Change? Reform? Where?

Like many other Americans who either supported Barack Obama's campaign last year or who care deeply about our nation's dire need for health care / insurance reform, I received an email from the White House on the subject.

Here's a little snippet from the message:

"The Vice President and I just met with leaders from the House of Representatives and received their commitment to pass a comprehensive health care reform bill by July 31.

We also have an unprecedented commitment from health care industry leaders, many of whom opposed health reform in the past. Monday, I met with some of these health care stakeholders, and they pledged to do their part to reduce the health care spending growth rate, saving more than two trillion dollars over the next ten years -- around $2,500 for each American family. Then on Tuesday, leaders from some of America's top companies came to the White House to showcase innovative ways to reduce health care costs by improving the health of their workers.

Now the House and Senate are beginning a critical debate that will determine the health of our nation's economy and its families. This process should be transparent and inclusive and its product must drive down costs, assure quality and affordable health care for everyone, and guarantee all of us a choice of doctors and plans.

Health care reform can't come soon enough. We spend more on health care than any country, but families continue to struggle with skyrocketing premiums and nearly 46 million are without insurance entirely. It is a priority for the American people and a pillar of the new foundation we are seeking to build for our economy."
...

Is this the same person who as a candidate so eloquently advocated for something akin to a single payer plan?

Did they get him in the Oval Office and force feed the Kool-Aid to him?

The insurance industry is scared shitless of the growing popular appetite for a single payer national health plan. So afraid that earlier this week they met with Mr. Obama at the White House and essentially tried to sue for peace.

According to the President's message above, the two trillion dollars that the bloodsuckers, er uh, insurance executives pledged in reduced costs over ten years will amount to $2,500 per family.

So let me get this straight, Blue Cross, Humana, et al. are going to trim the fat from their operations in a way that will save my family roughly $250 per year, probably by laying off some low level clerical workers and replacing them with part-timers and temps.

When I had health insurance for my family (Blue Cross) through my last employer, the monthly premiums that I paid came to almost $450 per month, and I still had deductibles so high that I could only afford to use the plan for the most hellish nightmare scenario.

HOW THE HELL IS SAVING ME LESS THAN ONE MONTHLY PREMIUM PER YEAR ANY SORT OF REFORM?

Mr. Obama, if this is the change we were all lead to believe in, your late mother is rolling in her grave. Stop cowering before the corporate status quo and show us something we can honestly believe in.

Bipartisanship will only get us the same old thing: plenty at the top and another full ration of pain at the bottom.

http://www.HealthReform.gov

Thurman
AWOP Contributor
Author of Random Abstractions Blog

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Peace Y'all