Bill Moyers and Wendel Potter - Assignment Example

What is a significant event that led to Potter discussing the health care industry?

Ans. In 2007 Potter went to see a health care expedition in Virginia where he saw that doctors were treating people in tents and there was no privacy. There were long queues in the waiting area. This made him realize that a huge number of people in the USA do not have adequate health insurance.

1. B) And, why didn't Potter recognize his epiphany earlier in his career.

Ans. Potter was an executive and had a luxurious job and lifestyle. Though he knew that many people did not have adequate health care he was never able to attach faces to them. When he saw the huge number of people at the health expedition he first realized this.

3. List several ways in which the health care insurance industry discredited Michael Moore and blunted his film SiCKO.

• By highlighting horror stories of government-run systems
• By mentioning Hollywood on Memos when talking about Micheal Moore because then people would think that nothing in the film was real because Hollywood is all about entertainment.
• By using lobbyists and their staff to stop people from believing and endorsing the movie.

4. Describe the language script that Frank Luntz put into motion, a script challenging National Health Care.

Ans. This memo was written for the opponents of health care reforms. It highlighted the flaws of healthcare under government by using phrases like “delayed care is denied care”, “government takeover”,  “bureaucrats not doctors prescribing medicines.”

5. Why is the public health care option so fiercely opposed by the health care insurance industry? And what has the health care insurance industry done to secure its position?

Ans. Public healthcare is opposed by the health care insurance industry because they do not want to lose market share and compromise their profits. They secure this position by using politicians and making them believe that the insurance industry is the only efficient option. When these politicians advocate the industry, Americans believe them.

6. How has the health care insurance industry highjacked the health care system?

Ans. Healthcare insurance has highjacked the health care system by making people believe that government-run healthcare is inefficient and this industry is the only reliable option for them. This industry is running on a profit basis by shifting more and more costs to the individuals.

7. A) What is the Medical Loss Ratio?

Ans.  This is a measure that shows that how much of the premium per dollar is actually used to pay medical insurance claims. This measure is valuable to investors.

1. B) What does the health care insurance industry do to reduce the Medical Loss Ratio?

Ans.  They sometimes deny medical claims and scrutinize the condition of patients. They only pay for claims when it is actually needed and when it's experimental such as in the case of a liver transplant. Sometimes the industry demands increased premiums because they know that employers will have no other choice but to withdraw the insurance.

1. C) How does the health care insurance industry make money?

Ans.  They make money by diminishing the medical loss Ratio. If claims increase in number they increase premium and sometimes they let go some clients because they don’t want the premium if the medical loss ratio increases.

8. In association with health care, what does Potter suggest regarding the Government Bureaucrat and Corporate Bureaucrat?

Ans.  Potter suggests that corporate bureaucrat’s first concern is his profit, not patients. Hence it is not very different from a government bureaucrat being in between patients and doctors because in the current system too a corporate bureaucrat stands between doctors and patients and makes the decisions.

9. A) According to Potter, what is the number one goal of the health care insurance company?

Ans. Enhancing profit or increasing the shareholder value is the number one goal of the healthcare insurance company.

1. B) Most likely, what would be the number one goal of a National Health Care system or the public option within the health care system?

Ans.  The number one goal of the national health care system would be to spend the premium on healthcare claims. There would not be any unfair advantage and would be more efficient.

1. C) From "A" and "B" above, what does this philosophical difference mean for health care insurance?

Ans.  This means that health care is supposed to be efficiently run. Patients should be the first priority, not profit.

10. Drawing from the definitions of Hegemony provided at the top of this assignment and drawing from the interview, list several ways the health care insurance industry creates hegemony?

• By making people fear government-run healthcare facilities
• By lobbying
• By gaining support from politicians to convince the masses
• By leaving people with no other option but to switch to a plan that can generate the industry heavy profits.