Keith Olbermann: Follows the Money in Healthcare Hang-Ups
By Josie Brown
The biggest issue facing our country today is that of health reform. To have healthcare that covers everyone in the country who desires it, the Congress would have to mandate and fund Single Payer Healthcare. But the companies whose profits are at stake – that is, insurance, pharmaceuticals and hospital corporation – would prefer that healthcare be a privelege: and one with a very steep price tag.
In previous articles, Single Minded Women has looked at the statistics regarding healthcare costs, particularly how they affect single women. What we found was both enlightening – and discouraging.
What are you paying for, exactly? Not healthcare. Your monthly premiums, coupled with high deductibles, mean you pay out of pocketbook for any bare essential health services you need.
And women pay more than men of the same age.
Then you have to haggle with your health insurer’s customer service rep over the fine print of what they say they don’t cover — this year, this month — as opposed to what might have been covered even last year (Remember the pap smear? Soon to be a thing of the past…)
MSNBC commentator Keith Olberman has been doing what none of the major networks or investigative newspapers have done, in researching the healthcare reform debate now up in Congress:
He’s following the money.
In fact, on Monday night’s special commentary on healthcare reform, he actually calls out the senators and congresspeople holding up the bill – and points out how much money they’ve been given to do so, by insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and hospital corporations.
Their sticky fingers have netted them hundreds of thousands of dollars, sometimes several million.
And yet, they enjoy the healthcare plans that they deny all of us.
Talk about payoffs.
Watch this video, of Mr. Olbermann’s special comment on this issue. Frankly, I could not have said it better.
But you can.
If you’re a single woman with no healthcare net, pick up the phone.
If you’re a single mom who can’t afford to insure your kids, let alone yourself, pick up the phone.
Even if you have health benefits, look at your monthly bottom line. Now add in the your deductible — and remember: only if you have a “health savings plan” can you recoup some of those thousands of dollars, via your tax refund.
We are the only 1st world country that does not offer its citizens some kind of universal or single payer healthcare. I’m tired of getting nothing for the amount of money I give a system that pays its CEOs millions in salaries — not to mention benefits that I’m not getting.
If you agree, pick up the phone.
Here’s how to reach your senators:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Don’t forget to call your congressperson, too. Here’s the number: http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/mcapdir.html
Ask them to give you the same healthcare plan they enjoy — because you voted them into Congress. Well, now it’s payback time.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: If you don’t call, you don’t count. And you dare not go to the Urgent Care center or ER–that is, unless you’re in Congress.
Relationship Channel Editor, SingleMindedWomen.com
OTHER SMW ARTICLES ON HEALTHCARE COSTS AND TRENDS:
It is very irresponsible to continue spewing propaganda from biased resources (Daily Kos, Olbermann, etc.) while neglecting to report on all the negatives about this major piece of legislation. You even refuse to mention how NO ONE in congress (and certainly not the president) can be bothered to thoroughly read and understand the bill! Stop acting as if there is absolutely no downside to this issue, you’re certainly not doing single women justice by withholding facts about what this is going to cost all Americans in terms of money, health, and freedom!
JOSIE BROWN’S RESPONSE:
Sorry, Sam, I can’t agree with you that, because two of the sources quoted in these articles are DailyKoz.com and Keith Olbermann, that this is “propaganda.”
In fact, we validated their facts, via other sources: both the multi-million-dollar salaries of the various chief executives mentioned (the DailyKoz.com article) and the amount of money Mr. Olbermann read on his show, that was given to our elected officials — by pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, and hospital corporations — so that they may block this legislation. The information is out there for you, too, Sam. Don’t shoot the messengers. Instead, verify the message. In other words, FOLLOW THE MONEY.
As for whether the President has read the bill, stop me if I’m wrong, but neither you nor I are sitting in his study or looking over his shoulder. If you are, I stand corrected.
Do you suppose there is a logical reason as to why the US is the only major democracy in the world to NOT offer healthcare to its citizens? Either they have it way wrong, or we’re being duped.
An aside: Having family who lived in Canada and experienced first hand the top notch healthcare offered there (including obstetric and maternity costs for bearing two children — again free, with wonderful doctors and in state-of-the-art facilities, whereas you’ll pay over $20,000 per child, stateside), let me assure you: your sources are misleading you.
In fact, if the United States were to offer a public healthcare option, in doing so, no one is taking your private insurance option away. The bill states that succinctly and clearly. You should feel free to stay with your insurer, even up and beyond a $4,000 per month premium. After all, what’s more American than a nice big profit?
It’s been my experience as a journalist that the people “outraged” by America’s healthcare system either (a) bear the burden of their own coverage because they are either self-employed or unemployed, or (b) have had a health crisis in their lives or their family’s and know first hand how difficult it is to collect on your coverage, or (c) have suffered the loss of their insurance because they were “guilty” of becoming ill.
I’m just curious: what has been your personal experience in any of these areas? Feel free to share your experiences with us.
—Josie Brown