By Harold Sterker
LA County Public Health Educator
SEIU 721 Executive Board Member
The House of Representatives just did something it’s never done before: it passed real health insurance reform. The America’s Affordable Health Choices Act (H.R. 3962) is a historic step towards creating an affordable, high-quality health care system for working families in California and across the country.
Watching the vote on Saturday, it gave me hope that we’re on the right track. The House bill includes:
• Quality, affordable health insurance for 96 percent of Americans
• A strong public option that drives costs down and gives people the power to choose what is best for their family.
• Employers will be expected to offer and contribute to meaningful coverage for their workers
Click here to read more about HR 3962 at the House of Representatives website.
We’ve never come this far, and we have a challenge in front of us as this goes to the Senate. We just have to rise to the occasion. Thanks for all your calls, emails and support — and for joining us in the final push for reform.
This is great news. What a lot of members don’t realize is that health insurance reform helps us at the bargaining table. LA County employees almost ended up paying for health care increases this year. Thankfully our bargaining teams rock. But you know, we’ve been seeing our premiums rise year and year for the same damn services. If we can control the costs of health insurance nationwide, we won’t have to deal with health care at the table so much.
This healthcare bill is horrible! Singel Payer is the only solution. Maybe the insurance companies will tell our elected officials this? Maybe the mass media will? Or maybe we should!?
Or we can just accept whatever they say and decide to hand down to us? It’s not like we know anything about public health and the ability for families gripped by poverty to afford premiums, copays and deductables. Let’s not count the millions who will still go without under this bill. The facts are that affordability will force people to purchase limited coverage, the ammount of coverage you are eligible for will be based on your ability to pay, you choices will be limited to “in-network” practitioners as they are today and you will be fined if you don’t buy insurance . Singel payer (universal healthcare) is what we should be demanding as union and as a nation! Untill then I don’t beleive we truly care for the people we serve as a whole; power to the people! Demand singel payer.
Everyone in no one out!
Oh and with a single payer system there will be nothing to hold over our heads to scare us at the barganing table with respect to healthcare costs.
Even Tho I agree with Harold and maybe even Bill Clinton’s “something is better than nothing” comment I heard on the radio……..I do think a SINGLE PAYER system like those
in Canada, Australia and Europe in general will be MUCH better in terms of COST effective
and SERVICES eventually……!!!
One argument you heard from the RIGHT wing wacko about single payer has always been
IT WILL BE A LONG TIME waiting for elective surgeries WHICH is so easy to DISPUTE
because the KEY WORD is ELECTIVE which means YOU do not have to HAVE IT !!!
Long wait for Elective procedures is actually GOOD since it gives you time to think about
ALTERNATIVE treatments such as NUTRITION AND LIFESTYLE changes which often
CURE most CHRONIC conditions like cardiovascular problems or arthritis or diabetes
rather than just have the doctors CUT….BURN or POISON as in most CANCER patients
cases
The NEW REFORM should also INCLUDE A LOT of PREVENTIVE HEALING Modules
which not only SAVE MONEY and LIVES but also the agonies and suffering of those
patients now have to endure due to the pharmaceutical PROFIT incentives……!!!
Having said this….I still think IT IS A GOOD STEP FORWARD………it does not mean
we CANNOT ASK FOR ANOTHER BETTER BILL LATER……..we ELECTED THEM to
their OFFICES……..LET’s MAKE THEM WORK as hard as US at least !!
I heard Harry Reid’s Senate version actually HAS a STRONGER PUBLIC OPTION ???
This is sad a day, health care reform which most Americans, including myself don’t want. All the back room dealings and payoffs by the Dems to push through Obama’s wish. This Change is scary for America, and we are heading deeper and deeper into debt.
You have a great point with us never coming this far. Some may agree with Health Care Reform and others may disagree with it. It may certainly be up for debate in the future.
It is believed that this is the first time Health Care Reform has passed in the House of Representatives. Although it may be up for debate in the future, it is believed to be a step in the direction for Health Care Reform. Thank you.