If It’s Good Enough for Them, It’s Good Enough for Us.
The blogosphere is full of tributes to Senator Ted Kennedy today. The left is mourning. Some on the right are not. Ted Kennedy was a consummate negotiator. He never gave up without a fight, and he knew what was right. He lived a life of privilege, fiercely devoted to serving those who did not. I was reading the comments from Sarah Palin’s facebook page, and over on Fox News. I wondered to myself how it was possible that the very people that Kennedy fought for all his life, to give them a living wage, and to give them the same health care he enjoyed as a U.S. Senator could be full of such vitriol.
And something else hit me. In between all the “may he rot in Hell” entries, there were some commenters who worried that his death would cause the liberals to get off the couch and take action for health care reform. And I think opponents of reform should be worried. Whenever there is a death, people struggle for meaning, and the strong ones realize that the only way through grief is to make that death mean something – to take its tragedy and turn it into something hopeful. Each death is a gift. It forces us to stand back and look at our life as a fragile, fleeting thing that may end at any moment. It forces us to be grateful for all those things we didn’t think about the day before. It allows us to see things as they are, even if only for a while. Every day on Earth is a blessing and a unit of time that is full of potential to make it better, even for those people who work against us, and against their own self interest.
Ted Kennedy’s death marks the end of an era. But when eras end, new ones begin. Let’s take the best of what Ted Kennedy was and bring it forward. Every one of us needs to do something. In action there is comfort, and in fighting to make things better, there is meaning.
Our congressional delegation is getting ready to return to the belly of the beast. They will be leaving the states of the people they represent, and heading off to work in the big marble bubble of Washington, D.C. We need to send them off with a clear message from their constituents. Doing nothing about health care reform is not an option. Accepting a bill without a STRONG public option is not an option either. If you are in Anchorage, click HERE for details on a public event taking place on September 3, from 6-8pm. Circle your calendar, and bring friends.
From Senator Begich’s office:
Sen. Begich believes it’s time to cut through the fog of misinformation surrounding health reform. Here’s what the bills pending in Congress won’t do: legalize euthanasia, dismantle Medicare or come between you and your doctor. That’s the senator’s message in a guest column being distributed to Alaska newspapers as opponents of reform use scare tactics. Sen. Begich believes change is necessary because the status quo is unacceptable. U.S. health spending accounts for more than a 6th of all economic output and, if unchecked, is projected to eat up one-third of the economy for the next generation. Despite all this spending, 47 million Americans don’t have health insurance, including 116,000 Alaskans. The senator favors reform with these provisions: no discrimination for pre-existing conditions; no outrageous out-of-pocket expenses; no cost-sharing for preventative care like checkups; no dropping of coverage for the seriously ill; no gender discrimination; no annual or lifetime caps on coverage; and young adults will continue to be eligible for family coverage through age 26. Senator Begich will next hear from Alaskans in a Fairbanks health care reform public meeting Sept. 26.
He has stopped short of saying that he will only support a bill with a good public option and has cast himself in the “Maybe” column. I was at his Town Hall meeting about health care back in June. That’s when the people who showed up actually cared about health care reform, and the room wasn’t populated by those instructed to show up andt shout down debate. He asked people in the audience to raise their hands if they wanted a bill with a public option. Over 90% of the people in the room raised their hands. I know he got the message once and it was loud and clear, but we need to give it to him again. So show up at the meeting in Anchorage on September 3, or the meeting in Fairbanks on September 26, email, make a phone call, and make sure you are counted.
Senator Begich has said before that he doesn’t like to make decisions right away. He enjoys maximizing the debate and hearing from as many people as possible. He wants us to participate in our government. Let’s not disappoint him because I’m sure he’s hearing from the other side.
If you’re not in Alaska, send your representatives off with a message too. If you’ve done it already, then choose one of the wafflers and contact them. You may not live in their state, but they are making life and death decisions for you and your family. Click HERE to find out where your Senators stand. If they are going to vote for a public option, contact them anyway and thank them. They are surely hearing from the Town Hall Teabaggers. If they are “maybes” or “nos” watch that video of Ted Kennedy again and ask them if they accepted the government health care that came with their Senate Seat and if it’s working out for them. We hired them. If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for us.
So take Ted Kennedy’s gift. It’s the last one he’ll ever give us, and if it causes the change I think it can, it may be his greatest one.
“This is the cause of my life – new hope that we will break the old gridlock and guarantee that every American – north, south, east, west, young, old – will have decent, quality health care as a fundamental right and not a privilege.”
UPDATE:
Senator Kennedy’s last wish, which he wrote to the Massachusetts Legislature recently was that the Governor be allowed to appoint a temporary senator to fill his seat when he passed. Keeping a strong progressive voice in that Massachusetts Senate seat will be critical to the health care debate, and there are those who will seek to put roadblocks up and keep the seat vacant for the next five months. Please click HERE and sign a petition to the Massachusetts Legislature asking them to fulfill the Senator’s last wish.
I found this post from Obsidian Wings’ publius to be the perfect antidote to all the hate posts on vile sites such as that one lynnrockets discovered:
http://obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/2009/08/thank-you-senator.html
“I was a late convert to Ted. As many of you know, I was a Republican for the first 21 years or so of my life. And so I disliked Kennedy purely for ignorant ideological reasons. He was the boogeyman liberal — the icon of the enemy.
In time, I gradually learned more about him. And I can honestly say that, today, I revere him. To me, he embodies everything a progressive politician should be. And I’m ashamed for not recognizing it earlier.
What’s most striking about Kennedy is that he dedicated his life to helping people who he had no reason to help. … he could have had a very nice life yachting, and reading books, and traveling. But he didn’t do that. He spent decades in the Senate fighting — truly fighting — for people who most needed help, who most needed a voice. Unlike so many legislators, he wasn’t the voice of the already-enfranchised. He was, in this sense, a universal Senator for those with no champion, with no lobby. ”
Beauty, eh?
To what “unintended negative consequences” do you refer?
IMHO: Having a VERY important session coming up and MA with only one voice in the Senate is a “negative consequence”.
The 5-month “time out” was enacted to prevent a rush to fill a vacate seat with an unqualified political hack. Current MA guv Deval Patrick is a progressive who will not blindly fill that seat. In the grand scheme of things, 5 months is but an eye-blink. IMHO, this is one provision which should NOT be changed as the possibility of unintended negative consequences greatly outweighs a momentary positive. The healthcare issue will be with us for years. Let’s wait the 5 months.
AKM: “Every day on Earth is a blessing and a unit of time that is full of potential to make it better, even for those people who work against us, and against their own self interest.”
Amen. Great post.
ive signed i dont know how many petitions today and made calls
i hope it does some good
writing from red state kentucky
March for Health Care on September 13th. Rallies are forming around the country. I’ve just posted updated links here:
https://themudflats.net/forum/index.php/topic,7934.msg80183/topicseen.html#new
nswfm CA–wow, I agree with tigerwine (no, not surprized at that… 🙂 )–it’s amazing that the person you knew lasted so long with pancreatic cancer. It’s usually less than a year (close to 4-6 months for most).
tigerwine–my condolences on your loss; we lost a family member to it too.
Last weekend I had lunch with my 26 year old son and we talked of healthcare reform and he said of the town halls – “Mom, all those angry people would be so much better off with health care reform – why don’t they see that?” Just like the vitriol of the comments and those who make those comments on the evil one’s facebook page, why don’t they see that their support for the Republicans just keeps them from moving ahead – it is enough to make a saint weep. I guess we have to find our hope in the 26 year olds like my son and the people I find here but it is a hard road. One made even harder by the loss of a man like Ted Kennedy.
seattlefan – It amazes me that there are so many mean, cruel people. The lack of common decency and intellect is also amazing. Ted Kennedy tried to make a difference in the lives of all people from all walks of life.
Someone asked earlier, don’t know if its been posted. Here’s the link for a Teddy candle. (Stronghearts already has 236 candles. The most on the site.)
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=teddy
I signed this petition along with about 5 others I received via email this afternoon. Howard Dean has one circulating. I hope the Democrats can get this done.
As a side comment…..I am disgusted at how Rush, Hannity and Laura Ingraham are dealing with the death of Senator Kennedy. I was in my car this afternoon and with much trepidation, went to the Laura I. station. OMG. How can so much hate be in a person, and how is this tolerated on the airwaves. I didn’t even go to “crazy woman’s” Facebook as I had read some of the comments left by her dear friends on another website. These people are truly hateful and I am at a loss of words.
I have a very elaborate post awaiting moderation PRIOR to my statement about the care my son received. I’ll wait until I see it get through moderation before I add to my comments.
nswfm CA – I’m sorry if I left the feeling that the US had the best health care in the world – I don’t. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, we are 38th! What I meant to convey, was that, although I, personally, am covered, and think all should be, that I am confused about the benefits about the option vs. single pay.
So, what did the fellow in the British Colony receive for care? By the way, he must have set a record. Pancreatic Cancer is usually very swift. Very much appreciate your input!!
# 41 BigSlick Says: August 26th, 2009 at 4:19 PM
Oh, yeah. My son’s kidney problems were resolved by the best renal pediatrician specialist in the world thanks to the Japanese Health Care System. This doctor saved my son’s life, therefore he IS the best, no doubt in my mind.
# 43 tigerwine Says: August 26th, 2009 at 5:12 PM
AKM and the Mudflats are for public option. I happen to have super health insurance. I am well taken care of, never have to pay for anything. My husband died of pancreatic cancer – never had to pay a penny.
———–
I’m sorry to hear of this. I know of someone who had pancreatic cancer diagnosed in summer 1998 and died in January 2005. Not in this country, but in a former British Colony. If we think we have the best health care in the world, we need to elaborate on what we mean by “best.” See above for BigSlick’s comment.
33 tigerwine Says- Google American Medical Association for the doctors viewpoint for healthcare reform.. Yes, they are behind it!
Senator Kennedy’s death last night is such a sad passing of an era. I didn’t always like or agree with him, but always respected a man, and a family, that gave and lost so muchin order to do right for all Americans. I am so sad that a man who worked so hard for all of us will not see his most important legislative victory.
I will be attending the March for Health Care in DC next month, and I now have a stronger conviction to see this legislation passed in a strong and effective bill. I think I’ll make a sign–“for Senator Kennedy, who had it all and gave it all for us”
Thank you thank you AKM I have spent hours looking for that U-tube video.I saw it first thing this morning and listened,then went on to anothe story.By the time I wanted it to link to another blog that had a tribute up I could not find it..I had forgottne how strong and energic Senator Kennedy could be, I haven’t seen anything said by McCain have any of you?
Enjay in E.MT #34 Thanks for the link (It supports single pay)
anastasia #39 Thanks for your input (It supports public option)
So, with these two doctors organizations supporting different versions, how are we to make an intelligent decision?
AKM and the Mudflats are for public option. I happen to have super health insurance. I am well taken care of, never have to pay for anything. My husband died of pancreatic cancer – never had to pay a penny. I am now for what AKM recommends – the public option, because I am right now satisfied. However, will this change when whatever new health care legislation goes into effect? I think that is what is unclear = I need to know more about single pay. As I understand it, it levels the field. And that’s good.
Thank goodness for this forum, where I can learn!
It isn’t often that you can say that someone has made a huge difference just by living. Last night one of the commentators mentioned that, thinking along the lines of “It’s a Wonderful Life”, how different our country and our world would be if Ted Kennedy had not been in it and had not been the dedicated person that he was.
AKM, thanks for adding the link to the petition. I signed that one and one to name the health care bill after Ted Kennedy. He might not have wanted that kind of tribute, but I do think it’s very fitting.
Oh, yeah. My son’s kidney problems were resolved by the best renal pediatrician specialist in the world thanks to the Japanese Health Care System. This doctor saved my son’s life, therefore he IS the best, no doubt in my mind.
I’ve taken a while to listen and form my own opinions about the Health Care Reform bill. I am for it. And I demand a public option.
I also lived for 10+ years in Japan and have to say this — taxes are higher there thanours for the rich there beginning at about the equivalent of $250k/year income, significantly lower for the poor, and the Japanese Health Care System works a damn sight better than the mess we have here.
There are two major government-backed provider options, one that places a heavier burden on large employers and has slightly better service levels for things such as preventative care, fitness & rehabilitation training, and meds, and the other with lighter burden on small employers & local governments that is slightly cheaper on the individual’s premiums but offers the same standard services. The trade-off is you must first seek local services for discretionary care in the lower-rate plan. However, emergency/crisis services, major medical, and maternity care are offered equally. And they cover mental health needs without much stigma.
The premium service has a 10% co-pay, the standard 20% and both require a monthly premium that is pro-rated according to your income tax statements. There are maximum and minimum premiums so if you are rich you don’t end up paying an ever-progressive tax/fee, and the minimums get waived in the case of proven inability to pay. The system is set up fairly, and the healthcare is good in most areas of Japan although rural areas have trouble getting doctors to locate in villages where the population is declining as youth flees to the cities. Remind you of someplace? With their train system they certainly don’t have Alaska’s transport problems so even rural patients can get to the city
Unemployed? Homeless? Pre-existing conditions? Terminal illness? Catastrophic illness or accident? You still get coverage with any one or any combination of these problems. Without going bankrupt.
The premiums are reasonable, much less than we pay here as a % of income, even for the moderately rich who pay the highest % burden. Why? Its not run for profit, but as a social maintenance program. Cost of R&D at Health Sciences Universities and other government medical research facilities are factored in and budgeted for in advance.
If you make $200k a year, your monthly payment is about $500 to $600 depending on the number of dependents you have. If you make $20k a year, you pay about $40 a month.
You can still buy private insurance if you want. There are some “elite” service providers who work only with private care-givers and these are for multi-millionaires who can pay thousands a month in premiums. They also outsource/in-source by hiring foreign doctors or even flying you to other countries. And there are short-term coverage plans usually purchased by foreign nationals on short-stays or travel plans. No, private insurers have not been able to compete in the mainstream, and its not an issue for the Japanese.
The Japanese get the best preventative medicine in the world. Excellent, affordable meds. In-patient care that you would not believe. Among the best specialists in the world.
Both my kids were born there and my wife and babies were cared for so well. They offer pre/post natal care & nutritional training to the mothers, a battery of tests for mother and child, and a 3-day to 7-day in-patient observation & rest period.
My son had a life-threatening kidney problem. The Japanese
The pro-active elder care is second to none. The technology is superb. Its affordable.
Socialism.
This is what Ronald Reagan supplied arms to the Contras to destroy.
Socialism.
This is what the Hawkish US Wingnut Right have led us into war against time and time again.
Socialism.
This is what the Rebel Yell of the Right is now ranting about.
Socialism.
I could go back there. I have had spittle-spraying Tea Baggers rant at me that I “should go back there if I like it so much” and these were my own family members. I’d rather fix the system here, wipe the spittle off my face, and see my friends and family get better health care. Here. In the USA.
Socialism.
This is what the Tea Baggers, the “actors” hired to disrupt Town Hall meetings, and Sarah Palin are all foaming at the mouth about, secretly (or not so secretly) fomenting secessionist ideology and calling in some cases for outright civil war.
Socialism. Socialism. Socialism.
Just the act of forming a society, any society, including a CAPITALIST society is, in its essence, a socialist act. So to what degree do we allow socialism is the real question.
A successful CAPITALIST society that creates and accumulates WEALTH can incrementally afford a bit more socialism if it means WE ALL get the services we need to stay healthy at affordable rates.
Those who call for secession and civil war are the real threats to the USA. REAL Patriots will call these TRAITORS on their bullsh*t whether the patriot or the traitor be liberal or conservative or moderate.
STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHT TO PROPER HEALTHCARE. NOW.
ps. The wait-time to see a good doctor in Japan is a lot less than it is in the USA. Also. Too.
We have lost a great leader and the very best way to show that we care is to pass his, the Kennedy Healthcare bill so that the cause of his life will not have been in vain.
He was not a perfect human being; he never said he was, but he was an exceptional human who cared deeply about his fellow citizens – and so do I.
Rest in peace Teddy dear and we will do our part here.
Tigerwine, at the Shaker Heights Democratic Club picnic last week, our congresswoman, Marcia Fudge (Oh-11), came and spoke and took questions and comments. This being Shaker Heights (look it up: good address), there were doctors and doctor’s wives in the room. One doctor stood up and said he had just been to his 50th medical school class reunion and virtually every classmate of his supported the public option. And these are older guys, so you’d expect them to be more conservative.
First Segundo, now Teddy. I feel like I’ve been crying for a week. I didn’t know either of these men but each of them has left their stamp on the world in a way that has left it a little bit better for their having lived in it. R.I.P. both of you.
new thread, BTW
Well said Bill Hess!
for Tigerwine #33
check out this website for Drs opinions
http://www.madashelldoctors.com/
I finally had a chance to ask a friend, a surgeon, how he feels on this health care issue. His answer surprised me. He said we have to have universal health care. Timidly, I asked how this would affect his income (nosey question!). He said he had performed 5 surgeries this week, and will get paid for none of them, because the patients had no insurance. At least doctors will get reimbursed under Obama’s plan. It might not be as much as from some lucky folks who have adequate insurance, but it will probably be, in the long run, more. I haven’t heard much from the medical community on this – has anyone else?
The link to Ted Kennedy’s speech in Sitka can also be accessed directly from the Alaska Digital Archive’s page at: http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=10053&REC=2
(help their page hits count if you’re going to view it!)
Samper, thank you for publishing that link. I did go to that page and submit a thank you to Senator Kennedy for my personal reason for admiring him, that he was always there for Jackie, Caroline, and John Kennedy, Jr. and apparently as I read today, for all of his family and friends, in good times and bad. I also signed the congressional page to support health care and carry forward Sen. Kennedy’s lifelong work to that end.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
The lion of the Senate has passed. Who will take his place? Who will roar as passionately? Who will take up the fight for the health and welfare of the pride? Who will give up so much for so many? Who will show their underbelly, and suffer the slings and arrows of the enemy?
We will stand for the lion! We will continue his roar! We were lost, but he never ceased his roar! We followed the sound! We have come home, and now we stand to protect the pride! Our coats of many colors unite, and we honor the Lion’s passion for humanity!
Stand fast! Throw back your heads, and roar! Beware, enemy, beware! The pride has awakened!
AKM thank you for this inspiring post and for giving easy access to do something good by simply clicking on a link.
I finally cried a little bit.
Sorry I haven’t had time to read all the comments. My dad worked with Joe Kennedy in Washington DC after FDR appointed him head of the SEC. Our local paper has a comments blog & I just could not believe what people were saying. You do not want to know the comments. I started getting really ticked off & eventually had a long talk with the editor. I would never have done this if I didn’t visit this site often. Some of the things that are going on are just outrageous we need to take a stand.
Ted Kennedy Speech on Martin Luther King Jr’s Assasination in Sitka, Alaska 1968.
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2009/08/a_speech_you_may_not_have_seen.php?ref=fpblg
Considering the venom towards the gay community in Anchorage going on now, I thought his words were chilling and beautiful.
did somebody leave the liquor cabinet open?
off topic AKMuckraker, but listen to this episode on NPR. Eric Boehrlet who writes for Media Matters was interviewed about his book about blogging. He was dissing Palin bloggers so ridiculously I was just seething! He even brought up that phony picture of SP pregnant and huge 2 weeks after she had a perfectly flat stomach as proof that it’s all conspiracy theory equivalent to right wing nut jobs! grrrrrr…..
Somebody needs to set him straight!
I will be posting this at all the Palin sites I know.
http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/episodes/2009/08/26/segments/139401
Samper already posted the link that goes to this, but please sign it to honor Teddy’s last wish:
http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5649/t/4923/content.jsp?content_KEY=2762&tag=hk1_e1
Thank you all…what a sad day. Let it be our rally call to get this thing DONE!
I was surprised to wake up this morning and find that Senator Kennedy had passed. I remember the day President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. I was in 5th grade, and the news was so shocking that we were released early that day. It was particularly upsetting for African Americans because we knew that President Kennedy was in favor of civil rights legislation that would stop segregation. I loved all of the Kennedys because even though they were rich and privileged, they never saw themselves as different than anyone else. This is a trait that should be a template for all Americans to adopt. Maybe then we wouldn’t have all of the hate speech on teevee/radio or the teabaggers acting out in public to substitute for their lack of knowledge on what hc reform is intended to do for all of us.
Mr. Hess, I read and commented on your excellent piece in the ADN. Thanks for trying to help people understand why we need hc reform and the negative impact of being under-insured.
And thanks to you, AKM, for all you do. You really helped me understand who McCain had chosen as his running mate last year, and this month marks my one year anniversary of following your blog. I think this would be a great article to send to Huffpo.
Perhaps someone has already posted this and I don’t know how to link other web sites but please please go to firedoglake.com for both beautiful writings about Teddy Kennedy the Lion of the Senate and the vitriolic spew of the wing nuts – May Teddy Kennedys spirit fly with the eagles and may we as a people continue to carry on his lifes mission and support Health Care for all. I can’t stop cr ying and I don’t write very well but my heart is in the right place
Proof That Socialized Healthcare Works Better Than Our System
There has been a lot of noise in the past week or so regarding socialized healthcare, with critics claiming that systems such as the one used in the United Kingdom (UK) are inferior to the one we have here. My husband, being British, finally cracked and decided to take a look at the facts for me. Bear in mind that his 93 year old mother is alive and well in the UK. She pays nothing for house calls by her Doctor and social workers, preventive screenings or any other healthcare cost. Here’s what he has to say…
The healthcare system in the United Kingdom is almost completely socialized. The government runs almost all healthcare providers and the system is paid for out of taxes. There are private insurance plans, but their only real benefits are private rooms and shorter waiting lists. What worries me is that American critics of the UK system are like lemmings being led over a cliff edge by blind leaders. They are quick to seize on any published failures of the UK system, which the British complain about continually until you ask about the cost and quality of actual care (along with the weather and the train services) but ignore similar problems here. The critics are ignoring the facts.
Let’s start with a couple of observations. In June 2009 a team at Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School and Ohio University reported in the American Journal of Medicine that three of every five bankruptcies in the United States are now caused by medical bills. That amounts to approximately 3,450 bankruptcies each day as a result of medical bills. Even worse, three out of four of the people declaring bankruptcy as a result of medical bills have insurance coverage. That’s right! They have insurance coverage, but it failed them when they needed it most. The system is broken.
We all know that one sixth of Americans have no health insurance. One third are covered by government schemes. One half are covered by private schemes. Do you understand that, critics of socialized healthcare? One third of Americans are already covered by completely socialized government schemes. Guess what happens when the uninsured have to receive emergency treatment? The government, charities or healthcare facilities pick up the costs. If it’s the healthcare providers they simply increase their prices to the rest of us to cover their losses. Any way that you look at it, the rest of us are already helping provide minimal support to the uninsured. Moving them to a government system will cut costs by providing preventive screening, guarantee healthcare for everyone and allow us to properly account for the costs.
Unfortunately, that’s not the end of the story for the uninsured. There have been calls lately for the President to declare a “War on Diabetes”, which kills 18,000 Americans a year. They are missing the fact that there are around 22,000 excess deaths per year among uninsured adults aged 25-64. Our health insurance system is killing 60 Americans a day by ignoring them.
We reported in an earlier article that the United States came in at numbers 37, 24 and 72 in three studies of the effectiveness of healthcare systems. How can anybody sensibly claim that we’re number one? There are many components to any assessment of healthcare systems, but I’ve summarized a few key facts below. The USA has a much larger population than the UK, so I’ve averaged figures from France, Germany, Italy, the UK and Spain and compared them with the USA. They all have socialized healthcare systems. The total population of those countries is 315 million, which is comparable to the USA’s population of 307 million.
KEY FACTORS RELATING TO HEALTHCARE
(the first # is America.. second # Europe… Martha)
Factor United States of America Top 5 European Countries
Number of excess deaths per year among uninsured adults aged 25-64.
22,000
Zero
Number of bankruptcies per year as a result of medical bills.
1.26 Million
Zero
Number of divorces per year to qualify for government aid with medical costs.
Thousands
Zero
Percentage of the population without health insurance.
15%
Zero
Average percentage of income spent on out-of-pocket medical bills.
20% 1
Zero
Average annual cost of healthcare per person.
$7,500
$3,400
Average life expectancy at birth.
78
80 2
Infant mortality rate (deaths/1,000 live births).
6.3
4.5
Under-five mortality rate (deaths/1,000 live births.
7.8
5.6
Percentage of the population rated as obese.
30.6%
12.5%
WHO measurement of healthcare system responsiveness (higher = better).
8.1
6.8
1 The average out-of-pocket medical bill rises to 35% of income for seniors and the chronically ill.
2 Ranges from 79 to 80.2 with an average of 80.
So, as a nation, we pay more than twice as much per head for our healthcare as the ones with predominantly socialized healthcare, but the only real benefit is that we get treated faster. A cynical person might think that’s because the providers want your money sooner. If you don’t have any insurance, or enough cash/credit, you may have to wait a very long time, or die waiting. I’ve experienced both systems (UK and American) and have family members working in the healthcare industry in both countries. If you look at the above factors there’s no doubt that the socialized systems win hands down
http://silverbuzzcafe.com/
I signed the petition above also. Plus I called my representative and senator’s all of them are republicans of the No party. I still bug them even if it is hopeless. Eff them. I won’t give up !n Red state Texas here.
A truly great man who spent his life in the service of this great country, doing what he could for the poor and downtrodden. He will be missed.
Might I suggest people start following Palin’s facebook, and commenting as much as possible. I do, and figure I’ll be defriended any day soon 🙂
Do sign the petition in the link under “UPDATE” above. It takes just a minute and is important. That seat should NOT remain vacant during this important time.
Off to email the officials for my state. I have just a few words for them:
Get the health care reform legislation PASSED!
I signed it (above)…also too, please sign this:
http://www.democrats.com/honor-ted-kennedy
Thanks in advance!
There is apparently a move to start a “March on Healthcare” that is to take place around the country on September 13 starting at 12 noon.
Find out more here:
http://www.marchforhealthcare.com/
They have a group on Facebook as well:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=118144661546
I RSVP’ed and I do intend to be at the September 3 meeting. As I have let Senator Murkowski know, I am a self employed buyer of health insurance and, before I purchased my plan, the first question that I asked was if the plan would cover an air ambulance out of Rural Alaska, should I need one. I was assured that it would.
In June of 2008, I needed that air ambulance. The bill? Over $37,000. My insurance company refused to pay. They did not pay for tens of thousands of dollars worth of many of the medical bills that follow. I spend over $8000 a year on this plan, with the aggregate being well over $100,000. Yet they were not there for me when I needed them.
Whatever she says to the contrary, Senator Murkowski is standing as an obstacle to health care reform. As such, she is defending the greed of my health insurance company and has placed herself as an obstacle to my personal health care.
I have made this very personal, but when you come down to it, personal is what health care is.
What really pains me is that I know that if I lived in any other developed country in the world, I would not be in the awful situation in regards to health care that I am today.
Do what’s right, Senator Murkowski. Thanks to me and my fellow tax payers, you have the best plan that money can buy. Show us the same regard that we show you.
What better way to honor this true American, who has fought for the rights of all Americans for so long, than to fight as hard as we can to get this health care bill passes…with the public option.
Brought tears to my eyes…oh how I will truly miss him.
While I was typing this:
http://lynnrockets.wordpress.com/2009/08/26/godspeed-mr-kennedy/#comment-807
you posted the above. You are a gem.
After we do our work, let’s remember to laugh, too. It’s good medicine.
We need to work tirelessly, and harder than ever, to fulfill the ’cause of his life’ and enact health care reform.
I have contacted my congressman and senators again to remind them why they are there, and the need to fulfill Ted’s greatest dream. This is OUR time!
Let Kennedy’s death open the door to a better life for us all.
From Dr. Chill, previously:
“”Easily Email your elected officials:
A very nice civic resource: Congress.org:
Enter your 5 digit zipcode. You can write one email to your 3 congressmen. Enter your 5+4 zip and find out who your state reps are.”
Thank you for the YouTube video. I have sent it to everyone in my address book. We will mobilize and pass a progressive bill for TED! I miss all of the Kennedy brothers so very much.
Also signed the petition. Thank you for providing the link.
Now over to the link to share my memories and sympathies with the family.
Cori
North Carolina
Maybe the health care plan could be named after Senator Kennedy…he worked so tirelessly
Do visit the site linked above. It’s a very nice way to honor Senator Kennedy.
Click on “Tributes”.
Missing are Palin’s phony condolences posted on her social networking page. I’m glad to see that the Kennedy Family has ignored her hypocrisy!
Nope, didn’t work.
Here is the link provided by Dr. Dean:
http://tedkennedy.org/sites/tedkennedy/index.php/pages/share_memories
Received this from Democracy for America (Howard Dean). If the link doesn’t come through, I’ll put it in another post.
We will miss Senator Ted Kennedy as a nation, and I will miss him as a human being.
Over the next few months, as we debate his life’s passion, which was Universal Healthcare, we will feel his presence everywhere. He will be in the Senate Chamber, in the committee rooms, in the White House, and in the minds of most of the reporters old enough to have witnessed the trajectory of this extraordinary generation of America’s First Family from it’s beginning.
Much has been written about Ted Kennedy already. He was indeed extraordinary. My mother, who was a solid Upper East Side Republican until 2004, once happened to sit next to him at a wedding of a mutual friend. She had never met him before. I’m sure the exchange was lively, and being a Dean, I doubt my mother gave him much quarter. A week later, a beautiful, kind, and very personal handwritten letter arrived from Ted Kennedy. My mother, like so many other Americans, was hooked by the Kennedy charm and grace.
Ted Kennedy was a man with a long career of determination as well as charm. When President Obama signs a healthcare reform bill late this year, Ted Kennedy may not be standing there next to him, but his presence will be deeply apparent in the Oval Office as the President’s pen moves across the page.
The Kennedy family has set up a page for us all to share our memories in Senator Kennedy’s honor. Let’s join them in celebrating the life and work of a true American hero.
CLICK HERE TO SHARE YOUR MEMORIES AND SYMPATHIES NOW
-Howard
Governor Howard Dean, M.D.
Founder, Democracy for America
What a legacy it would be to accomplish the needed health care/health insurance reform we need in honor of his passing.
may we gift him back with the passage of healthcare reform