health care

I'm sure you've seen it ... the scary commercial done by the Canadian who claims she would have died if she hadn't come to the U.S. for treatment of a brain tumor? Well, there's more (and less) to the story. Thought y'all might be interested in reading the real reality of the sitchyashun north of the 49th parallel ...

Turns out this dear woman didn't have a malignant tumor at all. She had a benign cyst that had likely been where it was since birth. Click on the link above to read the rest of the story ...

I posted "The Uninsured Line Up For Care In Rural Virginia" today on Huffington Post about the Remote Area Medical health care expedition I attended Saturday in Wise, VA.

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:

When Sen. Kay Hagan (NC-D) announced earlier this month -- after months of vacillation -- her support for a health care reform bill that included a "public option" to compete with private insurance, advocates of reform were thrilled.

Not so happy: Key forces in the health industry who are still fighting bitterly -- and have spent millions of dollars in lobbying, advocacy and contributions to key politicians -- to preserve the status quo.

Newly-released federal campaign finance records reveal the intense interest health industry leaders have focused on Sen. Hagan, a first-year senator sitting on a key committee crafting the reform legislation.

Just back from a Saturday morning trip over to Newport, TN, where Knoxville-based Remote Area Medical (RAM) is holding one of its medical “expeditions.”

RAM’s head honcho, Englishman Stan Brock used to wrestle large snakes and gators for Marlin Perkins on TV's "Wild Kingdom." Brock formed RAM in 1985 to bring medical care to patients in remote areas of third-world countries. Now, sixty percent of RAM’s work is in “urban and rural America.”

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.

If you want to understand the real issues in today's health care debate, read this article in the Independent. It's Bob Geary putting a human face on the emerging public option, with a good review of Kay Hagan's evolving positions.

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.