Open Left

The $100 billion gorilla in the room... (4.00 / 1)

By focusing on the "public option," as opposed to single-payer reforms, what Congress and the Beltway insiders have done is take our attention from money that must be used to extend patient care, which is the obscene profits, expenses and overhead that insurers take out of the system (and recycle into political donations.)  

This pool of money runs anywhere from $100 to $200 billion annually (many interpretatios available on that figure), and there are additional expenses occurred on the hospital billing side as they fight with these insurers.  

One of the reasons that single-payer activists have been pushing for a more wide-ranging debate is that from our point of view it is impossible to imagine successful healthcare reform that covers everyone but doesn't use this money.  Moreover, strong organizing for the progressive choice here, single-payer reforms, should make it easier to achieve some form of public option.

Is there a way to incorporate these concerns into this project, as well as to quantify how many Congressmen are "yes, buts"...(yes, i support single-payer reforms, but i don't think they're possible right now) ?

The National Nurses Organizing Committee (AFL-CIO) is the largest RN union in U.S. history, representing thousands of activist nurses in all 50 states, and leading the fight for guaranteed healthcare, patient safety, and nurse rights.

---

by: National Nurses Movement @ Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 14:22:53 PM CDT