Healthcare: First they came for the Banksters...

[luvcheney1]

I am supporting the concept of ins co`s accepting preconditions, but lets expand it to auto, fire, flood, and earthquake ins too. That way, after my car is totaled, I will buy insurance and get a new one. After my home is destroyed by fire, flood, or earthquake, I will buy a policy, and they will rebuild it for me. This wont raise costs will it?

[genYprogressive83]

@luvcheney1 Comparing cars with people in insurance. Of course you can't get insurance for a wrecked car the same way you can't get health insurance for dead people in any other country that has non profit health insurance. The problem is the for profit insurance companys that take 1/3 of every dollar used and because of this they deny people healthcare.

Congratulations for writting the stupidest comment here.

[luvcheney1]

@genYprogressive83 Car insurance is mandated in States, is a State issue, left to it by the Constitution. Health Insurance is not an enumerated right, left to the fed Govt by the Constitution. For profit insurers earn around 4% after tax profits. Look up US largest insurer, United Health (UNH) for 2010. Get income statement from any financial site, use a calculator.

[genYprogressive83]

@luvcheney1 For profit insurance earns 4% after tax then there is overhead, advertisement, and many others all adding up to taking 1/3 of every dollar that is paid into the system.

This means thousands of Americans die each year because these parasites don't want to cover them.

[luvcheney1]

@genYprogressive83 Govt insurance has overhead as well, although they claim it is less. Govt buildings are not expensed on Govt MediCare books, as they are on private. Private billing depts are expensed, but IRS collects for MediCare, as well as Govt forcing industry to send in. Private locates fraud, govt doesnt spend much on it. Insurance is a legal contract, claims denied on FRAUDULENT applications. MediCare overhead cost higher( older folks) so overhead is smaller %.

[genYprogressive83]

@luvcheney1 Medicare operates at 3% overhead while a for profit HMO is usually 30% and claims denied on Medicare are faudulent while the for profit insurance companys deny people coverage when they cost too much.

Blue Cross Blue Sheild was caught giving employees bonuses based on how many people they can deny.

Would you like to try again?

[luvcheney1]

@genYprogressive83 Insurance is a contract, legally enforceable. The denial of legally contracted service is through the legal term, "rescission of contract". You cant deny because "they cost too much". That is BS. You can deny though for fraud. Fraud means people have health issues and they lie on health application, like the piece of trash thief they really are. The trash expects the co, & insured folks, to pay for their issues, when they failed to insure themselves earlier

[genYprogressive83]

@luvcheney1 OMG Fraud means people have health issues and they lie on health application? You stupid fucking schill. I know someone that was denyed coverage by Humana because she took a prescription the doc approved of and she went into Anaphylactic shock over an illergic reaction and almost died. They denyed her coverage on the ground that an allergic reaction was "substance abuse" which they do not cover. SUBSTANCE ABUSE!!!! its a fucking allergic reaction.

[genYprogressive83]

@luvcheney1 When you have a parasitic middle man that takes 1/3 of every dollar and can only survive by denying health care to people that need it people die.

Why is that so hard for you stupid Cons to understand?

[luvcheney1]

@genYprogressive83 You deny that MediCare bills for premiums by IRS, which is separate agency, left out of the 3% "overhead" lie stated by govt? Do you deny every employer in US is mandated to collect MediCare cash for free, or go to jail? Are there zero costs to nation, of both those items? Do you deny that govt spends little, compared to private in catching fraud? MediCare famous for enormous fraud? do you not see that fraud not found is "treatment", lowering OVERHEAD as %?

[genYprogressive83]

@luvcheney1 of course Medicare has frauds like all the holes that have been drilled in it that strippes its ability for doctors to be confirmed. Also Medicare Part C & D that Bush and Tom Delay forced through in 2003 where they have no collective bargining with drug companys and it is illegal to import drugs from Canada. Thanks to the gutting of Medicare comissioiers in the 80s. This allowed that rat bastard in Florida Governer Rick Scott to scam them in he 90s

[luvcheney1]

@genYprogressive83 According to US Dept of Commerce, Int Trade Comm "OECD

countries in the report, govts relied heavily on govt fiat rather than competition to set prices, lowering drug spending through price controls. Such controls, reduce

corp profit, leaving less revenue for R&D. OECD countries with price controls, reduce R&D that would provide substantial health benefits to all." Price controls mean fewer drugs, more pain suffering. Controls reduce supply, kill people

[luvcheney1]

@genYprogressive83 Old people cost more. Administration costs are similar per insured, but not for the actual medical costs, MediCare is for OLD people, so the premium average is far, far higher in MediCare, than private ins. When you divide a similar administrative cost by a far high premium, you get lower "overhead". You call me stupid, this is arithmetic. Never studied arithmetic? MediCare overhead doesnt include BUILDINGS, private does. Billing by IRS, off MediCare budget

[genYprogressive83]

@luvcheney1 Which is why these parasites need to be prohibited by law and replaced with Medicare for everyone and the payer needs to have collective bargining rights with providers and companys. Just like every other civilized country in the world has except for the USA who's system joke of the world.

If you have a banker taking 1/3 of every dollar spend people can't see the doctor and when they can't see the doctor they die. Why is that so hard for you Free Market dogmatists to understand?

[genYprogressive83]

@luvcheney1 What you said earlier about Candians paying out of pocket for care in the US. Google: Phantoms in the Snow The Myth of Canadians traviling to the US for care.

[luvcheney1]

@genYprogressive83 Your study,"its possible that surveyed providers & admin data didnt recognize Canadians because they were using local addresses.This would be a limitation on any study of U.S. providers," Duh..even they doubt their own study! "Ontario contracted 3 health care orgs in US 1999 to treat breast, prostate cancer, 1,416 patients referred by 2000, equivalent to approximately 8.5% of all prostate and breast cancer patients treated with radiation in Ontario"

[luvcheney1]

The Banksters, those mean guys! My home was worth $300K, now $150K. If my wife accuses me of "stealing" $150K, is that true? Mortgages all over the country made to folks like me. They were held as assets in banks, many mortgages bundled together creating large asset bags that get sold. Everyone (folks, Banksters, foreign investors) saw US home mortgages as solid and safe. The bubble broke, everyone was wrong, the money is GONE, not stolen. Too baaadddddddd.....

[luvcheney1]

Thom, Hemlsley of United Health earned $3.24 million in salary in 2008, 4/1000ths of 1% of their revenue, or 1.6 cents to him on a $400 policy. He also owned stock options valued at $622million, quite a sum. GM stock worth $40 in 2005, now worth 49cents a share. Are Chevy, Cadillac prices lower because of stock value? When you shop for a car, do you select based on stock price?

[luvcheney1]

Options to buy shares of stock (conditional on stock value being over a set amount) create an incentive that if the company is profitable, stock price goes up, and Hemsley will execute his options profitably. Shareholders become rich, they want to pay the CEO for making them rich. These additional shares going to Hemsley dilute the existing share value, but shareholders dont care because it is a small cost. Overall profit of United Health is 3.7% of revenue, less than $15 on a $400 policy.

[lisabob22]

Guess no matter who is president the corporations get what they want. Obama sold us out, just like the republicans did. IS there a difference between the parties? corporate whores.

[hollywoodartchick]

It might make a difference if the president came from a 3rd party that was not bought and paid for by corporate lobbies. That is supposedly not "pragmatic." Is it pragmatic to always "compromise" away all of our needs and replace them with corporate demands? We are being sold a bill of goods with the 2 party system. What would they do if next election, a 3rd party candidate got 55% of the vote? they would have to let the winner rule. What are we afraid of?

[julsHz]

I'm so angry and disappointed, but mostly I feel exactly like I did after the towers fell. Helpless.

[hollywoodartchick]

that's the point - to make us feel so helpless that we give up trying. Then they get to shove thru whatever they want without opposition.

[atripa645]

Obama was so sloppy with this health care thing. First we have to keep them honest and then we are forced to buy insurance from them.

Brilliant!!!

[toeg1]

It continues to stun me how many "progressives" thought a Republicrat would bring about change. Even during his campaign, President Obama stated similar goals to that of McCain.

When will Americans ever wake up and see that they have a one-party system with two official names? The Dems have a substantial majority AND the White House, yet the only thing they can accomplish is to continue Bush's policy.

[atripa645]

It was few choices, 8 years of Bush, and a great actor.

[toeg1]

atripa,

There were several good choices. The problem has always been the same. Few people vote for a third party candidate because they have little chance of winning. Then, when that same candidate gets few votes, they say, "See. No one votes for him (her)."

The banksters love that. It costs them zero dollars to perpetuate this self-fulfilling prophecy. Their candidate ALWAYS wins and it's ALWAYS guaranteed. You get, and deserve, what you voted for. SSDM

[captcrais101]

petition for a IRV ballot question and you will have a third party

[toeg1]

Cap,

Good point. This is probably the only way we can currently spoil the Republicrat monopoly / stranglehold on power. The problem will be to have it come to fruition. I'm sure the Republicrats will use all kinds of scare tactics to defeat it.

But it's at least worth a shot. I'll be happy to support any initiative out there that is serious about promoting such a policy.

[atripa645]

@toeg1 Not everyone who voted for Obama thought he was going to be a great progressive. Many voted for him because McCain/Palin would be far worse. As far as third parties go, you could end up with a president who got a small amount of the vote. I voted for Nader in 2000 and fully understand the corporate control of both Dems and Repubs. You forget most of Europe was behind Obama as well.Thom Hartmann voted for him.

[toeg1]

atripa,

The Dems could have put up Rin Tin Tin and the world would have been elated after 8 years of Bush. They don't expect the US to change after over a century of the same policy.

I DO!!!

This is MY country (okay, ours, but still) and I won't rest until I see change I can believe in. Thom was fooled, probably not the first time. People have to understand the real pardigm we're in. We have a one party system, dammit it!!!

We need to change that.

[Davetech23]

They better start building prisons to hold us all. If this crap bill passes, the gangsters won't get one thin dime from me. I'll go to jail first.

[rwcbanzai]

>$1B in bribes & media advertisement and rush disinformation!

Thom has shown how the

CorporateCannibals of health denial insurance racket have gamed the m/st.

system just as Facist Corporatism controls legislation & media propoganda thru Bankrupt Banksters as we all die in medical bankruptcy.

By the way the GOoPs outlawed

Chapter 13 bankruptcy and can now take your house as collateral during the Bush wacking dynasty!

All online/realtime for the future to see

their economic enslavement!

[barbtube01]

Great video! This just goes to show that 29 million dollars buys a lot of votes. I guess that makes all Republicans and some Democrats in the Senate and Congress nothing more than whores to the insurance and pharmaceutical industry!