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Oysters for Health Care

Saturday 18 July 2009

by: Bill Moyers and Michael Winship, t r u t h o u t | Perspective

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President Obama with his surgeon general pick, Dr. Regina M. Benjamin, and Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. (Photo: Haraz N. Ghanbari / AP)

    This is a story of health care and two Americans; a tale of two citizens, if you will.

    This week, Regina Benjamin was nominated by President Obama as our next surgeon general, charged with educating Americans on medical issues and overseeing the United States Public Health Service. She was the first African-American woman to head a state medical society, a member of the board of trustees of the American Medical Association and last year was named the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation "genius award."

    But more important, she's a country doctor, a family physician along the Gulf Coast of Alabama, serving the poor and uninsured - white, black and Asian. After Hurricane Katrina destroyed her clinic - the second time a hurricane had done so - she mortgaged her own home to rebuild it. The day it was to reopen, a fire burned the clinic to the ground. Moving to a trailer, Dr. Benjamin and her staff never missed a day of work.

    Stan Wright, the tobacco-chewing mayor of Bayou La Batre, the small shrimp-fishing community in which Dr. Benjamin practices, told National Public Radio, "She'll do whatever she's gotta do to make sure everyone's taken care of."

    Benjamin will no doubt bring that same ethic to the fight for health care reform. When President Obama announced her nomination in a Rose Garden ceremony Monday, Dr. Benjamin said, "These are trying times in the health care field, and as a nation, we have reached a sobering realization. Our health care system simply cannot continue on the path that we're on. Millions of Americans can't afford health insurance or they don't have the basic health services available where they live." Although the clinic has not been able to give Dr. Benjamin a salary for years - Mayor Wright says she's owed over $300,000 - she buys medicine for her patients out of her own pocket.

    In fact, many of the folks in Regina Benjamin's bayou town are so poor that sometimes she's paid with a pint of oysters or a couple of fish. She's fine with that. And she makes house calls.

    Now meet H. Edward Hanway, chairman and CEO of CIGNA, the country's fourth-largest insurance company. At the beginning of the year, CIGNA blamed hard economic times when it announced the layoff of 1,100 employees, but it reported first-quarter profits of $208 million on revenues of nearly $5 billion. Mr. Hanway has announced his retirement at the end of the year, and the living will be easy for him, financially at least. He made $11.4 million in 2008, according to The Associated Press, and some years more than that.

    That's a lot of oysters, although he lags behind Ron Williams, CEO of Aetna Insurance, who made $17.4 million last year, or John Hammergren, the head of McKesson, the biggest health care company in the world. His compensation was $29.7 million.

    Here's the difference. To Dr. Regina Benjamin, health care is a public service, helping people in need with grace and compassion. To Ed Hanway and his highly paid friends, it's big business, a commodity to be sold to those who can afford it. And woe to anyone who gets between them and the profits they reap from sick people.

    That's what Wendell Potter, the former CIGNA executive turned health care reform advocate, told us on last week's edition of "Bill Moyers Journal."

    "Just about every time there has been significant legislation before Congress, the industry has been able to kill it," he said. "Yeah, the status quo works for them. They don't like to have any regulation forced on them or laws forced on them. They don't want to have any competition from the federal government, or any additional regulation from the federal government. They say they will accept it. But the behavior is that they will not."

    As we reported last week, that behavior includes spending nearly a million and a half a day to make sure health care reform comes out their way. Over the years, they've lavished millions on the politicians who are writing and voting on health care reform. Now it's payback time.

    Proposed legislation finally is coming out of House and Senate committees, and Thursday's Los Angeles Times reported "signs that the debate was moving into a more bruising phase in which insurance companies, hospitals and others fight to shape the details of legislative provisions that affect them."

    It's going to get ugly, especially now that some Democrats, according to ABC News, are contemplating new taxes on health insurance and pharmaceutical companies to help pay for reform, perhaps as much as $100 billion worth.

    In other words, no more Mister Nice Guy. Those TV commercials you've been seeing from the health care companies about their generosity and miracles of modern medicine are about to change, as the opposition shifts gears from charm to alarm. It's the war against the Clinton health care plan all over again.

    This time, don't let them scare you. "It should not be this hard for doctors and other health care providers to care for their patients," Dr. Regina Benjamin said when she was nominated this week. "It shouldn't be this expensive for Americans to get health care in this country."

    --------

    Bill Moyers is managing editor and Michael Winship is senior writer of the weekly public affairs program "Bill Moyers Journal," which airs Friday nights on PBS. Check local airtimes or comment at The Moyers Blog at www.pbs.org/moyers. Research provided by producer Gail Ablow and associate producer Julia Conley.

  

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Comments

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"It shouldn't be this

 Sat, 07/18/2009 - 14:21 β€” Anonymous (not verified)
"It shouldn't be this expensive for Americans to get health care in this country." Dr Benjamin should make her first stop the AMA board of trustees, where apparently she is a member.

Too bad Obama didn't have

 Sat, 07/18/2009 - 14:58 β€” micheline (not verified)
Too bad Obama didn't have the spine to insist on single-payer and go for the whole enchilada. But, no. He chose to do everything possible to please the corporate interests. Until the profit motive is taken out, the medical-industrial complex will continue to be the winners in this on-going national shame.

What the Congress and

Sat, 07/18/2009 - 16:20 β€” ken wade (not verified)
What the Congress and President need finally to decide is what is the task of Health Care in America. Is it simply to make a profit or can we finally agree that the purpose of health care is to provide services that insure that we are a healthy and fit nation. (certainly not the case for decades in USA) If it is, as I believe the latter, our nation will prosper with healthy, energetic work force and with a far lighter touch to the now crippling health care bill. Access to complete and high quality health care should not be a privilege reserve for the few but a right of citizenship for all.

In answer to micheline: "Too

 Sat, 07/18/2009 - 16:45 β€” Lindro (not verified)
In answer to micheline: "Too bad Obama didn't have the spine to insist on single-payer and go for the whole enchilada." --Sometimes you can't eat the whole enchilada at the same time. Obama isn't missing a spine but some critics are missing the wisdom of doing this in steps.

When will Americans

 Sat, 07/18/2009 - 16:47 β€” David Brookbank (not verified)
When will Americans understand that this is exactly the reason why people in other places (see Latin America) make revolutions & rework their oligarch and ruling class controlled societies into people's democracies. The operative word there, the word that petrifies our Congress, subordinated as it is to corporations, and their corporate patrons and lobbyists, is "people". But the odds of revolution are few. First, our system will not permit it, with the first line of defense being the artillery of right wing media and then, were it necessary, the type of repression seen in the streets during 2oo8's presidential conventions. Second, if we can't even marshal our will & collective intelligence to go out on the first Tuesday of November once every 4 years and vote for OUR president -- a Nader, a Kucinich, a McKinney -- who is not a corporate-owned politician, then we are obviously incapable of getting to revolution. I say back to the streets. They will understand us when they fear us.

I don't trust the A.M.A.

Sat, 07/18/2009 - 17:09 β€” Clark (not verified)
I don't trust the A.M.A. "Country doctor" or no, the nation's institutions have been overrun with corporate toadies who are more interested in creating policies that benefit their former/future business interests than keeping us healthy. Death to monsanto, a.d.m., etc.

The AMA(or so it seems) has

 Sat, 07/18/2009 - 17:38 β€” Anonymous (not verified)
The AMA(or so it seems) has finally joined the effort for a real public option. Like the other skeptics I too have had my doubts that Obama would do the right thing. I still do! But now things are beginning to loosen up. A single payer option clause for the states is being implemented by Dennis Kucinich in the final congressional bill. There is no reason for this not to pass since it gives states the option of either implementing this plan or not. This is big and several big states like Pennsylvania and California seem to be on board! And a strong public option is the biggest step ever taken to real health care reform. The fact so much support is suddenly seen by congressional leaders and senate leaders indicates that the millions of progressives who support single payer are no longer being ignored. I think this could very well be Obama's ace in the hole if it's genuine. A viable public option will compete with the insurance companies forcing them to lower prices to keep their customers. It would also force them to provide better health care or go out of business. Also let a few big states adopt single payer on their own and see how many other states follow. Just as important, it will make the republicans look as bad as they are for not supporting it and it might very well be the meal ticket for Obama to win a second term. If he doesn't do it, his chances of winning are greatly diminished. I don't think the president is a dummy. That in itself could not be said of the last guy. And this appointment of Regina Benjamin is without a doubt a big step in the right direction. It shows that Obama has a heart and soul, very much unlike his nefarious predecessor.

It is going to be

 Sat, 07/18/2009 - 18:00 β€” Peggy (not verified)
It is going to be interesting to see if Dr. Benjamin is able to convince Pres. Obama to support the only health care reform that makes sense: Single Payer Universal Healthcare.

Mr. Moyers has the pieces of

 Sat, 07/18/2009 - 18:01 β€” WCH (not verified)
Mr. Moyers has the pieces of the puzzle, but hasn't yet put it together. ONE of the key ingredients (The solution to complex problems is usually over simplified.) is the return of financial decision making to the patient. That alone will drop the cost of healthcare like a rock. A SECOND ingredient is to realign the healthcare insurance industry along the lines of auto insurance. That is, the isuror must deal directly with the insured rather than concoct an array of choices through their employer. THIRDLY, the medical suppliers, mostly pharmaceutical companies, must be ripped loose from their iron grip on the FDA and Congress. An honestly level playing field will drop the cost of medications by multiples overnight. I could go on, but you get the idea.

It's the people that have to

 Sat, 07/18/2009 - 18:06 β€” Anonymous (not verified)
It's the people that have to rise up to the occasion here and now. Write letters to the papers in your area, call your representatives, sign petitions and get on the streets and fight for this. Someone suggested single-payer, we are getting enough of a fight over public-option, just think how much more of a ruckus there would be if President Obama had tried for that.

Obama seems to have gone

 Sat, 07/18/2009 - 18:23 β€” Anonymous (not verified)
Obama seems to have gone from 'Hopeful Leader' to the 'Sad Measure of just how Corporate Owned America really is..'... Its looking 'LOCK STOCK AND BARREL' to me... How about you..?... GLOBAL CORPORATIONS OWN, OPERATE and BLATANTLY, IN OUR FACE, EXPLOIT US. They have transformed WE THE PEOPLE into 'THE AMERICAN CONSUMER. and The Federal Government into the Board of Directors for Corporate Facilitation--- just like that..!.. Can't you see..? And, Because just a few GLOBAL Corporations OWN, OPERATE and EXPLOIT ALMOST ALL MEDIA IN AMERICA INC.., They can make you believe anything they want... Not only that you need to BUY EVERYTHING.., but They can even make you believe that they are your Paradise-Makers, and our Economic and Personal Financial Saviors and that you had better not Regulate them, Tax Them or Mess with them in any way shape or form to your Financial, Economic Peril even as THEY HAVE DONE WHAT THEY HAVE DONE TO THE ENTIRE WORLD... And as they still Demand to still have free reign. They have made too many Americans believe that WE are better off with a Crumbling Infrastructure, Crappy or no Healthcare, Less Education, Less Quality Controls and Oversight, Less Environmental Health, Greater Oil Dependancy, Less Social Security, LESS and LESS and LESS because- somehow if WE give them more, We will have LESS and that's a good deal...??? !!...???..!!..???..!!

We call it "Health Care" not

 Sat, 07/18/2009 - 19:03 β€” Baruch (not verified)
We call it "Health Care" not "Health Profit" NOWHERE in the definition of the word "care" is profit mentioned. Clearly health care should not be a for profit industry. Those who are profiting, like H. Edward Hanway, chairman and CEO of CIGNA, are greedy disconnected uncaring people. NO ONE needs to take in to their personal finances $11.4 million in a year. That is blood money. Care: noun 1 the provision of what is necessary for the health, welfare, maintenance, and protection of someone or something : the care of the elderly | the child is safe in the care of her grandparents | health care. 2 serious attention or consideration applied to doing something correctly or to avoid damage or risk : verb [ intrans. ] 1 [often with negative ] feel concern or interest; attach importance to something : they don't care about human life | [with clause ] I don't care what she says. β€’ feel affection or liking : you care very deeply for him. β€’ ( care for something/care to do something) like or be willing to do or have something : would you care for some tea? | I don't care to listen to him. 2 ( care for) look after and provide for the needs of : he has numerous animals to care for.

Very encouraging

 Sat, 07/18/2009 - 19:17 β€” stephen R. Keister M.D. (not verified)
Very encouraging development. We surely need The President to take the lead in the "health care" debate, and the solution come out of the White House rather than being assigned to the ditherings of a lobbiest controlled congress. We need more input from professionals such as Physicians For A National Health Program, and California Nurses Association rather than the insurance cartels, Pharma, and the U.S. Chamber of commerce. We need, as well, in looking at costs, pressure to do away with Medicare Advantage Plans, and the squandering of Medicare funds inplicit in Medicare part D. Finally, we need a White House conference, where the true costs of 'end of life care' is evaluated by a panel of Hospice workers, medical athicists, geriatricians, a Jesuit theologin and a Reformed Rabbi. This is a fundamental issue of cost which no one has the courage to face, as the political implications are enormous.

In the run-up to the latest

 Sat, 07/18/2009 - 20:02 β€” anyfreeman (not verified)
In the run-up to the latest ladling of corporate benefits, perhaps the solace we might derive is that the insurance companies may be pushed to the rear of the line - behind the pharmaceuticals and hospitals. That may be the best we can hope for, as big pharma and big hospitals at least deliver some services and products. Big Insurance has not had the last at-bat in this game, and there's lots of innings left. Obama blew his opportunity - and also decided to play the scold at the NAACP conference, telling the attendees, and the larger audience that it's all on y'all now.

When will Americans

 Sat, 07/18/2009 - 21:50 β€” David Brookbank (not verified)
When will Americans understand that this perpetual ruling class stone walling on something as fundamental as health for all people is exactly the reason why people in other places (see, for example, Latin America) make revolutions & rework their oligarch and ruling class controlled societies into people's democracies. The operative word there -- the word that petrifies our Congress subordinated as it is to corporations and their corporate patrons and lobbyists -- is "people". But the odds of revolution are few. First, our system will not permit it, with the first line of defense being the artillery of right wing media and then, were it necessary, the type of repression seen in the streets during 2oo8's presidential conventions. Second, if we can't even marshal our will & collective intelligence to go out on the first Tuesday of November once every 4 years and vote for THE PEOPLE'S president -- a Nader, a Kucinich, a McKinney -- who is not a corporate-owned politician, then we are obviously incapable of getting to revolution. I say back to the streets. They will understand us when they fear us.

My only regret with this

 Sat, 07/18/2009 - 22:12 β€” Anonymous (not verified)
My only regret with this appointment is that it removes one more concerned, dedicated general practitioner. But perhaps Dr. Benjamin will find a ways to encourage more GPs rather than highly-paid specialists who choose their specialties based on the need to repay their huge med school debts.

THe best outcome would be ,

 Sat, 07/18/2009 - 22:32 β€” Sallyport (not verified)
THe best outcome would be , by whatever means it took, for the insurance companies to find that their prices were being forced down so far that their profit margin fell below what they have become accustomed to expect. There was a time when a return of 4 to 6% on investment was considered quite acceptable. Not so for the past couple of decades: investors flee from those places that can't offer between 10 & 20%! The bubble years simply increased their greed. It must be painful to be so consumed by greed.

David Brookbank's last line

 Sat, 07/18/2009 - 23:08 β€” Robert the Cynic (not verified)
David Brookbank's last line says it all! Until the oligarchs AND the Congress/Senate prostitutes truly fear "we, the people," nothing much is going to change. Oh, there'll be cosmetic changes, as in lipstick on a pig, but nothing substantive. Someone else on this thread noted the necessity for removing "profit" as the engine of the (non)system -- an observation that is absolutely right on. That means removing the for-profit health insurance corporations (which contribute huge negatives to health CARE, but nothing positive) from the equation, and installing a studded collar and short leash on Big PharMA companies. People have to realize that the FDA branch responsible for approving drugs is largely a captive of the industry, and does whatever PharMA wants. Thus, that group also needs to come to fear "we, the people," along with the legislative branch of government. Will that require a revolution in the streets? Probably. Is that likely to happen? I doubt it, but one can hope.

Poison me for FREE - I

 Sun, 07/19/2009 - 01:57 β€” NIH Epidemiologist's Son (not verified)
Poison me for FREE - I demand my rights!!!! This debate on how much and who pays is the wrong debate. The majority of the treatments themselves are corrupted by bad science due to the massive conflicts of interest that have ruined medical research. Take one small example - Dermatologists have harped on us for decades to use sunblock and avoid mid day sun totally, which has led to nearly universal vitamin D deficiency and the associated increase in cancers of all kinds, hypertension, diabetes and reduced immunity to infections, such as flu. Instead of counseling Americans to take vitamin D to compensate for this deficiency, which would eliminate at least one third of our healthcare expense within a few years, we use a bunch of very toxic drugs that don't work to treat all of those conditions. Who suffers the most from this oversight of the well documented science regarding vitamin D? It is the dark skinned people of our Northern country, who have suffered higher incidences of all of these conditions for so many years because their doctors don't even have this basic information - it is not taught in medical schools here, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. The FDA is corrupt and approves horrible drugs when nutritional therapies work far better and without toxicity. We will know if this appointee is the real deal if she recommends that Naturopathic Medicine and other modalities are covered by a new health plan and the conflicts of interest at the FDA are routed out. Note that Obama received huge donations from Big Pharma.

Universal health care will

 Sun, 07/19/2009 - 03:38 β€” Rex Ozone (not verified)
Universal health care will indicate that the US is on the road to being for "We the people." The blue dog democrats may as well be Republicans whose primary concerns are uber-lords of corporate entities that will always sacrifice blood for money and power. "Foreign" countries realize their dependence upon their citizenry and afford them consideration rather than marketing ploys.

Poison me for FREE - I

 Sun, 07/19/2009 - 03:41 β€” NIH Epidemiologist's Son (not verified)
Poison me for FREE - I demand my rights!!!! This debate on how much and who pays is the wrong debate. The majority of the treatments themselves are corrupted by bad science due to the massive conflicts of interest that have ruined medical research. Take one small example - Dermatologists have harped on us for decades to use sunblock and avoid mid day sun totally, which has led to nearly universal vitamin D deficiency and the associated increase in cancers of all kinds, hypertension, diabetes and reduced immunity to infections, such as flu. Instead of counseling Americans to take vitamin D to compensate for this deficiency, which would eliminate at least one third of our healthcare expense within a few years, we use a bunch of very toxic drugs that don't work to treat all of those conditions. Who suffers the most from this oversight of the well documented science regarding vitamin D? It is the dark skinned people of our Northern country, who have suffered higher incidences of all of these conditions for so many years because their doctors don't even have this basic information - it is not taught in medical schools here, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. The FDA is corrupt and approves horrible drugs when nutritional therapies work far better and without toxicity. We will know if this appointee is the real deal if she recommends that Naturopathic Medicine and other modalities are covered by a new health plan and the conflicts of interest at the FDA are routed out. Note that Obama received huge donations from Big Pharma.

If a thief breaks into your

 Sun, 07/19/2009 - 03:46 β€” Anonymous (not verified)
If a thief breaks into your house and steals from you and you do nothing, he is lightly to keep returning. As informed Americans we know who the thieves are by name. This health care debate is another example. The challenge it poses is whether the WE THE PEOPLE will take to the streets in PROTEST and make demands, or will we allow the thieves continuing entry. My fear is that the thieves will have their way.

Ah, "poison me for free,"

 Sun, 07/19/2009 - 05:06 β€” Anonymous (not verified)
Ah, "poison me for free," ask your father about vitamin "D" pills that are sold in the drug store. As a person who grew up in the era before sunscreens, I can attest that I have to see my dermatologist every six months to have pre-cancer spots removed and I've had 7 basal cancers surgically removed. I would rather take the vitamin "D" than deal with a dermatologist on a regular basis..

What needs to happen is a

 Sun, 07/19/2009 - 23:19 β€” vaughn (not verified)
What needs to happen is a very well organized boycott of private health insurance and employer supplied healt insurance. It must be organized so that a large enough segment of the currently insured will participate. If the unions join in the health insurance companies would be bankrupt within a year. Once it started and insurance company revenue begins to shrink the stock holders would abandon them rather quickly. Do the American people have the guts to sacrafice for thier childrens' future.

Wow, great. Obama appoints

 Sun, 07/19/2009 - 23:55 β€” Anonymous (not verified)
Wow, great. Obama appoints another person who will be allowed to give speeches, stand for photo opps, wear a nice uniform - but in general, get nothing done and not get in the way of big pharma or big medical insurance companies. She'll prance around Washington, make "fact finding" trips around the globe, talk about the poor little babies in the US who die of lack of health care. In 3 1/2 years when Obama is out of office another person just like her will take her place, and again, nothing will get done.

If you want to make a

 Mon, 07/20/2009 - 04:03 β€” IleanaDU (not verified)
If you want to make a difference, call your Senators and member of Congress and have your friends call and write too. The only way to make a difference against the money now being employed against any meaningful health care reform is to let the politician's know there will be a political cost if they listen to the big business interests. Single payer is not politically feasible because these business interests would not let it happen. Still, it may do some good to scare the heck out of them if they realize the populace is overwhelmingly in favor of it. It may also help to remind the politician's that meaningful reform with a public option is a compromise and not a starting point for negotiation.

I can't wait until health

 Mon, 07/20/2009 - 04:19 β€” Anonymous (not verified)
I can't wait until health insurance is like auto insurance. If I caught influenza from work or school I'd expect work/school/someone else to be liable for the expenses I'd incur and their insurance policy would need to provide adequate coverage. If my car is banged up by someone else, then they are responsible for the damages. If my body is banged up by someone else, then they too should be responsible. Of course health insurance like this wouldn't be manageable, but this scenario does highlight one of the biggest problems with "insurance" and liability issues surrounding healthcare. If victims can file a lawsuit against polluting industries then precedents have already been established. Maybe lawyers will have a great opportunities to keep them in work!

This is a plutocracy; they

 Mon, 07/20/2009 - 14:55 β€” Mike (not verified)
This is a plutocracy; they use their media to convince us it's a democracy. What's the dead giveway on that? Most Americans want nationalized health care. But the people who are making $2,000,000,000,000 per year don't. You can see who's been winning all along. Was it Will Rogers who told us we have the best government money can buy? But, even our knowledge of that works for the buyers. We think nothing can be done, and go back to watching American Idol.

Regarding vitamin D (comment

 Tue, 07/21/2009 - 00:48 β€” NIH Epidemiologist's Son (not verified)
Regarding vitamin D (comment from anonymous) indeed supplemental vitamin D3 avoids the risk of basal cell carcinoma from sunburn. Another excellent idea is to limit sun exposure so as to always avoid burning - which is probably why you got skin cancer, right? Did your dermatologist counsel you to take vitamin D after he instructed you to never go out in the sun again? Did you know that D deficiency causes MELANOMA? People who work in offices get Melanoma a lot, those who work outdoors get basal cell carcinoma a lot and don't get melanoma as much. The other killer cancers are also associated with vitamin D deficiency - prostate, breast, colon, lung, lymphoma, pancreatic and Melanoma.

Congressman John Fleming

 Wed, 07/22/2009 - 20:12 β€” Anonymous (not verified)
Congressman John Fleming (Louisiana physician) has proposed an amendment that would require congressmen and senators to take the same healthcare plan they force on us (under proposed legislation they are curiously exempt). Congressman Fleming is encouraging people to go on his Website and sign his petition (very simple - just first, last and email). I have immediately done just that at: http://fleming.house.gov/ .. If Congress forces this on the American people, the Congressmen should have to accept the same level of health care for themselves and their families.

Single payer (the whole

 Thu, 07/23/2009 - 16:51 β€” Clare (not verified)
Single payer (the whole enchilada) doesn't have to start a whole string of new lawsuits. It isn't as if there aren't any models to follow. Nations with single payer include Japan, Australia, Canada, Spain, and of course all the Scandinavian countries. Let's look at these systems and learn from them! By the way, here is a good article on Why Obama's Public Option is Defective, and Why We Need Single Payer: http://www.pnhp.org/news/2009/july/why_obamas_public_o.php