Above is the President Bo$$ of Blue Cro$$ President n CEO S-C-to-tha-izzott P where the sun be shinin and I be rhymin' Serota.
As Pimp Daddy Serota puts it (well, I ran his shit through Gizoogle but we keepin' it more fo' real that way, muthafuckka)
The incentives in our system must be changed instead of encourag'n more services from tha streets of tha L-B-C, who should be rewarded fo` deliver'n high-qualizzles care, specially fo` tha ho-slappin' crazy ass nigga of Americans wit chronic illnesses keep'n it real yo. Shot Calla n provida must have access ta tha 411. Wanna be gangsta need ta kizzle how much they is mobbin' fo` they healthcare. It don't stop till the wheels fall off.
Now before you think I'm gettin' all racist and shit let me explain what I actually found at BCBS's website.
Patients are called "consumers."
Doctors and hospitals are called "providers."
Blue Cross and other corporate insurers are called...wait for it..."stakeholders."
And Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Senator Barack Obama are the "stakeholder's" mutha fukkin' hos. Both of them.
Don't get all high-minded with me about how Senator Clinton has always had her heart in the right place and worked within the political system to get as much coverage for as many people as possible. And don't wave healthcare in my face as a reason to vote against Obama or debate mandates with me because I know that shit, Mister Krugman. This country health insurance system sucks shit from the hole on the floor when you unscrew the toilet bowl because of greed and that is a moral issue we will never live down until we change it. We're not going to get real reform from either of the remaining Democratic candidates or from Congress (aka make me laugh), and we all know the reason why:
In 2006, the insurance industry contributed $30.8 million to federal parties and candidates, with two-thirds of those donations going to Republicans. AFLAC Inc., the National Assn. of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) and Blue Cross/Blue Shield were the industry’s top contributors in 2006.
I guess we should focus on the fact that two-thirds of the insurance industry pimp money went to Republicans. So from this particular pimp, the Democrats only got ten million dollars, which means, what? They're not this particular pimp's favorite whores? They don't get as much attention from the pimp? They have more better pimps in some other big moneyed special interest? Whatever.
Until we have public financing of elections, how can we possibly trust any of them? Contributions are their bread and butter. They might look at it as a necessary evil, but just because it's necessary doesn't make it any less evil.
ReplyDeleteSure, I trust the Dems more than I trust the Repubs, but still. They have to play the game, too. And the rules? They care not one bit about the health of the "consumer."
I'm really missing Dennis. At least while he was around the idea of totally scrapping the existing health care mess and going with a true universal health care system would get mentioned once in awhile. Now we're back to hearing the bullshit of improving insurance coverage, not actual health care.
ReplyDeleteSingle payer, universal health care is the only way to solve this problem. When you SAY that out loud, far too many people scream "socialized medicine" -- and then claim to want nothing to do with it.
ReplyDeleteI worked in the insurance industry for three years (which was two years and 11 months longer than I could stand it). The amount of waste within the industry is staggering. There are so many people who make a profit from your insurance premium that it's not even funny. And when I worked in the industry they were mostly old, fat, sexist, white men.
DCup has the beginning of a solution to this problem. Get the money out of elections, so that elected officials will finally have the courage to do the right thing.
BAC
Blue Gal, you definitely couldn't be more right.
ReplyDeleteAs for single payer, BAC has said it right before - ask for 10 to get one. If no one is willing to ask for it we won't get it.
One good thing about Obama raising so much money from so many small donors is that he will owe a favor to the masses more than corporations and other big donors. And what is the favor the masses want? good governance. That said, DCup is right. How do we get there? Primary the hell out of them all (ok, a pass to maybe 20 or 30 reps or senators). Primary them until we get people in office who do our work. And if someone says X but does Y, primary him or her the very next time and make them bleed out their ass. It's all we have.
ReplyDeletegreat comments. I like "primary" as a verb.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post- and I think that Dcup hit it.
ReplyDeleteUntil we weed at the root- which in this case is campaign contributions, we will have problems.
And yes - primary is a great verb in that case.
But, kids! Never fear...We have super-delegates to sort out such messy matters as this!
ReplyDeleteUniversal Health Care will only happen when the corporate campaign contributors, the CCC, or as I like to call them, The Greedy Bastards, have their tentacles lopped off and then removed from all other facets of our lives! Pimpin' poison to ow chil'en like dey no more `n Tootsie-muthafuckin'-Pops!