Calling Obama's Health Care Bluff

"But if anyone from either party has a better approach that will bring down premiums, bring down the deficit, cover the uninsured, strengthen Medicare for seniors, and stop insurance company abuses, let me know. (Applause.) Let me know. Let me know. (Applause.) I'm eager to see it." 

 

-President Obama, State of the Union 2010

Dr. Margaret Flowers has a better approach, along with millions of others who understand that Single Payer works for the following reason: it changes the current for-profit insurance industry's incentive from making and increasing profits to instead improving the health of people. Conservative estimates reveal that over 30% of U.S. health care dollars fund insurance industry bureaucrats instead of directly paying health care providers (physicians, nurses, and associated care delivery professionals.) This insurance industry bureaucracy exists to limit and deny health care claims as much as possible, and by eliminating this for-profit health insurance industry entirely, Flowers estimates that at least $400 billion on administrative costs alone would be saved annually and be applied to directly pay for health care delivery costs. It's time for the teabaggers (the hands-off my Medicare  "insurance companies are people, too” variety) and the fleabaggers  (who attack single-payer ideology and argue to scrap it in order to pass something, anything with a “D” on it) climb out of their double-wides and groupthink tanks to learn the difference between legislation that supports people vs. plutocrats. Dr. Flowers explains:

“Concerned citizens should realize that they can't trust the new administration or Congress to enact health care reform in their (the public's) best interest if we (the public) don't pay attention and demand it. The plan that they are pushing through right now is a bailout for the private insurers.”

When it comes down to doing the right thing on health care, will the Obama Administration, that has placated the profit hungry, parasitic insurance industry  end up placating the plutocrats? If so, it won't be from any lack of support from the people, and, without Single Payer, the best thing Obama could do for himself, the Democrats and everybody else would be to kill it.

-2Truthy