CNA/NNOC on PBS Bill Moyers Journal

[RN Power Ohio]

Watch this piece that aired Friday night about CNA/NNOC's battle for Guaranteed Healthcare for All and Safe Staffing...

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/05092008/watch.html

May 9, 2008

BILL MOYERS:We turn now to health care. You don't need me to tell you that 47 million Americans are uninsured, and it's not news to you that medical costs are increasing faster than the rate of inflation, or that more Americans than ever are afraid a single major illness could bankrupt them. It's little wonder that when the Gallup poll asked people on the eve of this election year to name the most important thing that can be done to cope with health care, 63% mentioned universal coverage-more than any other fix. Critics were quick to cry "Socialism! Socialism!", and even before Senator Hillary Clinton unveiled her healthcare plan, they attacked it, too, as "socialized medicine." It took the McClatchy News Service, which some of us consider the finest news organization still on its feet, to reach back into history for some context on this debate. McClatchy's Kevin G. Hall reminded us that Senator Clinton's "socialistic" plan bears a striking resemblance to changes proposed in 1974 by President Richard Nixon, who was, some will remember, a Republican. Here's what Nixon said in his final State of the Union address:

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Thanks for posting---great piece.

[bigreddog1934]

long long long overdue

[mdfog10]

You have to believe that change is possible and that NURSES can lead the way!!! When the people lead, the leaders follow........:redbeathe:redbeathe:redbeathe

[parson_john_RN]

Does anyone even watch or pay attention to Moyers?

[Nancy2]

Good opportunity for a response from good nurses:

"nurses know they earn less and patients suffer when bureacrats run hospitals." Only a left wing trade union run by a non nurse and ex teamster would propose to saddle American families with a health care model that leaves nurses underpaid (and fleeing their countries to come work in ours!") and patients waiting in lines for months for services most Americans walk in and schedule a week ahead of time, and claim that's progress.

How many foreign nurses come here from socialized government run health care systems like CNA advocates? Tens of thousands every

year.

Now, how many nurses leave America to work abroad in such systems? Do you know anyone - we don't!

As Ronald Reagan said "if communism is so good, why to they have to build walls to keep people in?"

He spotted what left wing trade unionists' like Markowitz missed: people vote with their feet. Our system has flaws, but people come from all over the world to get care in the US. They leave socialized ("single payer") systems for our care, and nurses leave those countries to work here. Why? Because our system works worse than theirs? Or because it works better?

If the unionized bureaucrats take over health care they'll run it like... Well, like UMC in Las Vegas and RFK in LA - government run hospitals with unionized public employees where wages are lower than non union private hospitals down the road, and care is so bad at RFK patients jump off stretchers and run away, while the hospitals bleed millions of tax payer dollars in red ink every year.

If the union wanted to fix healthcare, they would address junk lawsuits that cost every patient, doctor and nurse money every year by taking dollars that could be spent bedside and diverting it to trial lawyers. The union opposes tort reform, which benefits no one but rich trial lawyers, who can already afford the health care "paw paw" can't. That costs hospitals and doctors more and more in insurance costs every year - costs that come right out of our pockets if we pay for medication, office visits or insurance.

Who pays the costs of junk lawsuits? You do. Every time you buy medicine or medical supplies, and every time you pay an insurance premium which went up because of last years' junk lawsuits.

When the union can point to costs that it helps hold down on the hospital, then it has standing to complain about healthcare costs. When they suggest one work rule that costs the hospital less and not more and improves productivity rather than just requiring more people longer to do the same job, then they may be more credible. Until then, let's call it like it is: NNOC is the radical left wing CNA trade unions' Trojan horse to socialize our healthcare system so it gets more members and more dues - not a voice for "reform." Change is fine as long as its an improvement - socialized, unionized, bureacratized healthcare is change no one can afford- including "paw paw."

[BradleyRN]

Every industrialized country in the world has socialized medicine except us. Why? The reason is simple. We put profit before life. We are willing to just let the poor sit there and die. After all, we dont have to see it happening. We are busy watching our flatscreen TV in the cool air conditioning. Well, i for one am glad to see it catching up to the middle class as well. When hospitals start taking their homes because they couldnt pay their medical bills, maybe then their brainwashed attitudes will change. There are 50 million people without medical insurance, not because they are irresponsible, but because they cant afford it. Then the people with insurance are constantly denied coverage for treatments and wind up dying as well.

25% of this country still supports Bush. If you are in that 25% then you will not approve of the CNA, as you have probably been brainwashed since you were a child. It is a good thing the rest are waking up though. We may still have a chance yet.

[Mijourney]

I love a good debate especially when I know there are three sides to every story.