Daily Health Care News - 8/28/09
Posted on August 28th, 2009 by Jason Rosenbaum in News Clips
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NEWS
Reid’s views on overhaul taking shape - Las Vegas Sun
He supports public option to provide competition, and hints he’s against conservatives’ tort reforms
Health Compromise to See Changes Before Vote, House Dems Say - Wall Street Journal
Two senior House Democrats said an agreement struck with centrist Blue Dog Democrats in late July on a public health insurance option might be altered before a health-care bill reaches the House floor.
Grassley: No Longer Sure Bipartisan Health Deal Possible In September - Kaiser Health News
Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa indicated Thursday he was no longer sure whether negotiators can reach a bipartisan deal in September, citing mounting public concern about excessive government spending and soaring federal deficits.
Mark Warner WILL NOT Vote Against Public Option - Blue Virginia
Last night, at John Bell's fundraiser, Senator Warner said to a group of people that, in the end, he would not vote against health care reform containing the public option. I didn't report that immediately for two reasons: 1) I wasn't there when he said it, but heard it secondhand; and 2) I wasn't sure if it was on or off the record. Well now, after just getting off the phone with Senator Warner's office, I can confirm that this is correct information - in the end, the public option is not a "make or break" for Warner one way or the other and he WILL vote for a health care reform bill with a public option in there. Good news.
Obtained: The RNC’s Health Care Survey - Washington Independent
I just chatted with Raymond Denny, the 64-year-old La Center, Wash., man who received the RNC’s “2009 Future of American Health Survey,” which alleged that President Obama’s health reform plans might discriminate against Republicans. Here’s the survey question.
Dealing With Being the Health Care ‘Villains’ - New York Times
Max Shireman says that when he looks in the mirror he does not see the monster the politicians have made him out to be.
OPINION
GrassleyWatch: What Does He Not Understand About ‘Fully Paid For’? - Think Progress
Yesterday, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) — the ranking member on the Senate Finance Committee and a member of the so-called bipartisan ‘Gang of Six’ negotiations — joined the growing chorus of Republican lawmakers who are using the adjusted deficit numbers to argue for a smaller health reform package.
Grassley Claims Large Deficit Compels Him to Embrace Budget-Busting Status Quo - Matt Yglesias
Senator Chuck Grassley continues to cast about for pretexts to spike health reform and please his party leadership so he’s hit upon an unusually nonsensical reason.
I Can Has Health Care? - AFL-CIO
You’d have to be living in a cave, or in a willful veil of ignorance, not to know how people in this country are suffering in our broken health care system. If you have health insurance through your job, that’s one more reason to be desperately afraid of losing that job (with unemployment at 9.4 percent, no less;), if you get it as an individual or a family, you have to worry that your insurance company will find a reason to dump you the minute you need it most (whether you’re insured through your job or on your own, your health care costs are exploding. Then, of course, there are the 47 million people without insurance in the United States.
Town Hall Attendee Confronts McCain: ‘Why Don’t I Have The Health Insurance You’ve Got!’ - Think Progress
Over this past month, it has become a customary sight at town halls across the country to witness angry protesters mouthing right-wing talking points against health reform. But yesterday, in a town hall forum in Phoenix, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) was confronted by an attendee who voiced passionate anger in support of health reform.
There is a problem with the death panel argument. If the government is going to kill people by withdrawing healtcare it presumes that there is a government run healthcare (such as Medicare) in the first place. Without it all the elderly would be sentences to death already.
The opponents of healtcare reform make two contradictory arguments:
a) The government will ration healthcare
b) It will cost more
If it will cost more to insure the uninsured it means that their healthcare is already rationed. And BTW, are the insurance companies not rationing healthcare by denying coverage and purging people?
WHY IS NOBODY POINTING OUT THESE ABSURDITIES??
This is a great point!
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Healthcare Reform
I've either been self-employed or a small-business owner for most of the past 25 years, and, as such, I'm used to seeing insurance premiums go up at least about 12% per year. This year, United HC just raised my rates 18%, during a recession, when they're already making billions in profit. But the problem was just as bad when I had Aetna before. In my experience there is no competition in this industry any longer, and something like a "public-option" government insurance plan is needed to force the companies to give back some profit in the form of reduced premiums or increased coverage.
Feeling that this problem is under-reported in the health care "debate", I've wanted to be able to express it in some public forum but, alas, in central Florida most politicians are Republicans and they have no interest in discussing the current health care system.
However, just yesterday I saw that your group, Healthcare for America Noew was going to host a meeting in support of health care reform in downtown Orlando. So I bought my "supplies" and made a sign saying "My health insurance just went up 18% (again)" and headed for downtown.
When I arrived at the event, many people complimented me on my sign and asked me to stand for a picture. But at the entrance, I was told the event required a prior ticket. Fortunately, a man just outside was handing out free tickets to late arrivals and gave me one. Although the ticket collector-girl was skeptical, she took my ticket and let me in.
And so I entered the gymnasium and climbed up into the seats behind others so my sign would not block their view. I felt a little out of place, as the event was in a poor black neighborhood and it seemed there were few whites there. But all seemed to agree that some reform of the health insurance system was needed, and there several signs condemning corporate profit over health.
As we waited, people began chants like "Healthcare Now!" with an aggressive vigor. That's not really my style, but I thought my sign said it all, so I sat and took in my first "political" event.
Then, suddenly, I was surrounded by several angry young black event personnel and a white "union representative" demanding to know what union I was in and saying that I would have to give up my sign. Dumbfounded, I asked why, pointing out that there were many signs which said essentially the same thing. Then, within seconds, brawny policemen surrounded me, and the other men accused me of sneaking into the event. I tried to explain that I came in just like everybody else, but, obviously a "decision had been made" that I must be ejected from this "private" event.
As I was "escorted" down the stands, more and more people noticed and began to jeer me, as if I were some sinister double-agent. I pleaded with them, saying, "I AGREE with you.", but nobody listened. I even felt a strong undercurrent of racism from some present, as if any bearded middle-aged white guy with a SIGN must be up to no good! It seemed that the collective anger over health care, and even some black racism, of hundreds of people was directed towards me as the police lead me out!
At the front entrance, the ticket girl snarled and jeered at me, thrilled that I had gotten my deserts. I pleaded with everybody that I was "on their side", but the thuggish policeman just shoved me and made sure that my footsteps lead me to shortest route off the property, and that I did not "loiter" on the sidewalk.
And so ended my first attempt at active civic participation!
You need to make clear that your events are by pre-approved ticket only. I saw your web page and went to today's event in Orlando, Florida. I did not have a ticket at first but then a nice man gave me an extra ticket.
I was allowed in, but then I was approached by aggressive "event personnel" and demanded to give them my sign (which said "my health insurance just went up 17%"). Then I was told that if I was not a union member I had to leave. Soon the police came and "escorted" me off the property, with everybody jeering as if I were some sinister spy.
This is truly an embarrassment to your organization and our common cause. You need to be more clear about the exclusivity of your group.
Every event is different, some are open to the public and some are not. We try and note that on the website. If we missed the details for this one I'm very sorry.
Why do you not tell people that tickets are required for your events, and that they may be denied entrance "for no reason" by anybody who does not like their look?