Health care: it's all about choices

[ljm2002]

Remember the "Harry and Louise" ads that were so effective against Hillary Clinton's first attempt to reform health care? I think we (and by "we" I mean some well funded liberal think tank or policy organization) could run similarly effective ads, using a similar argument, but arguing for single payer universal health care. To wit:

1 -- A scenario where Louise wants to go to Dr. Helen Smith for her exam this year. But "Harry" changed jobs, and Dr. Smith is not on the PPO list. Sure, Louise can still go to her -- if they can afford the $75 co-pay. But they can't this time. So she is left poring over the PPO list, trying to figure out who might be a good substitute... Is this what is meant by "choices"? (a similar scenario works for HMOs)

2 -- A scenario where Harry is trying to get approval for a procedure that any sensible person would see as necessary for his condition -- say, plastic surgery to regain full functioning of his right eye after an injury in a car accident. But it is rejected because it is considered to be "cosmetic surgery". (I'm sure there are other, better examples that could be used). This decision was made against the recommendations of his doctor -- by an insurance adjuster three states over, without any medical training whatsoever. Is this what the defenders of the current system mean when they say "choices"?

3 -- A scenario where Harry says he'd like to get a better job. He's gone as far as he can in this one, no more advancement possible. The competitor across town has an opening for a management position, and Harry interviewed for the job. Got an offer too, had to turn it down because of a pre-existing medical condition that the new job's insurance will not cover. Is this what we mean by "more choices" under the current system?

4 -- This one is more generic, but still. Give some details about the Ford plant that moved from Detroit (or was it Lansing?) to across the border in Canada. The costs of health care that the company has to carry were cited in the move. Is this what we mean by "choices" in our current system?

In all of these cases, a single payer, universal health care system would have made a concrete difference and would have provided REAL choices. Right now people are locked into a system that gives them fewer, not more options. Somehow we have to get across to people, that the limitations we are living with are of our own making and can and must be changed.

[Warpy]

1. Then there is my favorite

Harry is at the breakfast table, slumped over and purple, clutching his chest, while Louise is calling around to find out which ambulance service and which hospital will be approved for the heart attack Harry is clearly dying from at exactly that moment.

Choice, my ass.

When we can choose when and how to get sick, then health care will belong in the consumer marketplace.

[Cleita]

3. Also, they can show the ambulance going from emergency

room to emergency room because none of them will accept his HMO.

[Cleita]

2. Good idea!

I hope some pro-singlepayeruniveralhealthcare organization steps up to the plate. Maybe it's time to ask the Physicians For a National Health Plan http://www.pnhp.org to do so and get the donations to them to pay for those ads.

[sunonmars]

4. speaking of which

Speaking of which, I wish they would hold Obama to some scrutiny because the guy is a phony. Change, I don't think so

http://www.factcheck.org/obamas_creative_clippings.html

If the media starts to look seriously at the ins and outs of Obama, would he really be so far ahead. I don't think so.

[ljm2002]

5. And this has to do with the original post...

...how???

Please. If you want to attack Obama be my guest. But at least, make it relevant to the issue at hand.

[NMMNG]

6. Show a family crying over the casket of their dead daughter

She died when Cigna refused to pay for her liver transplant. Can't have their CEO living on less than $12.35 million a year, can we? :sarcasm:

[ljm2002]

8. While that case is certainly enough to enrage...

...I don't think it is as effective as a message ad. Because it is an extreme case, and while there are many such cases, we don't tend to identify as strongly, perhaps because of that human trait of believing that the worst cannot really happen to us. Whereas, in the scenarios I outlined, many people can identify directly with those scenarios, and not only can we imagine it happening to us, for many people it in fact IS happening to them, right now. That's why it may be more effective.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

7. Here's another one:

1. CEO of insurance company or HMO addressing a business group about the importance of preventive care and regular testing. Cut to a scene of middle-aged person on the phone with the insurance company:"No, we will not cover your cancer screening because you haven't met your $5000 deductible."


2. Person on phone with health insurance company. "So you think I'm an idea candidate for a Health Savings Account? How much would that be?...Let me get this straight: It's $50 more per month in premiums AND I have to put $200 a month into the savings account?"

[PoiBoy]

9. Just about any scene from "Sicko"

...would answer anything the Corporate propagandists could ever come up with... IMO...

[ljm2002]

10. Maybe so...

...but why don't we see any "issues ads" for this very hot issue?

This issue is on everyone's minds -- and that is in no small part due to Sicko, no doubt about it.

We need to strike when the iron is hot. Even if the eventual Democratic nominee has a platform that is looking for incremental change -- mandated health insurance -- we can pressure them for real change. It will take a groundswell of public opinion. And that is where issues ads come in: they can create such a groundswell.

If the eventual nominee is anyone but Kucinich -- and that seems a fair prediction to make -- then we have a candidate who is not fully committed to universal single payer health care. But if we can somehow convince the electorate that USPHC is really what they want and need, perhaps the issue can be forced.

The most effective way to communicate policy issues seems to be ads that personalize the issues. So that is what I would like to see. Especially since our ads would be truthful, and not intended to deceive, unlike the "Harry and Louise" ads of yore.

[MountainLaurel]

11. And don't forget

The elderly widow living on $300/month from her husband's SS benefits who has to choose between paying for her blood pressure medication and paying the gas bill in the middle of winter.

[ljm2002]

12. Yes, absolutely...

...is this what we mean by "choices" with the current system?

Thanks!