The Fight For Health Reform

Today begins the AHIP (Association of Health Insurance Plans) conference in San Francisco, and Hillary Clinton's lead shill Terry McAuliffe will be addressing the crowd. The health insurance industry is the single largest force blocking meaningful reform in the United States, and for any Democrat to treat them as a partner and an ally - and to take money from them in speaking fees - is unacceptable. McAuliffe, of course, is part of the establishment crowd who is very cozy with corporate interests and dismissive of conflicts with the values and principles they don't seem to have. David Broder makes a mint on corporate speaking deals even though he covers a lot of the corporations that pay him. They don't see a problem with this - it's how things are done in Washington. Which is why the rest of us see no progress on the issues that affect us.

The Courage Campaign (I've done a little work for them but am not an employee) has highlighted this disconnect and is rallying in San Francisco today.

I was quite surprised when I learned that Terry McAuliffe was going to appear at a major convention of health insurance corporations in San Francisco on June 19.

After all, how could the former Chair of the Democratic National Committee show up as a guest of health insurance executives -- much less accept any money for his appearance at the AHIP (America's Health Insurance Plans) convention? This appearance seems inappropriate at best, especially after Barack Obama and Howard Dean courageously directed the Democratic National Committee last week to reject contributions from lobbyists, including the health insurance industry.

And now it's personal. My sister, who suffers from severe and rapidly deteriorating hearing loss, just told me that she has been denied useful health care coverage. Again. Why? Because her hearing problems have been diagnosed as a "pre-existing condition," precluding her from receiving cochlear implants so she can hear again.

The last I checked, being able to hear is not "optional" medical care. Unfortunately, my sister is one of over 100 million Americans who either have no health insurance coverage or are underinsured. My entire family worries about her, but the system is designed by these health insurance executives to keep her out -- not to help her.

Health care is a human right. The middlemen have a fiduciary obligation to their shareholders to deny that. Politicians and insiders like Terry McAuliffe get paid off by these middlemen to legitimize it.

The coalition is building to end this perversion. In California we're going to end rescission and ban junk insurance. It's a game of inches, but we're putting an end to the stranglehold groups like AHIP have over public policy.