Posts Tagged ‘human right’

I want to write an original post for the Women’s Day of Action on Health Care Reform, but I have to work on my book and get ready for tonight’s Body Politic program at The Tank (hope to see you there–doesn’t last night’s election news tell you we need to redouble our work? President Obama, are you paying attention? You need to get out there and make the change we said we needed, not allow yourself to get coopted by big insurance, big pharma, and big financial dudes–but that’s another post I want to write and don’t have time to do today).
Special thanks therefore to Lucinda Marshall over at Feminist Peace Network for allowing me to share this excellent post, to which I can only say “what she said.”

Health insurance provider Humana’s recent announcement of a 65% increase in their 3rd quarter earnings really got my attention because last week I participated in a health care reform rally at their corporate headquarters in Louisville, KY. After an outdoor gathering attended by 150 or so people, many of those gathered walked peacefully into the Humana building to stage a sit-in. One local newscaster breathlessly proclaimed that we had “stormed” the building, even though their own footage showed that clearly didn’t happen. They then gave a Humana spokesman a fair and balanced opportunity to tell viewers that Humana agreed with the protesters that there should be health care reform.

Oh really? Nothing says your definition of “reform” is slightly suspect like a 65% increase in profits while increasing premiums in double digit amounts and denying coverage for reasons that defy human understanding.

And that is truly the crux of it. Despite months of cynical political maneuvering in Washington, there really is nothing to debate about health care. Health care is not a commodity, it is a human right. What is being debated now is whether we will allow our health to continue to be commodified to satisfy corporate greed. And the answer to that absolutely must be NO.