The fight is on, POTUS has awaken...health care fight is on....
OUR nation is now engaged in a great debate about the future of health care in America. And over the past few weeks, much of the media attention has been focused on the loudest voices. What we haven’t heard are the voices of the millions upon millions of Americans who quietly struggle every day with a system that often works better for the health-insurance companies than it does for them.
These are people like Lori Hitchcock, whom I met in New Hampshire last week. Lori is currently self-employed and trying to start a business, but because she has hepatitis C, she cannot find an insurance company that will cover her. Another woman testified that an insurance company would not cover illnesses related to her internal organs because of an accident she had when she was 5 years old. A man lost his health coverage in the middle of chemotherapy because the insurance company discovered that he had gallstones, which he hadn’t known about when he applied for his policy. Because his treatment was delayed, he died.
I hear more and more stories like these every single day, and it is why we are acting so urgently to pass health-insurance reform this year. I don’t have to explain to the nearly 46 million Americans who don’t have health insurance how important this is. But it’s just as important for Americans who do have health insurance.
There are four main ways the reform we’re proposing will provide more stability and security to every American.
First, if you don’t have health insurance, you will have a choice of high-quality, affordable coverage for yourself and your family — coverage that will stay with you whether you move, change your job or lose your job.
Second, reform will finally bring skyrocketing health care costs under control, which will mean real savings for families, businesses and our government. We’ll cut hundreds of billions of dollars in waste and inefficiency in federal health programs like Medicare and Medicaid and in unwarranted subsidies to insurance companies that do nothing to improve care and everything to improve their profits. read more here....
At a town meeting hosted by Senator Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania resident stood up to say that the health care debate has "awakened the sleeping giant."
Not exactly.
What's it's done, it seems, is stirred a hornets nest, and uncovered disturbing attitudes and emotions that have nothing to do with policy.
Are we really still debating health care when a man brings a handgun to a church where the President is speaking?
How does a swastika spray-painted on a Congressman's office further a discussion about Medicare?
These are tough and challenging times and lots of people are scared about their jobs and the economy. But we can't let fear and frankly ignorance - drown out the serious debate that needs to take place - about an issue that affects the lives of millions of people.
It's time for everyone to take a deep breath and to focus on the task at hand before this sideshow drowns out the main event.
It is a shame that civics and AMERICAN HISTORY is not taught in schools the way it should be. And it is a SHAME, that a program like "ABC's Schoolhouse Rock" is not here today. LORD KNOWS, WE NEED IT.
Really, he is touting a co-op plan which caters specifically to the insurance companies and don't hold their feet to the fire for consumers. But again, when you take heavy money from the insurance lobbyists, as we saw with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), we see who really pull the strings around here.
Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D. presented his cooperative health care proposal here Thursday and told an audience of 100 that he would not vote for a government-run health care program.
Conrad stopped in Carrington as part of his a statewide tour touting the Senate Finance Committee’s cooperative health care proposal.
The proposal has received bipartisan support for several reasons, he said. The cooperative would offer a non-profit insurance option to compete with private health care. It would not be government run, he said.
Individuals, families and small business owners could stick with their current provider, or they could opt for the cooperative plan.
Health care issues are a concern in the country and North Dakota, Conrad said. A North Dakota family of four currently pays more than $11,000 for health insurance. By 2016, Conrad predicted health insurance costs could almost double to more than $20,000 for a family of four.
“The government itself cannot afford the direction we’re going,” he said.
This is a diary from Daily Kos. From an individual who HAS health care. His family has had a history of heart problems, with most of them dying at an early age from a heart attack. His doctor sent him immediately to a cardiologist, the cardiologist scheduled a nuclear stress test which would give a clear picture of the heart and any blockages. Guess what happened? The insurance company MADE THE DECISION that he did not need it. Is this the type of health care we want in this country? An insurance bean counter deciding a procedure over a cardiologist? CHANGE IS NEEDED.
I am a 46 year old man with a family history of early death as a result of heart attacks. I am of normal weight and exercise a few days a week. I have been having a problem breathing properly after even moderate exertion. My general practioner was concerned enough to refer me to a cardiologist and even demanded that I see the cardiologist on the day of my yearly physical.
The cardiologist was able to see me and suggested a nuclear stress test which would give a clear picture of the heart and any blockages. He suggested that my symptoms and family history were significant enough to warrant that test. My grandfather was dead at 50 of a heart attack, his son dead at 43 of a heart attack and his grandson also dead at 43 of a heart attack. That history coupled with my recent poor breathing was alarming enough to demand the test.
Today they called and cancelled the test. It seems my carrier Aetna does not believe I need the test and have denied the claim. I was told by the doctor's office that since I had not had any haert events that they would not cover this. In essence I had not had a heart attack yet so this test was not necessary.
This is the health care system in America today and yet we have these town hall morons screaming about rationing of health care. What the hell do you call what they just did to me? Does anyone think the government would have denied this test?
My grandmother had a saying "An empty can makes the loudest noise" and seeing these uninformed town hall morons killing our nations first real chance at reform is infuriating. It seems loud and stupid wins over reason and the insurance companies laugh all the way to the bank and people like me wait to have a heart event so that I can get the needed tests, that is if I live after the event.
I know this is a short diary but my experience is the same as millions of Americans at the mercy of profit driven insurance companies. It is stories like mine that need to be told. Now I will walk around not really knowing if I am OK and my first indication that I am not could very well be my last but hey some pig at Aetna just received a bonus to deny me care.
Rachel Maddow has been on fire exposing these people. This PR Firm was behind the George H. W. Bush "Willie Horton" ad. This is racism to the core. This is about DISTRACTION and not having a conversation about health care.
Let's talk about Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA). He has been a proponet for keeping the dialogue open about health care reform. President Obama gave him a shout out for working it through at his NH town hall. He does a bait and switch and we saw the above happen. Why?
Influence. He has taken a large amount of lobbyist money from the health care industries. He did exactly what his Democratic opponent Bob Krause said he would. From the Rachel Maddow Show, Krause specifically said that Grassley wanted an EXCUSE to pull away from the negotiations. He did not want to own it, though he is a moderate republican and has been working for it. Krause also said that Grassley has taken huge amounts of money from the insurance industry and if he wants to keep it he will disavow his association with this health care bill. Well lookey here, this is what Grassley is saying NOW:
"I'm not walking away from the table; I'm being pushed away from the table," Grassley said in Afton, Iowa, warning that Democrats might go it alone on health care.
Grassley's Iowa road show shows just why Democrats feared this August recess.
While, I agree about the need of having a cohesive health care bill, where all Democrats are on the same page, with ONE BILL, Obama White House nor the Democrats should be surprised at Grassley. Grassley is up for his seat in 2010, he has to do what is best for GRASSLEY to remain in the distinguished senate, that is lie if he must.
If there is any doubt that President Barack Obama’s plan to overhaul U.S. health care is the hottest topic in Congress, just ask the 3,300 lobbyists who have lined up to work on the issue.
That’s six lobbyists for each of the 535 members of the House and Senate, according to Senate records, and three times the number of people registered to lobby on defense. More than 1,500 organizations have health-care lobbyists, and about three more are signing up each day. Every one of the 10 biggest lobbying firms by revenue is involved in an effort that could affect 17 percent of the U.S. economy.
These groups spent $263.4 million on lobbying during the first six months of 2009, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington-based research group, more than any other industry. They spent $241.4 million during the same period of 2008. Drugmakers alone spent $134.5 million, 64 percent more than the next biggest-spenders, oil and gas companies.
You read that? $263.4M for the last six months. The pressure is on. But what needs to happen is we, the people, not only show up at these town hall meetings but to continue to call, email and FAX these congress critters. Doing it ONE TIME is not enough, it should be DAILY.
This is why the fire must be put on congress. The Democrats must grow a steel spine and pass this legislation. Why? Because if our health care system was so great, why are we having in the hundreds of thousands show up in the Los Angeles area for FREE HEALTH CARE.
The King Rushs, Glenn Becks, Katy Abrams, GOPers, insurance lobbyists, etc., don't care about the thousands of folks that showed up in an urban area for free health care nor do they care about the thousands of people that show up every year at the Wise, VA for free health care.
Forget these orchestrated incidents at these town hall meetings. The total responsibility should be on the congress. You need to contact them EVERY SINGLE DAY. Their feet need to be held to the fire because they are crafting the bill and they must VOTE.
We are witnessing the most outrageous excuse for greed in this country at the hands of the insurance lobbyists. And we all should be saying, together, NOT THIS TIME.
If we don't, yes there will be hell to pay for the Democratic side, but more importantly we will lose the many who came through for President Obama and the Democrats in 2008.
Remember, what is the Republican health care plan? They were in charge in congress for years, yet they have never done anything with health care with the exception of taking their lobbyists money. The Republican plan, RIGHT NOW is to do everything in their power to DEFEAT this bill. Remember, they are the minority so in a nut shell, fuck 'em. The ones we need to target are the Democrats, as we see the GOP operatives are ALREADY DOING THAT.
Please, for God's sake, stop trying to talk to a party that never have and never will give a rat's ass about health care reform. That bait and switch from Grassley, yesterday, should be the HANDWRITING ON THE WALL. Move on without the Republicans. If they don't get it, fine. That is on them. But please, Obama White House stop making a mockery of yourselves because in the end, these Republicans don't give a shit. These Republicans have no moral courage or leadership to do the right thing. The right thing is to denounce all this rhetoric at these town hall meetings; instead they are mum and have nothing to say.
The obstructions do not want health care reform or health insurance reform. They want business as usual; they are with the status quo and their lobbyists cronies. It is time to cut them at the knees and get on with it.
BI-PARTISIANSHIP IS A MYTH, DEMOCRATS, OBAMA WHITE HOUSE. GET ON WITH IT.
The audacity of that man to just come up to someone snatch the poster and rip it up? WTF? Where is the justice? And Lady Claire, I like you and supported you, but you were WRONG on this on.
Sources have told WRAL News that they expect former U.S. Sen. John Edwards to admit that he is the father of his former mistress' 18-month-old daughter.
Edwards, a two-time Democratic presidential candidate, confessed last August to having an affair with Rielle Hunter, who served as a videographer on Edwards' 2008 campaign. He has denied fathering her daughter, saying his relationship with Hunter ended before the child was conceived.
The name of the girl's father isn't disclosed on her birth certificate.
Andrew Young, a long-time Edwards aide, initially claimed to be the father of Hunter's child, but he is reportedly writing a book in which he will claim Edwards is the father.
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