ke851's blog

I just saw last nights Rachel Maddow show. She had a guy on her show that used to be a Right Wing Republican until he realized how wrong they were. I think he was C. Everett Koops (sp?) son. He wrote a book about his experiences as a Right Wing Republican. He spoke about what is happening now with Health Care Reform Town Halls and how the GOP, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and Right Winged Organizations such as AFP are promoting violence against public officals and Democrats and how there is a subtext to the lies that could easily lead to a right winged fanatic killing someone. That is my fear, what will happen if some lunatic actually does commit a violent act towards a Democrat and public official.

You can read the full article at the below link:
http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/statehealthreform/northcarolina.html

Stable and Secure Health Care for North Carolina
How Health Insurance Reform will Benefit North Carolina
LOWER COSTS FOR RESIDENTS OF NORTH CAROLINA

•Ending the Hidden Tax – Saving You Money: Right now, providers in North Carolina lose over $1.3 billion in bad debt which often gets passed along to families in the form of a hidden premium “tax”. Health insurance reform will tackle this financial burden by improving our health care system and covering the uninsured, allowing the 113 hospitals and the 26,716 physicians in North Carolina to better care for their patients.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/07/28/divorce.marriage.health/index.html

According to the above article, "a study was completed at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The study found that divorced or widowed people have 20 percent more chronic health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes or cancer than married people. They also have 23 percent more mobility limitations, such as trouble climbing stairs or walking a block."

In an article on thinkprogress.org at: http://thinkprogress.org/2009/07/24/foxx-americans-health-care/ we are informed of some of the details of a Press Conference that was held on July 24, 2009 by several female Republican Representatives. “The Democrat way is not reforming healthcare, it’s destroying it,” announced Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN).

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/5647742/

President Obama is scheduled to attend a "Health Care Event" in Raleigh on Wednesday, 7/29/9. I am really hoping that it is an open public event. I would love to hear him speak in person again. If anyone hears any information on this then please let me know. I will update when I have more information as well.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/5647742/

Barbara Morales Burke, Blue Cross vice president for health policy, said the state workers are misinterpreting the company's position.

"I'm not sure what one more choice would do," she said.

My Opinion:

Have you ever noticed how the Health Care Safety Nets such as "Free" Clinics, Medicaid, Medicare, and other such programs are touted as a "Safety Net" to "Prevent people from going without health care" and to "assist citizens in local communities"? I have seen these programs touted by government officials and some government employees as a safety catch-all that will supposedly help everyone. They receive commendations for their innovation and serving the citizens that can't afford to pay for health care. They are great things, really, they provide a service to SOME of the citizenry and they fulfill a need for a portion of the population. So I am not really speaking ill of them because they are a good thing. My beef is with those who tout them as a complete "safety net" without understanding that they only serve a small portion of a population.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/14/house.health.care/index.html

To read the full story of the newly unveiled House Democratic Health Care Reform Plan please follow the above link. The key points of the plan are:

-- A Health Insurance Exchange providing individuals and small business with choices for coverage, including a government-funded public option.

-- No more coverage exclusion for pre-existing conditions.

-- Affordability credits for low- and moderate-income individuals and families, available to those with incomes up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level, or $43,000 for individuals and $88,000 for a family of four.

-- Limits on annual out-of-pocket spending.

-- Expanded Medicaid coverage to individuals and families with incomes at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level.

-- Required participation by individuals, with a penalty of 2.5 percent of adjusted gross income for non-compliance.

I just received the Press Release regarding a Health Reform Town Hall for citizens of Franklin, Granville, Vance, and Warren Counties that has been scheduled for 7/23/09. I have included the exact text of the Press Release below for everyone to see. I am absolutely thrilled that we will be having this Health Reform Town Hall in my area and hope to see as many people there as possible. Please remember that the only way we will get a Health Reform package that really corrects the problems with our current health care system and that covers everyone is to have as many voices as possible sharing their stories and voicing their opinions.
Hope to see you there! KE851

PRESS RELEASE

7th SENATORIAL DISTRICT TOWN HALL MEETING:

President Barack Obama’s Healthcare Plan

Thursday, July 23, 2009 6:30 P.M.

An Open Letter To Government Leaders and Health Care Advocates:

I am writing to you to ask that you support an affordable National Public Health Care Plan with a waiver option. My husband and I have been married for more than 22 years. We have three children with Cystic Fibrosis, one adult child with a severe Brain Injury, and one healthy child. Cystic Fibrosis is a genetically inherited terminal disease which greatly decreases life span and affects all organs of the body. The costs for treating Cystic Fibrosis patients includes multiple expensive non-prescription and prescription only medications, therapies, and excessive costs for the purchase of food because their bodies require more calories than usually recommended for average individuals. Our adult sons Brain Injury was caused by a drunk driver hitting us when he was five years old which has left him the mental and intellectual equivalent of a five to seven year old child for the rest of his life.