The Politics of Health Insurance

Obviously Democrats need to pass a health care reform bill. They've dominated two consecutive elections, and they have made health care a big priority, and to fail at this big priority would effectively tell the country that Democrats fail at getting things done. Not that the Republicans would do it any better, of course.

And, also just as obvious, Republicans need health care to fail. Why would a Republican support a health care bill? Well, obviously it would be good for his/her constituents, but since when did they really care about that more than special interest money? Tactically, they need it to fail, because if it passes even semi-intact it will show the nation that Democrats are more serious than Republicans about fixing the country, and are better at it.

So the Democrats are finally waking up and realizing, 'oh, shit, Republicans aren't going to support a health care bill!' It only took them 8 months. They wanted it to be 'bipartisan.' They wanted to 'compromise.' Republicans didn't give a shit about any of that stuff. They weren't interested in working together for health care reform. They just wanted, and used, every opportunity possible to water down the bill, and water down support. 

Let me just say this: I'm not overly optimistic about Obama passing a health care reform bill. They've lost a lot of public support, (although these stupid ass old white people at town hall meetings are quite small in number) and Obama hasn't defined the debate on his terms. Rather, he's let the GOP do the defining, and he's losing the debate because of it. 

Moving on...I just read on the front page of the SF Chronicle that the Republican National Committee sent out a survey to all registered republicans, and included a question that read..."It has been suggested that the government could use voter registration to determine a person's political affiliation, prompting fears that GOP voters might be discriminated against for medical treatment in a Democrat imposed health care rationing system. Does this possibility concern you?"

Are you serious? Talk about misinformation. I mean, jesus. They really told registered Republicans that they would be discriminated against and given less care because they were Republicans if a health care reform bill was to pass. Its simply garbage, and yet the GOP uses it, and it works. 

Health care is such a tricky subject, and I really think it comes down to greed. People might be socially liberal or progressive, but they don't want others to be able to get health care if they can't afford it. I had a very long discussion with a socially liberal/economically conservative friend who made an argument that she simply didn't want to pay for others to have health care. Even when I told her that it would save us money long term, she didn't want to help people without health insurance acquire the kind of care she gets. 

Now...I have great health coverage. I have never had to pay a co-pay or anything when I go to kaiser. Any and all of my appointments are free, and I never have to pay for a prescription. Would I be willing to sacrifice some of that to help others acquire coverage? Yes, I would. But thats the exception, not the rule. 

I hear arguments about how we shouldn't help people gain coverage if they don't have it, because they 'must have fucked up' somehow. People aren't stupid if they don't have health coverage. People aren't rejects of society because they don't have health coverage. Honest, hard-working, employed, everyday Americans don't have health coverage. And that is unacceptable. 

To relate this to the title, we need to stop making health care a political issue. Health care should not be somewhere for stupid capitalists to make money and screw people. The Government should make sure that each and every one of its citizens receives good and inexpensive coverage. That is its responsibility, and they have disregarded that responsibility for too long.