Democratic Primaries
Related: About this forumIndustry Group Lying About Medicare For All Loses The American Medical Association
Last edited Sun Dec 1, 2019, 03:11 PM - Edit history (1)
Purveyors of lies during the Obamacare fight, the American Medical Association has awakened to the barbaric immorality of our current system and begun to chart its own path. With a milestone of this magnitude in our rear-view mirror, I am more confident than ever that Medicare For All is our nation's destiny. Healthcare is a human right, except in the Land of the Free, founded on the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. You can't exactly do that if you're dead or incapacitated by preventable (sometimes curable) diseases!
The American Medical Associations decision to leave an industry-backed, anti-single payer group didnt happen on its own. It was the result of dedicated organizing to make healthcare a human right.
BY CONNIE HUYNH
November 25, 2019
[Full Text At Link]
The path to winning Medicare Care for All will be a case study of establishment forces doing all they can to detract, block and stave off progress.
With so many entities that profit immensely from our broken healthcare system, we will have to remove countless barriers along the way. The American Medical Association (AMA), a highly influential player in this debate, made a major move in August when it backed out of the Partnership for Americas Health Care Future (PAHCF), the lead industry group created to ensure Medicare for All does not become a reality.
As the movement toward Medicare for All gains steam, with presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren touting the proposal on the campaign trail, the mounting threat to insurance companies and Big Pharma is becoming more and more clear. The end of private insurance, or at least most forms of it, stands as an existential threat to the future of these obscenely profitable corporations.
They should be scared. Close to a majority of Democrats in the U.S. House are now co-sponsoring Rep. Pramila Jayapals Medicare for All bill. Healthcare has become a dominant issue in the 2020 Democratic primary. Medicare is one of the most popular programs in American history, and at a time when good jobs with guaranteed healthcare are hard to find, it makes sense that Americans want to expand it.
[Full Text At Link]
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)The stories are nonsense, but we read them anyway.
A testament to the power of advertising, and its cousin, propaganda.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
corbettkroehler
(1,898 posts)To everyone advocating for Medicare For All during the primary, I cry: Go, Single Payer, Go!
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)Break the hold of the rich on the US healthcare system.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
corbettkroehler
(1,898 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
I_UndergroundPanther
(12,452 posts)Give them no loopholes tax them at 90% on assets and all income including off shore accounts, saving accounts,stocks,inheritance and luxury items. Give them no pity, peace or excuses.
Break the parasite pigs.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)And that alone made it very difficult to accumulate billions.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
JoeOtterbein
(7,698 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
YOHABLO
(7,358 posts)Of course you have, because it's ''enrollment time''. So what is it they're selling? Let's get this straight, it ain't Medicare. No it's Medicare Advantage. Ah, and it's a supplemental to take care of all the services that regular Medicare won't cover. Is that what we continue to want with M4A? I don't.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
corbettkroehler
(1,898 posts)Senator Sanders has made it abundantly clear that his legislation CORRECTS the current deficiencies in Medicare. Key among them:
Create a Medicare for All, single-payer, national health insurance program to provide everyone in America with comprehensive health care coverage, free at the point of service.
No networks, no premiums, no deductibles, no copays, no surprise bills.
Medicare coverage will be expanded and improved to include: include dental, hearing, vision, and home- and community-based long-term care, in-patient and out-patient services, mental health and substance abuse treatment, reproductive and maternity care, prescription drugs, and more.
Stop the pharmaceutical industry from ripping off the American people by making sure that no one in America pays over $200 a year for the medicine they need by capping what Americans pay for prescription drugs under Medicare for All.
[Read more on his official campaign site]
[Read his Senate Bill on the official Library Of Congress site]
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
woundedkarma
(498 posts)I hadn't heard that before. Nice to see.
I think the phrasing of it has been terrible. It should have been medicaid for all. Those of us who know the difference know that medicare for all as it stands instead of medicaid for all as it stands would be a horrible scam.
Medicaid is the one that covers everything for poor people and the disabled. Medicare is the way we screw the elderly.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
mopinko
(69,812 posts)i had a roommate for a while that was on medicaid here in illinois, and her coverage, tho she had to sift through her options to figure out which plan to sign up for, it was much easier than navigating medicare. she got really good coverage, including a new hip that cost her almost bupkis.
i signed up for a supplemental mostly to get out of dealing direct w medicare, and to make sure i had choice of docs. but damn, sorting through that shit hurt my brains.
and it hurt my brain to know that all this crap was because pols were trying to chip away at it, or tilt the playing field for their friends.
this is that part about single payer that makes me very nervous.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
YOHABLO
(7,358 posts)But how would we get it through Congress?
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
OhNo-Really
(3,985 posts)In my area OptumCare (a division of OptumHealth, both owned by United Health Care) stinks. Headache finding docs in-network & covered, then calling them to see if they still accept my plan because it takes OptumCare 9 months to pay the providers.
I dropped the AARP United Health Care Medicare Advantage and returned to Traditional Medicare so I can see the docs I prefer & use the hospitals nearest to me. Also, lower co-pays and a $198 deductible instead of $5,000
Should be called Medicare Disadvantage in my area. Avoid OptumCare,United uses this in a few states. I think its a kiting scam
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Beartracks
(12,761 posts)I know someone who uses AARP United Health Care Medicare Advantage, and it seems "okay." Fortunately, their spouse is still working so she has two insurances, which generally means she never has any out of pocket costs (copays and such) -- except for one of her doctors who does steroid injections. He's the only doc that doesn't take the AARP/UH plan, but he WOULD take "regular" Medicare. So she has considered going to "regular" Medicare to ensure that these procedures get fully covered by both insurances, but she's not sure what that's going to do for her other docs and her prescriptions (of which there are many). Her big question is: would the savings she enjoys by getting the injections fully covered be more than eaten up by an increase in all the other copays and prescription costs? She doesn't know which way to go.
Sorry, I guess that's not really the same question as in my post title. LOL I would be interested to hear in more detail what your experience has been in terms of costs when switching back to regular ol' Medicare.
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primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
KPN
(15,587 posts)from my experience. By the way, Medicare does cover just about everything via its various parts; Part B and D primarily. The premium are cheap (relative to private insurance plans especially). Medicate Advantage is essentially privatized Medicare in which you sign up for all the parts (B, C and D) that you can otherwise purchase directly from Medicare.
Heres the thing you are already paying for Medicare Part A via the 1.4 percent taken out of your paycheck. The other Parts are relatively cheap.
Medicare with all its parts is still cheaper with better benefits than anything else I can find ... and ive done a lot of looking and figuring.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
YOHABLO
(7,358 posts)Also a $135.00 premium. Correct me if I'm wrong please.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
KPN
(15,587 posts)Last edited Sun Dec 1, 2019, 02:42 AM - Edit history (1)
per year. Are you complaining about that? You could pass on Part B and purchase Medicare Advantage instead. Or shill out another couple thousand and get virtually 100% coverage via a supplemental plan in addition to Part B so $4000 fore. no out of pocket. Yeah, thats a lot of money on a modest budget, but it sure beats other alternatives currently available.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Autumn
(44,765 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
I_UndergroundPanther
(12,452 posts)Universal single payer is the best way.fuck those who let fear and propaganda win.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
appalachiablue
(41,056 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
groundloop
(11,488 posts)I don't care what we call it, Medicare for All, Single Payer, whatever, our for-profit medical insurance has us at a severe disadvantage to countries who see good healthcare as a right and not a privilege.
To anyone who says we can't afford 'IT' I call bullshit. Just look at how much less citizens in other countries pay for healthcare and how much better their outcomes are.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
corbettkroehler
(1,898 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Beartracks
(12,761 posts)Wouldn't work for WHOM, exactly?
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primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
YOHABLO
(7,358 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Uncle Joe
(58,112 posts)Thanks for the thread corbettkroehler.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
woundedkarma
(498 posts)Instead of talking about how this will hurt insurance companies or help families...
We should be talking about how much every corporation that ISN"T part of the insurance industry will save per year.
See how fast we get medicare/medicaid for all then.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
stopdiggin
(11,095 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
OhNo-Really
(3,985 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
stopdiggin
(11,095 posts)The article reads:
Didn't even get a majority vote to "stop opposing."
To be crystal clear, the AMA has not endorsed M4A
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
corbettkroehler
(1,898 posts)Once we clear the primaries, though, I am convinced that the AMA will endorse M4A.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
stopdiggin
(11,095 posts)and I have no argument with that (I responded to another poster that was making overreaching claims)
I think your optimism about an outright endorsement is unlikely (but it wouldn't bother me at all to be wrong on this one) .. but it's obvious that the work done to change the AMA position THIS far is effective and bearing fruit. NOT to be ignored or underestimated. Good work!
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)bad debt, when you cut through all the BS).
But the OP withdrawal is simply acknowledging they'd be better off not explicitly siding with Health Insurance industry, which AMA has hated for years -- industry has cost them money by cutting rates closer and closer to Medicare, promoted utilization and quality standards, etc.
If some candidate were promoting MFA -- with payment rates for docs 150% of current Medicare rates, the AMA would be all over that. I bet. But, they'd fight until the end if it's MFA at current Medicare rates or lower, with tougher utilization and quality standards.
But withdrawing is a good sign for us -- whether one supports MFA or a Public Option -- but it's hardly a big victory.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Doitnow
(1,103 posts)has propelled this issue into the forefront of today's major issues.
Go, Bernie!
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
democrank
(11,052 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
stonecutter357
(12,682 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
highplainsdem
(48,732 posts)That's the text link in the second paragraph in your excerpt, which goes to this article at The Hill:
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/457619-american-medical-association-drops-out-of-anti-medicare-for-all-coalition
The AMA said it is leaving the industry group called the Partnership for Americas Health Care Future, which has been running ads against Medicare for All and public option proposals from the leading Democratic candidates for president.
However, the doctors groups CEO, Dr. James Madara, said in a statement that the AMA still opposes Medicare for All. It just wants to focus its energies on advocating for solutions, such as improving ObamaCare by making its subsidies for helping people afford coverage more generous.
The American Medical Association (AMA) firmly believes that the best pathway to expand affordable, high quality health insurance coverage to all Americans is through a mix of private and public health insurance options, Madara said in a statement. We remain opposed to Medicare for All, and policies that reduce patient choice and competition, and are built on flawed financing policies.
-snip-
Emphasis added.
Sounds to me as if they dropped out of that industry group because the group was also running ads against the public option.
But thee AMA still opposes MFA.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Myrddin
(327 posts)The collective principle asserts that ... no society can legitimately call itself civilised if a sick person is denied medical aid because of lack of means.
?Aneurin Bevan, In Place of Fear, p. 100
On the 'appointed day', 5 July 1948, Bevan's National Health Service Act 1946 came into force. On the day, Bevan attended a ceremony at the Park Hospital, Trafford (now Trafford General), at which he symbolically received the keys to the hospital.[63] The scheme was achieved having overcome political opposition from both the Conservative Party and from within his own party. Confrontation with the British Medical Association (BMA) was led by Charles Hill, who published a letter in the British Medical Journal describing Bevan as "a complete and uncontrolled dictator". Members of the BMA had dubbed him the "Tito of Tonypandy".[47][64] They threatened to derail the National Health Service scheme before it had even begun, as medical practitioners continued to withhold their support just months before the launch of the service. After eighteen months of ongoing dispute between the Ministry of Health and the BMA, Bevan finally managed to win over the support of the vast majority of the medical profession by offering a couple of minor concessions, including allowing consultants to keep their own private practices, but without compromising the fundamental principles of his National Health Service proposals. Bevan later gave the famous quote that, to broker the deal, "I stuffed their mouths with gold".
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided