- This is the information you need to TRULY understand
the 'hidden' life-altering details, of this so-called Health Reform Bill
- in reality it has little to do with providing quality -affordable care,
and everything to do with sweetheart deals, worked out months ago with
Big Pharma - Insurance Companies - Hospitals - HMOs - and dozens of lobbyists.
Left out are the people - who bear the brunt of obscene costs. Doctors
pay special heed to last paragraphs, describing laws already passed in
an unrelated bill and how it will greatly affect your practice and decisions
for your patients.
-
- Thus far (in the Senate Bill alone), there are 2,074
plus pages. The printed bill weighs 70.8 lbs = $1.2 bill per page. The
lobbying (67 Lobbyists for every legislator!) has won all they've sought.
Monies spent $3.3 billion. Our newest form of 'representative democracy'
are these sweetheart deals worked out (buying votes) behind closed doors.
-
- Senator Baucus of Montana, who had doctors/nurses arrested
(March) when the supposed 'everybody at the table' hearings went on, got
special favors for his citizens. In Libby Montana, there are many asbestos
related illnesses, due to the mining there. These sick citizens, will be
granted 'special access to Medicare benefits, that are not available to
other states, who are suffering the toxic pollutants of corporate hucksters
(chemical plants, mega dumps, incinerators, coal plants etc).
-
- Phew, and to think, the mining company might have had
to pay these health costs. Per usual, taxpayers will instead pay the bill.Nebraska
- Massachusetts - Vermont- Louisiana have been given more Medicaid monies
than other states. Millions more. Folks in Florida, will receive special
attentions to their Medicare Advantage plans (covers extra costs).
-
- Nebraska has the rest of us picking up their Medicaid
costs - for life! There's not a single thing in this 'reform' that will
actually deliver a single medical treatment or surgery. Except for Senator
Sanders of Vermont. He thought of the people in his request for funding
of clinics across the nation. Clinics were people aren't put in a beggarly
position in seeking help. Maybe we should have a bidding process instead
of elections? We'd sure make out better - we couldn't do worse.
-
- This 'reform' is just more money, in the form of higher
premiums (millions of more customers) to insurance companies. The people
- unable to afford Cadillac coverage, will get Medicaid on steroids. Having
(gov coverage) doesn't mean you can get health care. If you've never been
on cannery row - with a toothache or strep throat, looking for a dentist/doctor;
who will take your 'po' man's card' - you soon will. Big deal. So 30 million
more will get a Masters of the Universe Health Card. Take that to your
dialysis treatment. That's what your junk coverage will look like. You
dragging up one street after another looking for care.
-
- And you can't blame the doctors with ten plus years of
education/training. We only pay gladiator sports figures - golfers - rappers
- loud mouth TV/radio jocks -silicon inflated, air head starlets, military
contractors, and politicians the big money. Washington shills, while seeing
to their own salaries, with yearly cost of living increases - pensions
- life long (Cadillac taxpayer subsidized health insurance - lots of choices,
no worry over pre-existing conditions) lobbying jobs for family members
etc --don't feel that physicians, many with huge loans to repay, are deserving
of adequate pay for their work. Heck Rostenskowski (felon) is laying back
on easy street with his $176,000 pension. While a few bucks more in SS
will break the bank, (not trillions to the banksters) Rostenskowski is
getting (they all do) a $9,000 dollar COST OF LIVING increase. They get
these yearly.
-
- There will be just two National Private Plans - one a
non-profit, overseen by the Office of Regulatory Management. Senate leadership
reports, that states will have to police any problems.. Good luck. California
was not able to perform when battling Anthem BlueCross when they denied
coverage to 1,770 policy holders.
-
- It was a no-win(cost wise) for California, as Blue Cross
had the right to contest 'each' case individually. This would have tied
up the courts for years. Instead (yawn) they were fined a mere million
- walking around money for these bloated charlatans.
-
- "We're right in the middle of a /&%#!+ reptile
zoo and somebody's giving booze to the GD things!" Hunter Thompson
-
- Aren't you sick and tired of being compared to a car
(buying insurance). Politicians tell us that this 'mandate' is the same
thing! Not one state requires everybody to buy auto insurance. There
are states that require people who 'wish' to operate a licensed vehicle
on public roads to buy insurance.
-
- I don't know of one state that requires people who wish
to operate a licensed vehicle on public roads that require those folks
to buy collision or comprehensive fire and theft. They require folks to
buy liability in case they damage somebody else or their property. This
would be like the government 'mandating' me to carry health insurance in
case I made somebody else sick. Physician owned hospitals will get special
favors/exemptions. With our tax money.
-
- AARP got themselves a billion in extra Medicaid payments.
Doctors/hospitals in Montana - North Dakota - South Dakota (gang who met
in secret) Utah; will get paid extra monies under a special formula in
the bill. This bill is not about 'health reform' - but a massive expansion
of new customers for the insurance industry. Millions of 'mandated' customers
will see a great expansion of insurance companies profits. Insurance companies
will see tax credits directly payable to them/400 billion transferred to
insurance companies. President Obama meantime announced that he is standing
up to the special interests.
-
- Huh? There will be no public option - no Medicare buy-in.
This was no deal anyway, with an individual paying $7,500, and a couple
$15,500.00. There is no tort reform, and the insurance companies will continue
to be exempt from anti-trust laws. Medications will continue to skyrocket
as reimportation of drugs from Canada is out. Broken hip - take two aspirins
and stay off that leg.
-
- Thus, drugs manufactured here and sent to Canada, will
not be reimported which would save citizens millions, if not billions per
year. We will continue to pay 6-10 times for more drugs than the other
industrialized nations. While this is being made to look like an act of
Congress - in fact, this deal, was hammered out in July-Aug 2009, with
the real wheelers & dealers in this 'health' bill - (White House health
advisory staff).
-
- The only 'reform' in this bill (unread); is the mandated
millions, who will be forced to buy 'junk (poor quality) insurance. Sort
of like presenting your child's Spider Man Club Membership for services.
Good luck. This mandated collection of monies will be the job of the IRS
- with those citizens who refuse, suffering fines (increased in this
bill). Citizens will be forced to pay 8% of their income (so far) to private
insurance companies, whether they want to or or not. Of course unlike the
well paid (full Cadillac coverage) political hacks in Washington (yearly
raises); out here in the real world - wages have stagnated.
-
- Temporary work at $8-$10 bucks an hour isn't living -
its trying to exist. Vacations in Hawaii - Martha's Vineyard - river rafting,
Yellowstone, etc. Not out here. Few now get vacations. Sick time? While
Senator Kennedy was paid in full for his two years of illness - work a
day people go to work sick. To get a day off means a doctors excuse. Cost,
$91.00 for that office visit.
-
- Perverse times we live in. War = Peace Prize, and the
forced payment of an inferior product = freedom. Paid for by taxes (lots
of them) on the middle class. The insurance plan you have now, through
your employer, will most likely cause them to cut back (due to costs) on
benefits, increase co-payments. While these taxes start as soon as the
President signs this 'bill' - benefits ( such as they are) will not be
realized until 2014. What's the bum's rush?
-
- For us - this is comparable to paying multiple taxes
on a used Corvair ($578 billion in new taxes according to Chief Accuracy
-Congressional Budget Office); and not being able to drive it. In the meantime,
you'll be paying registration, inspection fees, insurance and gas. * Medicare
will be cut by some $500 billion. This is called 'savings & addressing
waste' by the pro-reform folks. I'm still wondering where the $2.3 TRILLION,
that Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld said couldn't be accounted for (Defesne
Dept), on Sept 10,2001? In the tragedy of Sept 11 - nobody thought to look
into this?? TRILLIONS!!
-
- Monies for home health care will be cut along with money
for hospice care. Others - with more common sense, see it for the rationing
it is. Drug companies - besides benefiting from no reimportation of drugs
- have also gotten an agreement to keep generic version of expensive biotech
drugs from ever coming to fruition. High costs will prevail.
-
- The Congressional Budget Office reports that this drug
deal (spawned in the White House - July) will save Big Pharma 100 + million
over the next decade. Other economists, project these profits could be
4 to 5 times 100 million. Unlike other countries / ours, being a profit
driven enterprise, is not about the health of citizens; but more and more
profits (new mansions - bonuses -Ivy league colleges for the kids - corporate
jets - exotic vacations etc).
-
- Who can forget President Bush remarking that 'everyone
in America has medical care -they have the emergency room.'
-
- President Bush - like many from wealthy families, or
professional politicians, don't have a clue as to life in the real world.
He is certainly unaware - that there are documented cases - of people
dying while waiting hours and hours for care. One pool soul (age 47) died
of an obstructed bowel on the floor of a California ER. The janitor mopped
up the blood around her as she lay dying on the floor. The person with
cancer, in need of dialysis, an MRI or special treatments etc, isn't going
to get it in the ER.
-
- They sure won't get the heart valve replacement that
Barbara Bush (86), received last year (also stomach surgery) - or the specialized
treatment of Senator Kennedy/ along with his receiving full pay, for his
2 yrs of sick time. They won't get a month's 'REST' in the hospital like
Strom Thurmond or specialized care like Alan Specter - Dodd - Clinton/
in the best of hospitals.
-
- People in days gone by carried insurance to cover any
crisis / i.e. illness, accident, house fire, liability etc. No more.. The
insurance companies now have legions of drone workers, whose only job
is to deny claims. This is usually done under the guise of some vague pre-existing
condition. This can range from having acne in your teenage years to athletes
foot. This is comparable to carrying fire insurance on your home - only
to be told, when submitting a claim, that it has been brought to their
attention (insurance carrier) that neighbors report, that a marsh mellow
roast, was held by your son's boy scout troop, in the backyard 15 yrs ago
- therefore adding to the risk on your property!
-
- Over 60% of doctors/nurses want 'Single Payer' (do not
confuse this with Public Option, which the media is purposely doing). 62+%
of the American public wants Single Payer. This figure would be higher
if we had a reputable press, (TV media) that would allow this to be reported.
To date - with the months of hot air - talking points, on the House or
Senate versions, of this giveaway to corporate hogs - you have NEVER heard
a peep on the details of 'Single Payer'. All of us recall the President
endorsing 'Single Payer' when campaigning.
-
- Single Payer - What You Were Not Permitted to Hear Discussed:
-
- http://www.hr676.org/
-
- The simplistic bill not written by lobbyists or awash
with cross references. A mere 27 pages.
-
- http://www.pnhp.org/nhibill/nhi_bill_final.pdf
-
- This was a major reason why many voted for him. The promise
of affordable health care. Finally, the insurance companies would be out
of the picture. Insurance companies who are responsible for many a families
financial ruination. Why, as far back as the President's days as state
senator, he was championing 'Single Payer', as the only way to go. Things
'change' when you enter Foggy Bottom. The real world of corporate occupied
territory - hits you upside the head. The President, while still feebly
wishing for Single Payer now sees it as an impossibility.
-
- Instead the White House health team has had innumerable
meetings, with insurance/drug/hospital lobbyists and their CEOs. Why,
as the President stated,' you'd have to start from scratch' with Single
Payer. In reality - Single Payer, would merely consist of expanding Medicare.
Everybody in - Nobody out. While these bills (Senate - House) are thousands
of pages long (written by industry lobbyists) with numerous cross-references,
the Single Payer Bill, with many co-sponsors is a mere 27 pages of easily
understood language for the work a day citizen.
-
- *********
-
- Single Payer - would end the monopoly of insurance
along with the greed of Big Pharma. Recall, that the President promised,
during the campaign, that we would have transparency in Washington. Everyone
(health bill) would have a seat at the table. Why the entire discussion
would be shown on C-Span. It didn't quite turn out that way. To date everything
has been down in secret - in the shadows.
-
- The fact is, hundreds of doctors and nurses, showed
up at the supposed 'open' meetings in March -'09, to discuss all options
for true health reform. All options, except 'Single Payer' that is.. The
only people at the Baucus Finance Committee hearing were industry hacks.
Nobody representing 'Single Payer' was permitted at the table. Doctors
and nurses were scattered throughout the audience. As one by one the doctors
& nurses stood and attempted to champion Single Payer - the 'reform',
most desired by the medical profession (not small % of AMA who don't represent
mainline physicians/surgeons) Senator Baucus called police to arrest them.
-
- Thus, they were jailed! Our nation's doctors and nurses.
This is the 'freedom' that our military is fighting for? Now common sense
might dictate, that who would know better about medical care, than those
who have spent years becoming educated - and working in the field? Dedicated
people, who have tens of thousands in loans to repay, and thanks to the
insurance industry - some are paying upwards of $80,000 for malpractice
insurance. With cuts in Medicare and Medicaid payments to physicians; why
they'll have to refuse these patients, or close up shop? Out here in the
real world, taxes are rising by the day, along with electric ( thank you
Congress) food, rents, and of course, prescriptions. Not for the Washington
gang - they've seen to feathering their health care nests/ for life. Hmm
- maybe we should import some witch doctors eh?
-
- Our illustrious leaders aren't subjected to the same
rigors/ training for their field. Their corporate masters see to this expense
(campaign donations/ cocktail fund raisers etc). They should carry malpractice
insurance, which would go a long way in covering the damage they've done
to citizens (nation) due to their ineptness - incompetence - negligence
in reading bills. The town hall meetings showed citizens just what their
elected officials really thought of them - nothing! Somewhere along the
line - they lost sight of just whom it is they are employed by?
-
- Somewhere along the line ,they determined, that upon
being elected, the job, was to feather their own nests, and see to lobbying/
board appointments for family members?
-
- Single Payer: Automatic enrollment for everyone. Complete
service covering all necessary medical care and drugs. Free choice of doctor
and hospitals who remain independent and negotiate their fees. Public non-profit
processes and pays the bills. The entire system is financed through progressive
taxes (not high cost premiums - high cost drugs. Once upon a time our family
doctor spent all the time in the world with us. He didn't have to spend
HOURS, dealing with some GED dropout in a distant cubicle, leafing through
a volume of TESTS not eligible for payment, drugs too expensive. In the
real world this is called 'rationing'.
-
- Medical care for all was a non- starter. from the git
go. Big Pharma & Private Insurers wouldn't hear of it. Republicans
scream - Canada, we can't become a Canadian system. A buy into Medicare,
for those age 55 to 65? It might result in the possibility of this large
group negotiating lower drug prices and better service at a lower cost?
Oops! Private Insurers - Big Pharma wouldn't hear of it. Republicans again
warned of Canada! How about a Public Option - only to Americans who wouldn't
be covered by employers or by Medicaid? Coverage would be pegged to Medicare
rates. But - darn it, private insurers and Big Pharma said 'No'. Compromised
Public Option - open to approximately 6 million Americans, not otherwise
covered?
-
- The Congressional Budget Office - says this shrunken
public option, has no bargaining power, and would attract those needing
lots of medical care. But even the House's shrunken public option, is
too much for private insurers and Big Pharma. - even as small as 4 million!
It still contains the word 'public'! Not acceptable to industry. In rides
Lieberman. The paltry public option was not allowed a vote to debate. Good
ole Joe - from Insurance Capital -Connecticut, he didn't disappoint his
corporate puppet masters. It's hard to remember just what party Joe belongs
to - not that it matters. Hey, look at our circumstances. Everyone always
thought that the Democratic Party was the Party of the working man - the
disenfranchised, the voiceless and powerless. Well this theater of the
bizarre has sure disproved that MYTH.
-
- All this supposed wrangling for citizens is bad burlesque.
Our private for profit health system, designed to fatten profits of private
health/Big Pharma, is turned over to our private for profit health care
system -except now, these private health insurance companies and Big
Pharma will be getting 30 million added customers - PAID for by the rest
of us. Other Secret Dealings: The White House aided by Senator Harper (D-Del)
worked hard to crush an amendment pushed by Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
to allow for the reimportation of pharmaceutical drugs from Canada.
-
- The White House persuaded Democrats to oppose this!
Huffington Post reported memo/ that the White House and Pharmaceutical
lobby 'secretly' agreed (July) to a deal they'd been denying. It said that
the White House agreed to oppose any Congressional efforts to use the government's
leverage to bargain for 'lower' drug prices or importing drugs from Canada.
They also agreed not to shift some drugs from Medicare Part B to Medicare
D- which would have cost Big Pharma billions in reduced reimbursements.
And they say this isn't about money! All 300+ American will be forced to
sign on to one option or the other. The insurance companies will be handling
the large spillover (some 30 million) of new customers.
-
- It's a government/corporate partnership from top to bottom.
Always was. Insurance companies decided to call in their markers (thus
the avoidance of citizen's numerous faxes - phone calls - protests) to
get the necessary votes. Industry (insurance - Big Phama) will still be
exempt from both tort reform and antitrust laws. This permits price fixing,
collusion, market allocation. This is illegal in every other industry under
antitrust laws.
-
- Truth be told - private insurance companies, don't give
a rat's azz about the poor, the jobless, the hungry, the hurting;and will
charge them the highest premiums they can. Loan sharks in $4000 suits and
$200 silk ties. The President keeps saying that the average family will
'save $2,500 a year - and will not have to change health insurance plans.
Meantime the Congressional Budget Office reports that user fee taxes passed
through to customers will result in appreciably higher premium costs. They
also report that millions will lose their current plans.
-
- The Real Wheeling & Dealing: As Dr (Senator) Colburn
said, "There is no bill - all of this is a decoy. The real 'bill'
is being worked on in secret behind closed doors. We have no idea of the
details. I suspect that the bill, was hammered out in the White House.
The AP asked for records of health interests who had met with Health Advisers
(staff) at the White House. They found that there were hundreds of meeting
with Big Pharma - Drug companies - Hospital CEOs and Medical Device honcho.
Only the Big guys attended these high powered meetings with Rahm Emanuel,
Valerie Jarett (top adviser) - Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel (Rahm's brother) Axelrod
and 18 others. Congress/ Pelosi / Reid and Baucus with his new 'squeeze'
were all merely for our entertainment. That's my opinion on this mess.
The White House sure as heck wasn't going to trust the buffoons in the
House and Senate to handle this DEAL - are you kidding! We're talking real
money here, billions in profits and oh, future campaign donations..
-
- IMPORTANT NEWS FOR DOCTORS
-
- BLOOMBERG NEWS - FEB 9-2009 -- Few paid attention to
this gem/ in reference to the STIMULUS BILL - "Right mix of tax breaks
and cash infusion to jump start the economy. NO ONE from either party is
objecting to health provisions slipped in without discussion. These reflect
the work of Tom Daschle." What health provisions?
-
- It appears that this $800 billion dollar stimulus bill
that was 'hurried' through Congress in record time, contains some striking
'Big Brother' health care language. This jobs bill requires electronic
tracking of the medical records of ALL Americans. All your private data
will be stored on a government data base - including a history of your
diseases, pharmaceuticals, treatments, surgeries, mental health and ER
visits.
-
- Under the NEW provisions found in this (jobs) bill, all
US doctors will now be stripped of autonomy and forced to follow the medical
guidelines. It means that doctors can NO longer make their own decisions
about patient needs or treatment protocols. From now on ALL health care
decision will be controlled by a "HEALTH CARE AUTHORITY" of
the Federal Government.
-
- The Bill goes further. A new bureaucracy - the National
Coordinator of Health Information Technology will monitor treatment to
make sure your doctor is doing what the Federal Government deems appropriate
and COST effective.
-
- The goal is to reduce costs and 'guide' your doctor (pg
442-46). These provisions in the Stimulus Bill are virtually identical
to what Daschel presented in his book "Critical: What We Can Do About
Health Care Crisis". According to Daschle, doctors have to give up
autonomy and 'learn to operated less like a solo practioner'. Hospitals
and doctors who are not "meaningful users' of the new system wil face
penalties. 'Meaningful User' isn' described in the bill?
-
- This will be left to the Health and Human Services Secretary
(pg 518-540-541). Seniors (over 65) should be more accepting of the conditions
that come with age. The Stimulus Bill will apply a cost-effective standard
set by the Council (464). This board approves or rejects treatment using
a FORMULA that divides the cost of treatment by the number of years the
patient is likely to benefit (except if you're an aging Senator - President
- or Supreme Court Justice -jm) Stimulus Billl will affect every part relating
to health care from medical and nursing education to how patients are treated
and how much hospitals get paid.
-
- Hiding Health Care Legislation in a Stimulus Bill is
intentional. Daschle (who has advised White House team - jm) attributed
the failure of the Clinton Health Care Overhall to DEBATE and DELAY. Daschle
wrote (2008) that the next president should ACT QUICKLY - before CRITICS
have time to mount an opposition.
-
- "If it means attaching a HEALTH CARE PLAN to the
Federal Budget - so be it", he said. "The issue is too important
to be STALLED by SENATE PROTOCOL"
-
- We can now understand the RUSH to get the Stimulus Bill
passed in record time. God help us, if someone ( Legislators) took the
time to read it! It's evident that no great deluge of JOBS has been realized.
And as Daschle advised - Sneak it in anywhere - before there can be any
debate or discussion. So much eh for Representative Democracy. This explains
the Christmas rush - and lack of debate on the most important legislation
since the NEW DEAL. Keep the people in the dark like mushroom and feed
them manure! "We're late we're late no time to wait........."
-
- Profits take precedence. RATIONING - With an unelected
board deciding from some FORMULA (this is what we've been brought to )
the message appears to be/ Since you are no longer usual as worker bees
/ accept the decisions of the BOARD that expensive surgeries, treatments,
and medications are a waste of time (MONEY). I'm surprised they haven't
labeled this supposed health reform (really insurance lottery win) ICE
FLOE INC.
-
- As Ricky said to Lucy 'you've got some 'splaining to
do".
-
- LASTLY - We are being told that this health reform is
a 'work in progress'. That there are GOOD parts which should excuse any
qualms we might have. This would be the announcement that this BILL covers
pre-existing conditions. The President has stated that "Everyone would
be covered - all those with pre-existing conditions or medical problems.
We will end the practice of denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing
conditions.. The days of cherry picking who to care for and who to deny
are over". June 15-2009
-
- To understand this you have to check out the cross references
given in the Obama bill. This means you have to find out (as referenced)
the meaning of 'pre-existent condition exclusion" as defined in Section
2701(b)(1)(A) of the Pubic Health Services Act. The section numbers referenced
in Obama's bill for Public Service Act are the old numbers. The Public
Service Act has been amended with new numbers. The full text is 1,476 pages
long.
-
- Not to bore you with the maze of bureaucratic cross references
of terms in the bill - suffice to say: Paragraph 2 in Part A does several
things/ Section 2702. First paragraph two in Part A says that the prohibition
against pre-existing condition exclusions DOES NOT APPLY to benefits offered
in the policy in the "COVERAGES" Section, which means when the
policy is written PRE-EXISTENT CONDITION EXCLUSIONS will be allowed to
be written into the sections defining coverage. In short, insurers will
STILL BE ALLOWED TO EXCLUDE PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS FROM COVERAGE.
-
- The Devil's in the details!Paragraph two also says in
Part A that policy writers for the government will be allowed to make the
insurance you buy cover CERTAIN ailments, and not cover others/ one of
which just may be a condition you happen to have - which is PRE-EXISTING.
-
- What paragraph two says in Part B is that policy writers
for the government will be allowed to LIMIT the amount - level - extent
- or nature of the treatment you get for certain ailments.
-
- So, who will be writing your insurance policy? According
to the President's Plan, a NEW bureaucracy ( recall health plan language
buried in the Stimulus Bill) known as the "Health Benefits Advisory
Committee. These folks will be 'appointed' (27).
-
- How many have to be a treating doctor: ONE. So we'll
have this gaggle of people with NO medical backgrounds - or intimate knowledge
of the various treatments - or medicines, which besides prolonging life
(we're not talking of 90 yr old patients in a coma), will greatly relieve
needless suffering/pain. It is simply inhumane, to determine the quality
of a person's life, by some abstract formula most likely drawn up by those
who will profit.
-
- In this the 21st century no person should suffer intolerable
pain due to cost or the insanity of being thought a drug addict, due to
a Drug War, that is safest targeting the sick - dying rather than Drug
Warlords.I note that they wheeled Senator Byrd into the late night Senate
mayhem to vote. What is he - 100? Nobody is denying him the best of care.
A number of the Senators are well beyond 65 - ah but then they are excluded
from the nonsensical care they are voting for the nation. So much for
"I was SICK, I was HUNGRY, I was a STRANGER.........begone from Me
I know you not".
-
- JM jdthmoriarty@yahoo.com
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