing so that someone can run for their damned seats. I'm tired of the corporate whores selling us out. People die from lack of health care. Last year a child died in this country from a damned absessed tooth. I'm angry, we all should be.

As long as single payer is not on the table any health care improvement talks are a sham. Seriously, do you really think that these public servants would cut themselves off from all of that big insurance money?

The congress and senat don't want to hear from the people that employ them. They feel that we the people are below the level of their collective notice.

Don't forget to send your fax to the entire finance commitee. Be sure and send a comment too. This is my comment.

Only a whore for the insurance industry would deny us single payer health care. HR676.

http://www.1payer.net/campaigns/finance-committee.html

no seat for a single payer advocate. hmmm... i wonder how much a seat at that committee table costs to buy. maybe us sane people can take up a collection and get us one or two.

It definitely seems like a distortion of the People's interests when there is an obvious interest in the discussion of single payor healthcare and they are not even willing to discuss the costs and benefits of it.

I'm sorry I had to read someone associating the GOP agenda with "libertarian nonsense". Libertarians would probably suggest that open dialogue for the sake of finding the best solution is what is important. It sounds like the single payor solution isn't necessarily asking for people to pay for anymore of anyone elses insurance than they already do. One of the main reasons our healthcare is currently so high is due to the vast number of people receiving treatment for free in emergency rooms when they have no way to pay for the care.

Liberty isn't about watching your fellow man rot. It is about having individual liberty to practice as you choose in your own pursuit of happiness. I'm sure that if the numbers can be shown to improve the costs and benefits to everyone involved, there would be few people who resist. That is probably why special interests want to see it dismissed without discussion.

Sad story, great post

Yes, this is the country we have - where they scheme under that table to f---k you out of money they do not deserve.

They are shameful people, without shame. They are criminal - but they are the heads of our society.

One thing we ought to have is a system where every xray and every test is kept in an accessible file. Then you could show when and how they did unneeded tests and unneeded procedures. And charged unneeded "costs".

Because they are cheats - slimy - cheats.

That's what we got for medical people and a medical system. (except the few good ones, of course)

Great post Asherp!

This is an important issue. We must find a way to provide everyone in America decent health care.

Health care is not a luxury; it is a right.

Story now featured on the Humanism channel:
http://current.com/groups/humanism

peace

Many (most) people said we would never end slavery for the same reason (greed of moneyed interests) but sometimes Truth and Justice take time before they become unavoidable.

Never say never when you're talking about something so important that is obviously so right and true. I believe "the Truth will out" and it's a question not of "if" but rather "when"?

"The Cruelest Lie" perpetrated on America is that universal health coverage done right (for a real change) would cost more than what we're spending now. Reliable estimates are that we could easily save a minimum of $400 Billion per year after everyone is covered reliably and comprehensively from cradle to grave just in wasted administrative bureaucracy alone.

The concept is known in Basic Economics 101 as: "Eliminate unnecessary, expensive, amoral middlemen and utilize efficincies of scale". Divided we are conquered. United we have strength, transparency and choice at tremendous savings in both lives and dolllars....and our moral standing on the world stage. NO business that expects to remain viable would allow an unnnecessary middleman to skim 31% off the top before any goods or services could begin to be delivered, and "We the People's" business should not continue to allow it either.

BTW, Obama just wants to funnel more of our tax dollars in corporate welfare to "The Beast That IS the Problem"....and that won't solve the problem. Obama knows what needs to happen but refuses to help make it happen, and McCain/Palin didn't (still don't) even have a clue.

"If I bang this hammer enough I just know something will happen."

they dont want to go cold turkey from their highly dependant addiction to MONEY -
the U.S healthcare as is - is little more than highly profitable extortion of the populas that has no choice but pay up or die ..
and most people will sell everything they own to live..
therefore a very lucrative business system

offering a way for everyone to be treated fairly on all grounds would kill their wallets and their nice shiney bmw's and mustangs for themselves and those nice n fancy coats and cruiseline vacations yearly..

It's always disgusting to see how money will always take precedence over the value of a human life.

I say storm the gates.

while I support exploration of single payer as an option and applaud the guy for doing this, I have to say the title of this is deliberately misleading. The original title for the video, which you get by clicking on the video rather than the posted link.

"Protester Delays Senate Committee Opening" That's what he got arrested for. There is no pseudo conspiracy.

Personally I think the reason single payer is getting short shrift at the moment is that no matter how much good it would do in the long term, the economy simply cannot afford another entire major industry being picked up and shaken like a rat at the moment.

I am deeply frustrated by the decision to take single payer off the table as well. This train left the station and is 100 miles down the track. Frankly, I am concerned that there is going to be a gap effect. You will only get good health care if you are rich or get good insurance from your employer on one side or are so poor that the Government will simply provide you with insurance on the other side. Left out will be the millions and millions of Americans who may not be poverty stricken but will be forced to give up an enormous percentage of their limited incomes to purchase the "public option" insurance. My state already has that program in place, and I am paying $1500 per month for my family's health insurance -- with no dental or vision coverage and a $2,000 deductible EACH! I am afraid that is exactly the kind of program Baucus has in mind -- which of course is of no competitive concern to existing insurance companies. Among the real shames of all of this is the fact that once something is done, this subject is not going to be revisited for at least another 20 years. That is just how Congress has always "worked."

in america the man with the most money gets
his way.there will come a time we will have to throw out
all the politicians.we have to change this we pay the most for healthcare and the us is ranked 37 in the
world .

"...Everybody in the Congress deeply deeply respect the views of all members of the audience and all Americans who feel deeply about health care reform..."

That's why we're arresting you.

You should be mad as hell! This is not about a point of view bs. This is about human lives that are being killed because they have no health care coverage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~HEALTH JUSTICE
New Tools and Continuing Campaigns

Stuff You Can Do. Free. Easy. Free and Easy.
NOW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NewTool for Phone Calling Campaign.

Until this morning, we had to transcribe the 200-300 voicemails we get each day from callers to our 800-578-4171 number. After transcription, we faxed the messages to the White House and each member of the Senate Finance Committee. Today, for instance, I sent a 36 page fax of closely printed voicemails from May 6.

But starting at 0900 EST today, we went live with a system that converts each overnight voice message to a phone call, dialing the White House and Sen. Baucus automatically, waiting for a human to answer, then playing the message and hanging up. And then dialing again to deliver the next message in the queue. And the next. And so on. So this morning we delivered 500 phone messages to the White House and Sen. Baucus at the rate of one or two a minute.

You can join the fun. Call 1-800-578-4171 and press 0 for the White House or 1 for Sen. Baucus. Or call during the day and be transferred directly to the live White House operator. Or call tonite and tomorrow and tomorrow nite and . . .
newsletter@health-justice.org.

The costs would be covered the same way Medicare is. Bake sales and things like that.

Despite the dismal performance of government-run medical services throughout the world, there is considerable lobbying in the U.S. for a government-run national health care system. Politicians offer the utopian promise of universal "free" health care with unlimited access, but don't explain how the enormous costs would be covered.
I believe we need to eliminate stifling bureaucracy, increase control over our own health care, and create new and innovative health-care choices. I am in favor of the following steps to improve the access to health-care: 1) Privatize health care, 2) Replace law of damages with law of contract in most instances, 3) Deregulate medical research & marketing, 4) End medical monopolies, 5) Teach healthy lifestyles and prevention, and 6) Encourage and expand charitable care for the poor.

FAX & CALL 'TIL THEY DROP
Another Fax Blast to
Shut Down the Hill Fax Machines

http://www.1payer.net/campaigns/finance-committee.html
It's time to start another fax campaign demanding that the Senate Finance Committee and Mad Max Bought-off, er I mean Baucus, give single payer advocates a seat at the table in the next round of hearings. It will be a hoot to see how far away the insurance flunkies scoot their chairs when people speaking for real Americans are in the same room.

They had a great laugh at the expense of our arrested colleagues yesterday. Maybe we can have the last laugh. Let's bombard the Senate Finance Committee and its members with faxes. Let's shut down the fax machines on Capitol Hill again.

You can send a free fax to members of the Senate Finance Committee (chose one or choose all) at our website. It's free. It's easy. it's free and easy. Do it once. Do it twice. Do it until they drop.

The faxes are free to you but not to me. Send your fax now, please take a moment to donate if you can.
Health Justice | 57 W. 200 South, Suite 101 | Salt Lake City | UT | 84101

We have to fight for this or we will get a lousy plan that just pours money to the insurance and drug industries and we won't be able to afford it.

HR 676 would institute a single payer health care system by expanding a
greatly improved Medicare system to everyone residing in the U. S.

HR 676 would cover every person for all necessary medical care including
prescription drugs, hospital, surgical, outpatient services, primary and
preventive care, emergency services, dental, mental health, home health,
physical therapy, rehabilitation (including for substance abuse), vision
care, hearing services including hearing aids, chiropractic, durable
medical equipment, palliative care, and long term care.

HR 676 ends deductibles and co-payments. HR 676 would save hundreds of
billions annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the
private health insurance industry and HMOs.

In the current Congress, HR 676 has 75 co-sponsors in addition to Conyers.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced SB 703, a single payer bill
in the Senate.

HR 676 has been endorsed by 514 union organizations in 49 states including
127 Central Labor Councils and Area Labor Federations and 39 state
AFL-CIO's (KY, PA, CT, OH, DE, ND, WA, SC, WY, VT, FL, WI, WV, SD, NC, MO,
MN, ME, AR, MD-DC, TX, IA, AZ, TN, OR, GA, OK, KS, CO, IN, AL, CA, AK, MI,
MT, NE, NY, NV & MA).

Same story as with pot litigation.. if you enable it i.e universal health care, then people will actually use it and that just cant happen :) besides its the fear of loosing health services that keeps a good deal of people working jobs they hate.

"It’s time for the American people to storm the gates and demand – put single payer on the table.”

HELL YEA! now if only we could get everyone behind this issue. stop being distracted by tax arguments and fucking libertarian nonsense. let's get this done!

We're organizing rallies in over 20 cities for improved medicare for all

Single-payer activists will be gathering all over the country to say, "Healthcare, yes; Insurance companies, no," and to show solidarity with demonstrations at the AHIP (American Health Insurance Plans) conference in San Diego.

For more information, or to find a demonstration near you, visit our May 30th Page.

http://www.healthcare-now.org/campaigns/may-30th-day-of-action/

What a sham, they are in on it. It's all about money and power, and they are a bunch of Blagos.

I have close friends from Canada who were happier with the health care provided by their native country, than the insurance provided by their employers here in the US. Not only that, but less was taken out of their paycheck in taxes than what is taken out for so called medical benefits.

We need to vote these crooks out; they're a bunch of politricksters, and downpressers.

let them speak