Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Health Care Reform? NO, Insurance Reform!

OK, enough of the Health Care Reform talk, the real issue is insurance reform and specifically Health Care Insurance reform. Finally, the President has started framing the issue as just that, but it has take way too long and it might be too late.

Alarmist? A bit. Allowing the right to frame this whole thing has been a big mistake. If this was spoken of a Insurance Reform form the get go there would not be the scores of misguided folks showing up at Town Halls chanting about "socialized medicine". They would be chanting, "Insurance reform NOW!"

Calling this whole debate Health Care Reform brings images of losing your doctor, changing the delivery system and even these weird "death panels" that just won't go away. Nobody wants to lose their health care if they have it, any of it. However, everyone has a gripe against the insurers. Why didn't Obama and the Democrats use that to frame their ideas? I guess George Lakoff didn't send them the memo.

And as far as Death Panels go...the real death panels already exist. They are the phone banks that the insurance companies run designed to minimize what health care you get and deny your claims whenever possible. That is how they boost the bottom line. Why isn't anyone talking about these "death panels"?

It's time we reclaimed this debate and moved forward with a solution. That means a big solution and not a mealy-mouthed-incremental-step-never-going-to-get-done piece of crap from Congress. Time to get tough Mr. President. After all that's why we elected you.

And while you are at it, what about all those promises to the LGBT community? I guess we will have to see you in Washington on October 11 about those.

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