We did NOT Vote for Triggers — We DID Vote for …

(11 am. – promoted by ek hornbeck)

Barack Obama , Feb 19, 2008

Well, The System’s Broken […] Certainly I don’t accept, in the richest county on Earth, that we should have 47 Million people without Health Insurance, and Millions of more people being bankrupted because of a Medical Bill.

[…]

As President of the United States, what I’ve proposed to do, is to make sure that we got a plan that covers ALL Americans.

[…]

The key to making this happen, is to overcome the resistance we’re going to see from Drug Companies, Insurance Companies, HMO’s. Over the last 10 years alone, Drug and Insurance Companies spent over $1 Billion, in preventing Health Care Reform from happening. That’s going to require then, a mobilization of energy among the American People, to insist on a Congress and a White House, that are actually going to deliver this time.

[…]

You heard it, I heard it. … We believed it.  

AND we Voted for Real Change — Change to Fix our Broken System, a Status Quo system, held captive to Corporate Profits.

Barack Obama on Health Care — BarackObamadotcom

February 19, 2008



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…

Barack Obama, Feb 19, 2008

[Continuing …]

My Plan begins by covering every single American […] if you are one of the 45 Million Americans who don’t have Health Insurance, you will have Health Insurance that is available to you. No one will be turned away because of a pre-existing condition or illness. Everyone will be able to buy into a New Health Insurance Plan, that’s similar to the one that every Federal Employee, from a Postal worker in Iowa to a Congressman in Washington, currently has for themselves.

— If you can’t afford this Insurance, you will receive a subsidy to pay for it.

— If you change jobs, your Insurance will go with you.

— If you need to see a Doctor, you will not have to wait in long lines for one.

— If you want more Choices, you will also have the option of purchasing from a number of affordable Private Plans, that have similar benefits and standards for Quality and Efficiency.

[…]

Finally, we will break the strangle-hold that a few big Drug and Insurance Companies have on the Health Care Market. […] It has become clear that some of these Companies are dramatically over-charging Americans, for what they offer.  They sell the EXACT same Drugs here in America, for DOUBLE the price, as they do in Europe and Canada.

[…]

We are NOT going to get Change unless we can overcome the resistance of the Drug Companies, Insurance Companies, the HMO’s those who are making a major Profit, from the System currently.

We did NOT Vote for Triggers, or for Co-Opts, or appeasing the Blue Dogs (and their Special Interests Lobbyists) —

We DID Vote for someone, who said he got it!  Who said the System was Broken.  Who DID say we needed a Public Choice, in addition to a Private one.

We DID Vote for Barack Obama, who promised us the same standard of Care, that is available to the Congress!

The 2008 Presidential Candidates’ Health Reform Proposals: Choices for America

Editor: Martha Hostetter — October 2, 2008

Author(s):  Sara R. Collins, Ph.D., Jennifer L. Nicholson, Sheila D. Rustgi, and Karen Davis, Ph.D.

Obama’s Approach:

Private and Public Group Insurance with Consumer Protections and Income-Based Subsidies. Senator Obama has proposed a plan for universal coverage that would build on the current system of mixed private and public group insurance.

Some of its features are similar to the universal coverage law now being implemented in Massachusetts. All employers, other than small businesses, would be required to offer health insurance to their employees or contribute to the cost.

Eligibility for Medicaid and SCHIP would be expanded. Small businesses, self-employed individuals, and people who do not have coverage through their employers, Medicaid, or SCHIP would be able to purchase a plan through a new insurance market called the National Health Insurance Exchange.

Through this exchange, people could choose a private plan or a new public plan similar to that offered to federal employees and members of Congress.

All insurance carriers would be required to offer plans to all applicants and could not charge premiums based on health status.

Small businesses would be eligible for tax credits to offset their premium costs and individuals would be eligible for income-based premium subsidies.

Of course, since you were paying attention during the Campaign season, you knew most of this already.  And you knew that Obama stood for providing the People, a Public Health Insurance Plan, too:

A Detailed Analysis of Barack Obama’s Health Care Reform Plan

By Robert Laszewski — March 21, 2008

Obama breaks his health care reform plan down into three parts saying that it builds “upon the strengths of the U.S. health care system.”

The three parts are:

1. Quality, Affordable & Portable Health Coverage For All

2. Modernizing The U.S. Health Care System To Lower Costs & Improve Quality

3. Promoting Prevention & Strengthening Public Health

Obama claims that his health care reform plan will save the typical family up to $2,500 every year

[…]

Obama’s key components here include:

   * Establishing a new public program that would look a lot like Medicare for those under age-65 that would be available to those who do not have access to an employer plan or qualify for existing government programs like Medicaid or SCHIP. This would also be open to small employers who do not offer a private plan.

   * Creating a “National Health Insurance Exchange.” This would be a government-run marketing organization that would sell insurance plans directly to those who did not have an employer plan or public coverage.

   * An employer “pay or play” provision that would require an employer to either provide health insurance or contribute toward the cost of a public plan.

   * Mandating that families cover all children through either a private or public health insurance plan.

   * Expanding eligibility for government programs, like Medicaid and SCHIP.

   * Allow flexibility in embracing state health reform initiatives.

Funny, There was NO Mention of Triggers, NO Mention of Co-Opts, NO Mention of catering to Blue Dogs, back then were we were “shopping for a New Leader”.

We did NOT Vote for Pragmatism and Triangulation — We Voted for Real Change we could Believe in!

We did NOT vote for More of the Same — We Voted for some who would Take Our Country Back, from the special interests!

We Voted, for someone who knew the Real Plights, of Real People.

For someone who knew the ruthless power of Corporate Lobbyists, and who was willing to stand up against them — to stand up, and fight for US!

We Voted for President Barack Obama!

Will that man we Voted for … Please Stand up NOW?

WE The People, are still hoping, … still depending on it.

Depending on that man, to show up, and fight for US — We the People!

(NOT Them, the Special Interests!)

And we will Thank YOU, Mr. President.