September 7, 2018
I don’t watch a lot of fundraising shows. I don’t know why, but we tuned in the program tonight and watched a while.
For the past decade, I have been an advocate for single payer, national improved medicare for all. I have watched the poll numbers go up and down with the lying ads run by drug and insurance companies and political PACS to keep the. cash pouring in for those collecting rent on people’s medical misfortune.
I was a bit overwhelmed by all the celebrities who were on the program.
My question is this: When are some of these celebrities going to join the movement to get healthcare for all? When will people who can really make a huge impact stand up to the corporations who put profit before people? We could certainly use more help, inspiration and fundraising ability to fight the huge cash war chests that are available to the insurance, drug and medical device companies to fight against what the people need for the sake of stockholders and out-sized C-Level salaries and bonuses
ColoradoCare was a ballot initiative in 2016 soundly defeated with help of Blue Cross — Blue Shield associations across the country pouring millions into the campaign to defeat it. Other states like Vermont, California and New York have had valiant efforts by activists foiled by politicians on the payrolls of the medical industry. The people affected most by our unjust sick-care non-system are the ones who need to fight for medicare for all, but they are too poor and/or working too long every week to take part in protest. They are too poor to have time to learn they have been sold down the river by corporations. It’s up to more people who are informed about the issue to help fight the corporations dredging for profits from the most vulnerable — sick people!
Data from Cancer Research UK suggests 80% of patients survive for at least 10 years after being diagnosed in early stages of eight of most common cancers. Americans are entitled to the same or better level of care enjoyed by all other industrialized nations. Yet we have care rationed to us by ability to pay rather than urgency and medical necessity.
The U.S. pays more than twice the average cost per capita for healthcare than by other countries, yet we do not have universal coverage or longer life expectancy. U.S. infant and maternal mortality rates are an atrocity.
If we had a just healthcare system, there would be more money available for medical research of all kinds. If we had fair elections, we’d have more people supporting the EPA for breathable air and pure water.
People would suffer less anxiety and depression from worry about getting sick and how to pay the bills. Just paying for daily necessities is hard enough without the constantly climbing share of family budgets for healthcare. You may not realize it, but poverty is high in our extremely wealthy country. It is not a fine testament to how we care for our brothers and sisters.
