Twice this week I've heard a major CEO talk about health care

[unschooler]

policy and how government needs to pick up the burden (thus allowing employers to get out of the health insurance business). Just tonight, I heard the new CEO of DaimlerChrylser talking about it.

Is this something big business is ready to get behind? Clinton got a lot of support from high-tech CEOs. Could the democratic candidate get some big biz support (while helping a lot of regular people) by talking about how our current health policy is HARMING competitiveness?

[upi402]

1. You'd think so. Big biz is swamped by health costs

$1,200 a car in US
$425 a car in Japan.

Third world countries, like Thailand, have a much higher standard of care than America for over 90% of medical care spectrum. Americans are brainwashed into thinking we have it so good. You can't even tell them about what you've personally seen and experienced. They will not have it.

[unschooler]

2. The average upper middle class person never feels the pain.

The little guy feels it, and, more and more, the employer feels it. It's especially acute for the auto companies, because they have contracts to provide health care for their retirees, so they can't just cut benefits like many employers can with their current and new employees.

[applegrove]

3. Shared risk health care is more industrial productive. But watch out.

Neocons have identified "health care" as one of the new industries it can dominate in the world. Doesn't seem to matter to them that all wealthy countries have gone with the shared risk plan. But good for industry for speaking up. It is more cost effective and fairer. And will cut bankruptcies in half.

[SoCalDem]

4. Employers should NOT be providing health care insurance

It gives them too much power over their employees.

We MUST HAVE a national helath care insurance, where the WHOLE country..ALL of us are in ONE giant risk-pool. That would dilute the risk to a manageable rate, and the cost per person would be quite affordable, if not free.. If we are citizens and are expected to fight for and possibly die for our country, why can we not expect something in return FROM our country..

Our country has resources that have been commandeered by individuals and then sold at will to the highest bidder...giving us nothing in return for the loss of them..

Knowing the crew we have in power, they will FIRST dismantle the employer-provided part, and then cobble together some useless plastic card fiasco like medicare..

Democrats need to get out in front of this issue and be BOLD.. It;s time to DEMAND national helath care, and if they all were on the same page and hit it hard every time they got a chance, people would line up to back them up..

I am afraid that the creeps in control now will see this as their last ditch effort to stay in power...all the while knowing that they intend to ruin what we have now...not offer what we need.

If employers did not control your healthcare, you would be free to change jobs without the fear of losiing it.. Employers would no longer have that excuse for not giving raises..

Employees should be paid to do a task, and should not have to "give back" their wages to secure health cares. They should have it as their right...because they are citizens..not because they were lucky enough to get the "right" job.

[FlaGranny]

6. Medicare is not a fiasco -

it works very well. It's main problem is funding, which wouldn't be a problem if it covered everyone instead of just the elderly and disabled.

[SoCalDem]

16. The DRUG plan is the fiasco.. medicare has worked TOO well for

the Bush-crew. they wanted to attach this dog-of-a-drug-plan TO medicare so they could say.."See we TOLD you medicare needs "overhauling"..

It's like putting shit sprinkles on a banana split..

[FlaGranny]

17. Agree totally.

I thought you meant Medicare. :-)

[sbj405]

5. Providing health insurance to employees is their largest tax break

They will never give it up to the government. Instead they will continue to cut coverage and raise employee contributions, while getting their tax break.

[LoZoccolo]

7. This doesn't make any sense.

They only get a break on what they pay, and it's only a percentage of what they pay. People don't do things solely to get a tax break because it still ends up costing them money. They may think it's a more acceptable amount to pay, but they still end up with a net loss.

[gizmo1979]

8. It's the proverbial snowball.

Picking up steam getting larger as it rolls down the hill.Soon it will be bigger than all the other issues combined.Bush will announce more health savings plans and Federal catastrophic health care and we'll be stuck holding the bag.It's not going to be pretty.

[annabanana]

11. the question is : Which Bag?

The bag that holds the bloated, pampered, health insurance industries profits?
or
The bag that holds the reasonable health costs of the citizens.. without all the heavy, unnecessary lifting?

[gizmo1979]

15. I'm afraid it's

not going to be the good one.

[elehhhhna]

9. Our healthcare program must reflect the markets we wish to compete with:

We have a choice between European style or Third world style. Simple as that. When they pick the latter, the truth will be known. If we don't press for the former, we'll deserve our fate.

[Mutley]

10. Corporations should be pushing for socialized health care.

It would benefit them all around. They won't have to pay for it anymore, and the workers in general will be healthier and thus more productive. They certainly have the power to do it.

[annabanana]

12. the insurance industries executives

would snub them at the golf courses...
The social fallout (while amusing for the rest of the world) would be crushing for the country club set.

[Mutley]

13. All I have to say about that is

Whaaaaaaa!

:D

[theophilus]

14. You're durn tootin' this is an opportunity for National Health Care.

It can be framed as "saving" big business. If the RW brings it about we are sunk, though. They will benefit big Pharma and Insurance, as usual. It will be crappy. A strong Liberal/Progressive needs to take this and run with it. It must be a system that basically cuts out and destroys the health insurance industry. It must be done right. Quit pointing to GB and Canada and look to other countries that are doing it better.

If a strong, smart Dem stands up and uses this she/he will win. I think the platform for 08 ought to be "Love your neighbor as yourself" and we'll stick it to the NeoCons. If we get a Rep Lite, though.....Game Over. If we get someone in the corporate pocket....Game Over. If we get someone perpetuating the Military/Industrial complex.....Game Over. We have a tough hill to climb.

[mwb970]

18. Apparently Bush thinks we are "over-insured" already.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/007555.php

[leesa]

19. But it's too late now. They've raped the government and the middle class

there's no money for it now and the middle class have no jobs for taxes to get it going again. These CEOs and our corporatocracy have destroyed our medical system and it is too late to start a national system out of a broken government. We're screwed.