By Cliff Montgomery – Nov. 9th, 2009
The U.S. House of Representatives late Saturday narrowly passed a massive overhaul of America’s healthinsurance system.
The Washington Post breathlessly hailed the legislation–called H.R. 3962 on Capitol Hill–as somethingwhich “seeks to…guarantee comprehensive and affordable coverage to almost every American.”
But many House members disagree with that assessment–and not all of them are conservatives.
U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) proudly voted against the House proposal. Yesterday, Kucinichissued a passionate argument for his decision, which all Americans should consider.
The American Spark below offers major portions of Rep. Kucinich’s statement:
“We have been led to believe that we must make our health care choices only within the current structure of apredatory, for-profit insurance system which makes money [by] not providing health care. […] When healthinsurance companies deny care or raise premiums, co-pays and deductibles they are simply trying to make aprofit. That is our system.
“Clearly, the insurance companies are the problem, not the solution. They are driving up the cost of health care.[…]
“But instead of working toward the elimination of for-profit insurance, H.R. 3962 would put the government in therole of accelerating the privatization of health care.
“In H.R. 3962, the government is requiring at least 21 million Americans to buy private health insurance from thevery industry that causes costs to be so high, which will result in at least $70 billion in new annual revenue, muchof which is coming from taxpayers.
“This inevitably will lead to even more costs, more subsidies, and higher profits for insurance companies–abailout under a blue cross.
“By incurring only a new requirement to cover pre-existing conditions, a weakened public option, and a few otherimportant but limited concessions, the health insurance companies are getting quite a deal. […]
“During the debate, when the interests of insurance companies would have been effectively challenged, thatchallenge was turned back. The ‘robust public option’ which would have offered a modicum of competition to amonopolistic industry was whittled down from an initial potential enrollment of 129 million Americans to 6 million.
“An amendment which would have protected the rights of states to pursue single-payer health care was strippedfrom the bill at the request of the Administration.
“Looking ahead, we cringe at the prospect of even greater favors for insurance companies.
“Recent rises in unemployment indicate a widening separation between the finance economy and the realeconomy. The finance economy considers the health of Wall Street, rising corporate profits, and banks’ hoardingof cash–much of it from taxpayers–as sign of an economic recovery.
“However in the real economy–in which most Americans live–the recession is not over. Rising unemployment,business failures, bankruptcies and foreclosures are still hammering Main Street.
“This health care bill continues the redistribution of wealth to Wall Street at the expense of America’smanufacturing and service economies which suffer from costs other countries do not have to bear, especially thecost of health care.
“America continues to stand out among all industrialized nations for its privatized health care system. As a result,we are less competitive in steel, automotive, aerospace and shipping while other countries subsidize theirexports in these areas through socializing the cost of health care.
“Notwithstanding the fate of H.R. 3962, America will someday come to recognize the broad social and economicbenefits of a not-for-profit, single-payer health care system, which is good for the American people and good forAmerica’s businesses–with of course the notable exceptions being insurance and pharmaceuticals.”
