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October 18, 2009
Diva Premal Miten concert
Posted by doctormatt at 2:57 PM
October 7, 2009
Why the Current Bills Don't Solve Our Health Care Crisis
Courtesy of Michael Moore
Huffington Post
Co-authored with Rose Ann DeMoro, executive director, California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee
Now we know why they've stopped calling this health care reform, and started calling it insurance reform. The current bills advancing in Congress look more like rearranging the deck chairs on the insurance Titanic than actually ending our long health care nightmare.
Some laudable elements are in various versions of the bills, especially expanding Medicaid, cutting the private insurance-padding waste of Medicare Advantage, and limiting the ability of the insurance giants to ban and dump people who have been or who ever will be sick.
But, overall, the leading bills and the President's proposal are, like the dog that didn't bark, more notable for what is missing.
Here are 13 problems with the current health care bills (partial list):
Continue reading "Why the Current Bills Don't Solve Our Health Care Crisis"
Posted by doctormatt at 10:33 PM
October 5, 2009
Video - Anthem Blue Cross's profits were up 89% from 2004 - 2007
Although membership was up only 3%
The Tennessee Anthem Blue Cross organization is one of only few "independent" organizations using the Anthem brand not owned by WELLPOINT.
Posted by doctormatt at 6:51 PM
Getting Sick, Dying Quickly
"It's my duty and pride tonight to be able to announce exactly what the Republicans plan to do for health care in America," announced Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) on the House floor Wednesday night. Taking out a chart, he continued, "Here it is.
The Republican health care plan for America: 'don't get sick.' If you have insurance don't get sick, if you don't have insurance, don't get sick; if you're sick, don't get sick. ...
If you do get sick America, the Republican health care plan is this: 'die quickly.'"
Continue reading "Getting Sick, Dying Quickly"
Posted by doctormatt at 6:38 PM
October 4, 2009
Kucinich amendment to HR 3200 allows States to set up Single Payer
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) pre-empts legislating health care reform at a state level if the state efforts challenge employer-based health care plans.
This would change under:
Posted by doctormatt at 8:15 PM | Comments (0)
October 3, 2009
Health overhaul closer than ever - and yet far off
Eight months in office, Barack Obama has now pushed closer than any other president in generations to creating a basic health care safety net for working Americans. Yet the fate of legislation delivering on his goal is far from certain: Republicans are nearly unified in opposition, Democrats hardly united in support.
Indeed, few if any of the major arguments about the scope and costs of the historic undertaking are settled as congressional leaders prepare to take legislation to the floor in the next two weeks.
Continue reading "Health overhaul closer than ever - and yet far off"
Posted by doctormatt at 12:00 AM