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Jun. 12th, 2009 01:06 amI've been a bit busy this week, and I'll write about that later.
I have been listening to various Democrats in the past few weeks, and how they say they cannot get through single-payer health care because they would, and I quote, "spend too much political capital".
Now, forgive me if I'm wrong, but political capital is earned by persuading people you are doing a good job at getting them what they want.
Polls can be inaccurate, I admit, but usually only by a few percentage points tops if the methodology is good. Apparently around 60% of Americans want single-payer health care now. That right there is near Obama's approval ratings, and certainly higher than Congress'.
So, logically, if these Congresscritters spent their political capital putting single-payer in place, they would earn back considerably more political capital as a result.
I know it's currently not going to happen owing to industry money, but enough voices can drown out the flow of cash. It happened against Big Tobacco.
For people who are worried about long lines for health care because of, for example, Canada's system: Canada pays about *half* per capita what we do in the US. They are ranked as giving better care despite some waits and despite this much lower sum. If they increased their health-care spending to closer to what we spend, the waits would very likely drop quickly. That said, I know lots of people (anecdotally, but lots) who have had to wait months for what is considered non-emergency care because the doctor isn't available or the insurance company says No. I'm doing so right now for necessary oral care.
My advice on the matter is this: When we go shopping, we usually like to cut out the middleman as much as possible. As a rule its a money saver, providing we know what we're looking for. Currently, health insurance in the US is one of the biggest middlemen of them all, and they make some of their profits by delaying or denying necessary, even urgent, care to people who need it.
Democrats who work on this, Republicans too, would not be squandering their political capital. They would be investing it, and it would earn huge dividends.
I have been listening to various Democrats in the past few weeks, and how they say they cannot get through single-payer health care because they would, and I quote, "spend too much political capital".
Now, forgive me if I'm wrong, but political capital is earned by persuading people you are doing a good job at getting them what they want.
Polls can be inaccurate, I admit, but usually only by a few percentage points tops if the methodology is good. Apparently around 60% of Americans want single-payer health care now. That right there is near Obama's approval ratings, and certainly higher than Congress'.
So, logically, if these Congresscritters spent their political capital putting single-payer in place, they would earn back considerably more political capital as a result.
I know it's currently not going to happen owing to industry money, but enough voices can drown out the flow of cash. It happened against Big Tobacco.
For people who are worried about long lines for health care because of, for example, Canada's system: Canada pays about *half* per capita what we do in the US. They are ranked as giving better care despite some waits and despite this much lower sum. If they increased their health-care spending to closer to what we spend, the waits would very likely drop quickly. That said, I know lots of people (anecdotally, but lots) who have had to wait months for what is considered non-emergency care because the doctor isn't available or the insurance company says No. I'm doing so right now for necessary oral care.
My advice on the matter is this: When we go shopping, we usually like to cut out the middleman as much as possible. As a rule its a money saver, providing we know what we're looking for. Currently, health insurance in the US is one of the biggest middlemen of them all, and they make some of their profits by delaying or denying necessary, even urgent, care to people who need it.
Democrats who work on this, Republicans too, would not be squandering their political capital. They would be investing it, and it would earn huge dividends.
