[WestMALocals] Op/ Ed: Jill Stein, Owen Broadhurst, Nat Fortune on Health Care

[Owen Broadhurst]

 Op/ Ed
Dr. Jill Stein, Owen R. Broadhurst, and Nat Fortune

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Why can't our legislature deliver true universal health insurance?

Our legislative leaders have announced yet another breakthrough on their
increasingly pared down bill to reduce the number of uninsured in
Massachusetts. The real news is that the plan shall in no way curtail
skyrocketing health care costs, and that most insurance provided shall have
more holes than Swiss cheese.

It would be easy to blame our governor for this travesty. After all, he
threatened to veto any bill that costs money, thinks the solution to high
cost coverage is to cut benefits, and thinks the best way to reduce the
number who can't afford insurance is to require everyone to buy it. This is
like declaring an end to homelessness by requiring everyone to rent an
apartment.

The real blame, however, lies with our legislature. With an 85% veto-proof
majority in both the House and Senate, our Democratic legislators can pass
any bill they like. So why has the sun been so slow to rise for universal
coverage? And why is that, when you scrape away the hype and promises, the
beneficiary of the meager bill emerging from committee seems increasingly to
be health insurance companies and the health care industry more than the
people needing health care?

The first reason is that the only proven solution isn't even on the table.
Countries from Germany to Japan already have a publicly-financed,
privately-provided health care system that cuts the cost of paperwork and
negotiates lower prices for medicines and services. You get to choose your
doctor, your doctor runs her own practice, and the two of you decide on the
best course of care and how to provide it in an affordable, responsible
manner. Shouldn't more of $1 billion currently spent by the medical industry
in Massachusetts each week actually go to health care for all instead of
paperwork, lobbyists, and donations to campaigns?

Unfortunately, most legislators oppose such a "single-payer,
choice-of-provider" health plan. Even those incumbents who claimed to
support it quickly declared it had no support once the election was over.
And when the only proven solution to a difficult problem is excluded,
agreement is hard to reach!

The second reason is the reason that single payer isn't up for discussion:
too many Beacon Hill careers depend on campaign donations from the health
care industry. Legislators fearful of competitive elections repealed the
Clean Elections bill overwhelmingly passed by voters. As a consequence, in
part, only one incumbent was defeated in the last general election. Never
mind that the entire public financing system would have cost less than $5
per voter. Now our legislative leaders must answer to big campaign
contributors first and voters second, and on this issue, their contributors
disagree on who should pay and what to pay for.

Drug companies want public dollars for medications but don't want to
negotiate prices. Insurance companies want public dollars to pay for private
policies but don't want to meet minimum coverage standards. Hospitals and
HMO's want public dollars to cover costs but don't want regulation. Big
businesses want public dollars for workers compensation and insurance but
don't want to be required to contribute. Two things they do agree on is that
publicly financed elections and single payer health insurance aren't for us.
The result is a bill that reduces what insurance covers, and doesn't control
the rising cost of care. It gives businesses an incentive not to provide
insurance, but requires us to buy inadequate policies when our employer
doesn't deliver.

In a way, the public is still paying for elections. The difference is this:
Instead of paying the tiny cost of clean elections, we pay exorbitantly for
the lack of them.
Dr. Jill Stein was the Green-Rainbow Party's 2002 gubernatorial candidate
and present Green-Rainbow Party candidate for Secretary of the Commonwealth.

Mr. Owen R. Broadhurst is the Green-Rainbow Party candidate for state
representative in the Third Hampden District.

Mr. Nat Fortune was the Green-Rainbow Party's 2004 candidate for state
representative in the First Franklin District.



--
Owen R. Broadhurst
Candidate for State Representative
Third Hampden District
http://www.owenbroadhurst.org