Reply #10: It's the health care system, stupid [View All]

[janet118]

Welcome to Romney Care - model for our national health care reform law. The government has no real control over private and "non-profit" insurers and hospitals and the costs and rates are going up. The only power they could gain that might change the dynamic is to have a massive number of subscribers in one plan - the plan that state employees' use.

The local employees' health care costs are crushing towns across Massachusetts. It is affecting property taxes, schools and jobs. As I understand it, the town, city and county workers' unions were given the opportunity to come into the state employees' insurance system, but most declined. Now the pressure is on for them to sign up.

My feeling is that, if we did have a huge number of subscribers to one system, there would be the clout to crack down on some of the insurers and hospitals. And, perhaps, and I know Patrick has said he would favor this, the ability of the self-employed and other small business to sign on. In other words, a public option.

I agree that Patrick's happy talk about Mass. health care is ridiculously inaccurate. Without any control over or alternative to private insurance companies, it does nothing to stop the bleeding of money into insurance companies and large hospitals.

Here is at statement from a former town selectman on a Democratic message board on the So. Shore.

As a former Selectmen, I can tell you that the unions' protestations ring hollow. I have seen how they will sacrifice jobs (for their young members) to protect benefits (for the entrenched members). The reason so few towns joined the GIC in the recent voluntary effort was that 75% of union members had to agree. Of course, they did not. So the ad professes the unions will "bargain". They haven't to date and they won't. It is unfortunate that because this country won't attack the true cause of health care costs we must have this fight, but the present system is unsustainable and the unions need to see it. Jobs for members over benefits better than anyone else has!