I believe PNHP (Physicians for a National Health Program) has been dishonest about health care reform because they haven't included a National Public Health Care System as an option. I have broached this with numerous leaders and members of the organization and it boils down to this:
Doctors would desert PNHP because they want to continue to profit from health care and they are thinking that if the insurance companies are cut out and the pharmaceutical industry is held at bay they will have a bigger pool from which to further enrich themselves.
I don't know why this health care debate should CENTER on "saving."
What we should be concerned about is what health care system best delivers health care for everyone.
And, it just so happens, a National Public Health Care System provides us with the best health care at the cheapest price but also creates the most jobs.
Why would an organization like PNHP argue against a National Public Health Care System based on the same model as public education?
In fact, most of the leaders of the PNHP will tell you in private a National Public Health Care System--- socialized health care--- is the best of all options. Unfortunately, they will also tell you their members would disappear.
We know from looking at countries having single-payer, like in Canada, that at best single-payer universal health care is only a short-term band aid type "fix."
The great socialist leader, Tommy Douglas, told Canadians they needed to keep pushing for nothing less than socialized health care.
For many years, I pushed for single-payer universal health care as a step towards a National Public Health Care System. I testified at Congressional and State hearings, wrote letters, circulated leaflets and petitions, etc.
But, for me, the final straw was when leaders of Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) joined with members of PNHP and joined the corporate Democrats in inserting the word "affordable" in the best resolution of any political party voted for by grassroots members of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party to make it fit in with support for Obamacare.
I won't spend my time working for anything other than a National Public Health Care System from now on.
I won't work against those like PNHP and PDA and others pushing single-payer universal health care or gimmicks like HR 676 intended to get get votes at election time knowing Democrats will never enact it after Election Day. But, I will state my concern and opinions from a working class point of view.
We will never get the Democrats (and certainly not the Republicans) to give us real health care reform... but, with a powerful movement we can wrest health care reform, including a National Public Health Care System, from these politicians... but, like everything beneficial to the working class, it will take one heck of a struggle to win. We will win because once people have a chance to weigh all the options they will choose a National Public Health Care System:
Publicly funded.
Publicly administered.
Publicly delivered.
Just like public education.
There is a reason the overwhelming majority of the American people joined the struggle for public education instead of all the private for-profit schemes advanced at the time over 150 years ago... and, the struggle for real education reform was a huge battle not many politicians will talk about today.
The private, for-profit health care industry is dominated by Wall Street and supported by the American Medical Association... doctors are thrilled with both Romney-care and Obama-care, just like the Democrats, these doctors pretend that what they support is good for the American people when they are only protecting their off-shore bank accounts.
It isn't coincidental that most doctors come from affluent families; a National Public Health Care System will require we educate doctors from the ranks of the working class while strictly and stridently enforcing Affirmative Action so working class people of color and women have a chance to advance while providing health care to people who have had no, or very limited access, to health care.
Martin Luther King declared health care to be a human right... and it is.
Obama-care and Romney-care are both very reactionary neo-liberal approaches to health care "reform" which leave parasitical doctors and Wall Street feeding at the public trough and enriching themselves at our expense.
In fact, these neo-liberals see single-payer universal health care as a release valve which will release public pressure if they are forced to in order to work their way back towards complete privatization of health care--- this has been underway in Canada for the last twenty years as can be seen by the way the free dental program in Manitoba elementary schools instituted by the New Democratic Party was taken away and by the way the Canadian Liberals have joined with the Conservatives to chip away at the Canada Health Act under the guise of "reform."
Here in this country, HR 676 is nothing but a scheme to keep people trapped in the Democratic Party and even the Greens buy into this scheme instead of supporting a National Public Health Care System thereby slitting their own throats.
Let us be very clear and up front about single-payer.
Single-payer is:
Publicly financed in as much as the government taxes workers.
A combination of private and public administration... the public part mostly makes sure the for-profit interests get paid.
And it is exclusively privately delivered health care which means the American Medical Association and its members will dictate how health care is delivered and to whom.
If anyone disagrees with me let them come forward and state their views. I invite the leaders of PNHP who read my posts and often respond through private messages to state their views right here.
And I invite all of those in the Green Party still pushing single-payer to explain their reasoning here. Let’s have a real discussion about health care reform.
Publicly financed in as much as the government taxes workers.
A combination of private and public administration... the public part mostly makes sure the for-profit interests get paid.
And it is exclusively privately delivered health care which means the American Medical Association and its members will dictate how health care is delivered and to whom.
If anyone disagrees with me let them come forward and state their views. I invite the leaders of PNHP who read my posts and often respond through private messages to state their views right here.
And I invite all of those in the Green Party still pushing single-payer to explain their reasoning here. Let’s have a real discussion about health care reform.
