Medical Interests Spent $876 Million on Reform

By GottaLaff

What an experience it must have been, being bought and sold by lobbyists. Check out The Health Care Reform Shopping Spree of '09:

Medical interests alone shelled out more than $876 million in lobbying expenses during the 15 months beginning in January 2009 and ending in March, when Congress passed the sweeping overhaul.

Those stakeholders, including the drug industry, doctors, hospitals and manufacturers of medical products, were responsible for one out of every five dollars doled out on lobbying during that period, according to a CQ MoneyLine analysis of lobbying disclosure reports filed with Congress.

This was the mother of all lobbying efforts. This was the Godzilla of special interest check writing. This was... kind of nauseating.

If only there were a breakdown of who spent what.

Within the health care industry, drug companies racked up the biggest lobbying tab, spending $253 million. They were followed by hospitals, which spent $108 million, and doctors and surgeons, who spent $59 million.

However, according to one Brookings Institution political scholar, much of the lobbying budget was spent on behalf of reform.

The health care industry’s lobbying easily outpaced other sectors with interests on Capitol Hill, including energy and natural resources, finance and insurance, and communications and technology, the CQ MoneyLine analysis found.

Even as other sectors scaled back during the recent economic downturn, health companies continued to pump big bucks into influencing Congress.

Imagine what we could have done with all that money, the lives that could have been saved, the number of movable health clinics that could have staged events.

Wait just a minute... Does all this mean that lobbyists were... spreading their wealth? Don't look now, but they may have joined Club Socialist!

“The real winners in the health care debate were the lobbyists who were laughing all the way to the bank, even in a tough economy,” said Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense.

And if they were the winners, guess who the losers were....

20 states resist creating pools to help people denied health insurance

By GottaLaff

Big Government will have to keep people alive, because the Party of No won't. I hope voters are paying attention:

As many as 20 states probably will not operate new insurance programs for Americans who have been denied health coverage, forcing the federal government to step in to implement one of the key elements of the healthcare overhaul legislation, according to administration officials. [...]

Led by the Georgia insurance commissioner, however, a succession of mostly Republican state officials has been rejecting the idea of creating state pools, voicing concerns that state governments would end up having to pay some of the costs of operating them over the next 3 1/2 years. [...]

Consumers will be eligible for the new pools if they have preexisting medical conditions and have not had insurance for at least six months.

Don't Republicans have preexisting conditions, or are they reserved for commie Marxist Democrats?

WellPoint and Blue Shield of Calif. to stop dropping sick policyholders

By GottaLaff

This was one of the first stories I saw in my L.A. Times this morning. It was a good way to start the day:

Stung by criticism and facing tougher federal regulation, two of the nation's largest health insurers say they will stop the practice of dropping sick policyholders.

The moves Tuesday by WellPoint Inc., the parent of Anthem Blue Cross of California, and Blue Shield of California follow action by Congress and the Obama administration to crack down on the practice known as rescission.

That's no small thing. That's a reversal, in fact.

President Obama made rescission a central theme in his push for reform, and the new law makes it moot in 2014 when insurers will be required to sell coverage to everyone regardless of preexisting conditions. Effective later this year, the law explicitly bans rescissions unless an insurer can show that an individual intentionally misrepresented his or her medical history on an application.

On Tuesday, House leaders urged insurers to stop the practice ahead of schedule. [...]

On Tuesday, the company announced it would end the practice.

Let's remember who fought tooth and nail against passing health care reform.

That President Obama and his damn accomplishment keeps making the Rushpublics look bad. He just can't seem to help himself.

Disheartened: Special Comment by my 72-year-old friend

By GottaLaff

My impassioned 72-year-old Twitter pal, who goes by the name 42bkdodgr, would like to share his feelings about the increasingly worrisome (read: scary) and very frustrating events of late. I am more than happy to oblige.

But first, a personal note from 42bkdodgr:

Many of you may wonder why I chose to use the “ 72 year old friend” as the introduction to my Special Comments. I selected the moniker so readers could see that from my age and life experiences I give a different perspective to the issues of today.

Now for his Special Comment:

Disheartened

I sit hear before my computer a very sad, frustrated, discouraged and disheartened person as I write this Special Comment.

I feel this way and it makes me shudder, when I think about the craziness that has been going on in our nation in the last couple of months, such as:

* Texas Board of Education rewriting history books.
* Virginia making April Confederate History Month.
* Passage of Arizona Immigration Law.
* The open carry guns rally in a National park.
* Nebraska setting limits on abortion.
* GOP Congressional candidate proposes installing microchips on illegal immigrants.
* Candidate for Governor in Nevada suggesting that the barter system be used to pay doctors for medical services.

Then we have the Party of NO blocking bills from coming to the Senate floor for debate by using the Cloture Rule on almost everything that is presented by the Democrats. Republicans did it with Healthcare Reform, extension of Unemployment Insurance, and now they are doing it with Financial Reform.

When fighting the Health Care Bill, Republicans said the bill shouldn’t be passed because over 60% of Americans were against the bill. Now they are against the Financial Reform Bill, even though over 60% of Americans want the passage of the bill.

During the healthcare debate, Republicans complained about the lack of transparency, because of the closed door deals made to get the necessary Democratic Committee votes.

Now, the Republicans want all Committee discussions on Financial Reform to be done behind close door and not seen on CSPAN. I guess they are afraid the public will see how weak their arguments are against the passage of the bill.

Time and time again Republicans prove they don’t care about the common man. With health care their masters were the health insurance companies, and now for financial reform they serve at the foot of the banking and brokerage industry.

Republicans are truly “HYPOCRITES”.

I think we will continue to see more odd laws, policies and outrageous statements being adopted by other states and made by politicians; and the Republicans will not stop being the Party of No and Obstructionism.

It is quite possible that the manner in which Congress is currently operating will continue for many years to come, no matter which party controls Congress or the White House.

All this makes me disheartened because, when I take into consideration all of the above plus the hatred in this country, I feel the wheels are coming off in America.

Many thanks again for another thorough, relevant piece, 42bkdodgr. You often say what many of us are thinking and feeling, and we thank you for your unique perspective.

Doonesbury: No One Likes You, Sarah Palin edition

By GottaLaff

I'm loving this story arc:

(click on image to enlarge)

Massive free health clinic in Los Angeles pre-registers to avoid long waits

By GottaLaff

The new and improved streamlined registration system should provide some relief to the thousands of people who so badly need health care. Hopefully, the elderly and/or anyone else who finds it difficult, or even impossible, to stand in long lines will have a much easier time of it now.

Now let's hope there aren't long lines to pre-register:

Patients seeking treatment next week at a massive free healthcare clinic at the Los Angeles Sports Arena must pre-register in person Sunday, organizers said.

The requirement marks a significant change from how patients were seen when the first clinic was held last year in Los Angeles. More than 6,300 people got free healthcare then, but scores more waited in line only to be turned away because of a shortage of medical volunteers.

Organizers hope a new color-coded wristband system will reduce both waits and the number of people turned away from the clinic, which runs from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to May 3.

Good idea.

These clinics are a godsend, and a lot of credit must go to Keith Olbermann, his producer Rich Stockwell, and anyone who donated to the cause. Because of that kind of generosity, Americans who have been forced to put off caring for their own bodies are now able to be seen and treated.

Lives are being saved.

Too bad Big Insurance doesn't have the same goal in mind for "their" America.

Most Americans Still Confused About Health Care Law

No, I think the problem is that the media has done a piss poor job of reporting on the Health Care law, concentrating on the lies and "he said, she said" bullshit. Glad to know they're finally getting around to doing some specific messaging. Via Taegan-

A new Kaiser Health Tracking Poll finds that 8 in 10 Americans know that President Obama signed health care reform legislation into law. But 55% say they are confused about the law and more than half (56%) say they don't yet have enough information to understand how it will affect them personally.

To address that, the New York Times reports that communications strategist Stephanie Cutter is returning to the White House to help sell the newly passed health care bill.

MythInformation: More malarkey about health care reform

By GottaLaff

It never ends... Via an e-mail:

The new law is no longer a moving target, but some opponents persist in making false or exaggerated claims about it. Our inboxes are filled with messages asking about assertions that the new law:

* Requires patients to be implanted with microchips. (No, it doesn’t.)
* Cuts benefits for military families and retirees. (No. The TRICARE program isn’t affected.)
* Exempts Muslims from the requirement to obtain coverage. (Not specifically. It does have a religious exemption, but that is intended for Old Order Amish.)
* Allows insurance companies to continue denying coverage to children with preexisting conditions. (Insurance companies have agreed not to exploit a loophole that might have allowed this.)
* Will require 16,500 armed IRS agents to enforce. (No. Criminal penalties are waived.)
* Gives President Obama a Nazi-like "private army." (No. It provides a reserve corps of doctors and other health workers for emergencies.)
* "Exempts" House and Senate members. (No. Their coverage may not be as good as before, in fact.)
* Covers erectile-dysfunction drugs for sex offenders. (Just as it was before the new law, those no longer in jail can buy any insurance plan they choose.)
* Provides federal funding for abortions. (Not directly. But neither side in the abortion debate is happy with the law.)

Exempt Muslims... and Congress members? What if someone is a Muslim, sex offender, retired Army captain Senator? I sense doomitude in their medical future.

Video- Bill O'Reilly Slams Coburn For Criticizing Fox News

Heh, Media Matters compiled a pretty long list of people on Fox saying exactly what Billo says they didn't.

Right Wing Meme Destroyed: Employers say they'll still offer health care benefits

So much more destroying to do.

A nationwide survey of business executives indicates that most U.S. employers, at least for now, are unlikely to stop offering health care benefits in the wake of the landmark federal health care reform law.

The online survey of nearly 3,700 executives, conducted by Crain Communications Inc. publications Workforce Management and Business Insurance, found that 52.5 percent strongly disagreed with the statement that it would be better for their organizations to stop offering health care benefits and pay a fine under the new law. An additional 15.3 percent somewhat disagreed with the notion of dropping coverage and paying the fine. Eighteen percent somewhat agreed with the idea of dropping coverage; only 14.1 percent strongly believe their organizations would be better off in dropping benefits.

(snip)

Among the largest employers—those with 25,000 or more workers—64.9 percent strongly disagreed with the statement that their organizations would be better off dropping health care benefits. An additional 12.4 percent somewhat disagreed, while 14.2 percent somewhat agreed and 8.4 percent strongly agreed.

Cartoon of the Day

Click to enlarge, via.

Bobby Jindal: I won't run for president

By GottaLaff

From February 2009:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Shorter Ba-Ba-Ba-Bobby Jindal: There is no way in hell I can win.

Why? There are any number of reasons, the least of which is how he's destroying access to mental health care in his own state.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal told a hometown crowd Friday that he will not make a bid for the White House.

"I am not running for president of the United States,"Jindal said at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference. "I've got the job I want."

And the job he wants is privatizing health care and destroying lives in the process.

Rachel's initial reaction to Ba-ba-Bobby back in 2009 still works today:

Bart Stupak will retire

Ugh, at this point it's a good riddance. Via Taegan-

Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) will announce his re-election plans today at a news conference, the Detroit Free Press reports.

Marc Ambinder says top Democrats briefed last night we're told he'll retire.

"Stupak, the leader of a pro-life faction within his party, had received death threats and was under intense political pressure after he agreed to support the Democratic health care reform legislation, even though pro-life groups insisted that it would allow federal funds to be used for abortion."

Republican lawmakers are "completely lost"

By GottaLaff

The GOP is the party that claims Democrats are dead wrong about everything, that Dems are destroying our country, shredding the Constitution, killing grandma, and running American into the ground.

This is the party that inappropriately and awkwardly shouts "You lie!" and "Hell no!"

This is also the party that cannot answer a simple question about health care reform.

Jay Bookman:

AJC editors and columnists just finished a pretty wide-ranging 80-minute interview with Sen. Saxby Chambliss and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and I took the opportunity to ask a question that had been nagging at me for a while. [...]

[H]ow are the Republicans going to cover pre-existing conditions?

“The premiums are going up either way,” he [McConnell] said.

OK, I responded, a little stunned. That doesn’t explain how the Republicans intend to cover pre-existing conditions.

“The premiums are going up either way,” he repeated.

That was that. We moved on, and I still don’t have my answer.

Good response, Mitch McNoLips!

Except for the part where he didn't respond.

At all.

Steve Benen has a thing or two to say about these things or two:

If those with pre-existing conditions will be protected, the mandate is necessary to keep costs from spiraling and to prevent the "free rider" problem. [...]

After over a year of debate about health care policy, two leading Senate Republicans, including the Senate Minority Leader, can't speak intelligently about the basics. Bookman didn't throw a curve ball at them [...]

They want protections for those with pre-existing conditions, and want to eliminate the mandate, but asked how that could work, these experienced senators have no idea how to even begin answering the question. [...]

[I]f anyone dares to scratch the surface, even a little, they're completely lost.

It's all about the talking points, drumming non-answers into the uninformed electorate's heads, ignoring facts, smearing, belittling Democratic victories, lying about Democratic policy, ignoring the truth, and being utterly unable to justify their own arguments.

Jay Bookman cornered them, Steve Benen nailed them, and it's time we expose them for what they are... and aren't.

This story needs to get out, and be repeated and repeated.

H/t: Rachel Maddow via Twitter, who will hopefully cover this tonight on her show.

New Orleans has mental health care problem. Bobby Jindal makes it worse... again.

By GottaLaff

State Representative Neil Abramson (D) New Orleans and Bobby Jindal

I post as often as I can about Rep. Neil Abramson's valiant efforts to maintain, at a minimum, decent (mental) health care for Katrina victims, and of course other patients, in New Orleans. It's been an ongoing struggle with that stellar speaker and compassionate Louisiana governor, Ba-Ba-Ba-Bobby Jindal.

Jindal has recently cut mental health care in Mandeville, which was supposed to replace the New Orleans Adolescent Hospital (NOAH).

Last year, Jindal and Levine wanted to close NOAH and move everything over to a hospital in Mandeville. Neil blocked the move by amending the state budget bill, but Jindal line-item vetoed it, meaning NOAH would indeed be closed.

Back in 1981, a deal was made that said the property would used for "general health care" services for 30 years, until the end of 2011. Before Hurricane Katrina, it primarily housed inpatient care for mentally ill kids and teens.

Here's the latest:

After losing his fight last year to keep New Orleans Adolescent Hospital open as an inpatient mental health facility, Rep. Neil Abramson has returned this year trying to ensure that the Uptown campus at least continues to house some kind of health-care operations.

This time, Abramson, D-New Orleans, and state Health Secretary Alan Levine, the architect of closing NOAH, are on the same side, agreeing on a compromise bill that would accomplish Abramson's aim while satisfying the state's effort to aid Children's Hospital expansion. [...]

The bill would block the state from selling the NOAH campus [...] for at least a year. Thereafter, any buyer would have to provide health care or health-care education on the campus. If the buyer failed to meet that burden, Abramson said, the state would reclaim the property. The state would be free to lease the property immediately, as long as a tenant honored the health-care use requirement.

Neil Abramson continues to fight for those in dire need, who have nowhere to go, who see their options dwindling to nothing.

Bobby Jindal, on the other hand, has other priorities (read: privatization) which apparently don't include access to mental health care. So much for Returning to America's Core Values.

Behold The Utah GOP Death Panel

I have to admit it, I've been wrong all along. Silly liberal media had me bamboozled. Now, where do I get my Glenn Beck Commemorative Shiny Tin Foil Hat®?

Voicing their displeasure Tuesday with "Obamacare," Utah Republican lawmakers targeted for possible cuts a program that helps 450 low-income Utahns with HIV/AIDS pay for health insurance and life-saving medications.

The Ryan White Program was one of dozens reviewed Tuesday by the Executive Appropriations Committee under a normally perfunctory, monthly approval process for federal grant applications. The committee OK'd most of the applications but deferred approval of the $5.2 million Ryan White grant while they wait for more information at next month's meeting.

(snip)

"It looks to me like we're funding a program providing insurance and [medical care] that is going to be covered under Obamacare: pre-existing conditions, lifestyle choices and things of that nature," said the Taylorsville Republican. "I'm just concerned about that."

Democrats objected to the delay, fearing it would effectively shut down the program, which is underfunded and no longer accepts new enrollees.

The program subsidizes the purchase of health coverage for AIDS patients with incomes below 250 percent of the federal poverty level, about $27,000 for a single-person household.

But most of the grant money is spent subsidizing expensive, life-saving anti-viral medications, which have turned what used to be a universally fatal disease into a manageable, chronic illness.

(snip)

Said Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, D-Holladay, who has a stepson living with AIDS: "I guess I'm struggling to understand why the focus on this program and this group of people."

Well Rep Spackman, just take a look at the bit I bolded and you'll be able to figure out their motivation.

Washington man charged with threatening Sen. Murray

By GottaLaff

Here we go again. As we've posted here repeatedly, it just takes one extremist, one nutcase, one desperate person with the means (in this case, a gun) and motive (even a baseless one).

This time it was via voicemail from someone who had been harassing Senator Murray for months. He said it would take "just one piece of lead":

A Washington state man has been charged with threatening to kill Democratic Washington Sen. Patty Murray over her support for health care reform.

Court documents say federal agents arrested Charles Alan Wilson in Yakima on Tuesday.

Let's wait together as the GOP either blames Patty Murray for her preexisting Democratic condition, blames health care reform, blames President Obama, or calls it a figment of our imaginations. It shouldn't take long.

I bet Eric Cantor will be first.

ObamaHate: The Health Care Years

By GottaLaff

BoingBoing has a slew of disgusting slogans and images of President Obama from various tee shirts, buttons, stickers, you name it. I'm posting some of them, but there are a lot more here.

The merchandise is from the period during which the beyond-heated health care debate took place.

Anyone who dares to claim that there is, and was, no racist slurs directed at the president should study the images below.

How in the world do we dial this toxicity back? It's essential that we do.

Here's an idea: How about a few in the GOP leadership give it a sincere effort? A few words from them could help some. Of course, there are a few Americans who are so filled with venom, nothing will help.

But one thing is certain: If those extremists who are teetering on the edge continue to be encouraged, if the worst of the Tea Baggers persist in inciting hatred and violence, it is nearly inevitable that something tragic will occur, and then it will be too late.

Click on image to enlarge:

Video- Fox & Friends boosts doctor who posted sign telling Obama voters to seek care elsewhere

Surprise, the douche is a "big fan" of Douchey and Friends.

Poll: Californians take generally positive view of healthcare reform

Plenty of time to let the good news get around.

A new Times/USC poll shows voters saying by a 46%-29% margin they would be more likely to vote for a politician who had backed the health bill. On immigration, the poll found continued polarization.

Reporting from Sacramento - California voters have a generally positive view of the massive federal healthcare package signed into law by President Obama last month, providing a potential boost statewide to the Democrats who pushed it through Congress, according to a new Times/USC poll.

Republican leaders, campaigning against the bill, have warned Democrats that their votes would weigh them down in November's elections. Although that may be true in more conservative parts of the country, the opposite appears to be developing here.

By a margin of 46% to 29%, California voters surveyed said they would be more likely to vote for a politician who had supported the health bill. And just over half the voters polled said they believed the country would be better off because of the bill.