Comments on: I Don’t Think 50 Votes Means What They Think It Means

By: Eureka Springs

Eureka Springs — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:19:00 +0000

Blub, Put some links in that comment and post it as a diary, PLEASE.

By: letsgetitdone

letsgetitdone — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:03:40 +0000

Blub, very nice comment. How about publishing it in diary form on seminal?

By: jtoby

jtoby — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:20:57 +0000

Hi All,
Check out Democracy Now’s coverage today of the health care debate. They brought on Wendell Potter, who is a former executive at CIGNA turned whistle blower. It is a hugely important interview. I think it would make a great organizing tool: http://www.democracynow.org/20.....ell_porter

By: siri

siri — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:07:23 +0000

I love Mike Stark.
Mike Stark knows no fear.
He’s just like Jane!
FEARLESS to the core.

By: Blub

Blub — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:49:33 +0000

to be honest though the IMR for births to insured women who get pre-natal care in the US is quite low (4.5 or so). For uninsured minority women without pre-natal care (the most problematic segments), some studies have put it at like something 24-30 or so 1,000 births (including Congress’ own numbers). I would argue that relative to Singapore (2.3) even the 4.5 is too high. And the 24-30 is just monstrous. The 6.3/1,000 national number for the US is just the blending of the low rate for white, insured, cared-for women and the absurdly high rates for segments of women without access to pre-natal care… and thus hides the inequality implicit in our system. In our first world country, we are basically concealing a third world one.. for the poor, brown and uninsured.

By: alank

alank — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:44:24 +0000

I was just following up on your point about the comparative mortality of infants between the U.S. and India and how appallingly bad it is here, given the extraordinary claims made about the quality of health care in America. I mean, I currently regard the biomedical establishment as a danger to my health, it’s that bad.

By: Petrocelli

Petrocelli — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:35:32 +0000

From Sam Stein at HuffPo - GOP Lawmaker admits Congress will pass Democratic Health Care Bill This Month

By: Blub

Blub — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:31:09 +0000

I think the issues are related though. When I lived in Singapore, I found that for local residents th public system was genuinely competitive with the public ones (although as a foreigner I could only use the private system for non-critical care).. and I think this competitive dynamic led to better standards of care all around. The public system was not a “last resort” system for any but the very wealthiest and most pampered, who wanted the non-essential fancier frills (luxury hospital suites, etc) that the private system offered… but rather one that has to compete effectively on both price and standard of care.

By: cbl2

cbl2 — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:19:32 +0000

Jane,

I don’t think a lot of the on line progressive community (not here!) knows what it means either -

was at another major site yesterday when that ‘list’ was leaked - ooh boy, folks falling for that gambit left and right - and tons of hoorahs when the HR 676 list was added in the comments

far too many broad strokes - I know it’s just a matter of maturation and evolution as a movement, but geesh, this is how we get beat again and again. and frankly, now I see these gambits are how the Progressive Caucus has been able to get away with being less than progressive in the past

just want those of us here who don’t venture too far from the Lake to appreciate all the filling in and shading Jane has provided us - she puts the sage in the sausage

By: alank

alank — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:16:21 +0000

When you get into the area of quality of care in this country, that’s another kettle of fish. Having comprehensive coverage is only part of the solution. There are high rates of death in this country from known or identified medical errors. The reporting of these data is a major issue unto itself. It’s a crazy quilt system that evidence-based medicine is trying to address. But how did it get this way, but through the unfettered marketplace.