It’s time for the public to demand real reform–insist on a reform plan where everyone pay ins and everyone is guaranteed quality care. Why not build on the Medicare program and expand it to cover us all? It works for seniors and the disabled–social insurance with a private delivery system of care providers! This is precisely the universal health care reform plan that Ted Kennedy has been pushing for for years, and years, and years…

A fair payroll tax from employers and a fair health tax from individuals would fund the program. It would cost less, give better coverage to everyone, and would cut out the wasteful middle man–the insurance industry!

Chapter 58 is a fake reform law that Mitt Romney and Blue Cross Blue Shield passed by tricking the public; it doesn’t do a single darn thing to actually reform the broken system.

Well, the public is starting to wise up and become aware that the current system is a perverted mess that is this killing many people while making other people millionaires (is there any update from the Attorney General on the $20Mil payout from “non=profit” MA Blue Cross and Blue Shield to their past CEO Bill VanFaasen, or the $3.5Mil annual salary MA BCBS pays to CEO Clive Killingsworth?

Instead of word games like the quotes in the below Globe article that dance around the heart of the issue and confuse the public, what we need is some real leadership for reforms to make the health care system DIRECTLY accountable to the people–THE PUBLIC–and to our communities. (Gov. Patrick, are you listening?) It’s our money after all, isn’t it?!!!

Boston Globe 5/31/08
Mass. tab for private sector healthcare rises:

“…When you use the state’s water, they send you a bill,” said Rosman. “Maybe if you use the state’s healthcare, they should also send you a bill, and you should pay for some of it.”

Richard C. Lord, chief executive of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, the state’s largest business lobby, said he would oppose efforts to raise the standards set by the Romney administration that determine when a company makes a “reasonable” contribution to employees’ healthcare.

“Healthcare reform was the result of a delicate balance of interests,” said Lord, “and up to now it has the support of the business community. We want to continue to support it and I don’t think we should be changing the rules at this point.”

article link http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2008/05/31/mass_tab_for_private_sector_healthcare_rises/?p1=email_to_a_friend
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It begs to be stated that Mr. Lord’s “delicate balance of interests” is the biggest rip-off of the American people that’s going these days. Health insurance costs are bankrupting countless families, local governments, and now our entire state budget! And there’s one more thing–it might not mean much to Mr Lord and the insurance company executives in his trade association–but this perverted “delicate balance of interests” is responsible for killing people and for maiming many more every month simply because they can’t afford to buy private insurance products.

More insurance product “choices” (choices offered from insurance companies or from employers, for that matter) are most definitely NOT what people need to have health security. Shame on those who keep trying to trick the public about this central point.

1) residents who are eligible for coverage through their employer (or the employer of their spouse) are not eligible for Comm Care. The Connector has an audit or review of enrollees that is underway or begins next month (does anyone remember the details?) that will verify information enrollees provide on this subject.

2) The Connector board began discussions this month about allowing the 30-40,000 residents who can’t afford their share of employer sponsored coverage premiums, and are income eligible for Comm Care, to enroll. This would, of course, be very expensive. The presentation to the board is here:

http://www.mahealthconnector.org/portal/binary/com.epicentric.contentmanagement.servlet.ContentDeliveryServlet/About%2520Us/Publications%2520and%2520Reports/Current/Connector%2520board%2520meeting%2520May%25208%252C%25202008/BC%2520-%2520Board%2520PPP%25205-8-08.ppt#256,1,Waiving Commonwealth Care Prohibition on Enrolling Adults with Access to ESI

Best, Martha