Dr. Marcia Angell speaks an inconvenient about our health system that no public plan will cure

[marmar]

"Well, the plan is not for all the reasons we've said. It leaves the bad guys in place. And it tries to kind of make concessions. And what the Clintons found out is they too wanted to keep the private insurance industry at the table. And maybe regulate them a little. And what the private insurance industry decided was, "Why should we take half a loaf when we can have the whole thing?" And that's what I'm seeing happen. Happening now.

......I think we have to start all over on this. I really do. I think we have to go for a single payer system. You could institute that gradually. You could do it state by state. You could do it decade by decade. You could improve Medicare. That is, make it nonprofit. But extend it down to age 55 and age 45 and age 35. It would give the private insurance industry a chance to go into hurricanes, earthquakes or something. To get out of the health business. It could be done gradually. I think that has to be done. And it's the only thing that can be done."


The complete piece, in transcript and video formats, is at: http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/07242009/transcript1.html

[slipslidingaway]

1. Missed the show - knr nt

[Naturyl]

2. Yes, single-payer is what needs to happen.

Since it won't happen nationally, maybe we can get it in state by state. Kucinich seems to be looking in that direction.

[nightrain]

3. Rec-That segment was fantastic. Both with exceptional points and perspectives.

[slipslidingaway]

4. A few more snips, AHIP and Pharma are now running commercials

in support of health care reform.

"MARCIA ANGELL: So-- well, it can-- the failure can show up before he's out the door. And then he's got a real problem. He was right in his press conference, when he talked about cost as the central issue. And he said, if we don't control cost, not only will the health system continue to disintegrate, but it'll drag the whole economy down with it.

What he has essentially advocated is throwing more money into the current system. He's treating the symptom and he's not treating the underlying cause of our problem. Our problem is that we spend two and a half times as much per person on health care as other advanced countries, the average of other advanced countries. And we don't get our money's worth. So, now he says, okay, this is a terribly inefficient, wasteful system. Let's throw some money into it.

BILL MOYERS: Into the same system?

MARCIA ANGELL: Into the same system. That's his problem. The other problem, in the press conference, was that he was trying to mobilize public support for a bill, and we don't know what that bill is.


....MARCIA ANGELL: For whatever price they want to charge. Right. And so, this will increase costs. And let me tell you what he's running into, and he'd like to be able to pull a rabbit out of the hat, but he won't be able to. If you leave this profit-oriented system in place, you can't both control costs and increase coverage. You inevitably, if you try to increase coverage, increase costs. The only answer, the only answer, and he said it at the beginning of his press conference, is a single payer system. In his first sentence, he said, that is the only way to cover everyone.


...BILL MOYERS: So, does this explain why Harry and Louise, who were around 15 years ago to help defeat Bill Clinton's health plan, Bill and Hillary Clinton's health plan, are back now in support? Seemingly to be in support?

MARCIA ANGELL: You bet it does. You bet it does..."

[slipslidingaway]

5. Video link...

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/07242009/watch.html

[slipslidingaway]

6. kick, this is an excellent segment n/t

[marmar]

7. It was really good....Bill Moyers has been hitting the health care issue hard.

n/t

[slipslidingaway]

8. Agree, Moyers has been great on this issue....

and thanks for posting this segment.

In case you missed this video...

Examining the Single Payer Health Care Option: Marcia Angell Testimony
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQNphM6xUsE

"The reason our health system is in such trouble, is that it is set up to generate profits, not to provide care. To pay for care we rely on hundreds of investor owned insurance companies that profit by refusing coverage to the sickest patients and limiting services to the others..."

[slipslidingaway]

9. kick nt