Common Sense

Common Sense;

(Updated)

Addressed To The

Citizens Of America

On the subject of:

Health Care Reform

Introduction

In 1776, a man named Thomas Paine published a pamphlet called Common Sense. The pamphlet pointed out that just because something has been in place and accepted for a long time, does not necessarily mean it is right. It helped people use common sense to see the injustice of British rule. And, it is credited with helping to solidify the movement for American independence.

Maybe we should try using good old common sense again. It worked for our founding fathers. They changed things so future generations could live in a new, free country. Perhaps it's time for our generation to show a little of that same fortitude and courage.

Health Care in America

1. There are over 1,200 health insurance companies in this country. Together they cause an estimated $350 billion per year in unnecessary administrative costs by forcing doctors to fill-out countless forms and hire staffs to chase down reimbursements. Couldn't this money, together with billions of dollars in profits the insurance industry makes each year, be better used to help pay for all Americans to have access to quality health care?

2. Why do we pay middlemen for our health care? Insurance companies take a cut off the top of America's health care dollar. Do they provide any real value? Each year the insurance industry makes billions that could be used to provide better health care coverage for everyone. Wouldn't it make more sense to have our health care system managed by someone without a profit motive?

3. The CEOs of the top ten health insurance companies made over $100 million in compensation last year. They did this by making their investors on Wall Street happy. They made billions of dollars in profits from the "health care business". They kept part of the money you pay for health care for their profits. That's their business model; take in our health care dollars and spend as little on health care as possible. And while the insurance companies make billions off of money meant for health care, Harvard Medical School research says 45,000 Americans die each year because they lack insurance coverage. Does this make sense?

4. Insurance companies are basically middlemen that make money off of health care. They do this by denying access to care, dropping people when they are sick and charging higher and higher rates. They get between you and your doctor. They decide what your doctor can do for you. And they make their money by forcing doctors to do a little as possible. Why do we put up with this? How did we end up with these middlemen between our doctors and us? Is this right? Should our health care be a product that big business and Wall Street investors turn into profits?

5. Consider a little role-playing… Setting: a 5th grade class

.

Teacher: "When you're sick and you have to go to the doctor, who should decide what the doctor can do for you? The doctor? Or, a company that makes money by making sure that the doctor does as little as possible to help you?"

Kids: "The doctor"

Are you as smart as a fifth grader?

6. The health insurance industry is spending $1.4 million a day to buy the support of our elected officials in Washington. And it appears that many in Congress are responding by doing exactly what's good for health insurance company profits. Isn't Congress supposed to do what's good for the American people?

7. The health insurance industry is spending millions on advertisements designed to stop health care reform so they can keep the status quo in place. The next time you see an anti-health reform ad ask yourself who paid for it. That's right. Insurance companies appear to be using our health care premiums to pay for ads designed to ensure their continued profits from our health care system. Does this make sense?

8. When Senator Max Baucus, head of the Senate Finance Committee, introduced a bill on health care reform it did not include a public option to help force competition and help keep insurance companies from raising premiums. What the bill did say was that Americans must now buy private health insurance. Max Baucus has received $2.8 million in campaign contributions from the health care industry. Should someone so indebted to the insurance industry be in a position where they can help ensure the industry's future revenues?

Connect the Dots…

A. Wall Street. You know the guys who almost destroyed our financial system, ruined our retirement savings and then paid themselves huge bonuses from billions in government bailouts. Well did you know that they are investors in health insurance companies? Wall Street makes bets that insurance companies will continue to make more and more profits from our health care dollars.

B. Insurance Companies. They work very hard to increase their profits for their Wall Street investors. They make money by spending as little of our health insurance premiums on actual health care as possible. They do this by denying our claims and dropping people when they are sick.

C. Our legislators. They receive millions in campaign contributions from Wall Street and the health insurance industry. Right now, many of them are supporting the health insurance industry by fighting against health care reform. Some of them will get high paying jobs from Wall Street and the insurance industry after they are done working for them during their terms in Congress. Is this what we elected them to do?

Its business as usual --- Everyone wins except the American people. The insurance companies and Wall Street investors will continue to get richer and richer. Our legislators will continue to get their cut. The American people will continue to pay raising health insurance bills. Thousands of us will die or go bankrupt due to lack of insurance coverage. And we will all continue to live in fear of losing our health insurance.

Do you think this is right?

Why do insurance companies that profit by denying us access to health care control our health care system? Does this make sense? If common sense tells you that it does not, please tell President Obama that you demand the change he promised. Tell Congress to be honest and represent the good of the people. Tell them all it's time to start over.

Tell President Obama you want the change he promised. Call President Obama today. Tell him you think it's wrong for insurance companies to profit off of health care. Here's his number: 202-456-1111. Write your Senators. Tell them they work for us, not the health insurance industry. If we all act together, we can make them listen. Remember, they want your votes. We can start changing things for the better now. It's our turn. Do it for your kids. Do it for future generations. Do it for America.

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This work contains the opinions of concerned citizens and the application of principles and logic to publicly available information, but is not meant to present opinions as fact or to represent the interests or beliefs of any commercial enterprise.