Help Me or I Will Die - Democratic Underground

unapatriciated

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Sat Apr-04-09 09:35 AM
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Help Me or I Will Die

Edited on Sat Apr-04-09 09:58 AM by unapatriciated

An Open Letter to Congress: Help Me or I Will Die
by Donna Smith
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Representative Eric Massa of New York said this week that in the 86 days since he took office, he has received many letters from his constituents. Some are general letters supporting him or proposed legislation; some letters express disagreement with some of what Congress is working on. Other letters begin with the phrase, "Help me, or I might lose my house," Massa said. But at least once every other day, Congressman Massa reads the words, "Help me or I will die," as a constituent from his great state falls through the gaping holes in the healthcare system we have today.

Thirty-five letters in 86 days.

"Help me or I will die," we write to them in ever increasing numbers. Help me, we beg. And while Massa said he doesn't know how any Congressional member goes to sleep at night without thinking about these letters he knows all of his colleagues must get too, we know that many don't yet know what our reality looks like or certainly what it feels like. Or worse, they still just don't care.

Healthcare reform is a priority, they tell us. Health insurance mandates. Buy the product, they say, and you'll be OK. Buying insurance will mean everyone has healthcare, they seem to be trying to say. Yet over the course of more than half a century, more and more Americans are dying in a system more and more controlled by corporate greed.

"Help me or I will die," we keep writing. We keep pleading.

Some Congressional members are fighting for a different sort of system. They are fighting for a publicly financed, privately delivered system. But their fight is being squelched by those advocating for our forced participation - through mandates - in an expansion of the health insurance profiteering that has killed so many of our citizens already. And as the push for mandates deepens, the insurance CEOs will grow ever more fond of the members of Congress who will build their customer bases exponentially - and fatten their salaries and bonuses at exactly the same time 14,000 regular Jane's and Joe's every single day in America are losing their employer based healthcare benefits when they lose their jobs.

"Help me or I will die," we write in the insistent drumbeat of human suffering in America that is so far answered with caucus meetings and political calculations and lots of special attention to protecting the insurance industry and its profits........

Help us. Help us. Help us. We're going to keep writing and calling and voting until you do

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/04/03-1

When will we take the greed and profit out of caring for the sick and dying?

Here is a good link regarding the myths of Universal Health Care

http://cthealth.server101.com/the_case_for_universal_health_care_in_the_united_states.htm

my favorite....

Myth Two: Universal Health Care Would Be Too Expensive
Fact One: The United States spends at least 40% more per capita on health care than any other industrialized country with universal health care

Fact Two: Federal studies by the Congressional Budget Office and the General Accounting office show that single payer universal health care would save 100 to 200 Billion dollars per year despite covering all the uninsured and increasing health care benefits.

Fact Three: State studies by Massachusetts and Connecticut have shown that single payer universal health care would save 1 to 2 Billion dollars per year from the total medical expenses in those states despite covering all the uninsured and increasing health care benefits

Fact Four: The costs of health care in Canada as a % of GNP, which were identical to the United States when Canada changed to a single payer, universal health care system in 1971, have increased at a rate much lower than the United States, despite the US economy being much stronger than Canada’s.

Conclusion: Single payer universal health care costs would be lower than the current US system due to lower administrative costs. The United States spends 50 to 100% more on administration than single payer systems. By lowering these administrative costs the United States would have the ability to provide universal health care, without managed care, increase benefits and still save money