Just One More Time

.

David S. Hilzenrath

Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 24, 2009; 1:01 PM

• Health insurers have forced consumers to pay billions of dollars in medical bills that the insurers themselves should have paid, according to a report released today by the staff of the Senate Commerce Committee.

And yet, these very health insurance companies are the same ones who claim we should trust them once again to have our best interests at heart. Sure. And a toad is tall.

Just read the opening statement of Wendell Potter, a former executive at Cigna, as made before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on Wednesday, 24 June 2009.

Those insurance executives must think we are really dumb.

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." Are we going to be twice a fool?

Hold the Congress's feet to the fire. Urge Congress to go all the way: A single-payer system. Otherwise, Congress members must be willing to trade their government-run health insurance for private coverage.

If the health insurance companies don't want to "play nice," send them home -- with nothing. Because as Michael Moore showed us in "Sicko," none of us really have health insurance - we have the illusion of health insurance.

Did you read not the article about the Senate report? -- BILLIONS --.

Looks to me like that should about cover any cost for this plan. Especially if you add in the salaries of the CEO's -- the top 10 companies paid CEO's close to a billion in compensation in 2008.

A single-payer system. Medicare for All.
.