If we want to get Universal Healthcare in this country, we need the support of large corporations

[Ignacio Upton]

Many industries in this country are having trouble financially due to the increasingly-expensive cost of healthcare and pensions. Our current system has been in place more or less since the immediate post-war years, when large corporations and unions managed to make a deal whereby the company would give lifetime pensions and assume the brunt of healthcare costs. Unfortunately, it has gotten to the point where this system is no longer manageable. Now, with companies like Ford suffering record losses (with healthcare and pensions being a factor: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-j-weiner/hey-nyt-fords-problem-i_b_25153.html )
it makes sense for companies to want to get rid of their pension and healthcare responsibilities. This is being done through means such as 401K's, forcing employees to pay more out of their pocket, and removal of the benefits altogether via bankruptcy (as the airlines are doing.) However, by having single payer healthcare, workers can keep generous insurance, AND companies will be more profitable in not needing to pay for such expensive benefits.
Toyota, for example, chose Ontario for a new RAV-4 plant over Alabama and Mississippi, with universal healthcare being a major reason (in addition to the higher education level in Ontario...which says a lot of AL and MS, where people will refuse to pay higher property taxes, even when it's actually needed to finance schools!)
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/business/050630/b0630102.html

At the same time, the CEO's of the Canadian units of GM, Ford, and Daimler-Chrysler have all given support to Canada's healthcare system:
http://www.mydd.com/story/2005/11/21/16411/770



Unfortunately, "HillaryCare" and 1994 scared the shit out of members of our party, and ever since, many have been too timid, for fear of another Harry & Louise ad blitz. While the same special interests are in place to launch another anti-Universal Healthcare campaign, the state of our private healthcare system is much worse than it was in 1993, with millions of more people uninsured (about 40 million) with many more receiving poor-quality healthcare. In addition, if we can get the likes of the auto industry and the airlines on our side, then we can counter the insurance lobby and erase the "socialized medicine" stigma.

[Captain Hilts]

1. They're being hurt by this just as much as Joe and Mary Shit Taxpayer are.

That's why the auto industry is losing business to Canada and other countries. Ford doesn't have to pay for healthcare in Canada.

[Ignacio Upton]

3. It boggles my mind about why they don't come out and support UC

Their support would be crucial in persuading some of the more corporate-friendly Democrats (and possibly a handful of moderate Republicans, like Specter, Snowe and Colins) to vote for UC.)

[blondeatlast]

6. The Nation had an article about this a while back; late 2005

IIRC.

It said that many medium-large companies are waking up to this as a way to compete with the Humunga-Mega-WalMart guys and those that have realized this are becoming pretty enthusiastic about the idea.

[Warpy]

2. Stupid's idea of taxing healthcare benefits as income

for both FICA and OASDI has got to be scaring them even more. The penny on a dollar tax credit for individually purchased insurance will be inadequate for workers, to put it mildly. However, that tax credit will probably be all the justification the corporations need to dump employee health care entirely onto the backs of employees---without giving them commensuate raises in pay, of course.

This will work because the dreaded word "socialism" will look much better compared to the free market health care system designed by and for insurance companies, geared to deny nearly everyone who works for a living actual health care.

The bad part is that it will kill a lot of people before the dimwits get the point.

[Ignacio Upton]

4. This reminds me of when Bush wanted to cut SS benefits for everyone

above about $20,000-$30,000 per year incomes. He wanted to turn SS into welfare through means testing, and wants to do similar shit with healthcare.

[Captain Hilts]

5. He doesn't understand that Ins. Cos. refuse to cover a lot of people. Tax breaks don't help that.

[3waygeek]

9. Exactly

but as long as you don't have jock itch, you'll be fine.

[blondeatlast]

7. We already pay for Wal-Mart's crappy coverage through our tax revenue anyway.

Why shouldn't they just make it hones?

[Captain Hilts]

10. No, half of bankruptcies are tied to health care/ins. costs. nt

[aquart]

8. Make America Competitive Again: Get Healthcare Off the Back of Business.

Every other major western nation has national healthcare, a guarantee to all its citizens. As a result, their families are less stressed and better able to devote themselves to work, family, being good citizens without the fear: What if I get sick? What if I get hurt?

Healthcare isn't a "social" issue. It is a vital economic and national security issue. The health of the American people will dictate how well we deal with the realities of the future. The cost of healthcare is currently dictating who will be hired...valuable potential employees are being lost to petty, treatable inconveniences. Valuable people with much to contribute are being shunted into a no-man's-land of stress, unemployment, and fear.

We have to decide, do we want every American contributing to this nation's greatness at their fullest capacity...or do we want to make it so impossible for many good people to work that they instead become burdens on society? THAT's when healthcare becomes a "social" issue.