Political Irony

Robert Reich reports that the big pharmaceutical and health insurance companies are gaining ground in their effort to kill the public option in the health care reform bill that is being worked on in Washington.

In other words, we’re about to get the same health care reform we got during the Carter administration, when pharma and insurance companies managed to stall reform by promising to fix the rising cost of health care. Or we’re going to get the same health care reform we got during the Clinton administration, when the same companies killed health care reform completely.

In other, even simpler words, we’re going to get no health care reform at all. Yes, I’m sure they will call it health care reform, and I’m sure it will cost billions of dollars, all of which will go into the pockets of those big insurance and drug companies so they can continue to buy politicians to prevent any actual health care reform from ever happening. In fact, when Carter pledged to do something about out-of-control health care costs, the biggest response from the health care industry was hire lobbyists and buy politicians, so they could protect themselves and their profits.

In other words, unless we do something, and do it soon, we are screwed. Again. For the third time actually, and quite possibly forever. Health care costs will continue to rise. More people will not be able to afford health insurance. Our economy will worsen. More companies will struggle to pay for astronomical health insurance. Some will go out of business, eliminating jobs. More people will die.

I’m serious. If there is one thing that the Obama administration must do, it is to reform our health care system. Real reform. There must be a public option to keep the private companies honest and to force them to clean up their act. We’ve tried the other way two times, and this is what we got in return. Don’t let it happen again.

See also “Unhealthy Debate” and “Reforming Health Insurance Reform“.