Pushing For The Public Option

Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) has written a letter to Harry Reid — co-signed by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) — stating, in part:

We respectfully ask that you bring for a vote before the full Senate a public health insurance option under budget reconciliation rules.

There are four fundamental reasons why we support this approach – its potential for billions of dollars in cost savings; the growing need to increase competition and lower costs for the consumer; the history of using reconciliation for significant pieces of health care legislation; and the continued public support for a public option.

• A Public Option Is an Important Tool for Restoring Fiscal Discipline...


• A Public Option Would Provide Americans with a Low-Cost Alternative and Improve Market Competitiveness...


• There is a history of using reconciliation for significant pieces of health care legislation...


• There is strong public support for a public option, across party lines...

So far, a total of 11 Senators and 119 House members have signed on.

Contact your Congress critters in the Senate and the House and push!

Push!

PUSH!

What if your fire department was run like an HMO?

From the Data Port blog:

If fire departments were run like HMO's:

Your house is on fire. You dial your fire service and have the following conversation.

FMO:“Fire Prevention Maintenance Organization”

YOU: : “Quick, send the fire truck, my house is on fire”

FMO: “Just a moment, Sir, have you called your fire evaluation gate keeper to determine that yours is an eligible fire?”

YOU: “No I haven’t, for God’s sake send the fire truck!”

FMO: “Oh, Puleeze! We can’t spend money sending fire trucks out willy-nilly. Is yours a pre-existing fire? Are you requesting a merely elective fire extinguishment service?”

YOU: “No of course not…hurry.”

FMO: “Certainly, Sir, We’ll send one out immediately. Would you care to make an appointment?

YOU: “What do you mean would I care to make an appointment? Of course not, my house is on fire. Do something now!”

FMO: “Well I’m sorry, sir, but some of the fire departments are no longer with us, because we didn’t pay them enough. We have an excellent fire department in Casa Grande, shall we send it?

YOU: “Yes, anything, please…koff koff.”

Pretty scary, huh? Can anything be done? Sure it can. Demand that a public option be part of healthcare reform.

I love it!