The New York Times presented an article that described a proposal from American Health Insurance Plans for a "partnership" of covering costs for the growing numbers of the nation's uninsured-- read it at: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/business/AHIPPlan.pdf. Let's get right to it, go to the pie chart explains that 18% of Americans are uninsured. More relevant is that 62% have employer health plans. The issue is that a health care CRISIS is the result of what's happening to those who pay for health insurance and have inadequate coverage for when illness strikes--62% causes a crisis not 18%. The shared "partnership" approach is a real nice idea that the report states clearly is a proposal that the health insurance companies came up with themselves. Uh duh...they want everyone (corporations, individuals and governments) to help pay for the uninsured.
The middle class is where health insurance reform must start because the middle class will become the 2g of uninsured. EVERY Health insurance proposal I've seen talks about covering that 18%. The hope of the 18% is the reforms made available to the 62%, why? Because first you have to stop the bleeding. The bleeding is from those being squeezed out of health insurance coverage that they have paid for because of rising costs, reduced coverage and yes, heaven forbid we mention it--aging and illness--in other words, need. Insurance affordability, accessibility, and availability are the key, not making up another plan to absorb 18% of the population already squeezed out of the system (or never in it to begin with).
Just like with the mortgage crisis, it STARTED with unfavorable loans made to MIDDLE CLASS people. Eventually these same bad loans were made available to those whose financial position logically made it unwise for them to own a home. As the President proudly recited the numbers of Americans who had fulfilled the dream of home ownership, he ignored the fact that the ownership was smoke and mirrors and that the ownership on paper was just that, on paper. Simply making lousy insurance coverage available to the poor by sharing the cost of such coverage among everyone won't work. If you trust our government's response to the mortgage bailout look at who's being bailed out? Those who are likely to be able to continue paying mortgages at a frozen interest rate, those employed and who are currently meeting their expenses, this will not save any of the poor people who bought into the unreasonable real estate market and a health insurance bailout that ignores what is being done to those within the system who are simply getting a bad deal and seeks to pull in those who haven't been able to buy in will end up worsening the situation for all.
