Summer, and the living is easy? Summer madness...

It's summertime, and summer weather decided to make a comeback...which may not be so good, as it makes me feel like doing this...



Nonetheless, a relative has to interact with the health-industrial complex tomorrow, so along I go. I only hope I can tune out the incessant noise from cable channels, to avoid nausea from hearing their negative spin on healthcare reform while in the waiting room, with their sudden concern about the budget deficit, an invisible concern during the Bush years.

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Former CIGNA public relations person, now health insurance industry whistleblower, Wendell Potter, who recently testified before Congress, is sharing his views on the reforms needed now. As he relates,

..."remember this: whenever you hear a politician or pundit use the term "government-run health care" and warn that the creation of a public health insurance option that would compete with private insurers (or heaven forbid, a single payer system like the one Canada has) will "lead us down the path to socialism," know that the original source of the soundbite most likely was some flak like I used to be."

Ouch.

In case you wonder how other industrialized nations have universal healthcare coverage to their citizens and residents, and why, the website of Germany's Ministry of Health and Social Matters mentions this basic reality as a motivation..."a health care system is not a "normal" market." Think about that fact anytime someone raves/lies/spins about the Democratic healthcare reform proposal as taking away choice (as though the insurance company bureaucrats aren't already doing that).

Once more to Potter--he's none too fond of one type of health care insurance "plan" dear to conservatives' hearts, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). He mentioned that while employed at CIGNA, the company forced employees to switch from HMOs and PPOs and into high-deductible plans (euphemistically called "consumer-driven plans"), and that other companies are following this awful trend of forcing employees into these plans (almost rhymes with "scams").

Lastly, all the people smugly crowing about how wonderful their current health insurance plans are should know about all the other folk, who previously also believed that they had solid health insurance before they decided to use it, who unfortunately found out about the nasty practice of "rescission," when an insurance company decides, retroactively, that you are no longer covered for treatment! (Info from the Baseline Scenario site).

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Just thinking about this stupidity makes me upset. Time to chill out to the ultimate summer classic from Kool and the Gang, aptly named Summer Madness.