PBS sabotages single payer

While Howard Dean draws "a line in the sand" and asks the public to pressure Congress to include a Medicare-for-all option in health care reform legislation, PBS --the "Corporation" for Public Broadcasting-- used Frontline to suggest that for-profit private health insurance companies were fully capable of handling the demand for universal health care.

If that sounds fishy, well, it is.  T.R. Reid, the writer of the Frontline documentary, "Sick Around America", had argued the opposite --"don't let health insurance companies profit from selling basic health insurance."

Unfortunately, Reid's bottom line recommendation was edited out of the final product.  He refused therefore to appear on camera, and says he will not work for Frontline again.

" 'We disagreed, and we parted ways,' Reid says."

The Los Angeles Times called the show "hazy", saying that it offered "...little in the way of solutions, or even hope."  And Physicians for a National Health Program wrote a letter to Frontline decrying its failure to "address a single payer option." 

Now you know why. 

Just last week, Thom Hartmann voiced similar opinions to Reid, arguing let private for-profit insurance companies offer "boob jobs" and guaranteed "private rooms" in hospitals. Just don't allow them to profit from basic health care.

As the legislative debate over health care heats up, we'll have to wait to see what happens.  But with the insurance companies at the table, I fear it's unlikely that single payer will be given serious consideration. 

Comments

[Harry Kershner]

As a single-payer advocate for many years, I also was enraged by this program. But let's be honest: the Obama Administration is the single most important obstacle to a sane economy (including health care policy) or a sane foreign policy.

David Sirota says, "We, the Democratic coalition, are the ones who have the overwhelming power to change things, or not change things, and barely a day goes by where we don't see evidence of Democrats - not Republicans - standing in the way of change...Spending most of our time bashing Republicans and not pressuring Democrats is a politically stupid waste of time." (Why Progressives Must Push Democrats, Not Just Bash Republicans)

[Terry]

Well, Harry, I do my part in pressuring Democrats.

[Harry Kershner]

Yes, you do, Terry. Keep it up, brother.

FAIR also provided a venue for protesting PBS's ignominious support for corporatism (Frontline Distorts Global Healthcare Options).

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