Contrary to what's being said on the blogs, this country is NOT all behind single-payer
Attitudes may have changed since 2006. You will recall at that time Mr Bush implemented a nationwide consultation steered by a DHHS commission, Citizens Healthcare Working Group, pursuant to the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, Sec. 1014.
Following this nationwide citizen engagement, the Working Group is required to prepare and make available to the public this interim set of recommendations on ``health care coverage and ways to improve and strengthen the health care system based on the information and preferences expressed at the community meetings.'' Following a 90-day public comment period on these recommendations, the Working Group will submit to Congress and the President a final set of recommendations. The law specifies that the President shall submit a report to congress on the recommendations within 45 days of receiving them, and designates five congressional committees that will hold hearings on that report and the recommendations: the Committee on Finance of the Senate, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions of the Senate, the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Education and the Workforce of the House of Representatives. Following are the interim recommendations of the Citizens' Health Care Working Group, along with descriptions of how we conducted our work and what we heard from participants in community meetings, respondents to our Web polls, and citizens who wrote in to tell us their views. These recommendations outline a vision and a plan for achieving broad-based change in health care in America. We recognize that the issues involved are complex and challenging, and that it will take time and a great deal of technical expertise, as well as political will, to make the changes we think are necessary. Over the next three months, we will continue to actively pursue public input as we deliberate and further refine these proposals. During this process, we will provide greater detail and explanation of our recommendations, as well as further analysis of what we are hearing from the American people before issuing the final recommendations to the Congress and the President.
Following are the interim recommendations of the Citizens' Health Care Working Group, along with descriptions of how we conducted our work and what we heard from participants in community meetings, respondents to our Web polls, and citizens who wrote in to tell us their views.
These recommendations outline a vision and a plan for achieving broad-based change in health care in America. We recognize that the issues involved are complex and challenging, and that it will take time and a great deal of technical expertise, as well as political will, to make the changes we think are necessary. Over the next three months, we will continue to actively pursue public input as we deliberate and further refine these proposals. During this process, we will provide greater detail and explanation of our recommendations, as well as further analysis of what we are hearing from the American people before issuing the final recommendations to the Congress and the President.
Some Daily Kos bloggers reported their experiences in local focus groups. I just now attempted to access Citizens Healthcare Working Group survey results, "Dialogue with America," published August, 2006, by the Bush WH, ironically. That data has been SCRUBBED. Fortunately, I copied a few data points.
Calitics: Interesting Finds on Health Care in the LA Times Poll
Extending Medicare to cover all Americans, creating a government-run system: 53% yes, 36% no
It's not public opinion that is the main obstacle - it is the vast wealth of the insurance industry, which has made both Congress and the White House reluctant to take on more fundamental and more useful reforms.
That decision can be defended. But let's be clear about what drove DC Democrats' decisions on this. It wasn't public opinion. And the world will live as one
To call either him as an individual or The Democrats as a singular entity a sell out, to make accusations that the industry wants this bill, that it's a bailout, that they're all engaging in kabuki and serving their 'masters' is really destructive, imo, as well as being generally stupid.
What good does it do? How does it help us reach our goals?
I think, given the political environment in general and the makeup of the current congress in particular, the bill is a really great start that will help millions. How are we going to build on that if we keep tearing down those who've helped make it happen? Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding. -Hobbes
abolishing the private health insurance industry
This is an AHIP fallacy repeated to undermine popular support for public financed insurance as described in H.R. 676. That bill does not compell enrollment in the public plan; nonetheless everyone is eligible to apply for coverage. The bill does not compell persons to terminate private insurance coverage, nor does it prohibit persons from purchasing private insurance. H.R. 676 does prohibit beneficiaries duplication of coverages as do all commercial insurers; all policies contain a coordination of benefits provision to prevent over-insurance i.e. duplicate payments of claims. Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
