Mr. Potter, thanks for speaking out against the insurance industrys' self-serving tactics, and overarching strategy of keeping any government interference in their ability to make profits to a minimum by mobilising the general public to protest against the very reforms that would be of benefit to them.
It lends so much weight to the arguments for health insurance reform to have an insider come out for them. There are some people who are able to rationalize away your testimony, but I'm sure they are a very small minority of the people who have heard what you have to say.
So, once again, thanks for what you are doing.
Your comments on fake protesters are way off base. I am one of those Americans (with no group affiliation) frustrated by a "reform" package that does little to reduce costs and turns health care over to one of the most inefficient organizations (fed gov't). Check out their track records on social security - underfunded and inefficient, medicare - same, post office -broke and inefficient, border control - are you kidding?
I'm for reform, just more sensible policies like:
1. real tort reform to reduce the huge cost of defensive medicine
2. Cut the cord and give individual control of their own insurance - don't link it to employment. Tax changes could easily do this.
3. Allow cross state competition.
4. encourage more "first $" competition on payments for services - this will change the way health care is purchased and put more accountability in the hands of consumerts.
5. Yes we need a way to pay for the millions of uninsured - but we can do that through expanding current programs and providing coverage for the poor.
Do this and health care improves and instead of having a govenment run disaster, we have some real reform and actual cost savings.
signed - an American with a much better solution!
<blockquote>...they will invent new and astonishing ways to waste our precious dollars.</blockquote>
Really? Such as...? Oh wait...they wouldn't be "new and astonishing" if you could think of them, would they?
Come on. That's the flimsiest last-ditch argument I've yet seen against the public option. We really do need the public option.
I strongly feel that the tobacco industry really needs to be dealt with severely and hope that PM really goes all the way in dealing with tobacco.
"5) make cigarettes unpalatable or unaddictive, because then people would be able to more easily stop using them; "
This one caught my eye. I can't believe that tobacco companies could get away with making cigarettes so addictive for so long.
Also, another point I want to raise. It makes me angry that the more we stay away from smoking in the West, the more that these tobacco companies prey on third world countries who don't know the dangers of smoking.
Tobacco companies are no better than drug dealers!
I think of the difference it would make in our country if people weren't so frantically fearful about their health. You get some ghastly pain and think, "Is this the big one? is this the severe pain that kills me?"
I could probably afford to find out what is wrong with me, but could not possibly afford to get it fixed. So far the gruesome sudden pains haven't killed me tho they are awful often and always full of dread. I tell people that the only health care I can afford is a copy of Final Exit.
It's bleak knowing that your country doesn't give a damn for you, but brays and pontificates about the obscene profits of the health insurance corporations. You are entirely welcome to pay Aetna CEO Ron William's $24 million dollar annual compensation and United Wealthcare CEO Steve Hemsley's $102,741 per hour compensation, but I want the liberty of a sensible choice, part of what should be our commonwealth in what, someday, will be the beloved community of our nation.
Thank you, Wendell, for your courage.
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