Health Care For America Now

No, not figuratively. Literally.

Yesterday, a group of senior citizens from the Associated of Retired Americans tried to speak with a local Humana executive in Florida. Instead of meeting them and hearing their grievances - which included denying care, spending premium dollars on lobbying Congress against health reform and a public health insurance option, and sending misleading scare-mail to seniors - the executive slammed the door in their faces and locked himself in his office.

Watch:

The executive at first told his secretary to tell these people that he was at lunch, which was a lie. Then he barricaded himself in his office. Finally, he faced the crowd.

All these people wanted was a couple minutes of this executive's time, to deliver a letter. He immediately said he'd give the letter to his "media people," even though the letter was for him and the CEO of Humana. And with news media cameras in his face, he once again slammed the door on Americans who just wanted a simple redress of their grievances.

This is how the insurance industry operates. They scare seniors. They rip you off. They use your money to lobby Congress against health care reform. And then they refuse to hear any criticism.

Spread this video far and wide, so people know that if the insurance industry wins, you lose.

A new survey found that 71 percent of people think members of Congress are paying too little attention to what people like them are saying about changes to the health care system. And the people were proven right when amendments that would have added a public health insurance plan option — which the vast majority of the people support — were defeated yesterday in the Senate Finance Committee. But it’s not too late to make your voice heard. Call your Senators and demand a public health insurance option.

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NEWS

Health Care for America Now Reacts to Senate Finance Public Option Amendment Votes - HCAN

Today, a vast majority – more than ¾ - of the Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee joined with all of the Democrats on the Senate HELP Committee to support giving us the choice of a strong public health insurance option.  Now four of the five committees that have tackled health care legislation have included a public health insurance option, and the Senate Finance Committee as a whole has proven it’s out of step with the rest of Congress, the President, and a large majority of the American public.  As Senators Schumer and Rockefeller said, the public health insurance option is clearly gaining momentum, and we are confident it will be in the final bill that lands on the President’s desk.

Senators Reject Pair of Public Option Proposals - New York Times

After an intense debate that captured the essence of the national struggle over health care, a pivotal Senate committee on Tuesday rejected two Democratic proposals to create a government insurance plan to compete with private insurers.

Senate panel defeats public healthcare option. Is it dead? - Christian Science Monitor

Backers of the public option will draw hope from the vote, which was closer than expected. But tough healthcare negotiations lie ahead.

Public option fate in Obama's hands - Politico

The Senate Finance Committee spent more than five hours debating the public health insurance option Tuesday before voting down two Democratic amendments to add it to the bill.

Nelson wants health reform in 2 parts - Lincoln Journal Star

Sen. Ben Nelson said Monday he'd prefer a health care reform package that centers on cost savings this year, leaving extended insurance coverage for a later date.

A new alternative to the public option is emerging - Politico

While progressive senators work to win 60 votes for a public option, a new alternative to the government-run insurance plan is beginning to emerge on the Finance Committee.

Obama Drafts Health Care Fallback Plan - Roll Call

The White House has been secretly drafting its own health care legislation that it may unveil at some point during the debate if officials believe it would help secure passage of a bill, according to sources familiar with the effort.

There are so many problems with the health care reform bill proposed by Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), chair of the Senate Finance Committee, it is little wonder that members of his committee have proposed more than 500 amendments to fix it. Unfortunately, some of the worst amendments that would make the bill even more of a gift to the health insurance industry are being offered by Republicans. If there is a God in heaven, they will not be adopted. But many other amendments are vital, including those that will make this key bill more like the better bills that have been reported out of four other Congressional committees. All of those bills call for the creation of a public insurance option, which is an absolutely critical element of reform. Without it, all of us who are not eligible for an existing government-run program, like the Medicare and VA programs, will be forced to buy coverage from the private insurance industry, which is dominated by a cartel of huge for-profit companies.

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Today, the Senate Finance Committee voted on two amendments from Senators Schumer and Rockefeller to add a public health insurance option to the Baucus Bill. Both of those amendments were defeated, 8-15 and 10-13 respectively.

In a long debate on the amendments, Senators spoke out vigorously in favor of the idea. Rockefeller exhorted his colleagues to consider the people of this country as they vote. Schumer asked why the insurance industry was afraid of a little competition. Cantwell, Menendez, Bingaman, Kerry, Bill Nelson, and Stabenow all made their cases and pushed back hard on the misinformation coming from the opposition. The intellectual and moral case for the public health insurance option was clear. And there were some pleasant surprises as Senator Wyden voted for both amendments, and Senators Bill Nelson and Carper voted for the Schumer amendment.

On the Rockefeller amendment, which would have created a public health insurance option based on Medicare, the roll call was:

Democrats

Max Baucus, MT - No
John D. Rockefeller IV, WV - Aye
Kent Conrad, ND - No
Jeff Bingaman, NM - Aye
John Kerry, MA - Aye
Blanche Lincoln, AR - No
Ron Wyden, OR - Aye
Charles Schumer, NY - Aye
Debbie Stabenow, MI - Aye
Maria Cantwell, WA - Aye
Bill Nelson, FL - No
Robert Menendez, NJ - Aye
Thomas Carper, DE - No

Republicans

Chuck Grassley, IA - No
Orrin Hatch, UT - No
Olympia Snowe, ME - No
Jon Kyl, AZ - No
Jim Bunning, KY - No
Mike Crapo, ID - No
Pat Roberts, KS - No
John Ensign, NV - No
Mike Enzi, WY - No
John Cornyn, TX - No

On the Schumer amendment, which would have created a "level playing field" public health insurance option, the roll call has:

Democrats

Max Baucus, MT - No
John D. Rockefeller IV, WV - Aye
Kent Conrad, ND - No
Jeff Bingaman, NM - Aye
John Kerry, MA - Aye
Blanche Lincoln, AR - No
Ron Wyden, OR - Aye
Charles Schumer, NY - Aye
Debbie Stabenow, MI - Aye
Maria Cantwell, WA - Aye
Bill Nelson, FL - Aye
Robert Menendez, NJ - Aye
Thomas Carper, DE - Aye

Republicans

Chuck Grassley, IA - No
Orrin Hatch, UT - No
Olympia Snowe, ME - No
Jon Kyl, AZ - No
Jim Bunning, KY - No
Mike Crapo, ID - No
Pat Roberts, KS - No
John Ensign, NV - No
Mike Enzi, WY - No
John Cornyn, TX - No

In the most conservative committee in the Senate, which is itself the most conservative house of Congress, a public health insurance option got the support of an overwhelming majority of the governing party. And as such, it sets the stage for the next step.

Some final photos of real people around the country real pissed off at their insurance companies for denying their care, incentivizing employees to deny more care, and using our premiums to lobby Congress in opposition of health care reform and a public health insurance option.

In a phrase: They're sick of it!

In Palm Beach, FL:

In Washington:

More people believe in UFOs than oppose a public health insurance option:

A recent New York Times/CBS News poll found that 65% favored a public option, with only 26% opposed to it.

To put that number in perspective: a 2007 Associated Press/Ipsos poll found that 34% of Americans believe in UFOs.

It speaks volumes about the status of the health care debate among the public when it is more mainstream to believe aliens are flying around in spaceships than to oppose the public option.

Today, the Senate Finance Committee is expected to vote on amendments to add a public health insurance option to the Baucus Bill to expand choice, increase competition, and keep the insurance companies honest. It's the first step towards including a public health insurance option in the final Senate bill and making health reform work for you instead of for the insurance industry. It's also the first time the public option has come up for a vote by itself.

First, give your Senators a call at 1-877-264-4226 and ask them to support the public health insurance option amendments in the Senate Finance Committee. Even if your Senators aren't on the Finance Committee, it's important that all Senators hear from their constituents today.

Next, watch the Committee vote - it'll be on CSPAN - and see which side people come down on, yours or the insurance industry's.

NEWS

Senate Democrats plan to force vote on public option - CNN

Two members of the Senate Finance Committee plan to put their Democratic colleagues on the spot on Tuesday by offering amendments on whether to give uninsured Americans the opportunity to join a government insurance program.

Kaiser Health Tracking Poll—September 2009 - Kaiser Family Foundation

The September Kaiser Health Tracking Poll finds that public support for health reform ended its summer slide, reversed course and moved modestly upwards in September. The survey also finds initial majority support for taxing expensive health plans and imposing fees on insurers to pay for reform.

Schumer reshapes odds for public plan - The Hill

Sen. Charles Schumer has revived the prospect of a public insurance option in the Senate’s version of healthcare reform.

HCAN: Snowe Still Important, But in the End the Public Option's Up to Democrats - TPM

A lot of the most pressing political questions about health care reform will soon be answered, and reformers and pols alike are grappling with the fact that Democrats now have enough votes to pass a public option without any Republican votes.

Public option may have new life - Politico

The public option limped out of August, battered and left to die in the Senate.

In Some States, a Push to Ban Mandate on Insurance - New York Times

In more than a dozen statehouses across the country, a small but growing group of lawmakers is pressing for state constitutional amendments that would outlaw a crucial element of the health care plans under discussion in Washington: the requirement that nearly everyone buy insurance or pay a penalty.

Public plan debate could pit Democrat vs. Democrat - Associated Press

It'll be Democrat vs. Democrat as lawmakers go back to work on health care Tuesday.

Young Back Health Proposals Amid Potential Costs - Wall Street Journal

Young adults remain some of the strongest supporters of a health-care overhaul, but many acknowledge they don't understand proposals that will likely saddle them with higher costs.

Much of the debate on the question of affordability is focused on how to make health insurance affordable for individuals. That framing of the problem misses the true challenge: making quality health care — not just insurance — affordable for us all, as patients, employers, consumers and taxpayers. Once we understand that is the true challenge, it becomes clear why we need a public health insurance plan option. Call your senators today to demand that option.

Read more…

NEWS

Insurers Tally Up Baucus Bill Provisions - Wall Street Journal

The health-system overhaul proposed by Sen. Max Baucus would create millions of new insurance customers without subjecting health insurers to government-run competition — two key victories for the much-maligned industry.

Sen. Rockefeller seeks to extend health bill's protections - USA Today

More than 70 million people who work at large companies would not get health insurance protections sought by President Obama under a closely watched Senate health care bill, a Democratic lawmaker involved in the debate says.

Baucus health bill would let private group write rules - LA Times

The National Assn. of Insurance Commissioners is made up of state officials, but it's not subject to public rules, and members are often cozy with the industry.

Reid the Quarterback May Call on Obama to Referee - New York Times

As the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada, takes on the delicate task of melding two competing versions of major health care legislation, aides say he will lean heavily on President Obama to arbitrate a number of contentious issues that still threaten to divide liberal and centrist Democrats and derail a final bill.

Revolving Door Spins Ex-Hill Aides Into Lobbyists (Update1) - Bloomberg

The army of industry lobbyists in the health-care battle is fighting on familiar terrain: More than half of them used to work for the government they’re trying to influence.

Public option debate continues to divide Democrats on healthcare - The Hill

The most controversial component of healthcare reform promises to vex Democrats the rest of the year.