No out-of-network doctors.
No premiums hikes for switching groups.
No need to pre-authorize surgery.

Think this sounds like a healthcare fantasy? Actually, it’s not. In nations around the world, these are realities for citizens with healthcare choices that include government-provided health insurance.

Sunday’s Washington Post featured an article by T.R. Reid that tours the healthcare solutions implemented by foreign nations. Reid debunks 5 myths of healthcare systems abroad that pervade the American political dialogue.

I highly recommend reading the entire article, but if you’re pressed for time, here’s a run-down of the rumors Reid dispels:

Myth #1 It’s all socialized medicine out there

In fact, with most of our nation’s seniors on Medicare, some argue that we have a larger percentage of government-funded healthcare recipients than Britain, New Zealand, Cuba, Canada and Taiwan! Those nations provide healthcare in government hospitals without footing the bills!

Myth #2 Overseas, care is rationed through limited choices or long lines

Normally, no. In a more regulated system, consumer choice grows because it’s hard for insurance companies to penalize recipients for changing plans. While yes, some nations are plagued by long lines, studies still show that Germany, Britain, and Austria beat out the U.S. in waiting times for appointments and elective surgeries.

Myth #3 Foreign health-care systems are inefficient, bloated bureaucracies

Simply put, “all the other payment systems are more efficient than ours.” This section of Reid’s article is especially telling. For all the free-market enthusiasts out there who cannot fathom a government healthcare program with lower costs than a private insurer, consider this: “U.S. health insurance companies have the highest administrative costs in the world; they spend roughly 20 cents of every dollar for nonmedical costs, such as paperwork, reviewing claims and marketing. France’s health insurance industry, in contrast, covers everybody and spends about 4 percent on administration.”

Myth #4 Cost controls stifle innovation

Not true. Many medical breakthroughs, from hip and knee replacements to deep-brain stimulation technology to Viagra were invented overseas. In fact, strict cost controls drive innovation abroad.

Myth #5 Health insurance has to be cruel

Americans have come to accept the idea of insurance companies refusing to cover patients with “preexisting conditions” — precisely those who need healthcare the most. Adjusters are paid to deny claims and big insurance companies use every layer of red tape to avoid covering the expenses they promised. As it turns out, “The United States is the only developed country that lets insurance companies profit from basic health coverage.”

Foreign healthcare isn’t all that foriegn to the United States, Reid argues. Our mixed-up system takes on roles similar to Britain, Germany and Canada depending on the constituency group. But for the tens of millions of uninsured Americans, we compare to Burundi or Burma: “In the world’s poor nations, sick people pay out of pocket for medical care; those who can’t pay stay sick or die.”

If you still don’t think the United State healthcare system is all that bad, check out this New York Times Op-Ed from earlier in the month.  The author expanded upon recent studies that ranked the American healthcare system far behind other developed nations.

It’s time we catch up to the rest of the world. We must reform our broken healthcare system and bring it into the 21st century. For a nation known for innovation, enterprise and a life of opportunity for our citizens, we’ve turned a blind eye on the healthcare system for far too long.

We can’t bring about change without the support and participation of the American people – that means YOU!

Organizing for America provides an easy-to-use Health Care Action Center where you decide how to help make healthcare reform a reality.

Health Care for America Now (HCAN) is also stocked with informational resources and ways to get involved. Be sure to check out their Action Center as well, which details ways to add your voice to the health care debate NOW!

BREAKING: Check out how OFA and HCAN are teaming up to run a coordinated campaign for healthcare reform as soon as Congress is back in session. It’s never been a more critical time for you to get involved in the fight to fix our broken healthcare system!

Just got back from my first Netroots Nation conference – Pittsburgh edition! Before I get into the main lessons I learned from this incredible experience, here’s a quick video to explain what we were up to.

1. Passing healthcare reform is more important than passing health care reform.

Angry mobs.  Screaming Glen Beck.  Members of Congress who suggest the President is not an American citizen.

If the Democratic party is unable to come together and pass substantive health care reform – despite having a supermajority in Congress – our failure will give legitimacy to the ridiculous realities described above.

Passing healthcare, beyond being an absolute necessity for our nation, is a test of the Democratic party’s devotion to the American public.  Will our representatives react in fear of losing their own seat?  Will they cave to the incredibly wealthy health care lobbyists and screaming town hall protestors, who try to convince elected officials that their voices matter more?

I hope not.  At Netroots Nation, we all seemed to agree that passing meaningful health care legislation will be a critical test of Obama’s leadership and the principles of his administration.  “We have already compromised,” Governor Howard Dean told us.  “The only piece of reform left worth doing is the public option.”

What happens on health care will become a larger statement about which voices matter in our democracy.  Passing inclusive health care reform with a public option would communicate that our Congress represents the people who voted for it – the middle class, everyday families who might not have millions of dollars for government lobbying, but whose votes keep their elected officials in office.

2. Progressives’ Got Talent!

Ever heard of a good song about being Republican?  How about a Republican comedy video that went viral on YouTube?  Or maybe a celebrity Republican graphic designer and DJ?

I didn’t think so.  One thing that Netroots Nation ‘09 made clear was that progressives have a valuable asset when it comes to the arts.  As it turns out, really talented, funny and artistic people often possess progressive political minds as well.  And our party is ready and willing to take them seriously!

Netroots Nation featured two stand-out panels that were among some of my favorites of the entire weekend: Mixtapes to Myspace: How Hip Hop Builds Movements and Comedy, Video & Activism.  Both demonstrated the power that good-old activism gains with the addition of cutting-edge, compelling art.  They were absolutely incredible.

This message was hammered home at my favorite party of the conference sponsored by none other than MoveOn.org, which featured the artwork of Shepard Fairey!  The artist himself joined us to spin some vinyl for our dancing delight (note: while we seem to have “art” down, dancing is absolutely not included under this category.)

3. Don’t forget the youth!

Another panel I found incredibly powerful was the first I attended, Getting Ish Done: The Youth Movement Moves Beyond Voting.  As a member of “the youth” myself, I found it all too easy to be cynical about my fellow young voters.  After all, I see what kind of garbage some 18-to-24-year-olds post on Facebook (because…I’m friends with them, shh!)

This panel taught me that the nay-sayers who think that the recent enthusiasm of youth voters was a flash in the pan and will fade into the past like your Tamagotchi collection, are simply wrong.

We millenials have different ideas about civic engagement.  The 2008 election was transformative for my generation.  We have gained a fundamentally different concept of what it means to be part of a community and a nation: we understand that political issues have real impact on our lives.  And with the Internet helping to make it easier than ever to connect, share and learn from each other, we’re ready and willing to organize around those issues.

I was especially moved by Erica L. Williams, the director of policy and advocacy for Campus Progress, a project of the Center of American Progress.  She provided me with my new favorite youth vote selling point: more votes were cast by people under 30 years old than over 60 years old – for the first time ever. (While I love this theory – I have yet to find any data backing it up! If anyone can verify this, please let me know!)

4. Progressives must use muscle in Congress.

A common thread throughout many panels is best summed up by Christopher Beam who wrote yesterday on Slate.com, “If there was an overarching theme, it was How do we hold Obama to his campaign promises?”

This raises some questions about our Congressional fortitude as progressives – a minority within the Democratic majority.  At Netroots Nation, everyone agreed it’s time to fight tactically, strategically and as a united coalition of voters.  While I’m no Congressional expert, I’m curious to see if the energy of our conference will be mirrored in the behavior of our representatives.

I’m worried that it’s all too easy for members of the House and Senate in the Congressional Progressive Caucus to fall back into the role of the all-too-compassionate Democrat, compromising away what we most believe in.  I’m further disheartened by the fact that the numbers simply aren’t on our side – there’s only 83 House representatives and 2 senators in the caucus right now. In the House that adds up to just over 30% of Democrats – which, if voting in a block, can do some powerful things.  But it’s no wonder the health care bill is having trouble in the Senate – progressive caucus members Sens. Sanders and Udall won’t be able to accomplish much on their own.

Progressive Democrats have to keep it together, act (ideally in conjunction with all Democrats) as a cohesive voting block, and yes – hold President Obama to his campaign promises in the legislative branch.

5. There ain’t no party like a Progressive Party.

This was both my favorite and most painful lesson learned this weekend. The video below highlights just a small sample of the late-night fun we Netroots Nation attendees got into.  Needless to say, I had an absolute blast…until I had to get up for the morning sessions the next day!

All in all, I had an absolute blast at my first-ever Netroots Nation and cannot wait for next years’ conference – in VEGAS, baby!

It’s official, privacy is dead – but that’s not such a bad thing after all.

Somehow, I thought that by keeping this “blog” less about my actual thoughts and more of a resume addendum, I was preventing potential employers from being offended by something I do or say. When I first set up this site, for example, I had one potential boss chastise me for calling the tea-baggers “whack jobs.” Apparently, that’s not very professional. Point taken.

But I should have known better than to withhold my thoughts and personality here – politics is the business of opinion!

In a more recent interview I was asked who I could “bring in” to the company with me. Who are my people? Who do I influence? Who listens to me?

I came up short. This whole time I’d been trying to keep my online presence a clean slate, my Twitter feed private, my Facebook profile on total lockdown. What an amateur mistake!

I suppose it’s about time I get with it and kiss goodbye my ideas of keeping a low profile in the 21st century. After all, the merits of relationship-building online were hammered into me at NOI’s BootCamp – and no good relationship can begin without open, honest and authentic people on every side of the exchange. What’s most ironic is that for anyone who knows me, in personal exchanges I’ve never been one to keep my opinion to myself!

If for no other reason, I am inspired to start taking blogging more seriously now that I’m on my way to Netroots Nation, the biggest gathering of bloggers and online junkies in the world. For four years now, the people behind DailyKos have organized this conference, where progressive activists gather to learn from one another, find out what’s new on the ‘net and discuss how to effect the political landscape using the tools provided by the Internet.

It’s my first time attending NN and I can barely contain my excitement, which is continuously inflamed by the enthusiasm of others who have already gone and remain jubilant. After spending two summers in Washington, DC hanging out with progressive netroots activists, I’m looking forward to meeting other interesting online personalities live and in living color!

That’s what’s so fabulous about shedding one’s anonymity online and expressing your opinions and beliefs in a public way – the possibility of connecting with others and creating meaningful, fruitful relationships is exponentially greater than doing so off-line, where time and space can be limiting.

The people behind Netroots Nation clearly understand this: they’re hosting a mirror conference online in real time using Second Life (the online community of avatars interacting in a “Sims”-like environment that I still don’t completely understand) and are encouraging online interaction from those who couldn’t make the trek to Pittsburgh or pay the entry fee. My final hat tip to Netroots Nation is for the $50 student entry fee, an opportunity that made it possible for me to be joining everyone today.

I’ll check back in after the conference to let you know if Netroots Nation turned out to be everything I’m hoping for.

For now, I’m simply happy to say, I’m here and I’m ready to get my blog on.