This is Me Being Un-American

Perhaps some on the side of the current administration are starting to get the message that claiming that those who disagree with them on health care insurance reform are political hacks and industry shills makes them look desperate. Perhaps some of them are even beginning to realize that their dismissive reactions thus far have just aggravated their opponents even more. I found the reports of Pelosi and Hoyer's opinion piece in USA Today absolutely hilarious. 'Un-American' attacks can't derail health care. And to think I was actually starting to believe those who said for eight years that dissent was the highest form of patriotism. Silly me!

Now when I was in grade school a debate required at least two differing view points. Back then a debate involved trying to persuade your opponents to your way of thinking with well reasoned arguments. Arguments such as, try it you'll like it or just trust me or sit down and shut up didn't really fly then. Back in the day you were actually expected to know in great detail what you stood for on your side of the debate. You were expected to be able to articulate your arguments to any who asked for an accounting of your position on the issue. I guess that's all changed now.

But enough of me lamenting this new hope they don't notice while we change everything definition of "debate". Let's actually talk about this current push for health care insurance reform. Now is there anything anywhere in the three bills floating around that addresses the essential black listing of women of childbearing age by insurances companies? (I.e. healthy women having to pay higher premiums than men, having waiting periods before their coverage kicks in to make sure that they aren't pregnant when they purchase their coverage). How about the blacklisting individuals with disabilities? Does anything in these bills require insurance companies to offer coverage to anyone willing to pay their premiums? How about requiring them to make public how they go about setting their premiums? Does anything in any of these bills do anything to address the bureaucratic nightmare that individuals with disabilities face when trying to access government run services for the disabled?

For years there have been attempts to shine a light on where the money goes that gets paid out for health care. How much did that throat culture cost? How much for that MRI? How much for the office visit? How much does your family doctor get for seeing you in the office? How much goes for office expenses?But these measures have always been deemed anathema. I wonder where we would be now if people had a clearer view of where their health care dollars were actually going.

It would be nice wouldn't it if someone who was pushing these bills would take the time to enumerate what's in them and explain why they are all so for them. I'd really like to hear from the people who wrote the bills whoever they may be. Declaring that we need health care insurance reform or that we need to do something is a completely unacceptable reason to do this.