Kaiser Permanente Universal Health Care Proposals

Kaiser Permanente's Universal Health Plan is a lemon project

Kaiser learned very early on that the only stable way to make "big" money was to have large government contracts. Governments generally do not go out of business nor file bankruptcy. They seldom stop payment for poor performance and the most that ever happens to a contractee that knows how to cover his behind with well funded "constructive lobbying" is that he will get a fine. Never does he have to actually pay back all the money owed to the government.

The Kaiser corporations has been marketing to government it's proposals for Universal Health Care programs, which it has wanted to operate, manage and regulate since the end of World War II. There was a good reason that President Truman first refused to get involved with the Kaiser companies. Just as there was a good reason for President Truman to not want Henry Kaiser running for office along side him as had initially been proposed by his advisers. Kaiser had marketed himself very well to the media and had done so since the Hoover Administration. The press was in his pocket just as it is today and he became a "bigger" than life hero - Just as Paris Hilton has paid publicists to get her name and antics in the press nearly every day of the week. Same process - Same old story.

Kaiser and the for profit Permanente have placed online at their KP News Center a brag article about the number of attempts to land the biggest government contract of all at:
http://xnet.kp.org/newscenter/leadership/hctimeline.html

We think that they should indeed take credit for all the horrible medical fiascoes and financial bilking of the people's medical funding programs that have been created, as they say, at their insistence to our government since the Eisenhower years.

This section of The Kaiser Papers is intended to clearly present the facts and ignore the Paris Hilton publicity posturing.

Here is a line up of the programs Kaiser claims they originated over the years.

1946 - Proposed National Health Program for the Truman Administration
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/anniversaries/healthprogram.htm
No mention of Kaiser in the above article nor in any of the other literature at the Truman Library related to national health care. Kaiser did advise on this issue though. Truman did turn down Henry Kaiser as a vice president running companion due to a speech Kaiser did write which exposed the open Kaiser principles of raise taxes. Secure government contracts is how Kaiser has operated and maintained themselves since the company began as a rural road builder under Federal contract. Kaiser covets government contracts because they pay well, the government seldom goes out of business and it is a pretty sure deal once you are in.

1950's - 1960's - Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan - under the Eisenhower Administration
Eisenhower Library doesn't seem to have any information on Kaiser doing anything other than trying to promote themselves.
Here is an informative website that covers this very topic and one that Kaiser claims they are responsible for. Please read:
http://hometown.aol.com/kstbylite1/myhomepage/business.html
T18CFR371 Selective Law Enforcement
http://hometown.aol.com/kstbylite1/myhomepage/politics.html

1 970's - The HMO Act - Under the Nixon Administration - Also See Michael Moore's SICKO

1990's - Proposed Universal Health Plan - source revealed under the Clinton Administration via lawsuit.
http://www.aapsonline.org/judicial/archive.htm
http://www.aapsonline.org/judicial/friends.htm
and here is the proof of Kaiser's direct participation - beginning on page 96 where Kaiser wants their name not known.
http://www.aapsonline.org/clinton/AAPS/TASKFORC.PDF

The Clinton Health Plan
http://www.aapsonline.org/clinton/AAPS/CLINTONF.PDF
text version - NOTE: Formatting is not the same as in the Clinton.pdf
http://universalhealth.kaiserpapers.info/clinton.html
also
White House Health Care Interdepartmental Working Group -
The records of the Interdepartmental Working Group were opened as a result of an agreement to end
litigation. The American Association of Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) filed a lawsuit against Hillary
Rodham Clinton and others on February 24, 1993. The plaintiffs and the Federal
Government disagreed over whether or not the records of the Task Force and Interdepartmental Working
Group fell under the regulations of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The Federal
Government argued against AAPS’s case, resulting in litigation that extended into 1994.
In an attempt to end the lawsuit, the White House decided to open the records of the Interdepartmental
Working Group. On August 17, 1994, the White House announced the release of the records at the
National Archives and Records Administration for public review. The White House defined the records as
presidential because the Working Group served an indirect advisory role to the President.
The records were first made available to researchers at the National Archives and Records Administration
on September 7, 1994.
Box 201 - Kaiser Recommendations
OA 3311 – Magaziner, Ira - Kaiser Foundation Reports
Box 379 - [Kaiser Plan – Simulation with Copays]
OA 1816 – Valdez, Robert - [Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Kaiser Estimates]
http://www.clintonlibrary.gov/documents/Finding_Aid_HealthCare.pdf

1999 - The Kaiser Permanente Institute for Health Policy
http://kpihp.org/
One of the Kaiser methods of altering the United States Health Care Policies and one organization that the public really needs to scrutinize. This is a web site created to make Kaiser noticed by our Congress in Washington D.C. It is marketing like the THRIVE campaign or Saturday morning kid's breakfast cereal commercials. "Take the content with a grain of salt."

2002 - In Oregon Kaiser lobbied to prevent Universal Health Care. They claimed it could not be done.
Opponents of Measure 23, which would create universal health care in Oregon, have raised $402,692. Four health care companies -- Kaiser Permanente, Regence BlueCross Blue Shield of Oregon, Pacific Source, ODS Health Plans -- each has contributed $50,000. A fifth, PacifiCare, contributed $55,000.
http://www.kaiserpapers.info/universal.html

But with over $400,000 in hand, those groups are outspending proponents by more than 10 to 1. Kaiser Permanente, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, Pacificare, PacificSource, and ODS Health Plans each donated more than twice the total received by the Yes on 23 campaign.
http://eatthestate.org/07-05/HealthCareFor.htm

2007 - California Health Care Reform 2007 - Schwarzenegger Administration
Published at: http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/figsonly/26/1/w80

Here is commentary from Dina Padilla who is voicing her opinion about Universal Health Care.
http://kaiserpapers.info/dinaonhealth.html