Iowa’s Main Street Alliance recently asked me to send a letter to the editor regarding health care — i guess the word is getting around that i went to an Ivy League college, and have therefore mastered the thing we call the English language.
Since the Gannett-owned, AP article-filled Des Moines Register probably won’t print it, i’ve decided to paste it below for all 6 of you to enjoy.
“To the Editor,
Chuck Grassley says that a public option in health insurance is not an option for him because “the public option is an unfair competitor” with private industry?
I guess I’m confused, Chuck: I thought a government program would be cutting off the wrong limbs, using pliers for tooth removal, making people wait for days while they bleed in the lobby, and thus would be a total disaster. Now this bumbling government system would prove a threat to the mightily efficient, popular, and cost-effective private health care system?
As the owner of SMASH, a small business in Des Moines, why would I wish the horrors of socialized medicine on myself and my employees when I am so happy with private health care? That’s like saying I’m going to send my kids to cesspools of socialized education like Roosevelt or Valley!
There’s actually nothing to fear, Chuck. I couldn’t be happier with America’s current health care. From a business perspective, it makes perfect sense, and has so many great features. For instance, I love that full coverage is about 25% of after tax pay, even for young and healthy 20-somethigs like the people here at SMASH (good thing we don’t hire any 45 year olds!); I love that if we ever actually use the system our rates go up; I love that if we DON’T use the system our rates go up; I love that if you get contract a serious illness before you get insurance, the insurance you can get will exclude care for that illness; I love that they can make money off of people like me, and dump the actual sick people on Medicare (which company runs Medicare again?).
Most of all I love that America’s health care executives are business people, concerned about what business people should be concerned about: their profit, their market-share, and avoiding government intervention.
So Chuck, I can see where you’re coming from, but I wouldn’t worry too much. With such a rock-solid health care industry, I can’t see a single person switching to a government program, so it won’t cost us anything.
Therefore, you have my blessing to support a government health care program. After all, you don’t want any of those Pinko nuts thinking you’re in the pocket for big health care or something!”
[...] the Des Moines Register shortened and published in March. (Mr. Draper posted the original version here.) The missive caught Ms. Dinsdale’s attention, and so when the national Alliance was [...]
Good on you. Keep fighting the good fight.
As a “Senior” on Medicare, I have only one thing to say, “Long Live Government Financed Healthcare!”.
I recently went into the hospital for a small procedure and everything was paid for. No deductible, no copay, it was like glass.
Unfortunately, private health insurance is a “Money Machine”. Take 25 – 30% off the top, to cover your expensese, and profits, then pay as little as possible.
It doesn’t take a fool to know that if you give me a dollar and I give you back 70 cents, we can do this all day long, and I make money. Unless…, you actually need care.
Keep fighting the good fight!
Mary