The opportunity to create a better, more affordable health care system is a dream come true for many Americans. However, I am dismayed by the travesty the Senate has created. Letting politicians trade items on the bill like cards has resulted in the largest potential windfall for insurance companies ever. A strong public option, or at least the revocation of anti-trust laws sheltering the insurance industry from dissolution of their monopolies, is imperative. If the final bill cannot leave Americans with affordable choices (20 percent of one’s income is not affordable) it would be senseless to move forward. Furthermore, women’s reproductive rights should not be a bargaining chip.
This article appears in Dec 31, 2009 – Jan 7, 2010.
