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MoveOn turns to healthcare

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor March 11, 2009 12:58 PM


MoveOn.org is moving on from the Iraq war to healthcare.

The powerful grassroots group, which was a key early supporter of Barack Obama, got its start in 1998 when it pushed for a censure of President Clinton and end to impeachment proceedings over the Monica Lewinsky scandal, and made a name with its vehement opposition to the Iraq war.

But now that Obama is president and has announced a withdrawal plan from Iraq, the group is expanding into other legislative priorities.

Starting Thursday, MSNBC reports, it plans to run a national cable TV ad on Obama's healthcare overhaul plan.

The spot takes on insurance companies, which MoveOn says will oppose a public insurance plan because it would cost them money. Obama has not committed to such an option, though it is under consideration in Congress.

"You know what the insurance companies see when they look at you?" the announcer asks. "Money -- which is why they're against the president's healthcare reform."

"Don't let the insurance companies get away with it," the announcer says, urging viewers to call their members of Congress to "put people before profits."

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Show me the MONEY, show me the MONEY.

Posted by Macdaddy March 11, 09 02:28 PM
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Insurance companies have no product...they are simply cost centers, and employ vast numbers of people to shuffle papers...sort of white collar welfare...while they do provide employment, the money would be better spent on health care delivery or education...the public benefits from both of these, whereas insurance companies are profit centers for shareholders and / or executives who oversee the useless paper trail.

Posted by judith stone March 11, 09 03:05 PM
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Why is MoveOn moving away from the war front? Do they not want our troopps out of Afganistan? I guess since Obama is actually sending more troops to Afghanistan MoveOn is fine with that.

Posted by Tony March 11, 09 03:29 PM
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People in this country should be able to receive affordable healthcare and that is not so at the moment''''''

Posted by jean willdigg March 11, 09 03:29 PM
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Didn't MoveOn get its start opposing Clinton's impeachment?

Posted by Steve592 March 11, 09 03:48 PM
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MoveOn is living in a fantasy land. They want health care for everyone, without a bill. The same mantra that got us into this mess, "something for nothing." Good health care requires innovation and research, both of which cannot be had without companies driving them forward. Companies run on profit.

Posted by Jay Lay March 11, 09 04:03 PM
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Moveon got it's start defending Bill Clinton. Geeze, is that so hard?

Posted by sean March 11, 09 04:05 PM
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MoveOn - who is major funding source for MoveOn? Is that the same George Soros? I'll be he made plenty on the oil spike and subsequent market crash, now he wants to influence health care initiatives, I wish I could figure out what he's betting on, padding his pocket while the public does his dirty work. Can't wait to see the bumper sticks sponsored by MoveOn for this one. Greedy, health care providers, his next Bush.

Posted by Ray Ozyjowski March 11, 09 04:12 PM
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Organizations like this do more harm than good. They bully, not inform.

Posted by Cincinnatus March 11, 09 05:12 PM
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Personally, I just want what people in other countries have.

Posted by JonathanSwift March 11, 09 05:29 PM
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Move On most certainly DID NOT get its start in vehement opposition to the Iraq war. How recorded history is bastardized by unthoughtful string reporters.

The organization was put together to as a defiance of the impeachment proceedings against Bill Clinton. In fact that's why it's called "Move On."

Posted by mike March 11, 09 05:40 PM
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The denial mechanisms of health insurors require a lot of labor and the response of medical providers to these frequently irrational denials also requires intense labor. Resources are wasted on what is essentially an unproductive excercise. BlueCross, Tufts and HPHC,Medicaid, Medicare are all guilty of silly bureaucratic denials. These denials are reviewed, more money spent, and frequently reversed.Health insurors reward big institutions with much higher rates and nickle and dime community physicians with 20-25% lower reimbursement for the same services. They are squeezing community physicians because they can. Insurors frequently hansdsomely reward and thus incentivize procedures in contrast to cognitive providers who usually save the system money. Just a few reasons why the insurance companies are a good place to start in controlling costs and revising the health care system. Keep it up MoveOn.

Posted by Blud 57 March 11, 09 05:59 PM
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Womb to tomb care is all they seek. They have a dangerous agenda. If this group is not contested, by any means necessary, we will all soon be reporting to the WH.

Posted by K) March 11, 09 06:02 PM
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I'm not quite sure people understand just how the HC system works. Medicare and Medicaid pay providers, on average, 25-50% less than commercial payors. Commercial payors subsidize goverment programs which are grossly inadequate with respect to reimbursement. Thus, if we have a gov't sponsored plan, or a one payor system, a significant mix shift would ensue for providers (hospitals, manufacturers, nursing homes, hospice, LTACHS, post-acute, etc), which would potentially bankrupt our existing HC infrastructure. Case in point: the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, which tweaked government reimbursement downward, only slightly, and nearly bankrupt the US HC provider system. Can we improve our HC system? Certainly, but be careful what you wish for: the law of unintended consequences can be a very dangerous element; it is the reason why HC reform is not a single idea.

Posted by Irwin Lancaster March 11, 09 06:33 PM
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I do not care about Move.on and the only ones that do are the ones who oppose them,
Healthcare Insurance is one area where the federal government has done a better job than private industry. Republicans don't bother to examine who spends more on administration but it is the private sector by more than 2:1. Media has done an excellent job of hiding that.

Posted by Ron M March 11, 09 08:14 PM
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