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Back to Oregon Citizen CongressWatch Actions on Ron Wyden This letter to editor ran in 5 publications across Oregon: “Sicko” Health PlanSenator Ron Wyden’s “Healthy Americans Act” is a sick plan. The American Health Care system is broken. The movie “Sicko”, documents how disastrous the American health system has become for American citizens. The money Americans spent on health care last year, could hire a physician, pay them $200,000 to care for seven families, and each person could have quality, affordable health care. Insurance industry profit and administrative costs consume 30% of health care dollars. Yet, Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA spend only 2% of their revenue on administrative costs. Wyden’s health plan rewards insurance giants
for their greed by funneling hundreds of millions of dollars more to them.
Wyden’s plan is backed by “Advance Healthcare Reform” an Astroturf insurance front organization
with a membership list of Aetna Inc, Blue Shield of California and Cigna
HealthCare naming a few. Wyden has received large money from the corporate
medical system, in his political time, last report $183,674. from insurance,
$266,582. Hospitals/Nursing Homes and his13th largest contributor, American
Health Care Assn. with heavy HMO membership. Wyden’s plan leaves future rate increases
to a not so free market and the NAIC. Check out how the monopolized free
market is working next time you fill your tank with gas. When Wyden's office responded the comment was typical Congress, “There
is no quid pro quo with contributions and how representatives vote”, that of
course would be bribery. However, there is something called face time. Face time
is what a lobbyist gets to influence a senator compared to what a citizen gets
which is little time. Single-payer systems could give patients choice of
providers, hospitals, and guarantee comprehensive coverage for medically
necessary procedures. Single-payer systems proposed would include universal
coverage with equal access. They would eliminate oversight by managed care
reviewers, returning to traditional doctor-patient relationship. It would not be
government controlled health care, that’s a scare tactic used by the insurance
corporations. Wyden’s response, his plan is all congress has the “will” to do
now. Citizens should demand our representatives get the will and do what is best
for us. Not what is best for the Insurance Corporations. Clint Coppernoll citizencongresswatch.org Hood River OR Please contact Citizen Congress Watch for any questions? |