Hancock's Call For Health Care Reform

By Lynn Davidson, Letter to the Editor

It was clear from the public comments at this event that a universal single-payer health care system is what most of us want and need. So, it is depressing to hear from our state?s legislative leaders that ?I don?t know how much we will be able to get done? about moving towards such a system (Perata) because there are so many ?difficulties and political realities to be overcome? (Nunez).

Let us be absolutely clear about exactly what these political realities are. They have nothing to do with ?lack of political will? among ordinary Californians, who realize that insurance companies do not deliver health care and in fact prevent people from getting health care and drive up the costs. They have everything to do with lack of political will among our elected officials, who continue to depend on the generous donations of insurance companies to finance their election campaigns. The political realities really are that simple.

It is difficult to imagine getting an affordable, universal health care system until we can offer an alternative to the financial lifeline between the insurance industry and our elected officials. Assemblywoman Hancock?s Clean Money bill?AB 583?being re-introduced this year, provides an alternative to these ?political realities? bemoaned by those who find themselves unable to disassociate themselves from the interests of the insurance lobby.

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