Reply #5: What progress? [View All]

[zipplewrath]

We passed a HCR bill modeled on the GOP's proposals from th emid 90's that was specifically designed to interfere with nationalize health care. It instituted mandates, which places the insurance companies as THE condiuits between individuals and health care. It passed no public option, to put the government in the position of delivering health insurance TO individuals. And it dictated that there would be roughly 25 million people who would have not health insurance at all.

There is now an effort afoot to increase the retirement age, which could include increasing the eligibility age for Medicare, thereby delaying even further the entry of the government into the business of delivering health insurance, much less care. They installed a mechanism of "exchanges" which will provide them with the opportunity to push even "high risk" individuals into the private health insurance business, including those traditionally convered by medicaid, and giving them a place to delay those formerly eligible for medicare until a later age.

There is nothing in here which advances us towards a single payer system, much less universal health CARE. All it did was to establish health insurance as an obligation for individuals, and health care as an option of the free markets.