As I have followed the health care debate over the last year, I have witnessed first and foremost what the driving force is in this country. Consequently, money and lots of it seems to be what is valued the most, even more than health of its citizens.
For example, WellPoint, a health care giant, spent $10 million to stop universal health care in our country. WellPoint currently employs 33 lobbying groups in Washington, D.C., consequently, 986 citizens could pay a year's worth of premiums with the money spent out to these lobbying groups.
Also, United Health Care, another health care giant, spent over 12.6 million since 2007 lobbying against health care reform. This could cover the average health care cost of 992 families of four for one year. Stephen Hemsley, the CEO of United Health Care, has earned $102,741,68 an hour in 2009, consequently, this would supply flu vaccinations for every man, woman, and child in California, Texas and Minnesota combined.
Edward Hanway, CEO of CIGNA, has a salary of $12.2 million, plus Hanway's five-year compensation is 120.5 million, therefore, this would cover the yearly out-of-pocket healthcare costs for the entire population of Providence, R.I.
Nearly a third of all health care costs are associated with wasteful administration, more than 350 million a year, enough to pay for the whole universal health care plan.
All through the health care debate I demonstrated for universal health care, compensated for by reasonable taxes on everyone. However, what we have instead is another transfer of wealth from the middle class working people to the health care giants. A government mandate to buy a faulty product from a private for-profit corporation with no regulations on price control.
When the health insurance companies are put in charge of controlling cost, is like putting a pyromaniac in charge of fire control. They have only one goal and that is to make as much money they can, it is the law of big business. Therefore, there is going to be a mandate for working citizens to buy health insurance and then deny these same citizens an affordable choice with a public option. What a coup for the private insurance companies this is going to be. What a cruel joke on the working class. What a disaster, a disaster which I can contribute to all the ones who protested against healthcare reform. All the ones who were the minions for the big health care giants.
But, to speak practically and as a citizen, unlike those who call themselves no-government men and women, I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government, a government to protect me from this great giant. It is truly enough said that a corporation has no conscience; but a corporation of conscientious men is a corporation with a conscience. What kind of government do we have that would serve us up to the for-profit health care giants to supply their insatiable appetite for wealth, the great Leviathan?
