Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Anthony Weiner...

...is a Democratic Congressman from New York and is hitting my radar more and more. He was on Morning Joe and Hardball today, advocating for a Canadian-style, single-payer system, or as we would call it, Medicare. (This is distinct from socialized medicine, which is what they have in the U. K. The difference is that in Britain the state owns the hospitals, employs the doctors and nurses, and delivers health care.) I was very impressed. Weiner (and yes, he pronounces it the wrong way) asked Joe Scarborough three times, if the private insurers keep 30 cents out of every health care dollar spent and Medicare keeps less than a dime, what value exactly is it that those firms are adding for the profits they earn? When you do business with Microsoft, they provide software; Honda, automobiles; a law firm, legal services. But health insurers don't provide health care or any other value to the transaction that Medicare can't provide for less. And health insurers are taking more and more out each year. How? By denying claims and services. (I wonder if that's why so many of these people at these town halls are so angry. Maybe they're just blaming the wrong people.) So Weiner asks, why not just open up Medicare to all?

Watch for this guy; he's a real up-and-comer.

3 comments:

Joe Tracy said...

You heard it here first: Mike Tracy wants you to watch for an "up-and-coming" Weiner in the near future.

mtracy said...

Why I oughta...

Joe Tracy said...

That one was a lay-up.