America wants to get health reform done and get it done right
Posted on February 10th, 2010 by Jason Rosenbaum in Solutions that Work
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There's a new poll out today from the Washington Post. It's got a few findings that Congress would do well to pay attention to.
Here's the main point:
A huge majority of Americans want a comprehensive health care bill passed. That includes 88% of Democrats, 56% of Independents, and almost a majority - 42% - of Republicans. If Congress thinks they can get away with not passing a bill, given those numbers, they've got another thing coming.
When you add these numbers to a few other questions in this poll, you get a picture of the electorate that really wants reform done right.
The poll shows that 49% oppose the health care bills in Congress and 46% support. But when people are asked about whether they support major features in the bills, they say yes. Banning denials for pre-existing conditions is popular with 80% of people. Requiring employers to offer insurance to full time employees is supported by 72% of people.
The picture is becoming clear: America wants to see a comprehensive bill passed and they support major components of the legislation. They also don't see the current bill in the Senate as the final bill - they want to see some changes before President Obama signs something. And there's no doubt that a great many people have been influenced by the negative advertising the insurance industry and its allies have been flooding the airwaves with, coupled with the media's focus on process rather than policy.
So how do we get comprehensive reform done? Again, the poll is telling. 58% think Republicans in Congress are doing too little to compromise with Obama, and 68% think Republicans should rarely use the filibuster to block legislation. Though the poll didn't ask whether people would support passing health care by majority rule using reconciliation, one can assume those numbers would be favorable.
Putting it all together, America wants comprehensive reform, they want reform finished right before a bill is signed, and they think Republicans are standing in the way, which gives an implicit endorsement for Democrats to use majority rule to do what the American people want.
America wants real health care reform, wants it done right, and wants it done now.
We need something. The health care system in America is a joke. I work for a small business and the health insurance company that was insuring all of our employees just stopped doing health insurance in our state so we got turned over to a different company. Switched over and our rates went up almost 40%. My husband and I are now paying over $1300 a month to insure our family which consists of my husband, myself and our son.
Where are the voices of Christians on this issue?
Christians are right to support government reforms that bring affordable access to quality health care for all U.S. citizens.
If you are a Christian and frequent this website, can you ask other Christians if they would submit a signed statement of belief similar to this one, to their congressional representatives and local newspaper?
I believe in the separation of Church and State as defined in the Constitution of the United States.
I believe that citizens have a responsibility to work within our democratic system to voice their opinions on issues, especially issues of moral concern.
I believe responsible citizens follow the laws of the land as their spiritual convictions guide their actions on matters of public concern.
To be a Christian is to say that you are a follower of Christ. Christ lived over 2,000 years ago in a society and culture very different from ours today. It is often challenging to apply his teachings and example to modern day life. But one thing is very clear: Christ commanded those who wanted to follow him to care for and about other people as much as themselves.
Christ’s story of the Good Samaritan tells of an irresponsible man who traveled alone on a dangerous road known to be frequented by criminals. Sure enough, the man fell victim. Robbed, beaten and left to die by the side of he road, his only hope was someone who might care enough to come to his aide. Two people, one a priest, cautiously passed him by. The third person on the scene was a Samaritan, a man of a different race, cultural and social group from the beaten man. The Samaritan cared for the man, taking him to an inn to heal and recuperate. The Samaritan paid for the care of the beaten man. Christ finishes his message saying: “Go, do the same.”
In the story, Christ makes it very clear that demonstrations of love and caring must not consist merely in feelings of pity by way of response to human need. Christians must be practical, tangible, relevant and contextual in the way they meet the needs of others.
Much of Jesus’ ministry recorded in the Gospels is focused upon those who were ill or suffering physically in some way. Healing of the body was perhaps the central act of his ministry. Today, we care deeply about our physical bodies. The body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit. (I Cor. 6).
Supporting social policies that provide full access to basic health care for all, the poor and the wealthy, is an unambiguously Christian conviction. Christians were largely responsible for the provision of healthcare from the earliest days. It is no coincidence that so many hospitals, now run by for profit enterprises, have church related names.
Historically, Christian leaders, among them John Calvin, translated the message from the story of the Good Samaritan into the modern era and charged the church to call upon the political order to serve human needs effectively and equitably.
Last year over 400 Alaskans died on account of lack of medical insurance coverage. Government alone has the power to affect changes to the medical insurance industry that are necessary in order to improve access to health care.
Christians can be confident that they are following Christ’s example when they hold government accountable for enacting legislation that improves access to health care for those who need it.
I believe our government has a moral obligation to assure justice and pass health care legislation that will reduce unnecessary physical suffering and untimely death of so many of its citizens. The cost of following any other course of action exceeds human comprehension.