The Right Prescription
What I Saw at the Health Care Revolution
A Yankee reports from Atlanta’s triumphant town hall.
Last Saturday I was in Atlanta where I was part of what is likely to be a turning point in American politics. The event was billed as America’s Health Care Town Hall. It started with a conversation at a fast-food restaurant a month ago between Allen Hardage, who owns an ad agency, and his friend Stephen Northington, an insurance agent, about ways to share their concern and opposition to the current health care proposals making their way through Congress. They decided on a rally that would do two things that were not taking place inside the Beltway: bring together people to express their own concerns about the lost of control over medical decisions and present alternatives that gave individuals more control over the cost and character of healthcare
Without any money, Hardage and Northington sent out emails to friends, neighbors, talk show hosts and many free market organizations inviting speakers, putting together panels, and going about the task of organizing an event that hoped would attract up to 20,000 people to Atlanta’s Centennial Park. Hardage and Northington assembled a long list of speakers including Ralph Reed, former House Majority leader Dick Armey, George state officials, and conservative talk show hosts Herman Cain and Joel Aaron. Country music singer John Berry performed a new song he wrote for the event, “Give Me Back My America.”
Let me dispense with the now standard disclaimer about the civility of the crowd that did gather. The people who attended — about 12,000 in all if you go by the number of wrist bracelets handed out as a security measure — were more than civil, they were fun, friendly and warm. They came with signs and in costumes that ranged from silly to ironic. One woman was dressed as the Grim Reaper coming to kill medical innovation under government-run health care. Many were dressed as soldiers from the War of Independence. Another guy was dressed as a superhero ready to save America from socialized healthcare.
And people were informed. Do you know the current total unfunded liability for Medicare? Lots of people at the rally did. It’s $89 trillion. Do you know if comparative effectiveness will be used to determine what doctors get paid in Medicare and health exchanges? The answer is yes.
People knew aspects of the legislation inside and out. They believe — rightly in my opinion — that the legislation has nothing to do with addressing the issue of affordability, of choice or quality. The legislation, as one young woman put it to me, “has more to do with freedom than health care. ”
There was anger. But there was no uncontrollable rage aimed at any elected official or policy. Rather it was the passion to fight back against being disenfranchised twice: first by watching the political system craft a health care bill that ignored the choices and concerns of most Americans and secondly giving government control over those choices: Even without a so-called public plan, the legislation gives government bureaucrats significant control over the future direction of medicine and power to ration care, delay innovation, and reshape the doctor-patient relationship.
As a result, individuals are now engaged in health care as never before. They do not trust Washington to solve the problems or even define them. Whether or not a bill is passed or not matters in only one respect: a vote to increase the government’s role in health care will increase the speed, size, and intensity of what is clearly a health care self-determination movement.
Its aims are specific, substantive and policy oriented. First, stop the shift towards health care centralization. (That might require political change if the bill passes.) Second, adopt solutions that promote choice, encourage personal responsibility and accelerate the of use medical innovations to enhance the doctor-patient relationship. At the rally I was part of a group discussing specific ways of accomplishing such goals: allowing people to buy health care across state lines, get reduced premiums for healthy behavior, allowing doctors and consumers to form networks outside of existing regulations.
I went out on a limb twice. I told the crowd I was a Yankee fan to stress how “bipartisan” the event was. I was booed. Then I talked briefly about how poor farmers in India are part of group health plans they have designed themselves and where their payments go down when they seek early treatment. “If it can done in India using American technology, why not in America?”
That drew lots of applause. Not for me. For the idea and for what inspired the rally, and what ultimately has redefined the health care debate: the insistence that health care requires not a public plan but innovation and self-determination. Health care is not a crisis. It is an opportunity to improve America’s health, increase its prosperity, and renew its promise.
About the Author
Robert M. Goldberg is vice president of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest and founder of Hands Off My H ealth, a grass roots health care empowerment network. His is new book, Tabloid Medicine: How the Internet is Being Used To Hijack Medical Science For Fear and Profit, was published last month by Kaplan.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (49) | Leave a comment
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Rocco| 8.20.09 @ 7:11AM
It is encouraging to see that the "sleeping giant," the American people, is slowly but finally awakening. Change should come from the ground up in a representative republic. We need to pound (figuratively speaking) our representatives, particularly Republicans who should know better. Where are they??? (Question rhetorical)
Deborah D | 8.20.09 @ 7:30AM
Sorry I couldn't have been there -- was out of state. I did see Herman Cain at the Cobb County Tea Party in July, and he said something at that time that resonated with me. He said his (great?) grandfather was a slave, and he didn't intend to go back to that. He said whether it was slavery to an "owner" or slavery to a government made no difference to him. It was still slavery. Excellent argument.
Jaded| 8.20.09 @ 8:00AM
It is exciting to read about the "sleeping" giant I wish they had awoken during the Republican primaries to give us on the right someone other than McCain. I will thank them when they make a historic overturn of the House in 2010 though. I think you ought to block that spammer you have pimping their site :)
janet| 8.20.09 @ 9:01AM
Where the heck was this sleeping giant when we needed it before? My cynicism has overtaken my hope. 2010 is far away in terms of the collective mind of voters. The issue is totally in the hands of the Republicans. It's theirs to lose.
Papa Ray| 8.20.09 @ 9:15AM
I can tell you I believe that if a health-care bill gets passed with single payer, middle America from moderate democrats to those that don't even claim a party will do everything they can to boot out most of Congress and Obama. These millions of voters don't want vague socialist bills that become policy and law passed. Nor do they want to own corporations and bail out business and banks that should have been allowed to go under.
But the one thing that is not vague is the disrespect and disdain that the members of Congress and the president have shown to the American public over the last eight months.
It has become apparent that Congress and the president view themselves as the masters of a people that are stupid and don't know what they want or need. Well, it should be no big surprise that pisses Americans off because they know that the president and congress are supposed to be working for the American people and working to protect and preserve not only our freedoms but to limit government control instead of increasing it.
And American's know that they are not stupid peasants who need (or want) a bigger more intrusive government.
I'm afraid that it is congress and the president and his backers are the ones who just don't understand or if they do- are actively working against America and Americans.
Just as our Founders told us could happen.
Papa Ray
West Texas
"The Second Amendment is a doomsday provision, one designed for those exceptionally rare circumstances where all other rights have failed - where the government refuses to stand for reelection and silences those who protest; where courts have lost the courage to oppose, or can find no one to enforce their decrees. However improbable these contingencies may seem today, facing them unprepared is a mistake a free people get to make only once."
2009 Judge Alex Kozinski
Michael Tomlinson| 8.20.09 @ 9:21AM
Some "Nazis." It is clear the neo-fascist Obama administration and DemocRATS are projecting their hate and bigotry onto decent, but concerned Americans. These grassroots efforts are having a positive effect as they bolster Republican efforts in Congress to oppose the incompetent and arrogan Obama Democrats.
bob doerner| 8.20.09 @ 9:31AM
........lol I hate to tell ya popa ray, but the American people ARE stupid, they elected G.Dumbya twice!!! and look where we are today, The sooner we unite as one and realize that none of these thieves on either side of the coin have our best intrest at heart, then and only then can we hope for better days to come.
Papa Ray| 8.20.09 @ 9:40AM
bob: "but the American people ARE stupid"
Hey bob, it is apparent your "unite" theme is just a false, weak word and that you have no intention of uniting with "stupid" Americans. You are just another liberal disrupter (troll) who likes to leave his droppings around the web.
Grow up and shed your progressive thoughts if you want to live in the real world of Liberty.
Papa Ray
West Texas
Don L| 8.20.09 @ 9:53AM
This attempt to enslave the very lives of free citizens is far more grevious of an offense than all the taxation without represention in history. To blatently focus the attack upon the "greatest generation," those who have met, fought, and defeated this level of evil before, was a fatal mistake for those who find human life to be only of utilitarian value, and not precious, unique, and worth defending to the very end -if need be.
They have drawn a line in the sand. When Chuck Schumer said that they didn't care what we, the free citizens of this nation wanted, they were going to pass it anyway, they were repeating the identical mistake of Admiral Yamamoto at Pearl Harbor, only he, at least knew what might occur later. They have too much arrogance to see the backlash.
Indiana Alex| 8.20.09 @ 10:03AM
"Do you know the current total unfunded liability for Medicare? Lots of people at the rally did. It's $89 billion. "
This number seems way low too low to me.
Linda Rudy| 8.20.09 @ 10:33AM
The Medicare unfunded liability number is indeed far too low. The estimates vary, depending on who is asked. According to the former CBO head, David Walker, the current shortfall for medicare alone is just over 36 TRILLION dollars. The breakdown can be found here> http://www.pgpf.org/about/nationaldebt/
Michael L. Hauschild| 8.20.09 @ 11:07AM
I do not believe that the “people” will win this argument. The “nuclear option” is just that. They (the democratic left) probably have enough “safe votes.” (Solid constituents majorities that will assure that the candidate in the affirmative will survive in 2010 or 2012) Those marginal (red state, for me Ben Nelson) democratic incumbents will be given cover and allowed a negative vote to maintain the campaign rhetoric of “siding with the people” and not the beltway left.
This has not played out yet and don’t be lulled into crowing at the false sunrise.
Al Adab| 8.20.09 @ 11:37AM
Deb D.
Great comment. When one exists to serve another that is indeed slavery. Any proposal which makes us wards of the state, makes us slaves and is simply put, tyranny.
The more information the citizens get about this proposal the l;ess support it has. Change simply for its own sake ie unwise at best and dangerous in the extreme.
Check out Pg. 167-68 section 401 and see the imposed 2.5% income tax imposed on anyone who does not subscribe to a Govt. approved plan.
The bill is replete with little ttraps like this. Only public knowledge can help to keep us free.
Pat Spooner| 8.20.09 @ 12:04PM
Regarding Obamacare, there is no Crisis that requires immediate revamping of our entire healthcare system! Furthermore why should I and hundreds of millions of other hard working American taxpayers have to pay for medical care for millions of individuals who smoke, drink excessively, overeat and are obese, do not exercise or otherwise take care of themselves, use illegal drugs, all the while refusing to work to get an education or just refusing to work period?
Before Medicaid and Medicare how did the people survive with these same healthcare issues - we did just fine without the Federal governments' involvement and we can do that in the future. People must take more personal responsibility for their own health - the federal government will break the American economy if we allow them to continue with this crazy ponzy scheme!
We do not want the federal or state government to have any involvement in the oversight or provision of healthcare services – a little commonsense would have you look at Amtrak (Bankrupt), Social Security (Bankrupt), Fannie and Freddie Mac (Bankrupt), Medicaid (Bankrupt), Medicare (Bankrupt), the Postal Service (Bankrupt) – almost ever endeavor that our federal government becomes involved in is overstaffed, overspends, inefficient, wasteful, and a total failure.
This country, and in particular our federal and state governments, must get back to basics, the bare minimum. Government cannot continue to steal everything from working people or there will be no one left working.
Please disregard what Speaker Pelosi, Majority Follower Reid and President Obama are telling you, use commonsense and voice your opposiiton against this terrible government intrusion into our healthcare system and services.
Michael Tomlinson| 8.20.09 @ 12:19PM
Michael L. Hauschild has hit on a political reality "conservatives" either cannot grasp or chose to ignore when they bought into Chuck Schumer's snake oil and punished Republican in 2006 and 2008 -- Democrats have solid majorities in Congress with a compliant White House and can pass anything they want. For those that place their hopes in the blue lapdogs one can only hope that their crass and cynical desire to remain on the Federal gravy train will give them second thoughts when considering to vote for Obamacare, but considering their records of support for the radial leftist agenda they supposedly oppose look for Obamacare to pass.
Curtis Rasmussen| 8.20.09 @ 3:21PM
If Congress shoves this bill down our gullet only to be followed by a major ouster in the 2010 elections, is there a fast way to repeal the national socialist healthcare plan before it becomes a permanent fixture?
Oldefarte| 8.20.09 @ 4:16PM
First and foremost, Obama's/Democrats' healthcare proposals are nothing but WELFARE and/or WEALTH REDISTRIBUTIONS; so stop trying to beautify it as a cost-saving, RIGHT of all Americans. It's sickening that these bleeding-heart liberals are proclaiming that hard working, tax-paying American have a moral duty to provide healthcare [or housing, or education, or food, or clothing or anything] to the indigent-poor. The only problem with healthcare is its COST, and that could be reduced easily by reduction measures ie tort reform, medical pricing reform, allowing consumers to form purchasing/interstate groups,etc. Medical care/insurance is NOT A RIGHT and liberals' proclamation of same is asinine!!!!!!!!!!!
Al Adab| 8.20.09 @ 5:55PM
My question would be: Were i diagnosed with Alzhiemers this year, would I be treated for prostrate cancer next year? Who would make that decision? If not I or my guardian, then I am no longer a free man but a ward (slave) of some decision maker - in this case a government agency. No thank you.
Curtis Rasmussen| 8.20.09 @ 7:09PM
It was a good run, 144 years of hard fought freedom and constitutional rights only to return to a period of servitude. This will come at the hands of a fellow black man, no less. The irony.
Work and make yourself of value to the state or meet your untimely end. If you're old, keep working. It could be the difference between life and death.
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Sue| 8.21.09 @ 1:39PM
I hear and see a lot about the questionners at the Town Hall meetings. The problem is the "questions" are not right. Yes, democrats may have the nerve to pass this monstrosity, but we have a free "speech" right to spell out the consequences, intended or unintended, to the citizens.
A woman names Doris asked A. Specter about a 74 years old man diagnosed with cancer and whether or not he would get treated. Mr. Specter was indignant and said it was a "vicious rumor" that he wouldn't be treated.
Now, the meat of the question is, "will he be treated following a medical protocol that is in existence today, may be in existence tomorrow if discovered, and treated with a philosophy that "life matters" in a free Country?"
Obama can pontificate all he wants about a person keeping their "insurance," "keeping their doctor," etc. This is not the crux of the issue.
The issue is "treatment protocol" and who establishes it and implements it. It does no good to "keep your doctor" when you've discovered a lump in your breast, but the protocol for treating that lump is a "one size (no pun intended) fits all" medical protocol or you might have to wait six months to see a specialist.
The arguments on the side of "free" health choices, unimpeded delivery of access, and the right to utilize the most recent innovations in technology including drug therapies are what we need to advance.
When the government controls the delivery, they also control the outcomes. And in the delivery of health care, the outcome may be death.
Antibiotics and vaccines were discovered just recently by measurement of man's time on this planet. We are fortunate that millions and millions of lives have been saved through these discoveries. If this Country is to continue to expand its citizens' life expectency, it has to limit the government's involvement in health care.
Cybercorrespondent | 8.21.09 @ 11:52PM
Fix healthcare by throwing self-serving politicians out of office
Why did Barack Obama attack pharmaceutical companies before and now he has teamed up with them to promote his health care plan? Why are all the tort lawyers big democratic supporters and multi-millionaires? Obama’s true intentions are so obvious that even the left is starting to express concerns. For example, on August 10, CBS Evening News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson filed a report stating that “the White House agreed not to seek price controls on drugs for seniors on Medicare and would not support importing cheaper drugs from Canada.” According to Attkisson, “The pharmaceutical industry is now so firmly in the President's camp it's developing plans to spend up to $150 billion promoting it with TV ads.”
According to the acting president of Public Citizen and founder and director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group, Dr. Sidney Wolfe, “An all sort of off the record deal was reached that is very bad for the American public.” Other experts say that for their cooperation, Obama is allowing pharmaceutical companies to charge $50 for a $2 pill and is assuring them that there will be no changes to the laws that make it near impossible for less expensive generic drugs to reach the American market.
Unless tort lawyers, the pharmaceutical lobby and other special interest groups like the AMA, ADA and the AARP are dealt with to preserves the Constitution and the free market system, while also protecting the medical provider and consumer, no healthcare plan can work. Please view http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe2bpV1QlkE
Cybercorrespondent http://cybercorrespondent.blogspot.com
Revelotion 2009-2012| 8.22.09 @ 6:27PM
Second American Revolution to Begin in 2009?
by: Allison Bricker
With 2009 only just begun, it is utterly disheartening to bear witness to the further crumbling of our economy and nation as a whole at the hands of the plutocrats and central banking criminals. The fervor of the past election cycle has already become mired in cynicism; standard operating procedure for a Republic in decline. Most unfortunate however, is that according to analysis by Gerald Celente and “The Trends Research Institute“, it is only going to get much much worse from this point moving forward.
Gerald Celente, for those not familiar, is head of “The Trends Research Institute” based out of New York. His organization has correctly forecast a mind boggling number of world events all prior to their actual occurrence. Some of the more notable events were the collapse of the former Soviet Union, the tech-bubble collapse, the War in Iraq, the then emerging housing crisis, and the “Economic Panic of ‘08″.
Published in the institute’s “Top Trends of 2009″, the report forecasts the complete and utter collapse of the United States economy, followed by the beginning of the second American Revolution, quote:
“It is a matter of historical fact: When people are homeless, helpless, desperate, jobless and hungry, sooner or later they will rebel. And it won’t be any different in America.”
Vol. XVII, No. 1 – Top Trends of 2009 – Winter 2009
The Trends Institute1
My default reaction to such statements is an immediate desire to cast them off as mere hyperbole, wild conspiracy, or publicity. While it most certainly would be instantaneously convenient to jettison such notions and the weighty ramifications therein, any attempt at doing such conjures up images from “The Ants and the Grasshopper” the Aesop fable my Grandmother use to read to me as a child.
STOP THE LEFTIST HATE| 8.22.09 @ 8:32PM
AND LEARN HOW TO SPELL, MORON!
Pingback| 8.23.09 @ 10:33AM
Morning Conservative Reading List - August 23, 2009 - AIP Blog - American Issues Pro links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
prestonsbrooks| 8.24.09 @ 1:36PM
There will be a Revolution; once Communists/Totalitarians like The Joker get power, they do not give it up in anything as silly as an "election." Nope, it's too late for that, Mr and Mrs America. Elections have consequences. The Joker will end up having to leave the same way Hitler and Mussolini did, after killing off half their population and wiping out their countries. Let them fire the first shot; I will not take it upon myself-nor should any patriot- to break the law.
Patriot| 8.24.09 @ 4:11PM
I see your point, preston; but I'm not convinced our American "Nazis" are as tough as their European brethren from the past. Oh, and we have the 2nd amendment. :)
Paul Revere| 8.29.09 @ 11:15PM
With all of the upheval of our lives that is transpiring these days in the take overs of our Liberties and un-American Bills that are indoctrinated to be passed we have to be very vigilant about our health and finances and the very life supports we have come to depend on! We must stand together to be sure we have the type of health care we need not what the government wants to push upon us and control our lives with!
Here is an article on the true delema we are living and battling with everyday here in North America!
It is an eye opener and may help you better prepare and resist what is being forced upon our country! You may know this already but it is a heads up for those who don't!
Global War and Dying Democracy by Andrew Marshall
The new system being formed is not one based upon any notion of competition or “free markets” or “socialist morality”, but is, instead a system based upon consolidation of power and wealth; thus, the fewer the better; one government, one central bank, one army, one currency,one authority, one ruler. This is a much more “efficient” and “controllable” system, and thus requires a much smaller population or class to run it, as well as a much smaller population to serve it. Also, with such a system,a smaller global population would be ideal for the rulers, for it limits their risk, in terms of revolt, uprising, and revolution, and created a more manageable population. In this new capitalist system, the end goal is not profit, but power. It was through the central banking system that the most powerful figures and individuals ( Elitists ) in the world were able to consolidate power, controlling both industry and governments.These figures would collapse economies, destroying industry and thus, profits; bankrupt countries and collapse their political structures, destroying a base for the exercise of power; but in doing so, they would consolidate their authority over these governments and industry,wiping out competition and eliminating dissent.These are the main figures in the current reorganization of world order. Those who are driven by the lust for power often eliminate and remove all of those who helped them reach such a position.Power alters the psychology of the individual that holds it.Once power is achieved, and with no more power to gain, the obsession turns to the preservation of power & the paranoia of losing it.Power is a cancer; it eats away at its host.The greater the power held, the more cancerous it is, the more malignant it becomes.Power must be shared among all people the risk carried thus becomes a risk to all,and there is a more effective means through which everyone can act as a check against the abuse of power.
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Pingback| 9.10.09 @ 1:03AM
Barack Obama’s Health Care Speech « Ulmer's Home Page links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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2012 doomsday – Latest 2012 doomsday news – What I Saw at the Health Care Revolution links to this page. Here’s an excerpt: