Healthcare on Marc Steiner Show
Kevin Zeese did an excellent job on the Marc Steiner show yesterday but there are three misleading points made by the opposition to single-payer that I would like to address in the detail section; satisfaction with the present system, jobs, and funding.
Red herring 1; Most people like the present healthcare they have.
a. Most of the people who like their healthcare have never had a major illness.
b. People in these surveys have no alternative to compare against.
c. A much fairer surevy would be to question the people on Medicare and see what percentage of them would rather have private insurance.
Red herring 2; Destroying the private health insurance industry would put too many people out of work.
a. Our economy can no longer afford to have people paid to do jobs that are unproductive. We should have welfare and assitance for the unemployed but it should be for everyone and not just to keep one industry that is helping to destroy our economy.
b. Private insurance could still sell supplmental insurance as it now does for Medicare. This would be a productive function that would keep many people still employed.
Red herring 3. We can tax alcohol and cigarettes to fund an alternative approach.
a. Any taxation system could be used to fund single-payer as well as alternatives. The method of funding has nothing to do with justifying one system over another.
b. Taxing alcohol and cigarettes will hurt many who are addicted. Better to use education through a national system to reduce addictions than taxation.
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Thanks
Thanks for your comments.
After the show there were a number of things I wanted to say, you raise some of them.
On Red Herring 2, I'd add that the California Nurses Association did a study that found a net gain of 2.5 million jobs under single payer. With nearly 50 million having insurance and 50 million more finally having adequate insurance it will mean more need for doctors, nurses and hospital personnel.
I wish I had also pointed out, in response to his claim about town hall meetings and how he 'listened' that people who have gone to his meetings have reported the opposite. The meetings had a preordained conclusion and anyone who brought up single payer was told -- that is not what we are here to discuss.
So much for listening.
KZ
A few more points
On jobs; Removing the burden of business funded healthcare could also lead to a surge in small businesses that could create jobs.
On sin taxes; If sin taxes really helped people get off addiction then those measures wouldn't generate any new revenue; less people being addicted means less revenue. The only real way to fund, is a more progressive tax system.
On Republican objections; After decades of saying business is more efficient than government in every endeavor, the Republicans said yesterday that public run programs are unfair because they would be more efficient!!
On Congress; How many of them have given up their government subsidized health insurance so they can have more choice and better care in private health insurance?
On Obama; Here is yesterday's Obama letter using Red-herring 1. A careful reading of Obama shows that he is obstacle number one.
"The plans you are discussing embody my core belief that Americans should have better choices for health insurance, building on the principle that if they like the coverage they have now, they can keep it, while seeing their costs lowered as our reforms take hold.