Updates to this morning HCR Call, and blog below

Just when I was feeling so discouraged after our morning conference call (see blog below) change has already started to take place. Not because of our call this morning, though I hope that will have an impact but because of comments the public has been making to Congress.


I just found out from the team on the call this morning two things:
An ammendment has been addes that would improve beneficiary access to primary and preventive care by adding a modified version of the Medicare Fracture Prevention and Osteoporosis Testing Act (S.769). This policy would improve beneficiary access to bone density tests. This policy was submitted by Senator Lincoln as amendment D2.

And more ammendments are coming in to change the bill that addressed our concerns. Here are links to original Baucus Plan and updated plan for your viewing pleasure:
the original Chairman’s mark released last week in case you still need it: http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/leg/LEG%202009/091609%20Americas_Healthy_Future_Act.pdf

Here are the modifications to the Chairman’s mark – proposed by Baucus – that the Committee will consider: http://finance.senate.gov/press/Bpress/2009press/prb092209a.pdf



This is why it is so important to contact Congress.

To see more from people who are talking, go here

Conference Call with Senator Reid Team; Health Care Reform

Ronni Bennett of TimeGoesBy blog organized a bloggers outreach on Health Care Reform that motivated me to blog, ad nauseum to some, about my thoughts on this very important matter. As a result of that, Ronni  spoke with Senator Reid's team yesterday and then today 4 other bloggers, myself included, we invited to speak this morning with a team from Senator Reid's office, health policy people and staff, related to Senator Baucas plan. Ronni will be blogging on more specifics on the Medicare aspects of reform; the actual process involved in getting this bill through, and more tomorrow at http://www.timegoesby.net/. My post is my view point on the general topic of getting health care reform bill passed. Some facts, a lot of opinion, and pure emotion.

I spent most of last night and this morning reading Senator Baucas plan that the team graciously supplied to all of us on the call. I am now officially brain dead. This bill is, in my opinion, awful. There is NO public option plan. It is a lesson in how politicians keep their jobs and give buraucracy a lousy name.

What I learned from the call that is positive:

Medicare will cover prevention testing free to subscribers

Medicare will cover free annual check ups(instead of just ONE when you sign up)

If you are in the donut hole on Medicare, you will get a 50% reduction discount on brand name drugs but get credit of 100% toward coming out of the donut hole

There will be a .5% increase in reimbursement to doctors and NOT the 21% reduction. This will keep doctors on the roll of providing medical care for seniors.

What is negative:

no public option plan

574 ammendments submitted as of yesterday

still no coverage of bone density scans as prevention for osteoporosis which has increased health care costs related to this disease to a whopping $19 billion!

No agreement between Repubs and Dems on bills and ammendments

What is hopeful:

House bill does have public option plan

HELP has public option plan (HELP is the anacronym for the Senate's Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Finance)

The call: the staff were very nice, helpful and listened to our concerns and explained the process.  For me, someone who has been in health care in one way or another for more years than I care to count, I do not understand why Congress continues to make something so simple, so difficult.

My question: Medicare is in place. It is not perfect but provides good health care coverage for over 40 million seniors. You do pay a premium for Medicare that is managable to most. If you cannot afford it, and are eligible for Medicaid, Medicaid will pay for Medicare. This is called dual eligibility.

Medicare has an infrastucture in place. True it has some bureacracy but what health insurer doesn't? So, very simply, why  not make Medicare the PUBLIC OPTION plan for the uninsured? tada! Simple. Easy, Fast.

Frustrating...some of congressional staff/members actually suggested this but its not going anywhere. Don't ask me why.

The good: Congress is getting calls, emails, phone calls on Health care reform. So if you have a view point, make it known. Or suffer the consequences of non action.

I know the President's bill and others make certain conditions a necessity in changing the managed care insurers but they forgot to eliminate the term MCO love: Medical necessity which is used to deny coverage for "anything" the plan deems too expensive.

I loved the staff today who were very helpful and honest. More than that, they were willing to listen. Tell everyone you know to call, email, blog about health care reform. Congress is listening. And that is the best news I can offer.

Frankly, I am drained from frustration related to what I perceive as the mind boggling reticence on the part of Congress to make a simple, easy to use health care system possible. Health care coverage is a liberty. I thought liberty for all was part of our US Consitution. Remember when Patrick Henry  said: "give me liberty or give me death"? It is evident today that he was also including health care coverage.....pun intended.

More to come.....

Add Your Name; the Myth of 60

The Senate only needs 50 senators and Vice-President Biden to pass -- by majority vote -- healthcare reform including a public option in a budget bill this year. there are  50 senators on record ready to vote for real reform.


The budget process can start as soon as October 15. Need to hit the critical mass of at least 250,000 signers by then to make sure our call to action has an impact on every member of Congress nationwide.  If we work together, I think we can double it and gather 50,000 signatures by Monday.


As the President said in his speech to Congress last week, this is the season for action. The majority of Americans want the choice of a public option and majority votes in Congress will pass it. Join me in calling on Congress to get the job done this year.



ADD YOUR NAME RIGHT NOW http://americacantwait.com/dfaemail2



The myth of 60 is pushed by those who want to kill reform.



But the foundation of American democracy is based on majority votes and the United States Congress is no exception. While Senate rules allow a procedural tactic known as the filibuster to block most bills without the support of 60 senators, there are exceptions -- because Senate rules also ban the use of a filibuster to block budget reconciliation bills. That means, if the Senate can't pass healthcare reform including the choice of a public option with 60 votes, they can still pass it in the budget bill this year by majority vote.



The question is do they have the political will to fight back against right-wing fear mongering and misinformation to deliver real reform?



It's up to us to demand action. Let's work hard to get 50,000 signers by Monday.



ADD YOUR NAME -- THEN PASS IT ON
http://americacantwait.com/dfaemail2

I added my name. Will you add yours?

A Matter of Life or Death: Are you ready to choose?

I said I was taking a break from the political and media pundits giving voice to the minority who want to control the USA and destroy the Presidency. Those who know me, know that is difficult for me to step back. So, motivated by a true story that is recent, I had to post this:

A young woman, mother, wife, in her late 30's, suffered a cardiac event: ventricular fibrillation (this is not conducive with life). Rushed to the Emergency Room, the doctors there initiated immediate cardiac surgery to correct the problem. They were successful. She did very well after the surgery and has returned to living a fairly normal productive life.

2 Weeks after her surgery, she received the hospital and physician bill totaling almost 100,000 dollars because HER MANAGED CARE HEALTH INSURER DENIED THE CLAIM as UNECESSARY MEDICAL EXPENDITURE. She is fighting it. I hope she wins. And if I knew the name of the insurer, I would name them here. But I don't want to affect her case.

In the NEW health reform public option plan, there would be no such incident or denial. And I believe, once a public option is in, managed care insurers will have to compete and denials as ridiculous as this one, will go away.

So it's a matter of life or death. Which do you choose? If you are currently insured with one of the managed care health insurers, this story could be about you.

Make a difference. Make your voice heard. CALL your congressional representatives, senators, and tell them you support the public option health plan. Here is the phone number, just ask for your representative: Congressional Switchboard: (202) 224-3121

Hate Mongers attempt to follow me on Twitter

I have made it no secret I am for a public option and support President Obama's health care reform plan. I have blogged on it and used my Twitter (Twitter/nkbe) account to continuously promote this action, joining many others in this cause. I don't know why I am still amazed at the agression of the minority who espouse lies and fear mongering to get Obama's plan defeated; but I am still amazed. I almost wish those of us for the bill had more gumption and less apathy in this matter.

If you watched Senator Kennedy's memorial and burial service, you would have heard Republicans speeches on what they admired most about this Senator: His ability to reach across the isle and get things done. Yet less than 24 hours after Kennedy's burial, the Republican Congress was out in full force espousing lies about the health reform bill. They need to be removed from Congress because all they care about is their own personal gain (in my opinion). They seem to want to do and say anything to have the President fail. If the President fails, we all fail. President Obama inherited this mess. It will take more than 6 months to fix the crap President Bush got us into not to mention the greed of Wall Street and banks.

Where are you people? Do you not have a voice? You better speak now because we are in danger of losing help we desperately need for our citzenry. I contact Maryland Congress people yesterday to tell them to make health reform happen, particularly the public option. As I said in a previous blog: managed care insurers want their say; want to make millions and billions of dollars at our health needs. We need an option!

Today, the Christian Coalition wanted to follow me on Twitter. Their goal: defeat health care reform and more. Can they not read? do they not see I am for it or are they trying to defeat my voice? I blocked them but I fear their efforts will attempt to defeat my voice.

Now is the time: here is the link to all of Congressional emails: http://www.webslingerz.com/jhoffman/congress-email.html

What are you waiting for? 57% of those polled want the entire Congress replaced. I want most of them replaced. We can make a difference here. Make your voice heard. do it NOW.

RIP Senator Ted Kennedy; Keep Hope Alive for Healthcare Reform

Sad news this morning: Senator Edward Kennedy has lost his battle with the Glioma, cancer of the brain. A tragic end to a life filled with both tragedy and good. I choose to remember the good. Yes, the Chappaquiddick incident is still constantly brought to the forefront. But he paid his dues. He did good and he was a champion for people. Maybe the bad that happened brought out the best in him. Maybe his good and commitment to good came about as repentance. Whatever, he was the head of a family that felt more tragic events that any family should.



Now, with Eunice gone, there is no other leader to this family. Now, with health care reform being badgered by Senators who may not have had such public misdeeds, but as vile as anything you can imagine by taking money from health insurers and fighting with such vengeance and lies to stop healthcare reform. Now we are left with many Senators who will stop at nothing to get their own ways; to assassinate health reform; to kill a new President's goals that are needed for this county. Maybe as a tribute to Senator Kennedy, we ought to vote out those who choose their own personal goals ahead of the good of the country and its people.



Whatever you think of Senator Kennedy, you must see that for decades, he changed his life and improved ours. I fear health care reform in this year may be stalled by his loss. I hope not. But I urge you to please contact all congress leaders to promote healthcare reform. Not as a tribute to Senator Kennedy, though a tribute it would certainly be, but for all of us, all of us. Don't believe those people who push their own interests over ours.

Kennedy got between 300-500 bills that help each and every one of us. Have a child that needs more help in school? Think of Title 9; So much that is too much for this blog.

For the Kennedy family, I wish them peace. Keep hope alive; let the dream of health care coverage for all human beings live on.