The Dusty Dog

Massachusetts Universal Health Scam

Ever since the news broke that Massachusetts had developed a universal health plan, I had to wonder how they did it. It just seemed too good to be true. I dunno. Call me a skeptic. But, something seems kind of not kosher. So, I asked my sister about it, given that she is a health care provider. She has tons to say about it.

First off, according to her, there's nothing "universal" about it. It's merely a legal mandate that everyone in the state purchase health insurance. Kind of like auto insurance, but without the car. Secondly, the law does not, in any way, address the high cost of health care, which leads one to wonder how the state is going to fund this program. And given that it's a legal mandate to buy health insurance, even if it's provided on a sliding scale for those who cannot afford it, it still will cost plenty, according to my sister. In fact, for small business owners who are required to pay for their employees or face fines and penalties, these employers may find it cheaper to pay the penalties than carry the insurance. Finally, she gave me a website to check out.

Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) is an organization of medical providers who are dedicated to the proposition of real universal health care, not what Massachusetts is mandating. The biggest difference is that real universal health care is a government program that would replace the insurance industry's role in profiteering from health care, thereby providing medical benefits for all citizens. In fact, this MA bill was actually lobbied for by the health insurance industry because they saw the profits. They spent $$millions$$ to get it passed. Oh, the dripping, nauseating greed. They know that any real universal health care would actually take money from their sleazy, greedy pockets. They can't be havin' that, ya know. So, they lobbied for, basically bought this legislation. Seems to be quite the dirty little secret, given that nowhere in mainstream media is that even discussed. In fact, nothing is really discussed or debated in mainstream media. Either I haven't found it yet, or it just ain't there.

At PNHP, they provide a carefully scrutinized reporting of the MA plan, and it just doesn't cut the mustard. Basically, they pretty much call it a sham for the following reasons:

Massachusetts Bill Fact Sheet from MASS-CARE

DID YOU KNOW THAT:

•Most uninsured people will now have to buy their own insurance without any or with very little financial support?

•The Bill will not help the underinsured or those with poor quality insurance, including those on Medicare paying high out-of-pocket costs?

•It will not attempt to reduce the costs of health insurance for individuals and businesses paying the highest prices in the world?

DID YOU KNOW THAT:

•40 percent of the uninsured in Massachusetts, the 292,000 who earn more than three times the poverty level income [approximately $30,000/year], will be forced to purchase their own health insurance without any help or subsidies from the state? Bad insurance for someone earning three times the poverty level will cost them 20 percent of their total income.

•The Bill raises only $170 million per year in new spending to help subsidize 748,000 uninsured people in Massachusetts? This is not enough to pay for 45,000 people. All other funds used by the Bill are a shell game, most taken out of Free Care - which provides medically necessary health services for the uninsured - and moved into more wasteful plans run by commercial insurance companies.

•This Bill, which will affect the lives of hundreds of thousands, was bought and paid for by healthcare industry lobbyists? Industry lobbyists spent over $7.5 million this year to make your health care Bill work for them. Forcing uninsured people into private insurance plans will create new business and new profits for insurers, without reforming the system of waste and discriminatory health care access for Massachusetts residents.

DID YOU KNOW THAT: every developed nation in the world offers comprehensive health care for all of its residents, except the United States? And they pay less for it? Let’s organize against these attempts to shift health care costs on to low-income people. Let’s fight for the universal, quality health care that we know is possible!

Now, let's talk about real universal health care. It's a real concept, valid, and there is already a bill that describes how it would work, eligibility and benefits, lower existing medical costs, and reduce the volumes of paperwork that we're all forced to endure right now. It's a bill that was introduced by Congressman John Conyers, Jr. from the 14th Congressional District of Michigan. Following is an excerpt from the Executive Summary of The United States Health Insurance Act (HR676):

Brief Summary of Legislation

The United States National Health Insurance Act (HR676) establishes a new American national health insurance program by creating a single payer health care system. The bill would create a publicly financed, privately delivered health care program that uses the already existing Medicare program by expanding and improving it to all U.S. residents, and all residents living in U.S. territories. The goal of the legislation is to ensure that all Americans, guaranteed by law, will have access to the highest quality and cost effective health care services regardless of one's employment, income, or health care status.

With over 42 million uninsured Americans, and another 40 million who are under insured, the time has come to change our inefficient and costly fragmented health care system. The USNHI program would reduce overall annual health care spending by over $50 billion in the first year. In addition, because it implements effective methods of cost-control, health spending is contained over time, ensuring affordable health care to future generations.

In its first year, single-payer will save over $150 billion on paperwork and $50 billion by using rational bulk purchasing of medications. These savings are more than enough to cover all the uninsured, improve coverage for everyone else, including medication coverage and long-term care.

Employers who currently provide coverage for their employees pay an average of 8.5% of payroll towards health coverage, while many employers can't afford to provide coverage at all. Under this Act, all employers will pay a modest 3.3% payroll tax per employee, while eliminating their payments towards private health plans. The average cost to an employer for an employee earning $35,000 per year will be reduced to $1,155, less than $100 per month.

95% of families will pay less for health care under national health insurance than they do today. Seniors and younger people will all have the comprehensive medication coverage they need.

Apparently, good ol' corporate America is at it again. They are a bunch of pigs at the trough, slurping this country dry with their greed and utter disdain for America and it's citizens. They don't care. Apparently, Arianna Huffington wrote a book about this exact issue. Seems like a worthy read.

posted by Dusty Dog at 4/16/2006