Archive for Health Care
Have Obamacare “Death Panels” Already Begun for Women with Breast Cancer?
Posted by: | CommentsRecently, the FDA determined that the cancer-fighting drug, Avastin, is not cost-effective in treating stage IV breast cancer patients. Avastin has been proven to extend cancer patients’ lives by several months, it will no longer be available to women suffering from breast cancer or ovarian cancer; it will, however, still be available for people treating other types of cancer.
The cost of this drug is quite expensive, but isn’t extending life worth it? If Obamacare is already starting to attack and restrict people from using drugs that might possibly extend life now, what will our medical decisions be in 2014 when we’re all forced to follow the Obamacare rules?
The “Maraca Girls” 3 Day team after completing the 60 mile walk.
Missouri Voters Slam the Door in the Face of Obamacare
Posted by: | CommentsAugust 3, 2010 will be another monumental moment in the fight to “Repeal Obamacare” as Missouri voters vote to reject the highly debated bill passed by Congress and the Senate against a large majority of American’s opposition to the bill.
Missouri doesn’t just vote against the nationalized healthcare plan, they slam the door shut in the face of an over agendized Obama administration with the common sense citizens voting 70% for Proposition C.
Several states were watching this vote closely to see how Missouri voted on this issue. Some are expecting Federal legal battles to try to knock down the passage of Proposition C in Missouri.
A Form Letter Response from Senator Tom Harkin
Posted by: | Comments
Senator Harkin, Let's put on the brakes and stop the internal destruction of these United States of America!
Here is the most recent form letter I received from Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) in response to a number of faxes I’ve sent him.
Pay careful attention to the twisting of information in an attempt to support his and President Obama’s agendas. It is worth noting that my responses from Republicans have been more detailed and have real content with factual details instead of containing agenda driven political spin.
Dear Friend:
I appreciate you taking the time to express your interest in health care reform. I am pleased to report that on December 24, 2009, I voted for, and the Senate passed, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which will lower costs, guarantee affordable coverage for all Americans, improve the quality of care, and reduce our federal budget deficit.
We can no longer settle for the status quo in our health system. Our current health care system leaves nearly 50 million Americans without insurance, including nearly 300,000 in Iowa. People can be denied coverage because of preexisting conditions, and can be dropped from their health insurance if they get a serious illness. They can be charged much higher rates if they are women, are older, or are sick, and can be cut from insurance entirely once they reach an annual or lifetime cap on payouts. Even those who have insurance can find that, due to coverage limitations or sky-high deductibles, it is woefully inadequate for their medical needs. A recent study of bankruptcy filings found that 62 percent of all bankruptcies were related to medical debt, and nearly 80 percent of those people actually had health insurance.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act contains critical reforms designed to overhaul our broken health care system. Among its immediate benefits, the bill prohibits insurers from imposing arbitrary and excessive limits on the benefits that they will pay out; bans insurance companies from canceling your insurance policy if you get sick; requires insurance companies to cover prevention and wellness services, with no co-pays or deductibles; requires insurance companies to permit children to stay on family policies until age 26; provides small businesses with tax credits of up to 35 percent of premiums, to help reduce the cost of providing health insurance to their employees; creates a re-insurance program for early retirees (before age 65), to help ensure they don’t lose health coverage before they are Medicare eligible; reduces the size of the “donut hole” in the Medicare drug benefit, and requires insurance companies to provide rebates to their customers if their administrative costs are too high.
When the bill is fully effective, the PPACA will guarantee a choice of quality, affordable coverage for all Americans. The bill will create new health insurance exchanges where people without access to affordable coverage will be able to easily shop and choose from a menu of quality health plans, much in the way members of Congress are able to do today. Tax credits and reductions in cost-sharing will further reduce the premiums and out-of-pocket costs that lower-income and middle-class Americans will have to pay. And, insurance companies will be barred from denying coverage, or charging higher premiums, because of a pre-existing conditions or gender.
Finally, of great importance to me, this legislation also places prevention and public health at the heart of our health reform efforts. As I have often said, currently in the U.S., we don’t have a health care system, we have a sick care system. If you’re sick, you get care. But we spend peanuts on prevention. The system and all of the incentives are focused on pills, surgery, hospitalization, and disability. This bill will give Americans access to a 21st century health care system – one that is focused on preventing disease, and helping us to live healthy, active, productive lives.
Among other things, the bill creates a Federal-level Prevention and Public Health Council, which will improve coordination among federal agencies in incorporating wellness into national policy, and will develop a national prevention and public health strategy. The bill includes a strong Prevention and Public Health Investment Fund, which will provide for expanded and sustained national investments in prevention and public health programs in communities across America. Communities will tailor programs to meet health challenges unique to their area. They can get creative; find out what works; and make a big difference.
At the clinical level, the bill will require reimbursement for proven, cost-effective preventive services such as smoking cessation, mental health screenings, cancer screenings, as well as obesity screening and counseling programs. And for essential screenings and annual physicals, our bill will eliminate the co-pays and deductibles that currently discourage many people from doing the right things to stay healthy.
From the beginning of this debate, my colleagues in the majority party and I have been committed to passing legislation that is fully paid for and does not add to the federal budget deficit. I am pleased to report that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that PPACA will actually reduce the federal budget deficit by $132 billion over the next ten years, and by $1.3 trillion in the ten years after that.
Currently, the Affordable Health Care for America Act and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which were passed respectively by the House and the Senate, are being melded together. Please be assured that as I continue my work on health reform, I will keep your views in mind.
To learn more about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, you can visit the Senate Democratic Policy Committee’s Website at http://dpc.senate.gov/dpcdoc-sen_health_care_bill.cfm. To view the Affordable Health Care for America Act, please visit the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Website at http://energycommerce.house.gov/. In addition, the White House has created a center where individuals can go to get the facts on the current reform effort. I encourage you to visit this information page, which can be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/.
Sincerely,
Tom Harkin
United States Senator
What will Democrats Strategy Involve After Scott Brown Win?
Posted by: | CommentsShortly after it was announced that Scott Brown won the Massachusetts election many Democrats came out to make a number of statements about what their strategy might involve.
Jim Webb (D-VA) suggested, “only be fair and prudent that we suspend further votes on health care legislation until Brown is seated.”
Yet, many of us are already aware of Democratic discussions to fast-track the health care bill in an attempt to ram it through before Scott Brown is seated into office. Interestingly enough, these are not the only discussion taking place right now.
Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) commented that it might not be a bad thing to take a step back from the health care legislation to concentrate on the creation of jobs (I’m wondering what took them so long?) while trying to add some health care into any bills relating to jobs. This idea is precisely why we need to have laws for legislation to only include amendments that directly relate to the bill they are being attached to.
There have been a number of other ideas suggested, including an option called “reconciliation”.
Harry Reid has made the statement that Scott Brown would be seated as soon as the proper paperwork is done.
Another statement by Reid reads, “Regardless of the size of their minority caucus, Senate Republicans have always had an obligation to join us in governing our nation through these difficult times. Today’s election doesn’t change that. In fact it is now more important than before for Republicans to work with us rather than against us if we are to find common ground that improves Americans’ lives.” Apparently, he is now trying to blame the Republicans for not wanting to work with Democrats when it has been the Dems who have been locking opposition out of a number of meetings. This is an issue that has brought many to believe there should be rule changes to prevent opposition from being locked out of meetings involving legislative talks. This serious issue could easily be used to block opposition on both sides of the fence and has been issue drawing concern by many concerned citizens and legislators.
Truth be known, only time will tell what the Democrats will actually do about the huge upset for Dems. in the Massachusetts Senate election.
Rep. Steve King: Let Sun Shine on Health Care Debate
Posted by: | CommentsCongressman Steve King (R-IA) speaks out against closed door Health Care negotiations as Congressional liberals have choosen not to honor promises of a
Congressman Steve King
transparent government by Presidential Candidate Barack Obama during his 2008 campaign speeches.
January 6, 2010
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Steve King made the following statement today in support of C-SPAN’s request to broadcast the negotiations that are currently underway between the House and Senate regarding legislation to change our nation’s health care system:
“In January 2008 candidate Obama pledged not to negotiate health care legislation ‘behind closed doors.’ Instead he committed to ‘broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN.’ There are serious differences between candidate Obama’s statements in 2008 and President Obama’s actions in 2010.
“Today, the healthcare legislation is being negotiated behind closed doors, and C-SPAN’s request to broadcast these negotiations is being rebuffed. Tuesday night President Obama and liberals in Congress decided to bypass conference committee debate to craft government-run health care legislation in secret in an effort to expedite its passage into law.
“These closed-door, back room dealings may be the norm in a Chicago-style gangster government, but they are not acceptable in our constitutional republic. Americans have a right to know what is going on so they can make their voices heard.
“When asked about President Obama’s pledge to allow C-SPAN access to health care debates, Speaker Pelosi dismissively said ‘there are a number of things he was for on the campaign trail.’ Apparently the Speaker of the House doesn’t mind the idea of the president breaking his promises to the American people. But the American people do mind, and they expect President Obama to follow through on the promise he made to them on the campaign trail.”
This video (seen below) of candidate Barack Obama stating, “I’ll make our Government open and TRANSPARENT.”
This video also includes some of his other broken promises, such as:
7 Broken Promises:
1. Make Government Open and Transparent
2. Make it “Impossible” for Congressmen to slip in Pork Barrel Projects
3. Meetings where laws are written will be more open to the public (republicans shut out)
4. No more secrecy
5. Public will have 5 days to look at a Bill
6. You’ll know what’s in it (Republican Senators didnt know)
7. We will put every pork barrel project online
President Barack Obama Asks Supporters to Sign Letter Thanking Senate
Posted by: | CommentsPresident Barack Obama sent out an email to his supporters, followers, and worshippers, bragging about the Senate having passed their version of the healthcare bill. At the end of his email, he asked them to fill join others in signing a letter to the Senate to thank them for signing the bill.
I say, the only thing to thank them for, is selling out America and the future of our children and for signing a plan of destruction of the world’s best healthcare system.
Here is a copy of the letter found on, Organizing for America:
Although it’s Christmas Eve, I wanted to share some exciting news: The Senate just passed a historic health reform bill.
In all the back and forth, it’s easy to lose sight of what this incredible breakthrough really means. But consider this: This Christmas, there are millions of Americans without health insurance who risk losing everything if they get sick.
There are mothers and fathers who wonder how they’ll provide for their children because an illness has wiped out their savings. There are small business owners who worry that they’ll have to lay off a long-time employee because the cost of insurance is rapidly rising.
If we finish the job, all this can change. We will have beaten back the special interests who have for so long perpetuated the status quo. We will have enacted the most important piece of social policy since the Social Security Act in the 1930s, and the most important health reform since Medicare in the 1960s.
In Decembers to come, millions more will have access to affordable coverage. Parents will have the security and stability of knowing their insurance can’t be revoked at a moment’s notice. And the skyrocketing costs plaguing our small businesses will be brought under control.
When you make calls, write letters, organize, this is the change you’re making — a better life for your family and for men and women in every state.
There is still more to do before I can sign reform into law — a last round of negotiations and final votes in the Senate and the House — and I’m counting on your help every step of the way. But for now, I hope that as you celebrate this holiday season, you remember that the work you are doing is making our union more perfect, one step at a time. For that, I am grateful to you.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays,
President Barack Obama
P.S. — Organizing for America supporters are signing a note of appreciation to all the senators who have worked so hard to make this possible. I hope you’ll join them.
