The day before the Baltimore event, Dr. Flowers tried to deliver the letter to the White House. They would not take it. So, when the pediatrician heard President Obama would be in her home town she mentioned it to Dr. Paris. Paris immediately agreed to go with Flowers to try and get the information to the president.
In fact, making Medicare available to all Americans would do more than the president is seeking. Unlike any Democratic proposal: it would cover everyone in the United States; truly control costs and not require additional spending by the government by saving at least $400 billion annually wasted by the insurance industry.
On top of all the good it would do for health care in America, a study published in 2009 found that Medicare for All would spur the economy and create jobs. A national single-payer style healthcare reform system would provide a major stimulus for the U.S. economy by creating 2.6 million new jobs, and infusing $317 billion in new business and public revenues, with another $100 billion in wages into the U.S. economy.
Debating the Republicans was easy. President Obama knew their arguments were based on falsehoods and phony rhetoric. Is he avoiding the advocates of Medicare for All because he knows they are right? Because he knows their arguments are fact-based and not easily dismissed? In 2003 he declared himself "a proponent of a single-payer universal healthcare program." In fact he used the issue as an excuse to get people to vote Democratic saying: "first we have to take back the White House, we have to take back the Senate, and we have to take back the House."
The health care reform process has fallen apart. It is politically unpopular. It is practically not feasible. It does not confront the urgent health issues facing America.
The approach Dr. Flowers and Dr. Paris are trying to convey to the president is a win, win, win politically popular especially among doctors and nurses, confronts the critical problems in the American health care crisis and spurs the economy, creates as many jobs as were lost in 2008.
President Obama, there is still time to do the right thing. There is new opportunity with health care in confusion to meet with Dr. Flowers, Dr. Paris and other advocates of Medicare for All and then tell the American public you support the solution the majority of Americans support: Medicare for All. Turn the mess of "insurance reform" into an opportunity for "real" reform.
Kevin Zeese is executive director of Prosperity Agenda (www.ProsperityAgenda.US). He was arrested with the Baucus 8 protesting the exclusion of single payer health care before the Senate Finance Committee.
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