The political process in America is fascinating. It always starts with an objective and analytical assessment of any subject and gets filtered by special interest groups and then by media biased towards the left and right wings, and gets further synthesized into talking points based on polls leaving us with watered down bills. I guess this is part of our democratic process.
When I came to the United States a decade ago, my employer provided PPO insurance cost $50 for both me and my wife. Subsequently I worked for a start up in 2001 when I paid a customary $1 for a high quality insurance. I heard back then that the cost to my employer was $250 a month towards my premium. Today I pay $450 each month out of pocket for premium and I heard it costs my company $20,000 annually in addition, towards my premium. If this is not day light robbery, I don't know what is.
My point is the following: The 80 percent of Americans that are "satisfied" with the care and worry about this reform costing tax payer dollars to cover 50 million uninsured, should look back and see what they paid in the past and what it costs today. The cost has sky rocketed over the past decade and will continue the trend if we don't have course correction now. Universal Coverage seems to be only one part of the reform. There are many aspects - that insurance companies don't drop patients due to pre-existing conditions, competitive premiums where private insurance companies need to compete with Government offered options are just a few that make this reform very appealing.
We have been accepting choices in front of us without rationalizing or questioning whether the costs of drugs, hospital care and doctor visits are justified. Part of the problem is our lack of exposure as citizens to similar experiences in other countries around the world. We have a tendency to demonize Universal coverage in other developed countries without a subjective assessment by mainstream news organizations and cable TV networks. Here is an example: I paid $120 for a prescription skin cream for my dad who was visiting us from India several years ago which cost $20 for the exact same combination drug in India !
The debate is now turning into a big circus with the right wing assault and scare tactics in full swing with chatter about "death panels". This is just another attempt by zealous polarized conservatives who have no substantive debating left in them and are trying to swift boat the reform. Blind ideology is disabling our ability to have a reasonable debate on what the reform is about and why it is important. Democrats need to step up to the plate and make this an objective reform. They should stop pandering to their special interest groups - namely the trial lawyers and the unions and force them to make concessions. Congressional democrats don't seem to have the appetite or the nerve to fix either of these two. They need funding from groups like these to win elections and most of them will care more for their self interest than the collective good of their constituents unless each of us force our representatives to do otherwise.
America has been on the downhill the past few years. If we intend to not crash our economy further into the ground we need to engage in objective reform that positively impacts every American - Republican or Democrat. For this, those that are legislating should present a plan that does not pander to any special interest. The cost of doing nothing is a path that will continue to lead us towards exponential cost increases and eventual bankruptcy of this country.
When Congress reconvenes in September, we will be witness to what can be either an opportunity to put America back on track or a missed opportunity that future generations would reflect on and say "if only ...." !
When I came to the United States a decade ago, my employer provided PPO insurance cost $50 for both me and my wife. Subsequently I worked for a start up in 2001 when I paid a customary $1 for a high quality insurance. I heard back then that the cost to my employer was $250 a month towards my premium. Today I pay $450 each month out of pocket for premium and I heard it costs my company $20,000 annually in addition, towards my premium. If this is not day light robbery, I don't know what is.
My point is the following: The 80 percent of Americans that are "satisfied" with the care and worry about this reform costing tax payer dollars to cover 50 million uninsured, should look back and see what they paid in the past and what it costs today. The cost has sky rocketed over the past decade and will continue the trend if we don't have course correction now. Universal Coverage seems to be only one part of the reform. There are many aspects - that insurance companies don't drop patients due to pre-existing conditions, competitive premiums where private insurance companies need to compete with Government offered options are just a few that make this reform very appealing.
We have been accepting choices in front of us without rationalizing or questioning whether the costs of drugs, hospital care and doctor visits are justified. Part of the problem is our lack of exposure as citizens to similar experiences in other countries around the world. We have a tendency to demonize Universal coverage in other developed countries without a subjective assessment by mainstream news organizations and cable TV networks. Here is an example: I paid $120 for a prescription skin cream for my dad who was visiting us from India several years ago which cost $20 for the exact same combination drug in India !
The debate is now turning into a big circus with the right wing assault and scare tactics in full swing with chatter about "death panels". This is just another attempt by zealous polarized conservatives who have no substantive debating left in them and are trying to swift boat the reform. Blind ideology is disabling our ability to have a reasonable debate on what the reform is about and why it is important. Democrats need to step up to the plate and make this an objective reform. They should stop pandering to their special interest groups - namely the trial lawyers and the unions and force them to make concessions. Congressional democrats don't seem to have the appetite or the nerve to fix either of these two. They need funding from groups like these to win elections and most of them will care more for their self interest than the collective good of their constituents unless each of us force our representatives to do otherwise.
America has been on the downhill the past few years. If we intend to not crash our economy further into the ground we need to engage in objective reform that positively impacts every American - Republican or Democrat. For this, those that are legislating should present a plan that does not pander to any special interest. The cost of doing nothing is a path that will continue to lead us towards exponential cost increases and eventual bankruptcy of this country.
When Congress reconvenes in September, we will be witness to what can be either an opportunity to put America back on track or a missed opportunity that future generations would reflect on and say "if only ...." !
Insurance sector is touted to have the next boom in India !!!! hopefully i will not be forced to post something like this in times to come.
ReplyDeleteBut tell me do you have a choice at all to choose the premium and benefits at an individual capacity or is it that there are way too many options and it causes paralysis?
In the grand scheme of things if your employer provided option is not goof enough, the reform is expected to provide choices to individuals to choose from a government provided plan. It will not be an ideal situation. The closest analogy to public health system is the public education system. There are public schools and private schools. Those that can afford and those that are not in favor of a public school system can choose to send their kids to a private school. But getting your kids to school (public or private) is mandatory, save those that home school their kids.
ReplyDelete