Thursday, March 27, 2008

US Health Insurance

The entire discussion of health insurance in the US is going in the wrong direction, and its clear that none of the presidential candidates has the courage to confront corporate America. McCain, of course, like Bush, could not care less who has insurance and who doesn't, as long as the military is fed, oiled, and greased.

But Clinton and Obama.... Tonight Clinton announced that she'd like health care premiums to be no more than 10% of an American's income.... This is a complete give-in to corporate America and it can never lead to affordable and efficient health care. Corporations and insurance companies are always going to want their 20-30%, and they are so greedy that they will take it regardless of the health of Americans -- regardless if they are, literally, dying. The service they provide has been proven time and again to be inferior and useless, compared to single-payer systems.... they must be completely eliminated.

Neither Clinton or Obama has the courage to do this, it is now clear. I wonder how much money each of them is receiving from these corporations? A lot, clearly. Enough to corrupt them, clearly.

I really thing that the US is teetering on the edge of existence, and that if it cannot solve the health care issues of tens of millions of its citizens -- one-sixth of the population, soon to be more as employers -- including yours -- increasingly opt out of the system (and who can blame them when medical inflation is running at 7-12% a year), this country will quickly sink in a very mediocre status. At this point I really see no way out of it.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wonder why we cannot have a health plan like what the Canadians have.

The number of people not having any health benefits is growing by the day and this is a real shame for a super power who cannot look after their own citizens.

Anonymous said...

The US has to deal with a pile of important things and in my opinion the restoration of the economy is the most essential. The second is the unemployment and for the third the health care. In my opinion some radical reforms need to be introduced to create steady economy and the health care system will be solved more easily, because the steps towards reaching the goal will be more clearer. I`m working for a Toronto life insurance company, and I`m sure that our health care system needs to improved as well.

Anonymous said...

hopeless, maybe we should just leave this country, move to canada/france is a good choice.

Alexie said...

US Health insurance
David, Thanks for posting this.