Health Care Bill from the Senate Finance Committee

September 16, 2009

By Padmini Arhant

Also included is the Response to the Presidential Address to Congress on Health Care Reform.

According to the latest report from the Associated Press:

Health care bill advances without bipartisan deal –

“After months of bipartisan negotiations, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Finance Committee, told associates during the day he intends to unveil a detailed outline of legislation on Wednesday and convene the panel next week to vote on it.

Baucus’ proposal is certain to shun the liberals’ call for the government to sell insurance, and rely instead on co-ops to offer coverage in competition with private industry. His approach includes a requirement for individuals to buy insurance, with financial penalties for those who don’t. Rather than a mandate for larger businesses to provide coverage for employees, they would be required to defray the cost of any government subsidies their employees would qualify for.”

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Analysis: By Padmini Arhant

The public officials’ loyalty to the private industry in the health care bill strongly suggests that these officials are making a mockery of the world’s modern democracy emulated by many young and developing nations up until now.

It is obvious from their openness that they will continue to thumb the electorates’ nose and instead chose to oblige to the whims and fancies of the “Special Interests’ hiring them to deliver the meal in every legislation.

If these officials have great concern for the welfare and the interests of the industries they are associated with, then why are they wasting their time in public service?

They might as well work for the private sector and attain the personal financial gains they are looking for in life and leave the public office to the earnest Americans committed to the service of the people and not the ‘Special Interests’ hiring them for mutual benefits.

There are many qualified, honest and hard working individuals in the American society pledged to serve the people and produce the results in favor of the entire population across the political spectrum.

It’s time for America to wake up from the deep slumber and restore democracy now by directing the legislature to include the government run ‘public option’ rather than accepting the status quo from the elected officials clearly operating under the guidance of the ‘Special Interests.’

Has America become so weak that it can’t defend its own democracy invaded by Capitalism conspicuous in the love-fest between Wall Street and Washington?

Perhaps, the marriage between the Wall Street’s ‘Capital’ and Washington ‘Power’ will be a great model for the marriage counseling.

The inseparable bond is awesome but when it happens to the detriment of their constituents without the people favored ‘public option’ the public officials’ priorities are clear.

Unless and until every constituent struggling to make ends meet along with the nervous citizens confronting the lingering economic uncertainties rise to the occasion and demand Washington to address their needs by declining the ‘Special Interests’ decision pushed through the democratically elected officials, it will be too late to challenge the ogre in the health care battle.

The ‘Special Interests’ investment in media propaganda on the government run ‘public option’ as the bureaucratic meddling in the patient care and the controversial ‘death panel’ is a far-fetched psychodrama displayed at the town hall meetings and the weekend rally in the Capitol.

However, the camouflaged truth behind the so-called health care reform is, the bureaucrats in Washington and Wall Street are already in control of the citizens’ destiny with their verdict to move on without the government run ‘public option.’

Again, the Washington and White House ambivalence in the ‘public option’ of the health care bill, despite the grueling tragic experiences shared by many people across the nation regardless of political factions and socio-economic backgrounds is not only disappointing but also thoroughly unacceptable.

Please don’t forget that all those officials have a guaranteed health care, besides the authority and means to survive during and after their political career regardless of whether they return to power or not. Unfortunately, human nature often motivated to care for self prior to others. It’s prevalent more so now than ever before.

In the Darwinian ‘survival of the fittest’ environment, nothing is available without a robust fight and it is poignant in the health care debate. It’s the democratic right of every citizen to expect the essential requirement particularly in the health matter that has revealed the true colors of the individuals’ with power.

Never mind the campaign promise and the constitutional oath while being elected to the office. The gulf between the elitist and the populist is more prominent in the health care matter with the elected officials’ resignation to diminish the SOS from the people granting them with power in a democracy.

The rebuttal could be that the bill has the mandatory requirement for the private insurers to immediately insure all those ailing patients with pre-existing conditions upon passing the legislation and therefore, declare the issue as resolved.

With the Senate Finance Committee diligently proposing the private citizens to purchase health insurance bringing more business to their favored party, the health industry,

Will the private industry cover the disputed 47- 50 million uninsured regardless of the employment situation?

Who will pay for the citizens who cannot afford the price tag from the private insurers in the absence of the government insurance program?

Obviously, the taxpayers expected to cover through government subsidies or aid like they are footing the bill right now for patient care at the county hospitals and ensuring the health insurance as well as the hospital industry’s prosperity while the expenses added on to the national deficit.

Ironically, the objection raised against the government insurance program claiming it would disproportionately increase the national deficit when the Senate Finance Committee proposes exactly that with the non-profit cooperative society funded by the government instead of the direct government involvement such as Veterans Care, Medicare and Medicaid.

The surreptitious Health Care bill from the Health Care industry via the Senate Finance Committee is a mere fulfillment of the legislative duty because it does not address the real problems of the people classified as the minority later to become the majority without a strong competitor.

The industry response might be that the price will be competitive for those individuals to pay for it. Even if such magical event were to take place, the million dollar question is,

How long is the competitiveness effective for the current uninsured to remain in the system with the compulsory insurance purchase enforced upon them?

Although, the question posed is by no means any concessions towards the elimination of government administered public option, it is absolutely important to determine the timeframe as free market has periodically demonstrated its free will to adjust price to meet the shareholders and the Chief Executives’ extravaganza.

Notably, the finance industry offering the teaser rates as a decoy on credit cards and home loans, only to be discovered later by the victims upon receiving notifications from the banking sector regarding the atrocious interest rates hikes.

Interestingly, the myopic view by many to pass the legislation in order to satisfy the process and claim a historic victory ignoring the tragedies of a significant population is a betrayal of the people’s trust in their representatives and a political suicide for the majority party in the 2010 elections.

It shouldn’t be a surprise when the opposition’s relentless effort to sabotage the health care reform spun around during the mid-term elections as the failure of the ‘hope and change’ Obama care plan resulting in a win-win situation for the obstructionists now and in the immediate future.

In conclusion, the White House, the House and the Senate’s coherence to the health care conglomerates by marginalizing the weak, the sick, the vulnerable population and everyone else in the landmark legislation is a colossal mistake due to the misplaced trust in the private industry essentially responsible for the health care disaster.

Thank you.

Padmini Arhant

P.S. My Response to the President’s Congressional Address on Health Care Reform

From: Padmini Arhant

To: President Barack Obama

Sent: Thursday, September 10, 2009 5:58:59 PM

Subject: Re: Not the first, but the last

Hon. President Barack Obama

Dear Mr. President,

Please refer to attachment for details.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Padmini Arhant


Honorable. President Barack Obama

Dear Mr. President,

Thank you for laying out the Health Care components to clarify the doubts and confusions surrounding the landmark Health Care legislation.

As I consider myself extremely privileged to have known you and your sincere desire to serve the American people representing the stars and stripes of this great country, not recently but from the grueling time on the campaign trail, I’m taking the opportunity to share my honest understanding and legitimate concerns regarding this bill.

I realize the humongous challenges related to the Health Care legislation particularly in dealing with the ‘Special Interests’ force and the worsening partisanship creating a gulf to block the necessary reform, the only hope and salvation for our national economy and the American people , the victims of the heavily politicized and narcissistic Washington culture.

In your speech, you mentioned that the details would follow in the immediate future and that the Health Care address was to familiarize the nation with the framework of the bill. In this context, we cannot ignore the truth that those who are against any reform are always going to detect flaws regardless of the many concessions already in the bill.

The reason for the delay in my response to your message is to review the issue rationally given the public plight on affordability and eligibility in the exclusively privatized industry. You are no stranger to this aspect with your passive experience during your mother’s agonizing battle with the terminal illness in the absence of a guaranteed insurer ideally in the form of a ‘single payer’ or at least the ‘public option’ to save and prolong life. Unfortunately, we all know that it is a common tragedy for the many struggling population in our society.

Obviously, it is a huge mountain to climb with a rugged and slippery slope path. You pledged to the nation last night that you want to be the last President to have aimed at the century old national issue directly affecting every American and emerge successful in the legislation. The consensus among the victims is if the legislation passed to appease those who prioritize their personal interest over the common goal then there was no need to mobilize the nation and raise the hopes of millions during the election campaign and now.

I don’t think it is fair or morally justified to disappoint and deny the people who are the taxpayers, consumers and electorates the means to exist and stay alive through the absolute ‘single payer’ process or in the least a government administered ‘public option’ and not a non-profit cooperative agency. Again, in comparison the former President George W. Bush took the nation to war on false pretences and the ultimatum ‘either you are with us or with the terrorists.’

Apparently, rhetoric of that kind proven to resonate among the ‘Nay’ Sayers on the Special Interests’ payroll. Witnessing the opposition to life saving proposal is no surprise at all but that is not the ‘hope and change’ people voted for last November 2008.

I’m always with you and the great Americans working harder than ever in the legislative matter that promotes equality, fairness and justice for all.

Health Care legislation is a unique moment for your Presidency to do the right by the people and for the people who really matter in a democracy.

Overall, your presentation was very impressive and right on target, although I was hoping for a steadfast commitment towards the majority preferred ‘public option’ that is truly meaningful and paramount to reform the status quo.

I’ll be presenting the brief analysis on your address to the Congress for public view shortly.

Best Wishes

Padmini Arhant

Written by Padmini Arhant · Filed Under Health 

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