This Week,
I wanted to comment on This Weeks' Round Table debate on Health Care. Conservative advocates, George Will and Matthew Dowd have repeated the asertion that (1) 85% of Americans are happy with their current health care plan (George Will), and (2) that Americans didn't want congress' current Health Care bill (Matthew Dodd). I disagree with them.
As a American Citizen, let me comment on these 2 points. First, there are 2 major aspects of American health coverage... One is the doctor/patient relationship and health services, and the second is the insurance payment system. I support health care reform. When I speak to people about their coverage, it's true that many people, perhaps approaching the 85% number, are happy with their doctors and the services they receive at their local clinics, but I can't find too many people who are happy with the 'other' aspect of their plan which is the payment side. Typical Americans are fed up with insurance rates soaring above expected rates of inflation to pad the profit margins of the big insurance companies. They don't like the arbitrary denial of coverage, incomprehensible billing, the inability to obtain coverage, and the skyrocketing costs. And I'm not talking about expecting to pay nothing, and getting everything in return. I'm talking about paying a reasonable rates, and knowing exactly what coverage I get receive in return. Current Health Care coverage is equivalent to a black box that you pay into: you don't know the costs of anything, and your not sure it will pay out when you really need it. That needs to change. The insurance companies have set it up that way, and I believe they like it that way. If a customer doesn't know if something is covered in the first place, how can they argue that it was when they get denied for payment. Also, I as an American am upset that in the wealthiest country in the world, we can't find a way to cover ALL Americans with some basic level of coverage. I support that, and I'd be willing to pay a bit more in taxes to see that happen, and we CAN afford it. Anyone who says we can't is lying. So to point (1), I think that poll next to be expanded to ask separate questions... How happy are you with your current doctors and services? ...and then... How happy are you with your insurance rates and your insurance company, and their level of transparency in relation to your coverage? I believe those questions would likely reveal vastly different answers.
On point (2), I disagree that American's by majority don't want health care reform as Matthew mentions. What I believe is that most Americans don't know exactly what is in the current bill because the Democrats have not controlled the messaging about what's in the bill. While I support health care reform, I can't say that I know exactly what's in the current bill. While I know it addresses some of the my key areas of concern (pre-existing conditions, long term cost controls, etc.), I couldn't tell you what's in the fine details. Matthew asserts that the American people have figured out what it is and they don't like it. I disagree... I believe that likely only 5~10% (if that) of Americans even know what's in the bill, and likely they are concentrated in the Washington D.C. area. Outside of D.C., you probably can't find too many people who know what's really going on. I'll go a step further to say that, perhaps even less than that percentage even know the fine details of their 'current' health care plans. I agree with Donna in that, because Republicans have controlled the debate on this issue, the American people have swallowed the Kool-Aid and have come out against the current bill. All they know is 'government takeover', 'death panels', 'bureaucrats in Washington', and 'tea-baggers'; because those are the talking points that the Democrats have allowed to permeate the airwaves. But how can you be against something that you don't even know what's in it? And how can you know that something is going to be worse when you don't even understand the current system you have? It's just a calculated ploy by the insurance industry and their lobbyists to maintain the status qua, at the expense of real reform.
I believe President Obama's plan to put the debate on television for all to see is a smart choice. But I want to see the full debate covered, not just this one forum. We need to open the lines of dialog, shine light onto the process, and really engage the public on the debate, and not just the nightly sound-bites. If they are able to come to some consensus in these forums, and the Republicans then still wish to vote it down, then I think, as Arianna mentioned, the Democrats are fully justified to proceed with the current bill through the reconciliation process.
Plan and simple... Americans are more ignorant about their political systems than they should be. It's a sad fact, but it's true. Health Care is one of the most important issues that has faced our nation in a long time, and I think the public needs to be engaged in it. While I'm willing to compromise some aspects of where we need to go in order to get significant reform passed, I don't agree that where we are now is a good place to be. We need to control costs, expand coverage to all, and have up-front transparency about plan coverage and it's limits.
Thank you,
antmanxp.