Regarding that government takeover of health care…

"Tea Party Patriots to Storm Senate Offices," was the banner headline on the Tea Party Patriots Web site on Dec. 11.
     
Here are a few of many questions reporters could ask the Patriots who protest what they call "the government takeover of healthcare":

 

Q. "The United States leads all industrialized countries in the share of national health care expenditures devoted to insurance administration," the nonpartisan Commonwealth Fund reported in July. "The U.S. share is over 30 percent greater than Germany's and more than three times that of Japan." Did you know of this? Does it trouble you? Will you protest it to the senators?

 

Q. Just seven health-insurer CEOs were paid more than $100 million in 2007 and nearly $68 million in 2008. Cigna's H. Edward Hanway got $25,839,777 in 2007, and Aetna's Ronald A. Williams got $24,300,112 in 2008. Did you know of such pay packages? Do they strike you as excessive? Will you protest them to the senators?

Q. Aetna is planning to force up to 650,000 clients to drop their coverage next year as it seeks to raise additional revenue to meet profit expectations. Did you know of this? Does it trouble you? Will you protest it to the senators?

Q. An estimated 45,000 Americans die each year for want of treatment of treatable diseases? Does this trouble you? Will you protest it to the senators? How would you have them stop our fellow citizens from dying, in massive numbers, for lack of care?

Q. In 2007, the total per capita spending on health care was $2,671 in Spain, $2,686 in Italy, $2,992 in the United Kingdom, and $3,601 in France. In our country, proposals are pending in Congress to let people in the 55-64 age bracket buy into Medicare. (See the Daily Howler column, about half way down.) The per-person premium – not counting out-of-pocket co-pays – would be $7,600. Does this tell you that our system should not be reformed?

Q. Will you protest the decades-old "government takeover of healthcare" for seniors, aka Medicare? The government takeover of care for the armed forces? For veterans?