Perhaps the newest war involving Americans will be on Capitol Hill. Health Care has proved to be a series of battles and in the end there may be no real victor… unless you are a lobbyist.
It seems that the Republicans are united against any plan. The Democrats have already begun squabbling among themselves. The American people are confused. And the health care lobby is growing by leaps and bounds. It is safe to say that the health care lobby is best described as mercenaries. In fact, for those equipped to kiss ass and make promises while twisting arms jobs have never been more plentiful. Maybe the health care war has created more high paying jobs than any other sector. There are more than six lobbyists for each member of Congress.
During the season of peace on earth another political war will be waged on the Hill.
The dispute among Democrats foretells of a rowdy floor debate next month on legislation that would extend health care coverage to roughly 31 million Americans. Republicans have already made clear they aren’t supporting the bill.
The so-called public option is the main sticking point tearing away several Democrats including Ben Nelson, Mary Landrieu, and Blanche Lincoln. Joe Lieberman, the former Democrat now Independent senator from Connecticut has promised to withdraw his support if a public option is included in the final bill.
What is in the bill?
The Senate bill would require most Americans to carry insurance and provide subsidies to those who couldn’t afford it. Large companies could incur costs if they did not provide coverage to their work force. The insurance industry would come under significant new regulation under the bill, which would first ease and then ban the practice of denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions.
For those who need a bit of a laugh… well, a smirk
“I believe there are a number of Democratic senators who do care what the American people think and are not interested in this sort of arrogant approach that everybody sort of shut up and sit down, get out of the way, we know what’s best for you,” said McConnell.
McConnell seems to be the arrogant one in this case. Can we still remember TARP? The senators did not care one iota about the people they represented when they voted to bail out Wall Street. Even though the telephone lines stayed busy for days and email boxes and fax machines got no relief as America spoke, the senators were not listening. So, for McConnell to say that no one is listening to the American people should not cause any of us to gasp. They haven’t listened for years.
It is time to those who have a vote… the senators… to do their jobs. It is time for a health care bill that covers Americans… all Americans. Of course, we do know that they can screw up anything and given the opportunity they will.
Let me give one example. If an individual is disabled… let’s say paralyzed… he is eligible for Medicaid. Of course those benefits are so limited that the care is less than minimal. The senators in their infinite wisdom decided that some people with “certain disabilities” could apply for Medicare before the age of 65. Medicare covers the cost of catheters and offers in home health care that would assist the family caring for the paralyzed person. However, those bedridden due to paralysis are not listed under “certain disabilities.” Those disabilities are reserved for those persons with End Stage Renal Disease, awaiting a kidney transplant and ALS disease. I guess that tells us which diseases or disabilities have the most influential lobbyists.
There is definitely waste in the Medicare system. It is built in. The waste is there by design. To believe otherwise would be naive. Those who are fortunate enough or unfortunate enough as the case may be to receive Medicaid know the limitations and the cracks in the system. With health care reform on the floor of the Senate the time has come to make the voice of America heard once again. It is time to fill the gaps, to let those who have a vote know what we want and expect. It would be naive to believe that any of those on the Hill will bring an iota of common sense to the debate as each peeks out from the pocket of a lobbyist.
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