Guaranteed Healthcare

By Donna Smith

WASHINGTON, DC – Imagine my joy in hearing Sen. Tom Daschle say during one of his confirmation hearings for his appointment as President Obama's Secretary of Health and Human Services that he supports reforming the healthcare system without being wedded to any strict ideology.  Great, I thought, finally a health reform leader without allegiance to the dogma of the free market which would squelch any discussion of public options for reform except of course the infusion of public cash into those private markets to make them even more profitable. 

Finally.   Yes, Sen. Daschle, let’s get the big boys of free market dogma to stand down.

But then came Tuesday and the inauguration and the marvelous celebrations that followed.  It was truly a glorious moment in time for millions of us.  So watching this transition is exciting and a relief from the trauma of the past eight years.  Even seeing the White House website quickly reflect the new era of openness and transparency in government seemed wonderful.

So, I quickly clicked my way to the healthcare agenda and read with interest the plan for reform.  It isn’t free of ideology, that’s for sure.  It takes a direct hit at “government run” systems and even uses the old, worn scare tactic of “higher taxes” as a way to try to crush even the idea that a publicly funded system is in the offing.  That's not so very transparent or honest.

I am an advocate of a publicly funded, privately delivered healthcare reform plan.  I’d like to see us use the best and most responsible funding mechanism but retain the private doctors and providers I like to be able to choose.  I really hate it that when I want to go to the doctor in the current system, I first have to worry about huge co-pays and deductibles in addition to my premiums and then still see providers pre-selected by an insurance company and not necessarily by me.  There isn’t much choice in that for me.

I read deeper into the Obama-Daschle plan and picked up plenty of deep-seated ideology rooted in making this healthcare system sing for the big boys of insurance and health industry – but not so much for you and me, the patients – and frighteningly enough perhaps the most unfavorably handled group under this plan will be those who need care the most.

President-elect Obama's transition team says they want to hear from us on healthcare.  So, the time has come to rise up and speak up as never before.  Let's contribute the single payer -- publicly funded, privately delivered -- healthcare message loud and clear. 

Go to the change.gov site to sign up and host a health care community discussion.

http://change.gov/page/s/hcdiscussion

If we're going to have a seat at the discussion table, we're going to have to invite our friends, neighbors and family, set the table and serve up the best option for this nation's healthcare mess --