Voters To Congress: What's Wrong With Single-Payer Health Care?

[Joanne98]

Give voters a voice in the debate over health care reform and they ask about the one thing most lawmakers decided from the start would not be considered: "Why not a single-payer program?"

That was by far the most popular question posed to members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Thursday night, when they took questions on the House floor that had been submitted and voted for online -- something of a first for Congress.

The question-and-answer hour was expected to focus on public health care options as part of a health care landscape that would still be dominated by private insurance companies. But online voters, who cast almost 30,000 votes at progressivecaucus.org between Tuesday night and Thursday, hijacked the session, demanding to know why a single-payer program is not being considered.

Though only five of more than 750 questions were chosen to be asked at the even some proved far more popular than others. Other popular questions included how much influence the insurance companies have had on the reform debate why the public can't have a level of health care comparable to that of the assembled congressmen.

"What is it going to take for you to WAKE UP and smell the catastrophe that for-profit healthcare is?" read the fifth most popular question, the last on the list asked of the caucus members.

The novelty of the forum, said Darcy Burner, the executive director of the nonprofit Progressive Caucus Policy Foundation, which advises...

Read entire article
http://www.alternet.org/rss/4/59232/voters_to_congress:_what's_wrong_with_single-payer_health_care/

[ejpoeta]

1. I can't help but wonder just how many actually DO support a single payer system.

I mean, I know the MSM are telling us that most people don't want it. And while I am sure there are some that don't, I can't help but wonder considering the past media behavior as far as if we say it then it will make it true. I mean, if people don't believe that single payer is popular, or that most people aren't interested in it, then they will probably just forget about it and support a public option. I wonder if there isn't a lot more support than is being reported by our less than stellar crack reporters on the tv. I know there are probably 50 million people who are already supporting this... and then how many that have insurance they can't afford or else are finding out just how bad their insurance is....

[YewNork]

2. What's wrong is that it would put the insurance companies out of business.

Actually, it wouldn't put them out of business, but it would
significantly cut into their profits. Even if single payer were implemented, health
insurance companies would still exist to provide coverage for any types of services that were
not covered under the single payer system.

The insurance industry is not going to let you put them out of business for that simple reason.

Imagine if someone discovered a way to generate electricity from salt water.
The oil companies would do everything they could to stop it.

[Ginny from the Block]

4. Right on, YewNork!

You don't put a 2.5 trillion dollar beast on a diet without serious repercussions. Obama had said he supports single payer (when her was a state senator), but that we needed a Democratic-controlled House, Senate, and White House. Now we have that, and the industry lobbyists are changing his tune. Making everyone purchase private, for-profit insurance is just feeding the beast. Get rid of the middlemen! Go to singlepayernow.net for more info!

[Wednesdays]

3. K&R

:kick: