Mass. health plan has national appeal

WASHINGTON - Key players in the debate over how to provide healthcare coverage for the nation's 47 million uninsured say they view Massachusetts' landmark 2006 law as an important model for what Washington could do and how to get it done.

Check out who Senator Kennedy has been talking to:

Some of the people who shaped the Massachusetts law are now contributing to the national debate. Kennedy has hired as a senior adviser John McDonough, the former executive director of the Boston-based advocacy group Health Care For All, an influential advocate for the Massachusetts law during its creation and passage. Kennedy has consulted with Jon Kingsdale, executive director of the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority, the entity responsible for implementing the Massachusetts law and for helping those without coverage shop for insurance. Gruber, the MIT economist, advised former governor Mitt Romney and the Legislature on developing the Massachusetts plan and now serves on the Connector Authority board and works informally with Senate staff and the Obama transition team.

So who is John McDonough? This comment at MyDD indicates that he works for a Blue Cross front group. As for Jon Kingsdale, Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority kind of says it all.

Lets review how the Massachusetts system is failing:
The public hospital crisis
Private health insurance in Mass. not living up to hype

Notice who Kennedy has failed to confer with? Any of the 7 Massachusetts cosponsors of HR 676 including Barney Frank, THE CHAIR OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE. That is some kind of arrogance to hold meetings on health care reform and not even include the chair of finance who also happens to be a member of your delegation.

Notice who also was excluded: Mass Care, the Massachusetts Campaign for Single-Payer Health Care. Not so much as a by-your-leave. That is some kind of arrogance.

Contrary to myth, Kennedy has been in a lot of political hot water over the course of his career, including some very close elections. Who do you think rescued him? Health insurance parasites? Or the members of Mass Care?

Kennedy owes us all MUCH better than this. Shame on him. And shame on the Boston Globe for playing stenographer for a pack of parasites.

note- between the holidays and business obligations, I will not be able to maintain the pace of my single payer blogging. I hope other members of the Corrente community will fill in in my absence