I became a supporter of single payer today

[demhistorian]

I was listening to a right wing radio show. Michael Steele was the host. He was ranting about "socialized" healthcare. Then he took a call that went something like this:

caller: If someone asked you if a single payer system has ever worked, how would you answer?
Steele: I would answer no.
caller: Are you saying the millions of Americans - on medicare and medicaid - government workers, congress members and senators, and the men and women in our armed forces - have a failed health care sytem?
Steele: Uh... ramble... uh... we have to go to break

[FiveGoodMen]

1. K&R

[NMMNG]

2. Always the way

The RRRW politicians who get everything handed to them by the taxpayers (huge salaries, benefits out the wazoo, huge retirement packages to look forward to, etc.) are the ones who think the minimum wage should never be raised, the poor shouldn't get any aid, there shouldn't be a universal health care system, etc.

[cabluedem]

3. The rethugs simply ignore the facts about the "other" plans. nt

[ForeignSpectator]

7. They simply ignore facts period n/t

[ColbertWatcher]

4. Welcome to DU! k+r, n/t

[MadMaddie]

5. Michael Steele + Repugs = Epic Fail

Welcome to DU!!:hi:

[Lugnut]

6. K&R n/t

[colsohlibgal]

8. The Wing Nuts Kryptonite - Facts.

This is reminiscent of Kucinich just destroying a shill trying to say Canada's system is awful at the House hearing a couple of weeks ago. I almost (but not!) felt sorry for the guy, The truth is they are lying their you know what off and when they are called on it they have nothing.

I've heard caller after caller from Canada, Britain, and France call in to talk shows and say they would never trade their system for the mess we have here. In fact they can't believe we somehow got to the system we have.

[cabluedem]

27. And made up fictions about public healthcare is their lead blinders. nt

[quidam56]

9. We must have health care reform this year

I know what is called quality health care in TN & VA, http://www.wisecountyissues.com/?p=62 Clearly PROFIT CARE is more important than PATIENT CARE. How many more will have to die because of the status quo in the health care industry in America.

[earcandle]

10. Imagine, all of us, imagine (because that is how the collective will

changes), imagine not having to pay for health care, dental
care, or eye care!
Imagine being a doctor who can actually serve his/her patients
with science and preventive care!
Imagine being a doctor who is not constantly harassed by the
insurance industry on how many patients he/she sees and why.
Imagine babies coming into the world with stress free parents
who know that whatever happens, the care for this infant will
be healthy and not poisoned by pharmaceuticals out to ruin its
teeth and organs before it even has real food.

Imagine food that is real.  Nutrition that keeps us healthy.

Imagine fake food and fake disease falling out of favor and
moving on to tackle the real issues of population management
not out to reduce populations by war, crime and disease
industries out to kill us.

Imagine.  have your passions aroused and your wills changed.
me too. I am working on imagining myself. It isn't easy.
It does take an effort.  Work it. We ARE worth it.  We are NOT
guilty. 

[Flashpoint51]

11. Randi Rhodes is Pushing all of us to call our Congressmen!!

On the Randi Rhodes Show the past few days she reiterated how calling our Senators and Congressman and insisting on Single payer will Help win it's passage.
I went on line and emailed both Ill Senators Durbin and Burris. She said to call or fax and say this as they have a pen and pencil and are writing it down:
I listened to Randi Rhodes today and agree with her that single payer health care IS the way to go for America. Please consider this!
Sincerely,
(You)

Try she says it will scare the hell out them if enough people do it.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

12. A pleasure to K&R -

and welcome to DU.............. :hi:

[Lasher]

13. And the VA

It's a good system and it actually is socialized, in that the VA runs the hospitals and hires all personnel.

[LaPera]

14. I called my do nothing Dem congressman yesterday - Demanding that he work

for Universal Health Care for all, preferably single payer....and that there better be a public option, at the very least...I told the do nothing five-term Dem congressman, Mike Thompson (never heard of him have you) to work for a real & substantial health care program for ALL the American people/workers & their families.....while they are spending those same billions on wars for profit in Iraq & Afghanistan using our tax dollars, that we should have the same coverage as he and every other person in congress and their staffs and their families!!

[FLDCVADem]

15. I do wish ...

...that when arguments in favor of single payer are being made people would stop using federal workers and Congress members as examples of those that have single payer. It isn't true, and it makes us look ignorant when we make such claims.

Of course, that doesn't make Michael Steele any less of an idiot...

[WinstonSmith4740]

16. Single payer is the ONLY way to fly!

I've got a little bit of a unique perspective here. My husband has had 2 major health crises...he had a major stroke almost 13 years ago, and today he's battling cancer. (Yes, it is someone else's turn!) When he got hit with the stroke, we had private insurance. Today, we have Medicare. The wing-nuts love to use the scare tactic of having a "bureaucrat between you and your doctor" with single payer. But as anyone with private insurance can tell you, with them, you've got an accountant between you and your doctor. ANY business that is in it for the profit will fight tooth and nail before they lay out any money. I learned the hard way back then about the true meaning of the phrase "of approved expenses". Did you know that departments WITH-IN an approved hospital won't necessarily take the same insurance has the hospital itself? In my husband's case, the radiology department in the first hospital didn't take our insurance, even though the hospital did. At the rehab hospital, the pharmacy didn't take our insurance. The ambulance that was used to take him from the hospital to the rehab center didn't take it either. When he came home, his physical therapist had to call to get permission to get a wheel chair for him. We also had to get permission to get a leg brace made. The right wing makes it sound as though with private insurance you just sail through, and everything is taken care of. Bullshit.

Now, Medicare doesn't pay for everything either. Our co-pay bills are insane, but cancer is an expensive disease to fight. Even though he doesn't have Part D (medications), the oral chemo meds he was taking were covered. Our co-pay on a 2 week supply was almost $300. The full price would have been over $2000. He has an EXTREMELY rare form, which necessitated 2 separate surgeries, one to resection his colon, and the other to remove his bladder. Our total (co-pay)bill for both doctors was about $1100. Remember, this was 2 major surgeries.

The cancer center here is Las Vegas where he's being treated is wonderful. Their financial officer has helped me get hooked up with organizations that will assist with the co-pays. According to her, doctors LIKE Medicare. And to quote her "That's why everyone takes it." Yes, they discount. But they also pay, and on time. They don't jerk the docs around. It's never taken more than 1 day to get approval for any of his treatments. And we haven't been turned down by anyone. Nobody has held back treatment because Medicare is his only insurance, and we don't have supplemental. Nothing has been "rationed" because he's in his 60's. We don't know what the future holds for us. He's in radiation now, and I'm holding my breath. But at least I know, that if he does goes down, he can keep swinging for the fences.

The wing-nuts, and the spineless Democrats (are you listening, Tom Daschle?) that are swallowing this crap, don't give a damn about anything but their corporate sponsors' profits. My jaw dropped when I heard some DINO's saying the reason they're voting against single payer was because it would be too attractive, and private insurer's wouldn't be able to compete. Then in the next breath they try to argue that single payer would be terrible and we'd all suffer.

I've called and written to my Senators, although I'm pretty sure John Ensign's mind is elsewhere right now (snicker), and he's useless anyway. WE need to take this fight to our elected representatives. I think we all need to look to Iran right now...those folks are willing to put their lives on the line. We need to at least pick up the phone.

[blaze]

17. Nice post, WS

Thanks for your perspective.

I wish we still had real News on the airwaves. Then the general population would be getting the truth about single payer, rather than the constant barrage of scare crap that is being aired 24/7.

[WinstonSmith4740]

19. Thanks for your support, Blaze.

We are getting fed crap 24/7 by the media on this. The RW has been fighting universal health care since FDR. Someone posted a cartoon here yesterday that says it all. Two men sitting on a park bench, with one of them saying to the other, "I'd rather you die than me have to pay higher taxes."

This country lost it's heart when Reagan was elected. We used to care about each others problems...not to the extent of supporting socialism, but at least we understood that sometimes our fellow human beings need a helping hand. With Reagan, greed became our rallying cry. His claim of a rising tide lifting all boats was bullshit then and it's bullshit now. If you don't own a boat, the rising tide will drown you.

Peace.

[Greyhound]

23. Great post. We need to make this The Issue, if we don't we are condemning ourselves

to decades of pain, suffering, and needless deaths all so that a tiny group of parasites can preserve their power and wealth that would make Croesus blush.

Keep writing, faxing, and calling. Even though they do not listen right now, another election cycle is right around the corner. Dear Leader Harry is up this cycle, as well as all the House seats. I'm new to Las Vegas, but Berkley seems to be one of the better ones.

[grantcart]

18. single payer ambulances, ambulance service has been taken over by fire departments

in most parts of the US.


Increased service and reduced costs.

[PSzymeczek]

20. Do you think

that Steele would favor giving up "socialized" single-payer police and fire protection?

[LSK]

21. they have been WRONG and LIE about every issue

Ever since I can remember! Its a wonder that a party that constantly LIES can exist. Maybe it cannot and is truly dying.

[Serial Mom]

22. Then join this Facebook Group if you have a chance!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=104862063136

And spread the word...

[MasonJar]

24. I have been solidly behind single payer ever since Bill Moyers'

incredible show dedicated to it about 4 weeks ago. It is the only sensible action. If we had publicly financed elections and the Congress critters and Obama were not beholden to the health/big pharma campaign dollars, there would be no discussion. It would be a done deal. Corporations own our reps and our media; we are in the majority, but are essentially stripped of power.

[DUlover2909]

25. Good one. I wish I would have heard that.

:applause:

[jeanpalmer]

26. I think you're going to have a long wait

The single payer will never be enacted so long as the current crop of bought clowns in Congress are still there. They're not even going to pass a public option, let alone single payer. They've been bought off.