To Prez and Dems: Which Side Are You On?
I am upset with President Obama’s handling of health care.
If I was responding to the recent Washington Post –ABC news poll I would respond “strongly disapprove” to the question:
Do you approve or disapprove of the way Obama is handling health care? Do you approve/disapprove strongly or somewhat?
But I am not sure the media analysis of the poll captures my sentiments. To listen to them you might think Americans don’t want health care reform. That’s not my view and that does not appear to be supported by the poll results.
The last president barely squeaked into office without a majority of the popular vote and the slimmest of margins in both the House and Senate. And yet within two years he led the country into a war that almost no one wanted, and that has killed and maimed thousands of American service men and women. That very same poll shows that 62% of Americans consider the war in Iraq not worth fighting.
President Obama was elected with a huge popular mandate and strong majorities in both the House and Senate.
And he can’t reform a health care system that is killing many more thousands of people each year both by neglect (no insurance) and incompetence (medical errors)?
Don’t be a wimp, Prez. Make this thing happen!
The very same poll shows that the public trusts the president and the Democrats on health care more than they trust the Republicans. And that number has barely changed.
But President Obama and the Democrats are headed down the wrong path if they require individuals to purchase health insurance. How do they expect a worker living paycheck to paycheck, who now needs to figure out how he or she is going to pay rent or mortgage, to find the money or even the inclination to buy health insurance?
It is a loser! Those voters may not be paying attention now, but you will get their attention very quickly if this idea becomes a reality.
The Commonwealth Fund recently released a report describing the failure of the private insurance market.
Over the last three years, nearly three-quarters of people who tried to buy coverage in this market never actually purchased a plan, either because they could not find one that fit their needs or that they could afford, or because they were turned down due to a preexisting condition. Even people enrolled in employer-based plans are spending larger amounts of their income on health care and curtailing their use of needed services to save money. The findings underscore the need for an expansion of affordable health insurance options, particularly during a time of mounting job losses.
A story on the web site Kaiser Health News describes the dilemma facing Congressman Mike Ross (D-AK). Does he bow to the interests of his voters or to the insurance and health care interests in his district?
Rep. Mike Ross, who grew up in this tiny town of 3,600, represents residents like 62-year-old Sandy Barham, a restaurant owner with a heart ailment who can’t afford health insurance for herself or her employees.
The haves vs. the have nots
And that in a nutshell is what this debate is about – the haves vs. the have nots.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation produces a monthly Health Care Consumer Confidence Index. Highlights of the most recent survey point out:
- Americans believe health reform is an important part of addressing the nation’s economic crisis. More than 8 in 10 people (84.7%) believe that it is important for President Obama to reform the health care system as a step in solving the nation’s economic woes.
- People are worried about being able to afford future care. More than four in 10 of all Americans (43.3%) are worried that they will not be able to pay for their future health care needs in the event of a serious illness. Additionally, nearly four in 10 (39.8%) are worried that they will not be able to afford all of the routine health care services they need (39.8%).
- Americans are afraid of losing their insurance in the coming year. Nearly one in four currently insured adults (23.3%) fear losing their health insurance at some point in the next 12 months.
- Americans are having trouble paying their medical bills. One in four people (25.8%) report having had trouble paying medical bills during the past year.
- People are worried that medical bills will lead to bankruptcy. Nearly a quarter (22.9%) report being worried that they will go bankrupt from not being able to pay their medical bills
In addition:
The June survey also found that minorities and individuals with lower incomes report a lower confidence level in health care. White, non-Hispanic respondents had a confidence level of 105.9, while non-white respondents had an overall confidence level of 86.9. People with incomes in the bottom third of those surveyed had a confidence level of 87.5, compared to a confidence level of 118.0 for those in the top third of incomes.
Democrats like Mike Ross need to answer the question of that old union song, “Which side are you on?” The president needs to lead the chorus!
