TAPPED: November 2004 Archives
This idea could, of course, be extended to the Green Party or the Working Families Party.
Lifted shamelessly from The American Prospect:
TAPPED: November 2004 Archives:
SO CRAZY IT JUST MIGHT WORK. So here's an idea that came up in conversation with a friend recently. I'm throwing it out to Tapped's many smart and well-informed readers so they can shoot it down and explain why it's stupid or unworkable. The idea: There are tens of millions of Americans who don't have health insurance. There are countless more who do have health insurance, but hate how their HMOs treat them for any number of reasons. The Democrats have spent the last several election cycles proposing to fix these problems -- chiefly by being elected and changing government policy in this or that area. But they haven't gotten back into power, so they don't have much opportunity to affect policy across the board. So why wait? Why doesn't the Democratic Party offer health insurance to its members directly?
Imagine an endeavor under which the official Democratic Party sponsored a non-profit health-insurance corporation, one which offered some form of health insurance to anyone who joined the party -- say, with a $50 'membership fee.' Since I'm not a health care wonk, I don't know how you'd structure such a business, or what all the pitfalls might be, or even if such a thing is possible or desirable. But I can think of some theoretical advantages. The Democrats could put into practice, right away, their ideas for the kind of health insurance they think we all ought to have. They could build their grassroots and deliver tangible benefits to members. Imagine a good HMO, run not for profit and in the public interest, along the lines the Democrats keep telling us all existing HMOs and health care providers should be run.
(Note: The Republicans could do it too, creating health care organizations that work the way they think health care should work. Then people could comparison shop the ideas in practice!)
So that's the idea. Now, dear readers -- especially you wonks out there -- educate this poor benighted reporter, and please tell me why it's a stupid idea.
Email your thoughts to nconfessore-at-gmail.com.
Lifted shamelessly from The American Prospect:
TAPPED: November 2004 Archives:
SO CRAZY IT JUST MIGHT WORK. So here's an idea that came up in conversation with a friend recently. I'm throwing it out to Tapped's many smart and well-informed readers so they can shoot it down and explain why it's stupid or unworkable. The idea: There are tens of millions of Americans who don't have health insurance. There are countless more who do have health insurance, but hate how their HMOs treat them for any number of reasons. The Democrats have spent the last several election cycles proposing to fix these problems -- chiefly by being elected and changing government policy in this or that area. But they haven't gotten back into power, so they don't have much opportunity to affect policy across the board. So why wait? Why doesn't the Democratic Party offer health insurance to its members directly?
Imagine an endeavor under which the official Democratic Party sponsored a non-profit health-insurance corporation, one which offered some form of health insurance to anyone who joined the party -- say, with a $50 'membership fee.' Since I'm not a health care wonk, I don't know how you'd structure such a business, or what all the pitfalls might be, or even if such a thing is possible or desirable. But I can think of some theoretical advantages. The Democrats could put into practice, right away, their ideas for the kind of health insurance they think we all ought to have. They could build their grassroots and deliver tangible benefits to members. Imagine a good HMO, run not for profit and in the public interest, along the lines the Democrats keep telling us all existing HMOs and health care providers should be run.
(Note: The Republicans could do it too, creating health care organizations that work the way they think health care should work. Then people could comparison shop the ideas in practice!)
So that's the idea. Now, dear readers -- especially you wonks out there -- educate this poor benighted reporter, and please tell me why it's a stupid idea.
Email your thoughts to nconfessore-at-gmail.com.
posted by Solomon | 11:39 AM
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