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{"id":37618,"date":"2017-08-01T13:44:55","date_gmt":"2017-08-01T18:44:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/occasionalplanet.org\/?p=37618"},"modified":"2017-08-01T13:44:55","modified_gmt":"2017-08-01T18:44:55","slug":"dems-beware-sleepwalking-compromise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occasionalplanet.org\/2017\/08\/01\/dems-beware-sleepwalking-compromise\/","title":{"rendered":"Dems \u2013 Beware of sleepwalking into compromise"},"content":{"rendered":"
We can see it now, the smiling faces of more than forty Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives who are working on fashioning a compromise for health care after the apparent defeat of \u201cRepeal and Replace.\u201d<\/p>\n
I wish that I did not think that terms like compromise and bi-partisan mean capitulation for the Democrats. However, recent history shows that this is almost a certainty. A fundamental difference between today\u2019s Democrats and Republicans is that the Republicans never lose sight of their locked-in ideological positions. When it comes to health care policy, almost all Republicans march lock-step to the mantra of repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The meanness that undergirds the policy positions of so many of their members is reflected by their efforts to cut coverage, raise costs and disenfranchise the poor.<\/p>\n
Democrats seem to be happy just to be able to talk with Republicans. Other than Bernie Sanders, we hardly hear any Democrats clearly state that they support a system of Medicare-for-All. This should not be an outlandish position; it is completely consistent with the policies of the New Deal and Great Society. Medicare-for-All is a system that is based on compassion. It is a commitment to preserve and expand the social safety net for those among us who need it most.<\/p>\n
The new bi-partisan group in the House that is promoting health care compromise is called the Problem Solvers caucus. Sounds like a good idea, but what exactly is it that they want to do?<\/p>\n
The four items that they have identified as part of their agenda may sound reasonable on the surface. However, it\u2019s important to keep in mind that these suggestions are all based on preserving and protecting employer-based health insurance and ensuring the financial well-being of insurance companies.<\/p>\n
For health care to work in a society, two, and only two, vital moving parts must be of central concern. The first is the people \u2013 citizens seeking preventive and curative health care. The second is the providers \u2013 doctors, nurses, hospitals, clinics, etc.<\/p>\n
Insurance companies only muddy the waters. They position themselves between the demand for health care (people) and the supply of health care (the providers). Insurance companies exist because of the na\u00efve belief that they provide competition in health care which results in better service at lower cost. What they in fact do is design policies to maximize their profits while elevating premiums and reducing services. They continue to exist because they lobby well, particularly among Republicans, but also many Democrats, as witnessed by the key role of insurance companies in the Affordable Care Act.<\/p>\n