tagged w/ Health Insurance
-
When it comes to health insurance reform, California State University, Northridge economist Glen Whitman emphasizes, "We have to make sure we don't just fix the parts that are broken. We also have to make sure we don't actually break the parts that are working very well. And it turns out that one of the areas that America is really great at is innovation."
Reason.tv's Ted Balaker sat down with Whitman to discuss his new Cato Institute policy analysis, coauthored with Raymond Raad, "Bending the Productivity Curve: Why America Leads the World in Medical Innovation."
Whether it's Nobel laureates in medical fields or the most important recent medical innovations, Whitman and Raad find that the U.S. has contributed more than any other nation, and in some cases, more than all nations combined. Whitman cites some key factors that account for America's innovative ways, and warns that if America adopts a more centrally planned health system we may not only innovate less but we might not know what innovations we're missing.
Interview shot by Alex Manning and Hawk Jensen; it was edited by Manning. Approximately 10 minutes.When it comes to health insurance reform, California State University, Northridge... more
-
-
Kurt Nimmo
Infowars.com
December 19, 2009
Democrats deceptively argue that health care is legal under the commerce clause of the Constitution. The commerce clause relates to business, not individuals, but the Democrats have skewed the original purpose and intent of the Constitution.
When asked to point out where in the Constitution authority is granted to force an individual — ultimately at gunpoint — to buy government health care, Speaker of the House Pelosi said: “Are you serious?”
It is said Obama was a constitutional professor at the University of Chicago Law School (even this is a lie — he was in fact “a senior lecturer,” not a professor), so we should assume he has at least some knowledge of the principles of the Constitution. Obama likely knows that the Constitution does not mandate Americans be forced into a contractual agreement with a private party for health insurance.
Apparently, like his predecessor, Obama regards the Constitution as little more than a goddamn piece of paper.
Full Story and Video...http://ctpatriot1970.wordpress.com/2009/12/20/government-health-care-the-next-step-on-the-road-to-tyranny-and-slavery/Kurt Nimmo
Infowars.com
December 19, 2009
Democrats deceptively argue that health... more
-
-
People, it's time to clean house in Washington. Everything must go, buildings cleaned out, wiped down, checked out for surveillance bugs and started over. Then, we put people from all walks of life back in office for shorter terms and re-boot this thing. Everyone in Washington is corrupt and the only way to save this country is to start fresh.People, it's time to clean house in Washington. Everything must go, buildings... more
-
-
Tyrants and Plutocrats and Their Hubris,...What is It Good For?
-------------------sometimes,....absolutely EVERYTHING.
Republicans introduce an amendment that would compel the president and the cabinet to enroll in the government plan
By Alex Koppelman
Senate Republicans had what seemed like a pretty good idea when it comes to the fight over healthcare reform: Propose an amendment that would force all members of Congress to enroll in whatever form of public option is included in the final bill. That plan backfired, though, when their Democratic counterparts decided to actually support the amendment. So now the GOP's going further.
The latest version of the amendment is broader; beyond members of Congress, it also includes staff members, something that had been a sticking point for Democrats before. More than that, though, it would force President Obama and his cabinet into the public option.
"The White House and cabinet secretaries are working very hard for this massive overhaul of America's health care system," Grassley said in a statement reported by the Huffington Post's Ryan Grim. "It's only fair that if this bill becomes law, these individuals should themselves be subject to the reforms. The same is true for congressional staff. Quietly carving out leadership staff and committee staff behind closed doors is unacceptable. If the reforms are as good as their supporters say, the reforms should be good enough for everybody."
http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2009/12/07/gop_amendment/index.htmlTyrants and Plutocrats and Their Hubris,...What is It Good For?... more
-
-
As the majority leader of the Senate, the power to pass a public option is squarely in Reid's hands. Will Reid let three or four corrupt Senators owned by the insurance industry hold the public option hostage? Or will he use the reconciliation process to allow a simple majority vote on a public option?
The choice is Reid's and Reid's alone.
A petition circulates to Harry Reid: Get lobbyist-owned Democrats in line, or use reconciliation to pass a public option: http://action.firedoglake.com/reconciliation
During debate in the Senate this weekend, a handful of corrupt Democratic senators like Blanche Lincoln and Mary Landrieu, who have taken big donations from insurance companies, promised to vote against health care if it included a public option. If Harry Reid can't get them in line for a simple procedural vote, then he can use "reconciliation" and call for a majority vote on the public option. Otherwise, Harry Reid is using his power as Majority Leader to allow a handful of corrupt senators thwart the democratic process.
Goldman Sachs expects insurance stocks to rise by 59% in 10 years if there is no public option, but drop by 36% if there is one. That's what happens when nobody likes your product. Their fat profits depend on being the only game in town.
The American people understand that. That's why 72% support a public option, to end insurance monopolies, increase competition and control the crushing burden of health care costs for American families. A majority in the Senate understands that, too -- that's why 51 have said they will vote for a bill with a public option.
It comes down to a simple question: will Harry Reid allow for majority rule? Or will he let corrupt members of his own caucus block a majority of the public and Congress who want a public option?As the majority leader of the Senate, the power to pass a public option is squarely in... more
-
-
Here is the link to the health care debate that is currently going on in the Senate. Not that we can all sit home and watch it however if you get a chance you should definitely tune in. This way you can hear all sides of the issue and make an informed decision. We the people have the power to get this bill through or make sure it does not get passed, it's up to us.
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/id/216339Here is the link to the health care debate that is currently going on in the Senate.... more
-
-
CLICK LINK FOR MORE INFO
http://getwititmagazine.com/news/
-
-
,0,6447635.column?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fbusiness+%28L.A.+Times+-+Business%29
The stimulus act included $25 billion to help the jobless stay on their former employers' health plans for up to nine months, but the money is running out and Congress is unlikely to extend it soon.,0,6447635.column?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campa... more
-
-
Not if Single Payer Activists can help it. Four of the Baucus 8 speak out at a press conference on C-SPAN hosted by Single Payer Action. Is the new health care plan a bailout for the health insurance industry? Kucinich says the Democratic bill is “a bailout under a Blue Cross.” Find out for yourself. Check out the full article at http://www.singlepayeraction.org/blog/?p=1745Not if Single Payer Activists can help it. Four of the Baucus 8 speak out at a press... more
-
-
I have decided to take on the task of reading the health care bill. It is going to take me awhile however I thought that I would pass along notable items that I find as I go through it. Here are a few points of interest that I have come across so far:
-It will be mandatory for insurance companies to cover most types of preventative care, which could include smoking cessation, heart disease and diabetes prevention along with others.
-Insurance companies will have to submit specific information in regards to their yearly costs to the Secretary of State.
-Hospitals will have to establish and make public a list of all the standard charges for all of their services.
***The most important section that I have come across is the Immediate Action to Preserve and Expand Coverage. This states that within 90 days of enactment there will be a temporary fund set up to cover all people who are uninsured due to a PRE-EXISTING CONDITION. To me this would be reason enough to pass the bill however I am only 40 pages into it so I won't make any kind of final judgment at this point.***
Keep in mind that I am not a lawyer and this is a very long document (2074 pages) so I'm not exactly studying it. I am only passing along items of interest, if you want to analyze the document you should probably read it yourself.
I encourage everyone to make your voices heard in regards to this health care bill, regardless of your opinion this issue is too important to let others decide this for you.I have decided to take on the task of reading the health care bill. It is going to... more
-
-
Senators Reid, Baucus, and Wyden announced today a healthcare amendment to the Senate bill that would allow people to choose a public option even if they have employer based insurance. This is a switch from the original public option that only is available to people who don't have an employer that offers insurance.
“As I have long said, empowering Americans to choose the health insurance that works best for them and their family is the single best way to hold health insurance companies accountable,” Wyden said. “While this is just one step in the direction of guaranteeing choices for all Americans, it is a major step because, for the first time, it introduces the concept of individual choice to a marketplace where it has long been foreign. This is a significant step toward real reform.”
This opens up the proposed insurance exchange to considerably more people. The CBO estimated this type of option opens up health care to an addition one million. Yet the U.S. has over 50 million without health care coverage. It seems we are chipping away at the number ever so slowly. Why not implement medicare for all Americans. That would solve everything.
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/68897-sen-wyden-wins-big-healthcare-concessionSenators Reid, Baucus, and Wyden announced today a healthcare amendment to the Senate... more
-
-
E-mail messages obtained by the New York Times show that statements by dozens of lawmakers entered into the official record of the House debate on healthcare were ghostwritten, in whole or part, by lobbyists for biotechnology company Genentech, one of the world’s largest biotech companies. The company estimates that 42 House members picked up some of its talking points — 22 Republicans and 20 Democrats.E-mail messages obtained by the New York Times show that statements by dozens of... more
-
-
According to a new study, the number of US veterans who died in 2008 because they lacked health insurance was 14 times higher than the US military death toll in Afghanistan that year.According to a new study, the number of US veterans who died in 2008 because they... more
-
-
-
Washington lobbyists have been enjoying a multi-million-dollar sugar rush from the food industry.
Soft drink makers, supermarket companies, agriculture and the fast-food business have poured millions into campaigning against what they fear could be a burgeoning national movement to raise money for health care reform by taxing sweetened beverages.
During the first nine months of 2009, the industry groups stepped up their lobbying in Congress. They have spent more than $24 million on the issue of a national excise tax on sweetened beverages and on other legislative and regulatory issues, according to an examination of lobbying reports filed with the Senate Office of Public Records. The review shows that 21 companies and organizations reported that they lobbied specifically on the proposed tax on sugar-sweetened beverages - which among other things would include sodas, juice drinks and chocolate milk.
About $5 million of the money was spent on a national advertising campaign aimed at Capitol Hill lawmakers and promoting a newly formed coalition called Americans Against Food Taxes . The group bills itself on its website as a coalition of "responsible individuals, financially-strapped families, [and] small and large businesses" but its 400-plus membership list is dominated by industry heavyweights such as Burger King Corporation, Coca Cola, Pepsico and Domino's Pizza.
Many health officials and advocacy groups have argued for years that sugary drinks, particularly those with high-fructose corn syrup, have been key contributors to a rise in obesity rates in the United States, especially among children. Some argue that the time is right for a soda tax, which they say could not only cut consumption but also generate revenue to close state budget gaps and pay for new health care programs.
A proposal for a national excise tax on soft drinks surfaced in a May funding policy options paper during the Senate Finance Committee's deliberations on health care reform. Food lobbyists attacked then and continued their efforts in July when President Obama raised the possibility of a soda tax in an interview with Men's Health magazine. The proposal has not emerged in any of the health care reform bills still in play on Capitol Hill.
But the issue may be gaining traction in some key states. This week, California lawmakers are holding a high-profile hearing in Los Angeles to examine the link between childhood obesity and sugary drinks. In New York, Gov. David Paterson has revived the idea of a sugared beverage tax after a previous proposal was shot down by the legislature earlier this year in the face of industry opposition.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/04/soda-tax-mobilizes-food-l_n_345840.htmlWashington lobbyists have been enjoying a multi-million-dollar sugar rush from the... more
-
-
For the 10th year in a row, SELF Magazine set out to determine the healthiest cities in America for women to live. Sara Austin, Features Director at SELF, announces this year’s winner and shares how other cities across the country measure up.For the 10th year in a row, SELF Magazine set out to determine the healthiest cities... more
-
-
Over 50,000 die every year for lack of health care and more for denial of care despite having health insurance. That's well over 100 deaths per day. 50 million (and growing) in the U.S. have no health care at all. This is why nine Lieberman constituents and members of Mobilization for Health Care Now were arrested today as they sat-in Lieberman's DC office and demanded to see him.
Five of the Lieberman Nine have been released. The other four intend to stay in jail until Lieberman meets with them to discuss rejecting the money he accepts from insurance companies!
Meanwhile ABC News reports: "Later we will see much a larger protest from the other side of the political spectrum as potentially thousands of protesters gather with Republican lawmakers on the West side of the Capitol. Those protesters will lobby against Democrats' health care bills in large part because they include a public option.."
Congress is getting it from all sides. Their compromises with the insurance industry infuriate progressives and as weak as what's left of a public option is, the right are protesting it's inclusion. You can't please everyone so you may as well have a single payer system, medicare for all, problem solved, which is what is buzzing about as we hear that Pelosi is allowing a vote on the Weiner amendment for a single payer system!
Huff post reports the following:
______________________________________________
Nine protesters were arrested Thursday in a demonstration at the office of Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) to demand that he pledge to stop accepting from the health insurance industry.
Lieberman, who last week said he would join a GOP filibuster of any health care bill with a government-run public option, has accepted about $1.5 million from health professionals and insurance agencies since 2003, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Twenty protesters, including four students from the University of Connecticut, marched into the senator's office in the morning and demanded to speak with him. Aides denied their request, offering constituents a closed-door meeting with two legislative aides, which was rejected. Nine protesters then staged a sit-in, saying they would not leave the office until they could have a discussion with the senator in person.
"We're waiting to see if the senator for Aetna is ready to be the senator for the people," explained one protester, Kai, who wouldn't give his last name. Aetna has spent over two million dollars on lobbying in 2009, and has donated $65,000 to Lieberman's campaign committee.
Within 10 minutes of the protesters' arrival, Capitol police were on the scene. They dragged away nine protesters, including two of Lieberman's Connecticut constituents, as Senate staffers watched from the lobby and office hallways.
After the arrests, five of the remaining protesters continued on to Lieberman's committee hearing, which was already underway. They stood in the back of the chamber and quietly held up signs reading "Patients Not Profits" and "Insurance $$$ Makes Me Sick."
"It's ironic Lieberman is chairing this meeting on corporate crimes," said Medea Benjamin, who characterized the practice of accepting campaign donations from health insurance companies as criminal.
_________________________________________________
http://mobilizeforhealthcare.org/2009/11/05/abc-national-news-video-about-9-arrests-today-at-senator-liebermans-office-calling-for-lieberman-to-stop-accepting-insurance-company-money-money-that-should-be-used-to-pay-for-patients-care/
Mobilization for Health care has a petition to sign urging Lieberman to "publicly pledge that he will no longer accept any money from any insurance companies." (http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1312/t/10007/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=2159)
Over 2000 signed this petition within just a few hours of this story breaking.Over 50,000 die every year for lack of health care and more for denial of care despite... more
-
-
Sucks.
Yes there are positives touted by Pelosi et al. But the negatives outweigh the positives:
- No effective cost containment mechanisms
- A negligible pubic option (you remember the public option don't you?)
- Will not result in making health care more affordable
- Many provisions that will benefit corporate stakeholders (no kidding, it was written by insurance lobbyists)
- This loophole has been added—“while making sure that such a
change doesn’t further destabilize the current individual health insurance
market.”
- No say over reimbursement and
coverage policies
All of this from a progressive health reform website. The article contines with the following:
__________________________________________________
In sum, this $1.055 trillion plan over ten years will not fix the major problems of cost and affordable access to health care in our deteriorating system, will add new layers of bureaucracy and complexity to the present system, is not fiscally responsible, and is not sustainable.
What to do now? Rather than accept an unworkable bill that is politically expedient, we would be better off to make a major course change. The best first option would be to call for a floor vote, as originally promised by the House Speaker Pelosi, for the amendment proposed by Anthony Weiner (D-NY) to substitute HR 676, a single-payer proposal, for HR 3962. If that fails, shelving this bill would be the best option, but if that is not possible, lawmakers should be pressed to retain the amendment proposed by Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) to allow states to experiment with single-payer plans, as a number of states would like to do (eg. California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, New Mexico, New York and Pennsylvania). That amendment has already been passed by a rare bipartisan vote of 27-19 in the House Education and Labor Committee.
_________________________________________________
http://www.guaranteedhealthcare.org/blog/john-geyman-md-pnhp/2009/11/05/health-care-reform-2009-no-bill-is-better-than-a-bad-billSucks.
Yes there are positives touted by Pelosi et al. But the negatives outweigh... more
-
-
Several of the largest health insurance companies, including Cigna Corp. and Aetna Inc., rallied on Wall Street after Republicans won the governor seats in New Jersey and Virginia. The health insurance providers are hopeful the Republican victories will further their fight against the Democrats’ plans to overhaul their industry as part of health care reform.Several of the largest health insurance companies, including Cigna Corp. and Aetna... more
-
-
At the current pace of rate increases, on my 54th birthday I will pay over $1 million a year for health insurance. How about you?At the current pace of rate increases, on my 54th birthday I will pay over $1 million... more
-
