Politics and Health Care
We can and will have improved Medicare for All, single-payer, via the
leadership and support of one or both of the major political parties:
WILL YOURS BE PARTICIPATING?
Summary:
Now is the time for Americans to know the realities
regarding politics and our (future) health care,
and then take action to establish what will become a politically-neutral
health care policy that benefits Americans and America.
The more solidly that knowledge is established among Americans and the higher the number of Americans who participate, then the more quickly we get to a politically-neutral policy.
January 2010: Life-long Democrats voted Republican to help elect a Republican U.S. Senator … and why
Massachusetts life-long Democrats were among the million citizens who voted Republican in the 1/19/2010 election of U.S. Senator Scott Brown. Many votes were based on the topic of health care, as reported by Politico. Those votes and the election result is another example of many expressions that we want Medicare for All. Many Massachusetts residents have been hurt by an alternative kind of health care reform that includes mandated (forced, dictated) health insurance. AMERICANS among all political parties DO NOT WANT WHAT THE CONGRESS AND THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ARE PLANNING for health care reform.
Before and After Medicare for All
BEFORE the best health care reform (Medicare for All) is established as law, the Democrats and the Democratic Party are most likely to take the lead to establish it and get credit for it. However, … prior to 2010 neither major party supported it, including the Democratic Party. Only the Green Party supported Medicare for All prior to 2010.
AFTER Medicare for All is implemented, politics will not matter, as explained below …
POLITICALLY NEUTRAL REFORM: realities to keep in mind
- As described below regarding Republicans and the Republican Party, at some point in time after the U.S. establishes Medicare for All, politics will have little or no further impact on possible changes to that health care reform. Other countries … all free-market, high-income countries … have health care for all that has little to do with political parties. In those countries political parties generally support their country’s health care policy. Why? Here are just a few examples: no medical bills, coverage for everyone, cost per person 40% of what the U.S. pays per person [yes, the USA pays twice (2.5 times) times the average spending per person of the others), and significantly longer life expectancy compared to the U.S. pitiful health care performance.
- Avoiding political suicide. Why is health care insurance in other countries solidly supported by political parties? The desire of the people to keep their national health insurance is so strong that it is political suicide to try to significantly change it. Their people want to maintain public, not private, solutions to any health care system challenges.
- Example among those other countries: (Canada). Based on the incredibly high and consistent support level in Canada of 86% [plus 6% neutral (“unsure of position”)] you can see an indicator of how strong that support gets in other countries. As a result, countries that implemented their national health plan decades ago have never abandoned it. Their citizens cherish it. You can see that in the World View.
- Minimal day-to-day impact of politicians. When our Medicare for All is implemented in the best manner, it will be via a separate public agency. Its operations, especially its budget, will be insulated from the day-to-day meddling of U.S. and state politicians. (See Additional Information, below). The typical government departments regarding health care will have been shut down as useless government bureaucracy.
Awareness among voters is expected to skyrocket in 2010.
Due to the efforts of thousands of people across the U.S. prior to 2010 … and due to the efforts of tens of thousands that will likely be added during 2010 … many more Americans are learning about Medicare for All, single-payer, which is the best version of what all other free-market countries have for the way to pay for health care.
What will the Republicans and Republican Party do?
- Medicare for All is, by far, the most fiscally conservative, practical and responsible policy for how to pay for health care. We will cut costs: over $400 billion per year … instead of spending over $80 billion per year. The $400+ billion per year is an INCREDIBLY POSITIVE STEP of cost-cutting of excessive administrative expenses within our society’s massive health care bureaucracy.
- A fiscally conservative policy is typically what Republican politicians want.
- Individual Republicans and the Republican Party itself will have some obvious options of either supporting Medicare for All or not … before its implementation or after it implementation.
- Without citizen action. Short-term and medium-term opposition is likely. Based on the position of Republicans in general, the most likely scenario on their potential support will be a “wait and see” position at best. In other words, after the U.S. implements Medicare for All, the Republican Party will be in opposition until some years of success have occurred, such as 5 or 10 or more years. Then, citizens and employers will be used to having to pay no health insurance company premiums; citizens will be used to never having a major medical bill; and medical professionals and facilities will be used to having dramatically lower operating expenses, such as for billing. Citizens will also be used to having negotiated drug prices like all other free-market countries have had for decades. These are just a few examples of what other free-market countries have had for decades.
- With citizen action. The number of years until Republicans and their party support Medicare for All will partly depend on the degree of education of citizens and the actions of citizens. See “Americans in Action” below.
What will Democrats and the Democratic Party do?
The Democratic Party and its elected politicians can change from their corporate-based attitude and their questionable actions … which were obvious in 2009 … by demonstrating support for the people in 2010. The party and the administration can tell the American people about Medicare for All, single-payer, and work to get it to the President’s desk before the November 2010 election. Americans will be receptive and supportive, as indicated by the 1/19/2010 election in Massachusetts.
Will the Democratic members of the U.S. Congress give their support? It depends in part on how fast and how thoroughly Americans educate each other and get into action.
When will health care become politically neutral in the USA?
The sooner Americans take action on how to get Medicare for All, the sooner we’ll be headed to our society fully supporting it, including the politicians.
- Knowledge. The more that Americans are educated about Medicare for All, then the more they will be motivated to take action to help get it.
- Numbers The higher the numbers of Americans who are taking action, the more solid will be the support in the U.S. Congress, among all political parties. All politicians want votes.
- Sooner … or later. The stronger the knowledge and the higher the numbers of participants, then the stronger the legislation and law will be … and the sooner that both political parties will support Americans and America on the topic of Medicare for All. Then we will have politically-neutral health care like other countries. Due to the number of people we have, we will then achieve the lowest risk and the highest economic bonus among all free-market countries.
Americans in action: input to all political parties that we want Medicare for All.
Americans are not waiting for either major political party to change their party platform on health care. After all, both Republican and Democratic politicians need and want votes. Americans of all parties are uniting to get a million citizens all taking the same action, which they are doing sitting at their home or business, via signing up. More and more Americans are accepting the invitation to take an action of unity that requires only 10-15 minutes of time at the start of each month and makes them each “one in a million” to help get Medicare for All.
Medicare for All: it’s just a matter of time
We can and will have health care with these characteristics:
- Quality
- Get more: all medically-necessary care
- Affordable
- Pay less: much lower costs
- no more major medical bills,
- already demonstrated for decades in the countries with whom we compete
- Pay less: much lower costs
- Accessible
- Cover everyone: truly everyone, not having 20 million or so left without
- For details: see benefits, which includes a comparison to the current way that we pay for health care.
Additional Information
Read more about: “One non-profit, public agency, which is accountable to the people and insulated from the U.S. legislature.” …
“Health Care Meltdown* by Robert H. LeBow, MD, which is revised and updated by C. Rocky White, MD. for the 2007 edition; p. 271.
Note: This web page was developed by a team of your fellow citizens from across the United States, including physicians and nurses, to help you understand why it is critical to implement an improved Medicare for All in the United States.
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