8000 to 10,000 are reported to have rallied in Washington DC to protest the unconstitutionality of Obamacare (HHS mandate) as three hearings were taking place at the U.S. Supreme Court.
Below is a video from last week promoting the gathering. I think it’s safe to say the Tea Party has not died, or even weakened.
Tea Party Patriot Jenny Beth Martin on PolitiChicks urges attendance at activities in Washington DC starting Saturday, March 24, on The Road To Repeal of the HHS Mandate (aka Obamacare.)
Starting Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear an unprecedented six hours of arguments over three days on the constitutionality of the controversial and massive health-reform initiative known as the Affordable Care Act.
The law — the first national legislative effort to rein in health-care costs — aims to extend insurance coverage to more than 30 million Americans through an expansion of Medicaid and a provision that people buy health insurance starting in 2014 or face a penalty. Read more.
The fight will continue in the states where 38 of them have filed or are planning to file legislation that rebukes Obamacare’s “individual mandate” that requires you to purchase insurance even if you would rather pay directly for medical care. In addition, Attorneys General from several states plan to file lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the healthcare bill’s individual mandate.
And most importantly, the fight will continue at the ballot box for the millions of Americans who refuse to be ignored. In the end, it is only by repudiating those politicians who voted for the health bill in free and fair elections that we can repeal this bill and start over on common sense, market-oriented, patient-centered health reform.
DEFYING THE WILL OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
The American people spoke decisively against a big government, high-tax, Washington knows best, pro trial lawyer, centralized bureaucratic health system.
In every recent poll, the vast majority of Americans opposed this monstrosity.
Sixty-six percent of Americans think the bill will make things worse or make no difference for themselves and their families (Gallup).
Forty eight percent of Americans think the plan is a “bad idea.” Only 36 percent think it is a “good idea” (NBC/Wall Street Journal).
Only 17 percent of Americans think the bill will cause healthcare costs to go down. Nearly double that think their costs would go up (Pew).
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi knew the country was against the bill. That is why she kept her members trapped in Washington and forced a vote on Sunday.
She knew if she let the members go home their constituents would convince them to vote no.
Look at what happened with House Democrats Scott Murphy (N.Y.), John Boccieri (Ohio), and Brad Ellsworth (Ind.). The Center for Health Transformation commissioned surveys late last week specifically polling their constituents. We found deep and overwhelming opposition. In Rep. Boccieri’s district, his constituents opposed the bill by a 61-33 margin. For Rep. Ellsworth, it was even worse: 63 to 30 opposed.
But all three congressmen ignored their constituents. All three chose Speaker Pelosi over their constituents.
What we saw Sunday night was a pressured, bought, intimidated vote worthy of Hugo Chavez but unworthy of the United States of America.
THE MACHINE
The Obama-Pelosi-Reid machine has combined the radicalism of Saul Alinsky, the corruption of Springfield, Ill., and the machine power politics of Chicago.
It is hard to imagine how much pressure they brought to bear on Congressman Bart Stupak to get him to accept a cynical, phony and possibly unconstitutional executive order on abortion. The ruthlessness and inhumanity of the Obama-Pelosi-Reid machine was most clearly on display in their public humiliation of Stupak when he was forced to speak out against a Republican effort to add the very language Stupak authored preventing taxpayer funding of abortion.
Democratic Congressman Alcee Hastings (who, while serving as a federal judge, was impeached and removed from the bench before being elected to the House) articulated the principles of this machine mentality on Sunday when he said, “There ain’t no rules here, we’re trying to accomplish something. . . .All this talk about rules. . . .When the deal goes down . . . we make ’em up as we go along.”
It is hard for the American people to believe their leaders on the Left are this bad.
They are.
Randy Neugebauer (R-TX) explains why he called the bill “a baby killer.”
But it will take more than “rides on Air Force One” to woo party holdouts, particularly after the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) latest score. New estimates from the CBO put the price tag of this reconciliation plan well over $1,200,000,000,000.00–most of which would be inherited by the lucky winner of the 2016 presidential election. Together with unsavory new taxes ($569.2 billions worth!), the CBO spotlights the bill’s deep gashes in Medicare coverage ($523.5 million in cuts) and confirms that married couples will still be punished with steeper insurance premiums. Believe it or not, nearly half all the individual mandates under this bill will be paid by American families earning less than $66,150 per year. The CBO also points out that a million Americans will have to get their coverage from a bankrupt Medicaid program on the brink of collapsing.
And if you thought dealing with the IRS is a nightmare now, just wait. Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee say the agency’s tentacles will strangle families under ObamaCare. According to their report, the IRS is on the verge of an unprecedented power grab under the President’s bill. It will have the authority to: verify if you have “acceptable” health care coverage, fine you for failure to prove that you have purchased “minimum essential coverage,” and even confiscate your tax refund.
Of course, the agency will need a massive cash influx ($10 billion!) to provide this kind of surveillance. That’s why the GOP is predicting a huge increase in IRS audits and an army of 16,500 new agents and employees to hunt down taxpayers. For all the phony talk of “reducing the deficit,” Democrats are neglecting to mention the very real deficits–of money and freedom–incurred by every American if this plan goes into effect. This legislation spells a loss of U.S. life, savings, doctors, and freedom in exchange for nothing but greater government involvement in our personal decisions.
Meanwhile, President Obama is meeting with Democrats and telling them, “Our fates are tied to the health bill.” The reality is, the people whose fates are truly tied to this bill are the Americans that none of us have met. They’re the unborn, who our dollars will be directed to kill. They’re the next generation, who will survive abortion only to suffer the weight of this crushing debt. Like the great men before them, the 111th Congress will walk the long marble hallways to their seats this weekend, where the great voices still echo, “Independence forever!” Ultimately, every one of them will cast a vote heard throughout history. They will choose to pay for legislation with our country’s future or stand with the millions of us who know that “liberty–once lost–is lost forever.”
The Hill Switchboard May Be Closed, But God’s Line Is Open………. PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY
We, the people, speak to Obama — Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.
~~~
Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. — 2 Chronicles 7:14
There are over 700 dead so far in the Chilean earthquake and they’ve had 90 after shocks, including two over 6.0. Europe is suffering a major storm with many deaths and a million power outages. I just heard about a girl whose innards were sucked out through her anus by a pool drain. I mean, some people have trouble. My two little lumps seem so insignificant in the overall picture.
There are probably others like me, who, when they discover a strange lump in their body, immediately think “Is it malignant?” Does it threaten my life? What am I going to have to undergo because of this?
So I found this little lump, very small, movable, non-tender, in my neck, under my chin, just to the right of the trachea. A recent repeat thyroid ultrasound had come back “no significant change; no need for biopsy; repeat in 2-3 years.” But it didn’t cover the area of the lump. My internist seemed unimpressed and said we’d watch it – maybe I’ve always had it — come back in two months. By the time I returned to him in two months I had found another lump, this time in my right cheek. Very small, pea-sized, hard, non-tender. He referred me to an ENT specialist.
My sister was kind enough to take me to the ENT man, just in case I might need moral support or a biopsy. She’s a nurse and old, too, like me, and very nice. The ENT man looked first in my ears (E), then my nose (N), then in my mouth (T). His considered opinion was that I probably had a blocked salivary gland (did you know we have hundreds of little salivary glands in our mouths?) Nothing to worry about. He likewise seemed unimpressed with the under-the-chin lump but offered no explanation for it. However, with two doctors so nonchalant, I’m willing to live peaceably with them unless they somehow act up. We’re in “wait and see” mode.
And that’s the story.
Strange coincidence: When I told my son about my cheek lump he informed me that he had had a similar one “forever,” also in his right cheek. When I told my daughter about it, she said she had once had cellulitis in her right cheek, and had to eat sour candies to prompt her salivary gland to secrete. You don’t suppose we have a familial right salivary gland lump chromosome, do you?
It makes one wonder.
As an afterthought:
The following video of an ABC report by John Stossel on Obama’s health care reform bills worries me considerably more than my lumps do. When I discovered the lumps I was able to see two doctors quite promptly without any trouble. Hopefully I will not be around when the time comes that some government bureaurocrat gets to decide whether I need to see a doctor, whether I need a referral to a specialist, whether I can wait six months, or whether I am valuable enough to society to be worthy of any care at all.
And, Congressman Mike Rogers of Michigan:
~~~
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. — Isaiah 53:5
Here is one of those ‘viral’ emails that goes around. It is followed by a link to the text of Obama’s speech in Bozeman, Montana.
Hello All,
By now you have probably heard that President Obama came to Montana last Friday. However, there are many things that the major news has not covered. I feel that since Bill and I live here and we were at the airport on Friday I should share some facts with you. Whatever you decide to do with the information is up to you. If you chose to share this email with others I do ask that you DELETE my email address before you forward this on.
On Wednesday, August 5th it was announced locally that the President would be coming here. There are many groups here that are against his healthcare and huge spending so those groups began talking and deciding on what they were going to do. The White House would not release ANY details other than the date.
On about Tuesday Bill found out that they would be holding the “Town Hall” at the airport. (This is only because Bill knows EVERYONE at the airport) Our airport is actually located outside of Belgrade (tiny town) in a very remote location. Nothing is around there. They chose to use a hangar that is the most remotely located hangar. You could not pick a more remote location, and you can not get to it easily. It is totally secluded from the public.
FYI: We have many areas in Belgrade and Bozeman which could have held a large amount of folks with sufficient parking, (gymnasiums/ auditoriums). All of which have chairs and tables, and would not have to be SHIPPED IN!! $$$$$
During the week, cargo by the TONS was being shipped in constantly. Airport employees could not believe how it just kept coming. Though it was our President coming several expressed how excessive it was, especially during a recession. $$$$$
Late Tuesday/early Wednesday the 12th, they said that tickets would be handed out on Thursday 9am at two locations and the president would be arriving around 12:30 Friday.
Thursday morning about 600 tickets were passed out. However, 1500 were printed at a Local printing shop per White House request. Hmmmm……900 tickets just DISAPPEARED. This same morning someone called into the radio from the local UPS branch and said that THOUSANDS of Dollars of Lobster were shipped in for Obama. Montana has some of the best beef in the nation!!! And it would have been really wonderful to help out the local economy. Anyone heard of the Recession?? Just think…with all of the traveling the White House is doing. $$$$$ One can only imagine what else we are paying for.
On Friday Bill and I got out to the airport about 10:45am. The groups that wanted to protest Obama’s spending and healthcare had gotten a permit to protest and that area was roped off. But that was not to be. A large bus carrying SEIU (Service Employees International Union) members drove up onto the area (illegal)and unloaded right there. It was quite a commotion and there were specifically 2 SEIU men trying to make trouble and start a fight. Police did get involved and arrested the one man but they said they did not have the manpower to remove the SEIU crowd. The SEIU crowd was very organized and young. About 99% were under the age of 30 and they were not locals! They had bullhorns and PROFESSIONALLY made signs. Some even wore preprinted T-shirts. Oh, and Planned Parenthood folks were with them ……professing abortion rights with their T-shirts and preprinted signs. (BTW, all these folks did have a permit to protest in ANOTHER area)
Those against healthcare/spending moved away from the SEIU crowd to avoid confrontation. They were orderly and respectful. Even though SEIU kept coming over and walking through, continuing to be very intimidating and aggressive at the direction of the one SEIU man.
So we had Montana folks from ALL OVER the state with their homemade signs and their DOGS with homemade signs. We had cowboys, nurses, doctors you name it. There was even a guy from Texas who had been driving through. He found out about the occasion, went to the store, made a sign, and came to protest.
If you are wondering about the press…..Well, all of the major networks were over by that remote hangar I mentioned. They were conveniently parked on the other side of the buildings FAR away. None of these crowds were even visible to them. I have my doubts that they knew anything about the crowds. We did have some local news media around us from this state and Idaho. Speaking of the local media…they were invited. However, all questions were to be turned into the White House in advance of the event. Wouldn’t want anyone to have to think off the top of their head.
It was very obvious that it was meant to be totally controlled by the White House. Everything was orchestrated down to the last detail to make it appear that Montana is just crazy for Obama and government healthcare. Even those people that talked about their insurance woes……..the White House called our local HRDC (Human Resource and Development Committee) and asked for names. Then the White House asked those folks to come. Smoke and mirrors…EVERYTHING was staged!!!!!!!!!!!
I am very dismayed about what I learned about our current White House. The amount of control and manipulation was unbelievable. I felt I was not living in the United States of America, more like the USSR !! I was physically nauseous. Bill and I have been around when Presidents or Heads of State visit. It has NEVER been like this. I am truly very frightened for our country. America needs your prayers and your voices. If you care about our country please get involved. Know the issues. And let Congress hear your voices again and again!! If they are willing to put forth so much effort to BULLY a small town one can only imagine what is going on in Washington DC . Scary!!
Here is the text of President Obama’s speech in Bozeman, Montana, on August 14.
I woke up this morning with the lovely Stephen Foster song, Old Black Joe, in my head. Are we still allowed to sing it? We sang Old Black Joe in assembly when I was in fourth grade at Henry Houck elementary school in Lebanon PA back in 1932. I guess we would now have to sing Old African-American Joe. (How come in Canada they don’t have African-Canadians?) I like black. Tell it like it is. It is a peaceful song about the end of life, hearing the call of those who have gone on ahead. At my age I identify with it more than ever. It was singing Old Black Joe and thoughts about death that led to this post today.
Thanatopsis is the title of a poem by William Cullen Bryant and means a ‘view of death’. Christian spiritual writers say we do well to ponder the “four last things” – death, judgment, heaven and hell – for a proper perspective on life. This being a blog of a woman in her 86th year of life, thoughts of death are something I live with. That being said, I don’t really look forward to Obamacare with Section 1233 of HR 3200 which will pay physicians to give end-of-life counseling to Medicare patients every five years (or sooner if terminally ill. ) As Charles Lane of the Washington Post writes:
Though not mandatory, as some on the right have claimed, the consultations envisioned in section 1233 aren’t quite ‘purely voluntary’ as the backers of the bill assert. He adds: ‘purely voluntary means ‘not unless the patient requests one.’ Section 1233, however, lets doctors initiate the chat and gives them an incentive – money – to do so. Indeed, that’s an incentive to insist.”
As Lane points out, the legislation says the doctor shall discuss “advanced care planning, including key questions and considerations, important steps, and suggested people to talk to”; “an explanation of . . .living wills and durable powers of attorney, and their uses” even though those are legal and not medical papers. The physician shall present “a list of resources to assist consumers and their families. ” Admittedly, this script is vague and possibly unenforceable,” Lane writes. “What are “key questions”? Who belongs on ‘a list’ of helpful ‘resources?’ The Roman Catholic Church? Jack Kevorkian?”
I am including the actual text of Section 1233 of HR 3200 at the end of this post. Section 1233 is just a small section of a mammoth bill. It is easy to see why it has not been read by those who will vote on it. It is also a bill in a state of flux. This is the current House version, not the Senate version which has yet to be completed. Who knows how it will all end up? And we want to give this due consideration and pass it in September?
Who are these people (doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant) who shall come after me every five years or more often if I am terminally ill? What is the definition of ‘terminally ill?” Is old age a terminal illness? How long do these consultations last? How often? What incentive (in the way of remuneration) does the “practitioner” get?
It seems to me there is too much opportunity for abuse by governmental agents. Please God keep them away from me and leave me to my family and the caretakers of my choice.
OLD BLACK JOE
Gone are the days when my heart was young and gay
Gone are my friends from the cotton fields away
Gone from the earth to a better land I know
I hear their gentle voices calling, Old Black Joe
Chorus
I’m coming, I’m coming, for my head is bending low
I hear their gentle voices calling, Old Black Joe
Why do I weep, when my heart should feel no pain
Why do I sigh when my friends come not again
Grieving for forms now departed long ago
I hear their gentle voices calling, Old Black Joe
Where are the hearts once so happy and so free
The children so dear that I held upon my knee
Gone to the shore where my soul has longed to go
I hear their gentle voices calling, Old Black Joe
~~~
Section 1233, HR 3200.
Advance Care Planning Consultation
(1) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), the term ‘advance care planning consultation’ means a consultation between the individual and a practitioner described in paragraph (2) regarding advance care planning, if, subject to paragraph (3), the individual involved has not had such a consultation within the last 5 years. Such consultation shall include the following:
‘(A) An explanation by the practitioner of advance care planning, including key questions and considerations, important steps, and suggested people to talk to.
‘(B) An explanation by the practitioner of advance directives, including living wills and durable powers of attorney, and their uses.
‘(C) An explanation by the practitioner of the role and responsibilities of a health care proxy.
‘(D) The provision by the practitioner of a list of national and State-specific resources to assist consumers and their families with advance care planning, including the national toll-free hotline, the advance care planning clearinghouses, and State legal service organizations
(including those funded through the Older Americans Act of 1965).
‘(E) An explanation by the practitioner of the continuum of end-of-life services and supports available, including palliative care and hospice, and benefits for such services and supports that are available under this title.
‘(F)(i) Subject to clause (ii), an explanation of orders regarding life sustaining treatment or similar orders, which shall include–
‘(I) the reasons why the development of such an order is beneficial to the individual and the individual’s family and the reasons why such an order should be updated periodically as the health of the individual changes;
‘(II) the information needed for an individual or legal surrogate to make informed decisions regarding the completion of such an order; and
‘(III) the identification of resources that an individual may use to determine the requirements of the State in which such individual resides so that the treatment wishes of that individual will be carried out if the individual is unable to communicate those wishes, including
requirements regarding the designation of a surrogate decisionmaker (also known as a health care proxy).
‘(ii) The Secretary shall limit the requirement for explanations under clause (i) to consultations furnished in a State–
‘(I) in which all legal barriers have been addressed for enabling orders for life sustaining treatment to constitute a set of medical orders respected across all care settings; and
‘(II) that has in effect a program for orders for life sustaining treatment described in clause (iii).
‘(iii) A program for orders for life sustaining treatment for a States described in this clause is a program that–
‘(I) ensures such orders are standardized and uniquely identifiable throughout the State;
‘(II) distributes or makes accessible such orders to physicians and other health professionals that (acting within the scope of the professional’s authority under State law) may sign orders for life sustaining treatment;
‘(III) provides training for health care professionals across the continuum of care about the goals and use of orders for life sustaining treatment; and
‘(IV) is guided by a coalition of stakeholders includes representatives from emergency medical services, emergency department physicians or nurses, state long-term care association, state medical association, state surveyors, agency responsible for senior services, state
department of health, state hospital association, home health association, state bar association, and state hospice association.
‘(2) A practitioner described in this paragraph is–
‘(A) a physician (as defined in subsection (r)(1)); and
‘(B) a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant who has the authority under State law to sign orders for life sustaining treatments.
‘(3)(A) An initial preventive physical examination under subsection (WW), including any related discussion during such examination, shall not be considered an advance care planning consultation for purposes of applying the 5-year limitation under paragraph (1).
‘(B) An advance care planning consultation with respect to an individual may be conducted more frequently than provided under paragraph (1) if there is a significant change in the health condition of the individual, including diagnosis of a chronic, progressive, life-limiting disease, a life-threatening or terminal diagnosis or life-threatening injury, or upon admission to a skilled nursing facility, a long-term care facility (as defined by the Secretary), or a hospice program.
‘(4) A consultation under this subsection may include the formulation of an order regarding life sustaining treatment or a similar order.
‘(5)(A) For purposes of this section, the term ‘order regarding life sustaining treatment’ means, with respect to an individual, an actionable medical order relating to the treatment of that individual that–
‘(i) is signed and dated by a physician (as defined in subsection (r)(1)) or another health care professional (as specified by the Secretary and who is acting within the scope of the professional’s authority under State law in signing such an order, including a nurse practitioner or physician assistant) and is in a form that permits it to stay with the individual and be followed by health care professionals and providers across the continuum of care;
‘(ii) effectively communicates the individual’s preferences regarding life sustaining treatment, including an indication of the treatment and care desired by the individual;
‘(iii) is uniquely identifiable and standardized within a given locality, region, or State (as identified by the Secretary); and
‘(iv) may incorporate any advance directive (as defined in section 1866(f)(3)) if executed by the individual.
‘(B) The level of treatment indicated under subparagraph (A)(ii) may range from an indication for full treatment to an indication to limit some or all or specified interventions. Such indicated levels of treatment may include indications respecting, among other items–
‘(i) the intensity of medical intervention if the patient is pulse less, apneic, or has serious cardiac or pulmonary problems;
‘(ii) the individual’s desire regarding transfer to a hospital or remaining at the current care setting;
‘(iii) the use of antibiotics;
‘(iv) the use of artificially administered nutrition and hydration.’
(2) PAYMENT- Section 1848(j)(3) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4(j)(3)) is amended by inserting ‘(2)(FF),’ after ‘(2)(EE),’.
(3) FREQUENCY LIMITATION- Section 1862(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395y(a)) is amended–
(A) in paragraph (1)–
(i) in subparagraph (N), by striking ‘and’ at the end;
(ii) in subparagraph (O) by striking the semicolon at the end and inserting ‘, and’; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
‘(P) in the case of advance care planning consultations (as defined in section 1861(hhh)(1)), which are performed more frequently than is covered under such section;’; and
(B) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘or (K)’ and inserting ‘(K), or (P)’.
(4) EFFECTIVE DATE- The amendments made by this subsection shall apply to consultations furnished on or after January 1, 2011.
(b) Expansion of Physician Quality Reporting Initiative for End of Life Care–
(1) Physician’S QUALITY REPORTING INITIATIVE- Section 1848(k)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4(k)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
‘(3) Physician’S QUALITY REPORTING INITIATIVE-
‘(A) IN GENERAL- For purposes of reporting data on quality measures for covered professional services furnished during 2011 and any subsequent year, to the extent that measures are available, the Secretary shall include quality measures on end of life care and advanced care
planning that have been adopted or endorsed by a consensus-based organization, if appropriate. Such measures shall measure both the creation of and adherence to orders for life-sustaining treatment.
‘(B) PROPOSED SET OF MEASURES- The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register proposed quality measures on end of life care and advanced care planning that the Secretary determines are described in subparagraph (A) and would be appropriate for eligible professionals to use to submit data to the Secretary. The Secretary shall provide for a period of public comment on such set of measures before finalizing such proposed measures.’
(c) Inclusion of Information in Medicare & You Handbook-
(1) MEDICARE & YOU HANDBOOK-
(A) IN GENERAL- Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall update the online version of the Medicare & You Handbook to include the following:
(i) An explanation of advance care planning and advance directives, including–
(I) living wills;
(II) durable power of attorney;
(III) orders of life-sustaining treatment; and
(IV) health care proxies.
(ii) A description of Federal and State resources available to assist individuals and their families with advance care planning and advance directives, including–
(I) available State legal service organizations to assist individuals with advance care planning, including those organizations that receive funding pursuant to the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 93001 et seq.);
(II) website links or addresses for State-specific advance directive forms; and
(III) any additional information, as determined by the Secretary.
(B) UPDATE OF PAPER AND SUBSEQUENT VERSIONS- The Secretary shall include the information described in subparagraph (A) in all paper and electronic versions of the Medicare & You Handbook that are published on or after the date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act.
It used to be that there was a civil liberty called freedom of speech. Those days are gone. In an unprecedented move our government — our GOVERNMENT! — has asked that citizens notify the White House if “chain emails” or “casual conversation” do not conform to Obama’s “facts” or claim to “uncover the truth” about the President’s health insurance reform plans. It then ranks as “disinformation.” The very notion that one could be reported to Big Brother for disagreeing sounds intimidating to me.
Facts Are Stubborn Things
Posted by Macon Phillips
August 4, 2009
Opponents of health insurance reform may find the truth a little inconvenient, but as our second president famously said, “facts are stubborn things.”
Scary chain emails and videos are starting to percolate on the internet, breathlessly claiming, for example, to “uncover” the truth about the President’s health insurance reform positions.
There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.
They would probably think the following words of ophthalmologist Zane Pollard qualify as “fishy” and disinformation. We would do well to listen to what he has to say. And don’t miss the video at the end.
OBAMACARE AND ME
By Zane F Pollard, MD
I have been sitting quietly on the sidelines watching all of this national debate on healthcare. It is time for me to bring some clarity to the table by explaining many of the problems from the perspective of a doctor.
First off, the government has involved very few of us physicians in the healthcare debate. While the American Medical Association has come out in favor of the plan, it is vital to remember that the AMA only represents 17% of the American physician workforce.
I have taken care of Medicaid patients for 35 years while representing the only pediatric ophthalmology group left in Atlanta, Georgia that accepts Medicaid. For example, in the past 6 months I have cared for three young children on Medicaid who had corneal ulcers. This is a potentially blinding situation because if the cornea perforates from the infection, almost surely blindness will occur. In all three cases the antibiotic needed for the eradication of the infection was not on the approved Medicaid list.
Each time I was told to fax Medicaid for the approval forms, which I did. Within 48 hours the form came back to me which was sent in immediately via fax, and I was told that I would have my answer in 10 days. Of course by then each child would have been blind in the eye.
Each time the request came back denied. All three times I personally provided the antibiotic for each patient which was not on the Medicaid approved list. Get the point — rationing of care.
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