PHOTO/RETIREES FOR SINGLE PAYER HEALTH CARE
DETROIT, MI—In reality, “Healthcare for All” is not a reform of “Healthcare for Some.” It is a strategy to establish a healthcare system to meet the healthcare needs of everyone in this country.
“Medicare For All” is a tactic within that strategy. “Medicare For All” is a three-legged tactic that includes “Everyone In, Nobody Out Healthcare, Non-Profit Healthcare” and “Single Payer Healthcare.”
“Medicare For All” is a tactic to confront the private for profit healthcare system in this country. That system can no longer cope with the healthcare crisis brought on by the change in how we produce things. We are moving from a labor-based system of production to a robotic-based system of production. That means, we can produce more with little or no labor involved. It also means that we can have our human needs met with little or no labor involved.
“Medicare For All” is a tactic to replace the private, for profit healthcare system that cannot deliver healthcare because it is a cost of production that private industry is no longer willing to support. Robots need maintenance not healthcare. The cost of healthcare is now thrown on the shoulders of those still working. Think about it—44% of those working today are paid the minimum wage. Can they afford healthcare?
Medicare and Medicaid are being taken over by the medical insurance superstores. The Veterans Administration hospitals and clinics are being targeted by the private, for profit hospitals and clinics.
But, the Republicans and Democrats are trying to make “Medicare For All” a one-legged tactic. We are letting ourselves be led down a blind alley by only fighting the medical insurance superstores. In other words, we are being sidetracked from fixing the real problem—for profit healthcare. We must come face to face with the private for profit healthcare industry—the private for profit owners of hospitals, clinics, drug manufacturers, medical equipment manufacturers, and a myriad of other private owners who profit off of “healthcare for some.”
If the healthcare movement cannot see itself doing anything more than “lobbying” the Republicans and Democrats in Congress or state legislatures for “Single Payer Healthcare” then we will never see “Healthcare for All” in this country. “Single Payer Healthcare” is only one leg of a three-legged tactic. The other legs are “Everybody In, Nobody Out Healthcare and Non-Profit Healthcare.”
The Republicans and Democrats will never institute “Healthcare for All” in this country because they represent the private for profit healthcare industry.
We must “lobby” everyone in this country for “Healthcare for All,” not just the Republicans and Democrats in Congress and state legislatures. The minds of the people that are denied healthcare are the minds that must support “Healthcare for All.” They cannot support what they do not know about.
It will take an independent political movement to achieve “Healthcare for All.” We cannot reform private for profit healthcare. We must replace it.
Well said, Al Gladyck. Friends for good reasons. 😉 Thanks for this.
I’m not sure we need political parties at all, just individual candidates who identify themselves & their worthiness by the content, intelligence and relevance of their own individual political platform (aka agenda). Of course we’d also need some sort of mechanism by which we (the electorate) can hold them accountable for their actions while in office. This rational approach to politics (aka governance) is feasible only with publicly funded elections, which are a good idea anyway.
Medical care should never have been anyone’s profit center. These are people’s lives. The CEO pay is ridiculous. I just began exploring medicare costs and I am astounded and frightened. I do not get much retirement and Medicare will be taking a large bite out of it. I have better coverage at a lower price with Obamacare, but will lose that as i become medicare eligible. This is awful and I am not excited about it. Instead of charging these Medicare fees, Part B, Part C, and Part D, we could easily have medicare for all and supply medical care at less cost to all of our citizens, if we eliminate the for profit insurance companies, which is exactly what must be done!!!
We need universial health coverage and one payer system
One payer universial healthcare is a must
I wonder how that will effect the doctors pay and number of available doctors. We need good doctors that get paid for their services and specialtys. I think we need health care for all but not at the expense of the doctors