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Harrison
11-07-2009, 07:54 PM
Those of you following a proposed trillion-dollar healthcare overhaul know that this behemoth legislation is being debated at this very moment. The 1990 page bill can be found here (http://www.defendyourhealthcare.us/images/111_ahcaa.pdf)(and other places).

An op-ed letter in a major US Newspaper recently quoted the prescient wisdom of James Madison, in relation to this particular “healthcare bill monstrosity,” which is 19.6 pounds printed:
“…It will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made by men of their own choice if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood; if they be repealed or revised before they are promulgated, or undergo such incessant changes that no man who knows what the law is today can guess what it will be tomorrow…”
Jane Sasseen’s article in Business Week seems to echo this concern in another way, going so far as to call this pricey reform a “Tax Hike by Any Other Name.” She raises some good points in the article – like how the middle class will end up footing much of the financial burden for this change. Also in this article, Jane mentions how device-makers may be forced to pony up more bucks - $120 billion over the next decade. And it is anyones guess how that translates back to us patients. In the meantime, more and more people are receiving ortho implants, so maybe Uncle Sam is raiding the treasure chest!?

Please answer the one-question poll herein. And offer your comment regarding this complicated, but well-intentioned bill.

rhatzy
11-08-2009, 11:27 AM
Madison, Jefferson and the rest were brilliant men who understood government but also most important human nature and their writings and views are still relevant today. It's a shame that most of our politicians more than likely have never read any of their works, especially the consitution. These great founders of our country warned of us people like Pelosi, Obama, Reid and the rest of the ilk.

Mark

Jack
11-16-2009, 10:07 PM
http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009/nov/16/many-fear-health-cuts/ This is medicaid but an example of how government handles healthcare.

I especially took interest in this quote--"Another new Medicaid restriction targets radiological tests, such as ultrasounds, CT scans and MRIs. Starting this month, before a Medicaid recipient can get one of these tests, the test will have to be approved by a private management company that has a contract with the state."---Is there a Radiologist in the house? tconner around?

Harrison
11-20-2009, 08:16 PM
Jack, thx for posting this lovely tidbit of information... :uhoh: But thx, everyone, for voting too. If you have not yet, pls do!

ans
11-22-2009, 08:19 AM
I certainly hope that docs get reimbursed more than Medicare rates. I wonder how they'd fare under a public plan. I know the rates are killing me.

2cool4U
11-23-2009, 02:20 AM
Medicare rates are lower than private insurers in my region, often by a substantial amount. Medicaid rates are even lower still, less than half Medicare for many imaging studies. Beyond that, there's free care available to those without any coverage, which varies by region and hospital.

The AMA thinks any decrease in per person reimbursement to physicians will be offset by having a greater number of patients covered by insurance. I'm not sure anyone knows what will happen to total physician payments. But net income is likely to decrease simply because most physicians will see increases in their income tax. If reimbursements should happen to fall and taxes increase, I predict a rise in physician retirements. Not en masse, just a gradual shift, especially if retirement funds continue to recover.

I predict longer waits for medical care in that scenario. The only sound advice I can give is to know the issues and vote in local, state and nation elections accordingly.

-tc-

LBP
12-11-2009, 03:27 AM
OMG, anyone and everyone who has or is fighting for insurance to cover ADR should be fighting hard to get this heath care reform bill passed hopefully with a public option.

I pratically lost a decade of my life, career and credit ruined all because private employer provided health care insurance screwed me and my life by refusing to cover my surgery.

1) as long as health insurance is tied to our employment, we have no real choice. When you apply for a job you cant exactly ask what insurance plan they have. You don't get that info until they are making an offer of employment or after you've accepted employment. Therefore, we are at the mercy of our employers to determine the quality of insurance options. Furthermore, national insurance companies should offer the same plans to anyone in the nation. The only regional plans should be smaller regional companies. All markets in all areas of the country should have real choice.

2) Insurance companies are raising premiums, raising co-pays, and covering less, and fighting us by denying and delaying payment on claims while pocketing their profits in risky hedge funds and pay their execs tons of money. I have had to fight for 8 mos to get a physical therapy claim paid. Ridiculous. Just fighting the games played by private insurance companies. someone else may pay out of pocket or just give up and not get the treatment they need. Who says we are not already getting compromised health care because of this terrible existing system of insurance taking our money to cover less and less. What a joke.

3) Quality of PT has drastically declined in the last 5-10 years because insurance will not cover basic PT techniques. NOw a days you are barely touched by a PT but instead left to aides who just record in a chart what exercises you've done. That's not great physical therapy!

4) Democrats are actually trying to even the playing field for patients. Republicans are obstructionists not because they believe its in our best interst but because they think it's in their best political interests. They will keep saying anything they can think of even if it's a patent lie and they hope that you will drink their brand of kool aide if they say it often enough.

5) People need real choice and we need real competition to keep prices down.

6) I'm on Medicare now, and yes the reimbursements are low but I received better health care now than when I had an hmo and ppo when I was sitll working. Now that I'm on Medicare, I have all sorts of plan options to choose from. I never had these choices when I was working. When I was stuck with UHC, they refused to cover my surgery, and I couldn't buy an individual plan without having a pre-existing condition. So how is our current system worth keeping?

7) one thing we want to make sure is in the final bill is the FEHB policy for federal employees which states that once the FDA approves a drug or device, private ins cannot claim it is still "experiental and/or investigational" We want are drs not insurance companies in charge of our health care decisions.

Wake up people, call your congressmen and women to make them vote for meaningful health care reform. Lower premiums, more coverage, lower co-pays, lower prescription costs, and less profits to the CEOs of the healthcare industry.

Jack
12-11-2009, 11:29 PM
I hate to throw water on your post but have you actually read even the high points of this proposed legislation? To think the Federal government will pay for disc replacement for all who want it is a pipe dream. Generally the payers of even Medicare for such procedures as this are with the supplemental insurance that Medicare recipients pay for through the private sector.

Who do you think will pay for this? Under our current plan, if a Medicare person is poor, for example and is over 65 years of age and qualifies for Medicare and Medicaid, they end up on Medicaid and paid for by the states that pick up most of the tab for Medicaid. Can California or New York states pay for this?

Eighty percent of all healthcare costs in the USA that require some type of healthcare are related to lifestyle to a certain extent such as overweight, sedentary lifestyle, drinks, smokes, etc. If an overweight person wants knee replacement should the get a new knee or a diet and pain meds (narcotics). Which do you think the Fed is going to push for in a condition that requires TDR, narcotics or a new disc? To think the government can dictate Medicaid rates for re-imbursement is a pipe dream.

Just look at the scam politics on costs. Taxes for the "first ten years" but they will only be paying for the last seven. Those ten trillion dollars only pays for 7 years. Think about the next ten years. If you take all the money for the top 5% of tax payers, who pay for most all the taxes, there would still not be enough money.

What program has the Fed undertook that actually cost less? I don’t know of any.

I could go on but knowledge is key. We all need to discuss this openly, like Obama said during his campaign. He said all this behind closed door stuff like that is going on now, would not be done. He said it would all be on C-Span so we could see all the wheelin and dealin like offering 100 million to the state of Louisiana if the senator from there would change her vote.

Harrison
12-12-2009, 08:39 PM
LBP, you raise some really outstanding points, born from your painful experiences. And you argue very convincingly in your eight arguments. Jack also raises some good points in terms of the beast that is being “rammed” through the system – will it serve our interests? Will it address your concerns? Pay for new enabling medical solutions like ADR?

I don’t see how. Look at Medicare’s growing costs and ever-shrinking reimbursements. If that’s any indication (by symbol or as a benchmark for a future system) then we are addressing the wrong list of problems. I fear we already have a grossly bureaucratic health care system. Perhaps its reflective of our bloated, overloaded, unaccountable political system, which is why we need to start from scratch. That means NOT adding band aids on top of band aids…more layers of new committees…new policies on top of old ones, etc.

You may recall some of the chats we had about this in the past. I can’t seem to find the meaty topics, but Liz mentioned this wonderful PBS documentary – have you seen this: Sick Around the World - PBS documentary (http://www.adrsupport.org/forums/showthread.php?t=7925&highlight=sick+world)? The other countries figured out how to make things work – by doing careful analysis of systems around the world. It would seem the more successful ones started by comprehensive analysis and built completely NEW systems. I believe we are destined for failure unless we do that same.

OK, a bit of a rant….

Jack, I don’t fully agree with your points about lifestyle being such a major cost factor or “burden.” (BTW: I am in good health: not overweight and don’t smoke.) Sure, life choices are a big factor; but I think it is a bit over-emphasized and to some degree inaccurate. For example, it is argued that 1/3 of this country has one or more “chronic” diseases, which may not relate to smoking or weight. For example, think of the number of diabetic, asthmatic or “auto-immune” patients there are in this country – and all the doctors’ visits and meds prescribed to these patients.

Closer to “our” domain, think about the costs (and pains) with these grim patients' statistics (annual):


80,000+ infected prosthetics requiring revision surgery;
100,000+ deaths from nosocomial infections; of which 20,000 may be MRSA;
500,000 deaths stemming from biofilm-related infections;
1.9 million + hospital acquired infections!
These numbers were drawn from the CDC, NIH and CRID. But I had to really hunt to find and authenticate them for currency and accuracy. My point is that these numbers are just the tip of the iceberg and reflect a whole, different universe of chronic issues that are both under-reported and expensive in both human and economic terms.

So, back to the problem: what is the problem with healthcare?! Or list of problems? The person that determines & prioritizes the list is the leader of healthcare in America. And Obama, the healthcare president, has deferred this “list” to the House and Senate, knowing that other countries already solved this massive problem. Ironically, just this week, he received a peace prize in a country that has (forgive the expression) kick-*** healthcare.

Perhaps we are now living metaphorically in the book “Lord of the Flies.” I know that’s blunt, but if we don’t get our act together and focus on our budget issues – we’ll see trouble like we’ve not seen in generations. I’ll leave with one of my favorite quotes (stolen from Edison and morphed by Steve case):

"Vision without (the ability of) execution is a hallucination."

LBP
12-17-2009, 12:50 AM
Jack,

I've gained 40-50lbs because my employer provided insurance refused to pay for a necessary back surgery and I had to live 8 years in chronic pain, unable to do any meaningful exercise and daily activities to maintain my prior weight. Just because you're skinny doesn't mean you can't be an alcoholic, drug addict, ridden with various cancers etc! Besides, not all of us have the same metabolism. If you want to address obesity issues, then help keep daily gym classes in school, increase after school sports programs alive, make the school lunch programs more healthy, create incentives with employers or health insurance companies to get a discount for gym memberships.

Stop pointing fingers at the poor and sick. You should be pointing fingers at filthy rich insurance execs and hedge fund managers. They are taking our money without any quality of service in return.

I am exhasted from fighting my insurance company to even address an appeal on a claim. I sent the appeal via certified mail and they have delayed and avoided a decision claiming they cannot find my appeal and yet they will do nothing about the substance of my appeal after repeated calls to remind them I have an appeal outstanding. After months of no progress, I've had medicare file 2 separate complaints because my appeal has been outstanding since the first week of JULY!!!! You can bet that I will never stay with Blue Cross ever again. They are a nightmare. They fraudulently denied PT claims, with an explanation that I exceeded my annual benefits which was patently false becuase I had unlimited PT benefits. What they should have said was that my treater failed to use proper medicare codes. Yet once I convinced my treater of the real problem, the corrected claims were denied as "duplicates" Are you kidding me!!! I am single with one medicare insurance plan. There is no question from the insurance companies prospective that they should have instructed my treater why it was really denied and how to fix the probem, yet they do everything in their power to dely and deny and hope to utterly confuse the problem so that the treaters think the patients owe them money when it's the ins co that owes them money! I can complain to medicare until I am blue in the face but my individual complaints are not likely going to get Blue Cross kicked out of the Medicare Advantage program and there's no fine levied against the insurance company for such disgusting pratices. Where is the accountability for insurance companies? NONE so we need real health care and healthcare insurance reform.

If you can't have meaningful choice of changing insurance plans/insurance companies, or a public option, you are screwed, and if the government doesn't start restricting the costs insurance companies can charge us and regulate with checks and balances for what they can deny, you are doubly screwed.

When I was accepted on Medicare, I had the choice to select Aetna's Medicare plan because that was the only plan likely to cover ADR. ADR is like any new technology, the costs drop over time and it's really not any more costly than fusion.

Even with Medicare based insurance, I cannot believe the jumps in out of pocket costs from last year to this coming year. CT scan copays from 100 to $200. Steroid injecitons the same jump. This year I hit the infamous donut hole re prescriptions by August! But at least my generics were still covered. Next year, I don't even get generics covered once I hit the donut whole. I was paying $90/week in co pays for PT. I've had to not get certain treatments due to prohibitive costs and all it's accomplishing is a delay in returning to the workforce and getting off of Medicare. How is that good for our economy?

Jack I'd like to know what profile of persons you think are the only one's worthy of health care...the one's that don't need it? And who made you God to make such sweeping stereotypical judgments?

Jack
12-18-2009, 10:28 PM
According to The Obesity Society, more than 64% of U.S. citizens are overweight (defined as a BMI above 25), more than 30% are considered obese (defined as a BMI above 30 when 18-24 is considered healthy) -- and childhood obesity has tripled in the past 30 years! Studies by American Sports Data indicate that 3.8 million people in this country weigh over 300 pounds -- and over 400,000 people carry 400+ pounds on their frame. And the U.S. Surgeon General reports that obesity is responsible for 300,000 deaths every year in this country. The average American walks less than five miles a week, eats more fast-food meals than home cooked, and weighs 20-30 pounds more than his counterpart in Europe, Asia, Canada, or any other part of the world.

Most Diabetes is of the type II variety which is directly related to BMI.

I carry more cheeseburgers and chocolate than I would like but I don’t blame anyone but myself. Neither do I look for the government to fix it. I could go on but sounds like facts are giving way to personal attacks. Maybe we might be better to end our discussion.

I’m definitely not God, not even with a little “g”. I’m just pointing out facts freely available to those willing to look. God never promised us a smooth flight, just a soft landing.

Harrison
12-21-2009, 02:23 PM
Jack, I think we all bring some good points and facts to this topic. Sure, it's personal, as healthcare demands our attention and tax dollars!

There was a long op-ed article in the WSJ today. If the analysis of the current healthcare bill version is correct, I am deeply concerned:

Change Nobody Believes In

A bill so reckless that it has to be rammed through on a partisan vote on Christmas eve.

Excerpted:

"...And tidings of comfort and joy from Harry Reid too. The Senate Majority Leader has decided that the last few days before Christmas are the opportune moment for a narrow majority of Democrats to stuff ObamaCare through the Senate to meet an arbitrary White House deadline. Barring some extraordinary reversal, it now seems as if they have the 60 votes they need to jump off this cliff, with one-seventh of the economy in tow.

Mr. Obama promised a new era of transparent good government, yet on Saturday morning Mr. Reid threw out the 2,100-page bill that the world's greatest deliberative body spent just 17 days debating and replaced it with a new "manager's amendment" that was stapled together in covert partisan negotiations. Democrats are barely even bothering to pretend to care what's in it, not that any Senator had the chance to digest it in the 38 hours before the first cloture vote at 1 a.m. this morning. After procedural motions that allow for no amendments, the final vote could come at 9 p.m. on December 24.

Even in World War I there was a Christmas truce..."

See here for the article. (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704398304574598130440164954.html#a rticleTabs%3Darticle)

LBP
12-21-2009, 03:05 PM
The main concern of the latest senate version is crappy thanks to pro lifer Senator Ben Nelson(Nebraska), the insurance prostitute Senator Joe Lieberman(Conneticut), and a weak Senate leader Harry Reid (Nevada). Hopefully it will get better and closer to the House bill as it progresses to the next step.

re Obesity and Type II diabetes...it's a complicated issue and if you're not one of the lucky ones who can maintain a healthy weight without struggling, it really sucks. You're likely to be earning less, hired less often, judged more etc. Fast food is a problem, school lunch programs are a problem, people who have to work more hours or multiple jobs is a problem when they have less free time to exercise, let alone spend quality time with loved ones, computer games are a problem, lack of physical and nutritional education is a problem....it goes on and on. The solution is to give people opportunities to help themselves not punish them and drive them to worse situations that could cost the public more money because they are uninsured, going to the ER more, having more and more health issues spiraling out of control etc.

We all pay taxes for public education becuase it's a good for society as a whole. If you don't have kids or you insist on sending your kids to private school it doesn't exempt you from paying for public education. There's social security to help take care of our older population because it's good for society as a whole. Similar arguments can apply to a public health care option. Anti trust laws and consumer protection laws are intended to promote fair competition and public safety. Currently there are vitually no checks and balances on insurance companies and left unchecked and unregulated, they abuse the system in favor of making the rich richer and screw the people living on main street.

ans
12-22-2009, 09:09 PM
What one nurses' association feels about this pathetic bill:

http://tinyurl.com/y8joaft

Nobody asked but I am disappointed that Pres. Obama didn't fight tooth and nail for what he platformed on.

Harrison
12-22-2009, 10:22 PM
Thx for posting this...

"...NNU cited ten significant problems in the legislation, noting many of the same flaws also exist in the House version and are likely to remain in the bill that emerges from the House-Senate reconciliation process..."

:sus:

rhatzy
12-23-2009, 12:14 PM
people need houses and cars and food and maybe a cell phone or two and can't get by without a big sreen hd tv. I say lets tax the rich, take all their money, so the rest of us don't have to pay for all these neccesitiesof life.

Mark

Jack
12-23-2009, 09:09 PM
I read a report today that said fuzzy math was used to make the current bill revenue neutral. The government currently borrows money from future Medicare collections to pay bills today, sort of like regular people use a credit card. The thing is the proposed bill, according to the CBO, spends the same Medicare money twice making the bill not revenue neutral but a deficit. Some Senators said they would not vote for a Bill that was not revenue neutral. I don't fully understand all the levels of voting in the Senate but I thought they had 60 votes already cast.

There is so much not to like from both liberal and conservative sides of the issue. You would think that anything that involved 1 trillion dollars would be thoroughly examined before the vote. Why the rush?

Harrison
12-24-2009, 01:22 PM
Well, it's actually more. Any way, back to us patients...

__________________________________________________ ______

What Doctors and Patients Have to Lose Under ObamaCare

Changes to Medicare will give the feds control of surgical decisions.

Democrats are touting the American Medical Association's endorsement of President Obama's health plan. But there's an important reason why the American College of Surgeons and 18 other specialty groups are opposed.

The plan's most tangible efforts to restrain medical costs are through its controls on specialist physicians. Based on the government's premise that they often make wasteful treatment decisions, the health-care legislation in Congress will subject doctors to a mix of financial penalties and regulations to constrain their use of the most costly clinical options. The penalties and regulations are aimed first and foremost at surgeons and the medical devices that they use, largely because that's where the bulk of spending is.

It all starts with the sweeping power that the Senate bill gives to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The agency will be given the authority to unilaterally write new rules on when medical devices and drugs can be used, and how they should be priced. In particular, the Obama team wants to give the agency the power to decide when a cheaper medical option will suffice for a given problem and, in turn, when Medicare only has to pay for the least costly alternative.

Full article in the WSJ here. (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704254604574613992408387548.html?m od=rss_Today's_Most_Popular)

ans
12-25-2009, 12:34 AM
Thanks Harrison: very serious considerations.

From a "liberal" source. Dr. Benjamin Rush was prescient but I wonder if he anticipated this.

http://www.truthout.org/1224094

jss
12-25-2009, 10:28 AM
...

It all starts with the sweeping power that the Senate bill gives to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The agency will be given the authority to unilaterally write new rules on when medical devices and drugs can be used, and how they should be priced. In particular, the Obama team wants to give the agency the power to decide when a cheaper medical option will suffice for a given problem and, in turn, when Medicare only has to pay for the least costly alternative.

Full article in the WSJ here. (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704254604574613992408387548.html?m od=rss_Today%27s_Most_Popular)

So ADR and the promise that it holds for so many might be granted or denied in favor of fusion by a government bureaucrat based on cost? Rather than selected by a doctor and patient based on what's medically best for the patient?

Jack
12-26-2009, 12:38 AM
So ADR and the promise that it holds for so many might be granted or denied in favor of fusion by a government bureaucrat based on cost? Rather than selected by a doctor and patient based on what's medically best for the patient?

Or cheaper still narcotics.

kimmers
01-18-2010, 06:39 AM
I always believe that everyone is entitled to his or her opinion.

My opinion is that we are in trouble. The fact is the rate of growth of health care spending in the United States is unsustainable. If we do not control health care costs, we will not have any money for anything but health care costs. That means no police, firemen, etc...

We spend more than any other country, and yet our mortality rates are not better. The latest is that the US is spending about 16 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on health care. Yet our life expectancy ranks around 50th in the world (wikepedia, et al)

Insurance companies are not in business to keep us healthy. The insurance companies are beholden to their shareholders. Blue Cross, my insurance, keeps raising the money that they demand from my husband and I and decreasing reimbursement rates. Co-pays are increasing also. They cover what they want to cover and mess up on what they pay all the time. I have to call them this week because they must have "forgot" that one of my doctors is in-network.

Our system is seriously broken, and IMHO. the status quo will not suffice any longer.

jss
01-19-2010, 11:18 PM
... the status quo will not suffice any longer.

Kimmers,

Fortunately no one is promoting keeping the status quo. Democrats have killed every idea that the Republicans have proposed, and Republicans won't vote for the Democrat plans. Hopefully the Republican and Democrat parties will come to good a compromise and give us some good, sustainable reforms.

BTW: ditto, like you, I don't believe that insurance companies are about health care.

kimmers
01-20-2010, 02:31 PM
jss,

Hell has not frozen over yet.

LBP
01-25-2010, 12:16 AM
I am dumbfounded that every single person who is fighting for coverage, or has fought hard for coverage, or those who had to go in to debt to pay for ADR surgery, is not contacting their representatives and doing anything else you can do to support the dems in this fight and help pressure the bluedogs to more progressive reform.

I'm watching dateline discussing a story of a girl who died of cancer because Cigna refused to cover a claim for life prolonging surgery. The CA nurse organization took up her cause, and protested the company in their lobby. Cigna didn't want to look bad with all this press and granted a compassionate exception only to be hours late in saving this girls life. The Ins industry is interviewed saying how most claims are paid right away and denying claims is a "good" way to keep costs down?!?!?!

How dare they make such bald face lies and why aren't you all speaking out. I am so sick of fighting 90% of my claims and no one is taking notice. They lie about the reason why a claim is denied which just confuses my treaters. Ins says I've exceeded benefits which is false. So my treaters send me the bill to pay out of pocket. I'm telling them to fix the billing codes and when they finally do, ins denies it as a "duplicate." It's fraudulent claim processing by my insurance company. Every time I have to make the calls, my blood pressure goes through the roof and then I get horrible headaches and my Mom stresses out because she's worried I'm going to die of a stroke. If I die of a strok, make no mistake, my insurance IS to blame!!! I am so exhausted from fighting.

Most recently, I've been fighting an appeal I made the first week of July re durable medical equipment. They denied the claim, even though I provided them with their own internal documents stating this particular equipment is effective. So I file a timely appeal and send it by certified mail. I follow up multiple times to get the complete runaround. They say they have no record of the appeal. In my book, once I've proved they received it, they are in trouble and have waived their right to deny the claim when the failed to timely respond. Open and shut case right? Oh no... they try to restart the clock after receiving my complaint to Medicare, and yet I can't get Medicare to punish them. WTF. the standard issue csr at Medicare will help me file complaints until I'm blue in the face and sometimes I even get a supervisor. but they refuse to escate it further, even refuse to transfer me to a dept manager or the regional offices. Unbelievable. Medicare outsources some medicare plans to private insurance companies but they won't enforce the rules regulating the appeal procedures, let alone overrule their baseless denials???? And I'm informed that the State dept of Ins doesn't enforce these medicare advantage plans. I'll try a number one medicare rep gave me but I'm 90% sure she was just trying to get me off the phone becuase she didn't know what else to do besides giving me the Secretary of Health and Human Resources contact info. OMG I don't even think we have one appointed to replace the Tom Daschle rescinded appt.

If we don't get reform (democrate style) we might as well not have insurance, just go to the ER and file for bankruptcy every time we get sick because no one in the middle class or lower can afford the cash price of any health care services. Why do we keep making the insurance companies rich with premiums if they just refuse to pay claims, not just the big ones. It's getting worse year by year. Even simple claims like physical therapy STANDARD BLOOD TESTS/LAB WORK, and durable medical equipment are being subject to fraudulent and intentionally misleading delays and denials! They get away with it because no one is there to hold their feet to the fire. It's not worth dying over a stroke to fight them to pay these small claims but what do I do, crawl in a corner, let the pain get out of control and wish myself to die?

Harrison
01-25-2010, 12:20 PM
LBP,

I think everyone here would agree with your points about the frustrations in dealing with insurance companies. IMHO, though, the reforms were messy, ever-changing, and would not have reformed the behaviors that you mentioned.

Case in point: one version of the bill simply REQUIRED 40 million people to become NEW customers for the insurance companies! If you are broke, maybe you can't afford it? Maybe that's why a low-cost option was kicked around!

Any way, I've argued all different sides of this debate, but here's one of my biggest frustrations: where are we as citizens to get all the facts on healthcare reform? It seems like there is no singular, reliable source (or even a few). And this is a problem for all of us who want to take part in the process. There seems to be too much information; too much misinformation! I'd like to see a return to simplicity and efficiency in government...what a dream, eh?

LBP
01-25-2010, 11:28 PM
Well here's a no brainer we should all agree on...

send your reps a copy of the FEHB policy that prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage on the ground that a drug or device is "experimental or investigational" after FDA approval. At least so long as it's being used as intended.

I have sent a copy of this federal insurance policy to my congressmen and senators repeatedly. I've asked that this policy become the law of the land for all health insurance policies, whether federal, public or private! IF you want to send a copy, google: "US Office of Personnel Management, Office of Insurance Programs, FEHB Program Carrier Letter, All Carriers, Letter No. 2001-27 dated August 27, 2001."

Harrison re your point of a mandatory insurance reform... that's why the public option should be revived! If you want to require health insurance like car insurance then we need a public option were corp profits is taken out of the picture so the costs go down within the public option, but then helps drive down costs of private plans in order to keep them competitive.

We still need to get rid of pre existing conditions...and make sure that insurers cannot charge 3x the cost if there is a pre existing condition. Making insurance 3x as expensive is really the same as denying somone insurance if that became the republican and blue dog driven "compromise."

Ignore the made up teabag rhetoric of death panels and the like. Right now we have death panels. People are dying because it's a financial loss for insurers to pay claims. Their incentive is not to pay claims. That's a death panel, or a least a cattle prod to long term disability.

kimmers
01-26-2010, 04:58 AM
LBP I am right with you.

Speak up folks. Or just resign yourself to eventually filling for bankruptcy because that is what health care is going to come to.

What Republican ideas. State co-ops? Come on. Scaring people saying the Democrats wanted Death panels, when they were only really talking about end of life care which is on the agenda and training of every major hospital. It means older people are taken care of with compassion and care in the last years of their life. Insurance companies are the real death panels.

What the health care insurance companies are doing is criminal and they need to be prosecuted.

If someone were to load all the insurance execs on a raft and set them into the ocean where there were hungry sharks swimming about, I wouldn't lose any sleep over that.

My insurance company has contributed to sleepless nights, endless days/nights over a computer writing appeals, stomach upset, my family being super upset, my children crying, my husband worrying about bills and denials, near-bankruptcy due to the skyrocketing medical bills and the denials and lies.

And I continue in severe pain, practically penniless after the health care bills are paid, suffering from high blood pressure and enough stress to blow Mt. St. Helens directly because of my insurance company.

Kimmers

Harrison
01-26-2010, 06:22 PM
I don't disagree with either one of you and I don't think you would disagree with my logic here either. What I definitely could NOT support was the possibility of this outcome (it could still happen, but now less likely):

1. The public option is passed, forcing 30-40,000,000 people to BUY insurance of some "minimal" kind. The policies would likely NOT pay for ADR and many other medical procedures,

and

2. Insurance companies (particularly the Blue Cross companies) would continue with the same policies that we've been lamenting about since 2004 when we started this community.

These are really different problems we are discussing here. I am sorry to say that I don't trust Uncle Sam to solve them both; at least not in the near future.

LBP
01-26-2010, 11:54 PM
well I have many many more trust issues with big corporate america insurance companies usurping our doctors and making life and death decisions about our heathcare

if it wasn't for my ability to get Medicare, I still would be fighting for my back surgery, assuming I wouldn't have ended my life by now.

kimmers
01-27-2010, 03:53 AM
Harrison,

Good points.

I do not know how limited the policies would be. Would they cover ADR? Maybe. It is FDA-approved and a public option would have to cover FDA-approved devices and drugs.

That is what logic follows plus the government is looking at evidence-based medicine and the evidence shows that for DDD without contraindications, ADR is indicated over fusion. ADR is superior to fusion in that case. It costs less.
The government in the UK covers ADR.

I don't know how much pared down would be a government policy. I am serious when I say that my insurance sucks. Blue Cross/Anthem has some weird formula to reach the deductible and then the out-of-pocket maximum. I have to meet a $750 deductible for out of network coverage and then it only pays less than 50 percent of the bill and you are stuck with the bill. I paid out of network for my pain doc when i should have been covered in network. Does that make sense?

When you are paying $15-20,000 per year for health care bills and that does not include the price of the insurance, something is wrong. We are paying for service that we don't get. This is like paying $500 per night for two nights at a five-star hotel and you go and find you only get half a day stay for your money. Most businesses do not act or behave like this but insurance companies do.

Even in their so-called evidence TEC assessments and medical policies they purposely omit important studies about ADR and fusion. They don't even keep an even playing field. The cards are stacked against the consumer/patient.

Right now, insurance companies are governed by their shareholders in the market. What is good for the market is what the insurance companies want. Without competition, they can do just about anything they want to and they are. They can push the patient around until most give up. Til some die.

The system is money-driven while it should be patient-physician-driven. No competition equals no change.

JJames
01-27-2010, 04:10 PM
I worked from home today as my pain is so bad I really needed a break from the 65 mi (each way) commute to the office at least. I decided between work-related tasks that I would try to find this rumored, two thousand page or so, government health care proposal to begin trying to decide what my feelings or thoughts are on it. I found this forum thread and have read through it ...

Perhaps it's my medication, ignorance, low intelligence, or some mix of all three but I don't know where to begin! I am a registered Independent - not Democrat or Republican. I cannot even blindly follow some political allegiance as I have none. I do not trust ANY politician. Furthermore, I believe that in our great country money is the driving force behind everything. I mean EVERYTHING - and health care is huge money!

The rich are going to ensure that they continue to get richer at whatever cost, and the wealthy are the people who get their peers elected to every government position (not "we the people"!) From what I've gathered, the government's selling point on this "plan" (which as I said is something very vague to me) is that those with no medical insurance need to be provided with it. That certainly sounds nice doesn't it? The rich (who will continue as always to continue to get richer) are most certainly not going to foot the bill, so instead it must be levied upon the ever-shrinking middle class and even the lower (employed) class of people.

My driving reason for attempting to add my thoughts to this thread is that there were several "calls to action", and why aren't people like myself engaging in the fight? I think the answer is that I am not alone in completely not understanding what this government health care really is, what it means (specifically to me), and where to obtain unbiased documentation. I believe that this is no accident or oversight either. Those who have authored this document certainly do not want the "public" to actually know anything!

If by chance anyone could provide a link or some other suggestion for the rest of us to actually have a way to read and review this maybe that would help? That's assuming that the language isn't the secret art of "legalise" which it likely is! I know that the opening post to this thread contained a link to the original document. That's been changed since it was originally posted though, right? If not, I'll go there and start reading ....

Thank you for all your opinions. I have more confidence in the honesty here than I typically do from others. I know we here are all in the same boat to some degree, and that medical insurance has become an enormous factor in all of our lives (really kinda' ridiculous isn't it!).

Thanks again ...

Harrison
01-29-2010, 09:32 PM
While the public option may be a humane measure within a healthier society, I don’t believe it’s sustainable, as:
§ We Americans are a really sick bunch, with appr. 1/3 of us confessing to a chronic condition or illness of some kind. While big pharma profits from this problem, we 100,000,000 people are weighing on the medical system and of course the taxpayers. We as a society need to identify and solve the causes of these problems! I sincerely doubt that it’s soft drinks and Doritos that are causing these chronic issues, though that may be a substantive part of the problem.

§ Until our people and economy get healthier, just “shifting” this patient population onto a new trillion-dollar program is ignoring fundamental, serious and expensive problems. Do we really need to create a whole class of people dependent on another, unsustainable program? Medicare/Medicaid is already in deep trouble. Case in point: some spinal treatment procedures may be affected by 22% cuts in reimbursements to docs by Medicare; we’ll find out after March 1st. Less reimbursement for spine care means less doctors performing the appropriate procedure for the patient.
Before we even get mired in debate about the many unaddressed problems, why not focus on what we discussed as opportunities for REAL solutions that benefit patients:
§ Allow insurance companies to compete across state lines – in any state they can compete – on any grounds. In other words, even if some companies may be more expensive than others, they may offer better, more desirable coverage to subscribers. In other words -- free, open competition. Who are the special interests prohibiting this solution? I'd really like to know!

§ Require that any FDA-approved procedure must be reimbursed by insurance.

§ Prohibit cherry picking of subscribers. Allow people with pre-existing conditions to enter a plan – then help them get better by applying new medical research, insights and even market incentives.
JJ, you’re right – these are complex issues. I think we are blessed and cursed having to look at a number of different sources to piece the puzzle together. In the meantime, thank you all for sharing your ideas here. It helps me a lot too.

LBP
01-30-2010, 11:23 PM
I feel like people who post on this website should agree on a base level that the status quo of insurance companies negatively and devastatingly control our lives by refusing to cover our ADR surgery. our experience is much like the documentary SICKO but it's been awhile since SICKO has received a lot of press so we need to remind people of this particular problem. Obama and the Dems are trying really hard to make things better in the heathcare market so let's take advantage of this political time to collectively make our point on at least this one issue.

so, right now it doesn't matter so much what it states on any one bill. There are multiple bills and ideas. There is no final bill yet that is ready to be presented to the President. The House and Senate do not agree and after losing Ted Kenedy's senate seat to a Republican centerfold who says he will join his Republican colleagues and refuse to pass healthcare reform, it's harder for the House to reconcile with the Senate to get a final bill to the President.

The real point is that we all need to contact our House and Senate Reps and tell they what we want and expect them to do whatever it is you expect Put it in your own words. IF you live in a state and district with republicans, tell them you expect them to cooperate with Obama instead of being the party of NO. If you live in a State or district with bluedog Dems, and/or if Ben Nelson, Joe Lieberman, Olympia Snow, Blanche Lincoln are your Senators, you really need to step up and put some pressure on them to cooperate and support the House version of the healthcare reform bill.

For more information about a leading House Rep supporting Health Care Reform, see http://countdowntohealthcare.com/anthonyweiner/ Rep Anthony Weiner is from NY but he has created this website for people who want to support the public option to sign his national petition and/or just read more info about this issue.

Previously, I specifically pointed people in the direction of something concrete. a policy (not law) in place for federal employees with federal health insurance plans. A policy that instructs insurance companies to cover drugs and devices that are FDA approved and to stop trying to call these newly approved drugs and devices 'experimental and investigational.' Why did I specifically point this out...because it's the main reason why most of us were denied ADR surgery! So I feel like this is a point of contention this particular group of people should agree on. And it's something concrete you can ask your representatives to make part of the new healthcare reform.

I feel like the main reason why people like us are failing to making a lot of press noise with our House and Senate Reps is because we are exhausted just from fighting our insurance companies about our individual problems. The way to be most effective is to take advantage of this unique time and make noise. Write, email and call your representatives. Ask your family and friends to do the same. If they see what you've been through, chances are they don't want the same to happen to them!

Harrison
02-01-2010, 08:16 PM
Well said. But a lot of folks here are new and may not be familiar with the content and culture within our community. Accordingly, ANY persons not familiar with OUR fight can read OUR stories here:

True Stories from Patients: Insurance Nightmares Abound (http://www.adrsupport.org/forums/showthread.php?t=8956)

Send the link to reporters, politicians and anyone that can make a difference for us. Also, send me your personal battle with health care in any format and I'll include your story in this topic too!

Members, please vote in the poll too...

Jack
02-07-2010, 12:18 AM
LBP,

I have made my feelings known in other posts on this topic but suffice it to say right now No is the only thing the current supporters of the current healthcare bills understand. Please see my justification for my stance in earlier posts.

And I have notified both my Senate and House elected officials on my views.

LBP
02-11-2010, 03:01 PM
Proof that the Insurance companies (corp america) are NOT acting in our best interests!!!!!! and need to be reformed NOW

In very recent news: Anthem Blue Cross of CA is raising premiums by 39%


Re: Wellpoint (parent company of Anthem BC)
Just this past January, Wellpoint in the news: they were barred from enrolling new patients in Medicare plans because it denied drugs to elderly insureds endagering their lives. Los Angeles Times Jan 13, 2009 article

In April 2009,
Wellpoint sent out 3 million "robocalls" (automated pre recorded political calls) to round up opposition to healthcare reform, this was their newest anti-health reform corporate strategy see Sacramento Bee, Business section

In Sept 2009
California Attorney General to investigate possible employee abuse by United Healthcare and Wellpoint because they were pressuring their own employees to contact their Representatives in House and Senante in opposition to healthcare reform
see Consumer Watchdog.org Sept 2, 2009

In October 2009
Internal Wellpoint memo cutting its own employee's healthcare benefits
see Bloomberg.com

in October 2009
one of Wellpoint, Anthem Blue Cross subsidiaries sued State of Maine to get the right to raise their premimum rates by 18.5% because Maine's Insurance Superintendent only approved a 10.9% rate increase !!!

Democratic Congressmen Henry Waxman and Bart Stupack launching an investigation into Anthem Blue Cross of California's new 39% rate hike, inviting Wellpoint's CEO to testify before Congress 2/24/10
see Los Angeles Time, business section

and California State Legislator also investigating, a hearing set for 2/23/10

California's Republican Insurance Commissioner, is calling on Blue Cross of CA to delay rate hike until 5/1 while a state-apointed Independent actuary evalutes it.

Dem Senator Barabara Boxer asking CA State Attorney General to investigate Anthem Blue Cross' rate hike

IF you live in CA and have Anthem Blue Cross, NOW is the time to write, telephone, speak up to your congressmen and senators!!!!! Strike while the iron is HOT!

I've been complaining until I am Blue in the face over all the denials from Anthem Blue Cross last year. I was dealing with Wellpoint to get some corrected after complaining to Medicare about them, but they still have failed to address an appeal over durable medical equipment and no one is punishing them for failing to met their deadline to respond to my appeal. I guess it's a good time to call Sen Boxer, Congressman Waxman and Stupak, as well as the State Attorney General and State Government reps!
Those who have the same problems elsewhere need to speak up too!

See the White House Blog by Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, "too many Americans are at the whim of private, for-profit insurance companies who are raking in billions in profits"

also see http://www.futureofcapitalism.com/2010/02/anthem-blue-cross-premium-increase-irks-sebelius says "I was very disturbed to learn through media accounts that Anthem Blue Cross plans to raise premiums for its California customers by as much as 39 percent. ...Your company's strong financial position makes these rate increases even more difficult to understand. As you know, your parent company, WellPoint Incorporated, has seen its profits soar, earning $2.7 billion in the last quarter of 2009 alone."

Thanks to the Rachel Maddow show (yesterday) for summarizing all of this recent news coverage and facts

Harrison
02-15-2010, 12:52 PM
LBP, yes indeed. It's a fine mess we are in now. From the recent news, a few points underscoring the conversation in this topic:

A rate hike for the few - until it's you. (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jzY5_JWQuhq4OksY1eD-k9BMqdsAD9DSD9VO1)

Harrison
03-15-2010, 02:13 PM
Can anyone provide a link to the latest version of the health care bill (or tome)? I'd like to speed read it...

:disgust:

Harrison
03-19-2010, 10:24 AM
I called my congressman's office to inquire about the latest version of the health care bill. I asked if they could refer me to a web site that has the full text document, as the news reports stated it's now online. But where?! Even THEY didn't know where the public could find it! And we have to "wait until it passes" to find out what's in it? What country is this any way?!

Our leaders are asked to read this monstrosity in the next 48 hours to decide their vote. It's 2700 pages! This has turned into a real yikesfest. In the meantime, here's an update from the orthopedic perspective below. Do you think maybe there's a slight chance that the future device tax will trickle down to consumers? And a slight chance that the Medicare cuts will affect all of us? And that a trillion dollar benefit will reduce the deficit? How's that work?

:wtf:

__________________________________________________ __________

House Looks Ahead to a Healthcare Vote (http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2010/03/16/house_looks_ahead_to_a_healthcare_vote/)
BY LAUREN UZDIENSKI (http://www.adrsupport.org/bios/lauren_uzdienski/)
March 16, 2010

Congress appears to be moving closer to a vote on healthcare reform. While no vote has been scheduled, Speaker Pelosi believes she has the support of House legislators as well as the mechanics in place to pass the legislation. Interestingly, the method by which the Senate's version of the bill will become law will not require a House vote, a process known as "deeming (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/03/nancy_pelosis_strategy_for_pas.html)" a bill.


For several weeks, it appeared that the way forward for healthcare reform was for the House was to pass the Senate's healthcare legislation, then passing a series of fixes through budget reconciliation, which would require only a simple majority to pass. However, the House would have to vote for the Senate bill before the reconciliation bill could be passed, which some members were wary to do in an election year, and there were also concerns that the Senate would balk at some of the changes. The alternative is for the House to pass the fixes along with a rule that says the Senate version is "deemed" to have passed - getting around a House vote. Speaker Pelosi seemed confident that Congress would move ahead with this strategy, and she described the bill to the Washington Post as "locked down," with only numbers from the Congressional Budget Office outstanding.

As reform picks up some of the steam it lost in the early part of this year, the device industry is rallying to protect its own interests, namely regarding the $20 billion tax that will support the overhaul. Last week AdvaMed spoke to the press about seeking a cap (http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2010/03/10/device_industry_seeks_cap_on_healthcare_reform_fee s/) on the tax, and the lobby, along with the Medical Device Manufacturers Association and the National Venture Capital Association, has followed up with a letter to the White House requesting that the tax not exceed $20 billion over ten years.

Source: See this link. (http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2010/03/16/house_looks_ahead_to_a_healthcare_vote/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=htmlemail2&utm_campaign=weekly)

Harrison
03-19-2010, 01:34 PM
Congressional Aide Patrick Lally returned my call via email, with the information some may wish to review:

Bill Text (Posted on Rules.House.gov (https://rules.house.gov/) on March 18, 2010 at 2:07pm):

·Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010 Text» (http://docs.house.gov/rules/hr4872/111_hr4872_amndsub.pdf)
·Text of the Senate Amendments to H.R. 3590 (Senate health bill)» (http://docs.house.gov/rules/hr4872/111_hr3590_engrossed.pdf)

CBO Score:

·Full CBO Score» (http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/113xx/doc11355/hr4872.pdf)

LBP
03-21-2010, 10:46 PM
214, 215, 216 the House passed the Senate bill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
now for some procedural issues and then we have to wait for the vote on the fixes to the Senate bill

FINALLY

no more pre-existing conditions

LBP
03-21-2010, 11:34 PM
212, 214, 215, 216 The House passes the reconciliation portion to fix the conservative dems kickbacks of the Senate bill.

Now it's time to call your Senators to let them know you want them to pass the "fix it" bill from the House, and pressure your Senators to introduce the PUBLIC OPTION


HISTORY HAS BEEN MADE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But the fight continues to make sure we continue to pressure our representatives that we want even more progressive reform.

It's never too late to tell your reps that you want reform to mean, that insurance companies should no longer be permitted to usurp the role of the FDA and our doctors to decide what's "safe and effective" treatment by calling expensive treatment "investigational and experimental" to get out of issuing pre-authorization for artificial disc replacement surgery, or any other major advancements coming down the pike!

Harrison
03-22-2010, 12:07 PM
Well, last night’s news was surely interesting. I wish I could be more enthusiastic about it, but support only a limited number of items in the 2700 page tome. In no particular order, here are some of my concerns:

- Our country is already very broke! Who will pay for this multi-trillion dollar bill?

- Every major poll in this country showed that the majority of Americans do not want this bill. For something so important, shouldn’t this matter? Is it a fact that 37 states do not want this bill, and are positioning to sue Uncle Sam so they can “opt out?!”

- It seems that one of Obama’s campaign promises was practiced throughout this saga -- the one of transparency. In the last few months, Americans have witnessed corruption like we’ve never seen before. The vote-buying frenzy in the last few weeks was ugly and in the open, leading many to really see how politics works in this country. The “legally corrupt” lobbyists performed brilliantly: The Business Roundtable, Big Pharma, AHA, AMA et al will all get nice bonuses this year…and years to come.

- It’s notable how many medical professionals voted against this behemoth. Have you read or watched any of the testimonies from the senators who are medical doctors? Senator Tom Price spoke eloquently last night about the bill, expressing serious concerns about the sanctity (my word) of the doctor-patient relationship, and how this new plan will compromise that relationship. A similar position is held by the North American Spine Society – here’s an excerpt from one of their advocacy communications:
NASS expressed opposition to H.R. 3590 for the following reasons:

- Creation of a new Independent Payment Advisory Board, which would make arbitrary cuts in physician reimbursement with little or no Congressional oversight.
- Expanding the role of the federal government in determining quality of care standards.
- Failure to permanently repeal Medicare's flawed sustainable growth rate, or SGR, formula.
- The lack of proven medical liability reforms.
While NASS is strongly supportive of efforts to increase access to specialty care, health care reform must be done the right way.
- What protection is there that will limit insurance premium hikes? The people in Taxachusetts have seen their medical costs skyrocket over the past few years with “RomneyCare,” as parodied in this cartoon. (http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/cartoons/20100315_ink_tank?pg=20) How this relates to the new health bill is unclear, but many say it’s a sign of things to come.

- There’s already a frightful shortage of doctors in this country. Hundreds of thousands of people (some not citizens) continue to use the ER to receive medical care. And more than 32,000,000 people will soon receive insurance coverage? How’s that work? How will everyone receive equitable care? Sure, it takes some forethought to craft and execute arm-twisting strategies (http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/cartoons/20100315_ink_tank/) to win votes; but it is infinitely more difficult to deliver these promises of healthcare to a new population of people. Think about it: it’s 10% of the US population!

- This is a highly complex, but personal issue to many. Everyone will find bits and pieces to support or lament. One of the things I noticed is there will be cuts in Medicare Advantage, something my elderly parents rely upon for their medical care. They’re not wealthy, so who will help them with their medical bills?

Well, I could go on for hours, but I have to get back to work. I hope I didn’t offend anyone here with my thoughts and observations. If nothing else, you see that I tend to be hopelessly practical while keeping an eye on the big picture. As well as all the little details in the picture…

;)

LBP
03-22-2010, 12:27 PM
Harrison,

I have to say, I am very dissappointed in your belief that Americans do not want healthcare reform. For someone who started this website because Insurance companines were ruining our lives and healthcare, it's just shocking. What on earth was your motivation for creating this forum for people to learn from other's experience to help fight insurance companies for coverage. Let me correct that, I asked you for months to create the Insurance hell section because you were more focused on recovery for the lucky few who had participated in the clinical trials, or paid for the surgery out of pocket, and the really lucky few that got early insurance coverage before the iron fist shut the rest of us out. Insurance companies are getting filthy rich off of our premiums and misery. Regardless of your obvious politics, you should have a little more sympathy and understanding of the need for healthcare reform.

Most people don't follow politics so they don't understand the complicated issues. Just one example: many (most?) young people don't know what it means let alone feels like to be in the Medicare donut hole! During an OFA phone bank, I had to explain this issue to a number of people because they had no clue what this was all about. And if you and certain others only listen to Fox so called "news" or shock jock Limbaugh or similar, all you and they hear are bald face lies in an effort to "take Obama down." There were no "death panels," there is no government takeover of healthcare, even though there should be a government takeover of regulating the health care insurance companies and a government public option to keep the insurance companies honest.

We all understand pre-existing conditions. Should having a c-section be a pre-existing condition? What if you were raped or a victim of domestic violence, should that be justification of a pre-existing condition. What if you can't get tested to help donate an organ to a blood relative, because you might be found to have a pre-existing condition! If your child has developed diabetes or cancer, and the parents lose their job,should they not have a right to health care so they can treat their child's illness or disease? Or should we continue to let people die because millions of people can't get or can't afford health care? Private Insurance companies have death panels. The government is trying to force insurance companies to prioritize people over obscene profit levels on the backs of people's misery.

If you had a pro health care reform rally next to a anti health reform rally, the negative side always got covered more and pro health care people were mostly ignored. Teabaggers (the crazies) got the most coverage. Because it makes salacious tv. That's it.

The CBO (Congressional Budget Office) found that this reform will SAVE $$$$. A party neutral group doing the financial analysis. It's an accepted practice on both sides of the aisle.

Finally, most people who have been screwed by the insurance industry are depressed, angry, frustrated, and neck high in fighting their own personal battles. The people who are fighting on tv against healthcare, are paid by the industry and the super conservative / teabagger right that have a political agenda ONLY, and absolutely not interested in making the public lives better.

If you are healthy and don't actually NEED your insurance company to pony up serious coverage, you are lucky and living in bliss with no idea what it's like when you are a stuck in a miserable situation with no options.

Let's save more $ by getting the h.e.l.l. out of the middle east. And stop paying the immoral, irresponsible, budget raping, private contractors over there.

Harrison
03-22-2010, 01:05 PM
Sorry I disappointed you, but I agree with a lot of what you said, see my previous posts. I want reform to address specific things that matter to spine patients: lower cost insurance, more choices, coverage for FDA-approved procedures, pre-existing conditions, etc., etc.

:look:

Harrison
05-21-2010, 08:25 PM
Here's the sad subtext: physicians want to be paid for their work! And with Medicare reimbursement going down (because our government is broke), doctors want no part of the new regulated system! I am not surprised with any of this news. Nor should anyone else be.
_______________________________________

MA Law Would Require Physicians to Participate in Government Health Programs
BY LAUREN UZDIENSKI, MAY 19, 2010

A new bill proposed by the Massachusetts state legislature would force physicians to participate in Medicare, Medicaid and state health programs as a condition of licensure. According to the Massachusetts State Legislature's website, the bill, MA 2170, is now in committee.

If Massachusetts adopts this law, it could throw a wrench in physicians' threats to opt out of Medicare if payments sink. In a poll conducted by Sermo, 70% of physicians said they would leave Massachusetts or retire early if the bill goes into effect.

The law would set physician pay at 110% of the Medicare reimbursement rate, and physicians reported to Sermo that these reimbursement rates would "simply not allow them to earn enough income to stay in practice" and could lead to an "erosion of quality of care." Finally, mandating government health program participation may not stop with Massachusetts: Sermo's CEO and founder notes that in terms of legislating healthcare, as Massachusetts goes, so goes the rest of the country, pointing to the universal health coverage that's been in place in the state since 2006.

See the source with links to topics (http://www.healthpointcapital.com/research/2010/05/19/ma_law_would_require_physicians_to_participate_in_ government_health_programs/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=htmlemail2&utm_campaign=weekly) within this news. Thanks Lauren!

Harrison
07-26-2010, 01:49 PM
Health Law Augurs Transfer of Funds From Old to Young

MANDEVILLE, La.—Mark Baumann, a 44-year-old uninsured diabetic, sees in the Obama administration's health-care law a future with stable coverage to pay for his insulin shots and blood tests.

That's likely to come indirectly at the expense of his mother's generous health-care plan.

Humana Inc., Mary Baumann's insurer, intends to pare her "Medicare Advantage" plan to make up for the smaller government payments it will soon receive as a result of the new law, leaving her with higher costs or fewer services. On the table are beefed-up co-payments and premiums, as well as the loss of perks such as her free membership at a health club.

Link for the full article is here. (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703340904575285002595068326.html?)