Reform and Change

"Health insurance reform" is here.

Now pay up bitches, or be fined.

Kucinich has fallen

The POTUS has personally courted him and swung his vote.

As the Judas Goat goes, others will follow.

It seems though, Kucinich will continue the fight for reform.

One hopes.

Hawaii, 40 years of mandated health care

how to fuck up health care 101

1) Confirm that the existing methods are broken and in need of attention.

2) Put Congress in charge of fixing it.

3) Sit back and watch as they make the situation much worse.

Health Care Reform update

Congress is still creeping slowly "forward" on the health care bill.

The 800-pound gorilla, a Public Option, is still not an option as Republicans want to protect the Health Insurance Industry Death-Quickening-and-leading-cause-of-personal-bankruptcy-sucking-away-at-the-life-essence-of-our-Nation Industry in our "free market".

Protect Insurance Company Profits

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

choose death

Republicans still blocking each and every health care reform bill in congress.

How is it that Republicans find it easy to spend money on War, but difficult to correct the horrific overspending-and-under-service of the health care system?

The GOP's new Motto should be: "When in doubt, choose death"

1/2 of current health care costs are wasteful

This is the broken system that certain conservative party-liners seek to preserve with crass smoke and mirrors disinformation tactics.

Health Insurance as Investment

If you viewed health insurance through the eyes of a finance professional, what kind of investment would it be?

Felix Salmon, in his blog post Conditional probabilities and evil insurers, sees it as a risky one... you have about a 50% chance of collecting (and a 50% chance of getting nothing) if you get really sick.

"if you’re making a series of small payments now on the grounds that you will be paid a large sum of money if something bad happens, you’re running some large and unhedgeable counterparty risk"

The Taunter article (unconscionable math) which he refers to is a clear analysis of health insurer's rescission methods. ie - real and sad and borderline criminal.

The simple numbers of Universal Health Care

The real numbers here: Healthcare costs in U.S. vs. rest of world.

UK, France and Germany... all have universal health care, the "European-style Socialism" feared by U.S. Conservatives.

Those nations pay less than $4000 per capita for health care. In the U.S. it's nearly $7000 per capita (with over 40 million people falling through the big "not-covered" crack.)

Conservatives in Europe look at America's health care shenanigans and wonder what brand of crack we're all smoking. Universal health care doesn't appear to be offensive to even the most conservative of folk on the other side of the pond.

Let's review:
1) Twice the $$$ per capita goes into the U.S. health care system, but many citizens aren't given access to that health care, and those that do have access/coverage can have it rescinded for any odd reason.

2) Universal health care (UK/France/Germany) costs half as much per capita than the U.S. and no one is refused care.

Now... how exactly is Universal Public Health Care worse?

Rein in insane health costs

Former U.S. controller general David M. Walker says, "Rein in insane health costs" before dumping more money into a broken system.

"If there's one thing that can bankrupt our nation, it's health care costs. Health care reform must do more than add a wing on a house that is structurally flawed"

"Rein in insane health costs" - NY Daily News

HR676, the red-headed step child health plan

"Support a Real Public Option" by Dennis Kucinich

Dennis Kucinich advocates HR676 which calls for a "universal single-payer health care system in the United States, Medicare for All". He argues that HR 3200, "America's Affordable Health Choices Act", still feeds billions into the wasteful and expensive for-profit insurance infrastructure.

"four percent of Americans trust insurance companies"

Ok, what percentage of Americans trust Congress not to fuck it all up? Will the layers of government bureaucracy required to administer any of these plans mash it into an incomprehensible mess like everything else the Fed touches?

Weigh in with your opinion: feedback[at]kucinich.us

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UPDATE: follow the action on HR676 at DAILYKOS.COM