Sep 15 2009
If The Insurance Companies Win, You Lose
From the HCAN Blog:
Health Care for America Now launched a new ad campaign today. The message? If the insurance companies win, you lose.
We’ll be doing national and DC television, plus print and online advertising targeted at Washington. Why so much beltway focus? To make sure lawmakers on Capitol Hill understand that there will be winners and losers in the health care debate and they have a choice to make between us and the insurance companies.
Here’s the TV ad:
Up until today, I have actively supported the campaign to provide affordable health care for everyone. However, recent discussions and examples of how the Senate “mandated healthcare plan” will work have made me reconsider my support.
Philosophically, I still think that we need to reform the health care system and guarantee everyone access to affordable health care — if for no other reason that keeping people healthy protects us all.
HOWEVER — as of today, I think that I have stopped supporting the current plan. The “mandated” cost that is being discussed is 10% of income. And this is the second time that I’ve heard this 10% “reasonable limit” that people could/would/should be required to pay under the Senate plan.
While I understand the need for everyone to have insurance, so the pool of insured is large enough to support those who get sick (that’s the way insurance works). If everyone is to be required to be part of the insurance “pool” - then the average cost should definitely be controlled.
However, 10% of income is ridiculous! Someone who cannot afford healthcare now, usually cannot afford it because it costs too much. Who in their right mind thinks that these people can then afford to pay 10% of their income for healthcare? That may be less expensive that some of the current plans available right now, but that doesn’t make it affordable.