Kucinich Predicts Retreat On Health Care Reform

[Karmadillo]

http://www.wcpn.org/WCPN/news/27450/

Ohio Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich says he doubts the health care bill taking shape in Congress will succeed. He spoke with WVIZ's Dick Feagler. Ideastream's Bill Rice reports.

Much of the controversy surrounding health care reform has swirled around the so-called public option - a government insurance plan that would compete with private insurers. Congressman Kucinich wants the public plan to be the ONLY option; in other words, a single payer government system for everyone. Kucinich has for years been pushing such a plan. He says the problem with the U.S. system is the layer of bureaucracy imposed by insurance companies. Cut the private health insurers out of the mix, he says, and affordable, universal coverage is within easy reach.

Kucinich: “One out of every three dollar goes to the activities of the for-profit system. They cream it right off the top for corporate profits, stock options, executive salaries, advertising, the cost of paperwork. If you took that 800 billion dollars a year, which is what that represents, and put it into care for people you’d have enough to cover everyone, doctor of choice, vision care, dental health, mental health care, long term care, prescription drugs - we’d all be covered.”

<edit>

Kucinich: “I don’t think there will be a bill brought to the president’s desk. I think that it’s been mishandled and that we need to go back to the American people, and I’m certainly ready with John Conyers and 83 other members of Congress to push for our single payer proposal. But we have to show people why it’s important. We need to listen to them first about their tale of woe.”

[Greyhound]

1. Truth bomb.

:kick: & R

[Individualist]

6. +1

[nightrain]

9. DK usually has it correct.

[stray cat]

2. That should make some on the left and right happy

who would rather see no bill than one that has or doesn't have specific elements.

[Laelth]

8. I am on the left, and I would rather see nothing than to see ...

... the bills currently under consideration in Congress become law.

The "public option," if it even exists in the final bill, will be weak and will be designed to provide absolutely no challenge to private insurance (it will have to operate on a "level playing field"). If there is a "robust" public option, I will be truly surprised.

Either way, it seems the goal at the moment is to strengthen the private insurance companies. That, I believe, is what the bills under consideration will do. Passing such a bill will make it much harder for us to get single-payer in the long run.

I would rather Democrats pass no bill than to pass any bill with the "individual mandate." No person, just for being alive, should be forced to buy anything, much less be forced to purchase the product of an evil insurance company.

Forcing people to buy insurance is no more the solution to a failed health care system than forcing people to buy houses is the solution to homelessness.

:dem:

-Laelth

[derby378]

13. +1 (n/t)

[Greyhound]

14. +10

:thumbsup:

There are 10 kinds of people, those that understand binary and those that don't"

[Mr Generic Other]

3. i agree with kucinich.

we need to reject the watered down, non-reform bill that is being "debated". it is toothless and does not represent any kind of reform that can solve health care allocation or costs.
only a single payer model can offer americans an affordable system that covers everybody.
the costs of for profit medical insurance puts americans and american businesses at a global disadvantage when competing with other industrialized nations.
we need and deserve single payer, universal health care in this country.
if the government does not serve the needs of the people it is not a legitimate government.

[frebrd]

4. Agreed! On all counts! eom

[quaker bill]

5. and I predict

that the sun will set this evening.

[Laelth]

7. k&r for the Honorable Dennis Kucinich. n/t

:dem:

-Laelth

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. Watered down? More like drowned at birth by the insurance companies and their bitches in congress.

[Mr Generic Other]

12. ok, drowned at birth.

seems an appropriate way to describe the medical insurance industry's MO.
it also serves to highlight the confused nature of their "town-hall minions" most of whom might identify with the pro-life movement (this is my guess or assumption about the rabble-rousers, i have nothing to back it up). they would fight to see a baby born but deny it health care or sustenance after its birth.

[bvar22]

11. Predicts Retreat ?

The Retreat is now self-evident.

Just read Obama's editorial in today's NYTimes.
Not even a mention of a "Public Option".

Just some unenforceable watered down "Health Insurance Reform" like the "protections for taxpayers" in the Wall Street Bailouts coupled with MANDATED purchase Health Insurance.
Half of the editorial promoted a $500Billion CUT in Medicare.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/opinion/16obama.html