Sebelius Carries the President’s Water on Health Reform
Morgen on June 16, 2009 at 11:58 am
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius seems to be assuming a much more prominent role in advocating for the President’s health reform plan in the media. Here are some highlights from an interview with the AP today:
In an interview with The Associated Press, Sebelius said that President Barack Obama does not want to drive health insurers out of business, but make them more competitive by offering working families and small businesses the option of a public plan without the high overhead costs of marketing, administration and profits.
…
The idea of a public plan has drawn sharp opposition from the insurance industry, which sees it as a step toward a government-run system like in Canada or the United Kingdom. Business groups, doctors and hospitals also have concerns. Republicans have made the issue the cornerstone of their opposition to Obama’s health care push. And while liberals enthusiastically support a government plan, conservative Democrats are leery.Sebelius said that Obama is not trying to run insurers out of town.
The notion that a public option “is really the stalking horse” for a government-run system “is not accurate,” Sebelius said.
We’ve highlighted this video before, but compare/contrast what Sebelius said to the AP today with what she had to say on this topic at a forum at Harvard University in 2007:
“I’m all for a single-payer system…eventually“. In case it’s not clear, the public plan “option” IS the Administration’s strategy for “closing the gap”.
I don’t see how anyone who admittedly prefers a single-payer system…one with NO competition…can now advocate for a public plan strategy on the basis that it will provide MORE competition in the market. This is a contradictory and blatantly dishonest argument. They are not in favor of more competition – the only thing they are in favor of is expanding the nation’s dependance on government-run health care. As I said in my original post, if Secretary Sebelius (and the President) think that a single-payer, fully nationalized system is a “better cause”, than why they can’t be honest with the American people about why the public plan is so critically important to them?
Category: Health & Education, Politics |
Why do I feel as though I’m in a bad dream and can’t wake up…? For some reason or other, I keep dreaming Obama is president, and Sebelius is trying to make the private health insurance plan that I have now go away, and replace it with a government one…in my dream, my new government health plan has all the compassion of the IRS and all of the competency of the postal service.
Oh somebody, please tell me it’s only a bad dream…!!!!!
June 16, 2009 @ 2:48 pmYour dream will soon become reality as Obamanation spreads his stench across our nation.
June 16, 2009 @ 8:52 pmMy favorite line:
If memory serves me, I read an article many moons ago that some like out of every dollar spent on welfare, only 25 or 35 cents make to the people that need it? Maybe somebody has better numbers…..
June 17, 2009 @ 6:44 amAMERICA’S NATIONAL HEALTHCARE EMERGENCY!
It’s official. America and the World are now in a GLOBAL PANDEMIC. A World EPIDEMIC with potential catastrophic consequences for ALL of the American people. The first PANDEMIC in 41 years. And WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES will have to face this PANDEMIC with the 37th worst quality of healthcare in the developed World.
STAND READY AMERICA TO SEIZE CONTROL OF YOUR NATIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.
We spend over twice as much of our GDP on healthcare as any other country in the World. And Individual American spend about ten times as much out of pocket on healthcare as any other people in the World. All because of GREED! And the PRIVATE FOR PROFIT healthcare system in America.
And while all this is going on, some members of congress seem mostly concern about how to protect the corporate PROFITS! of our GREED DRIVEN, PRIVATE FOR PROFIT NATIONAL DISGRACE. A PRIVATE FOR PROFIT DISGRACE that is in fact, totally valueless to the public health. And a detriment to national security, public safety, and the public health.
Progressive democrats and others should stand firm in their demand for a robust public option for all Americans, with all of the minimum requirements progressive democrats demanded. If congress can not pass a robust public option with at least 51 votes and all robust minimum requirements, congress should immediately move to scrap healthcare reform and demand that President Obama declare a state of NATIONAL HEALTHCARE EMERGENCY! Seizing and replacing all PRIVATE FOR PROFIT health insurance plans with the immediate implementation of National Healthcare for all Americans under the provisions of HR676 (A Single-payer National Healthcare Plan For All).
Coverage can begin immediately through our current medicare system. With immediate expansion through recruitment of displaced workers from the canceled private sector insurance industry. Funding can also begin immediately by substitution of payroll deductions for private insurance plans with payroll deductions for the national healthcare plan. This is what the vast majority of the American people want. And this is what all objective experts unanimously agree would be the best, and most cost effective for the American people and our economy.
In Mexico on average people who received medical care for A-H1N1 (Swine Flu) with in 3 days survived. People who did not receive medical care until 7 days or more died. This has been the same results in the US. But 50 million Americans don’t even have any healthcare coverage. And at least 200 million of you with insurance could not get in to see your private insurance plans doctors in 2 or 3 days, even if your life depended on it. WHICH IT DOES!
Contact congress and your representatives NOW! AND SPREAD THE WORD!
God Bless You
Jacksmith – WORKING CLASS
June 17, 2009 @ 8:03 amThis woman scares me…and she should scare you all. She is a dangerous in her thinking as this president.
June 17, 2009 @ 10:13 amThe problem is, what is good for the goose is not good for the gander. While the American public will be stuck with limited healthcare, long waits for referrals, limited options, long waits for surgery authorization, etc.
All, while the government keeps their gold standard coverage.
June 17, 2009 @ 10:59 amI think we should just get rid of health insurance all together. Let everyone suffer and die. Think of it as another prong of birth control. Obama and his crew love to kill babies, why do they care so much about children and adults? Jacksmith, this pandemic is a Malthusian dream come true.
June 17, 2009 @ 12:59 pm[...] gem from the guys at Verum Serum. The video has been up before, but it’s even better after hearing from Health & Human [...]
June 17, 2009 @ 1:05 pmJackSmith, are you sure your name isn’t jack sh*t. Do a few less bong rips, clear your head and join the rest of us on planet earth.
June 17, 2009 @ 8:52 pm[...] that anyone who says this is lying. Well Mr. President, was Russ Feingold lying about this? Was Kathleen Sebelius lying about this? Was Rep. Jan Schakowsky lying about [...]
June 19, 2009 @ 9:12 am