Posts Tagged ‘Health Care’

Click to News of the North Article for complete report, thorough coverage with photos and video from yesterday’s event in St. Germain:
http://newsofthenorth.net/article/Top_Stories/National/Sen_Feingold_faces_wrath_on_health_care_bill_on_eve_of_vote/37758

ST. GERMAIN – Sen. Russ Feingold came to St. Germain on Saturday, March 20, for his 32nd “listening session” of 2010 and 1,256th since 1993 and heard a lot of anger from a sometimes raucous and hostile crowd.

About 100 people showed up at the Community Center at noon for the one-hour meeting and, as expected, health care was the big topic.

Several people made statements, most of which were critical of the health care bill now before the House, or interrupted the Democratic Wisconsin senator with catcalls although appreciative applause also broke out at times from some in the audience who supported the health care legislation.

But for the most part it was a confrontational session as speaker after speaker blasted what they see as government takeover of the health care system. Outside a few protesters carried signs opposing “Obama care.” Another said, “Are you listening?”

The placard-carrying critics included Rudy Fuys of Boulder Junction, who said he was “outraged by the taking of $500 billion out of the Medicare program. That’s ridiculous. Myself and many other seniors have paid for this our whole lives and it’s gone. How can they force this on the American people?”

Another critic, James Lynn of Cloverland, said, “They totally corrupted the government and it’s unconstitutional.” Loyd Black (see video clip below) questioned the senator on whether the law should apply to everyone.

Feingold defended his support of health care reform, noting that the vast majority of Americans favored universal health care. (see video clip below), and that he was standing on principles espoused during his previous election campaign.

In discussing the soaring federal deficit and the need to cut spending, he lauded passage of the Control Spending Now Act provision to cancel unspent transportation earmarks, which won Senate approval last week on an 87-11 vote. He said the amendment could save taxpayers at least $478 million a year and considerably more over time.

Feingold also lent his support to an amendment to place a year-long ban on earmarks, although the move was defeated; he likewise endorsed a plan by House Republicans to impose a year-long prohibition on earmarks.

Another subject that came up during a pre-session interview was unemployment. Feingold said the new jobs bill, which President Obama signed into law last week, includes a payroll tax break to make it a bit easier to business to hire more workers.

“But even with this bipartisan effort becoming law, we must remain focused on creating jobs and strengthening the economy. And since the new payroll tax break expires at the end of the year, more must be done. I strongly favor the approach my own jobs tax credit bill takes, which is to provide firms with a tax break for the next two years to help them expand their payroll and put people back to work.”

Other questions dealt with illegal immigration sparking a testy exchange with Kim Simac of Eagle River, a member of the Northwoods Patriots Group (see video clip below). Deficit spending and global warming also came up, but the subject that was on most minds was health care.

Dr. William Raduege, a family physician who works in Land O’ Lakes, Wis., representing the Wisconsin Medical Society, said there should be a permanent fix for what he called the flawed Medicare payment system for doctors and hospitals, without which access to care would be threatened and limited. (see video clip below)

As the health care debate winds down this weekend and the House is on the verge of an up-or-down vote, Democrats appeared confident that the measure would pass after several months of contentious debate, which has not only split both major parties but also the country, according to public opinion polls. House Democrats were quoted Sunday morning as saying they had enough votes — at least 216 are needed — to pass the bill.

Before the listening session, Feingold, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, spoke with NN.N about a new strain in U.S.-Israeli relations stemming from the Israeli government’s announced plans to expand settlements in east Jerusalem, and the growing possibility that former Wisconsin governor and Republican Tommy Thompson may run against him this fall. (see video clip below). Feingold was first elected senator in 1992 and is seeking a third term.

These are the last hours before Obamacare is voted on.  Express your opposition in every way possible.  Click to sign the on-line petition, call your Congressman (KAGEN:  1-202-225-5665, and Kagen’s on-line comment submission).  Honk Against Obamacare in Wausau today, email congressmen, call congressmen, fax congressmen!  This is your day to participate in our republic — let your voice be known!!

Does this petition represent your views?  Then CLICK and sign the petition at gop.com!

Start Over on Health Care Reform

Preamble

President Obama’s initial attempt to seize control of one-sixth of the U.S. economy by nationalizing the American health care system has failed.

But serious issues continue to plague our health insurance system, and they must be addressed.

Now is the time to start over on health insurance reform and do it right.

Petition

We ask that President Obama and Congressional Democrats join with Republican leaders to start over on health insurance reform.

We ask that they help craft sensible reforms designed to lower costs and expand access without violating individual rights or the integrity of the market.

We ask that they enact medical liability reform and put an end to frivolous lawsuits that drive up the cost of medicine.

We ask that they allow individuals and small businesses to pool together to purchase high-quality affordable health care coverage.

We ask that they allow Americans to shop for health care coverage from coast to coast and purchase insurance policies across state lines.

We ask that they create new incentives to save for current and future health care needs by allowing people to use their health savings accounts funds to pay premiums for high deductible health plans.

We ask that they guarantee individuals with pre-existing conditions or past illnesses access to affordable coverage through the expansion of state-based, high-risk pools, and reinsurance programs.

We reject any attempt by the federal government to force any American to purchase an unwanted insurance plan.

We reject any attempt to implement a government-run insurance program.

We reject individual mandates, rationing, and special deals for any state.

We reject a separate set of rules for government and private sector health insurance purchases.

We oppose any plan that betrays our senior citizens by cutting Medicare coverage, or that allocates taxpayer funds to pay for abortion.

We reject any proposal that authorizes a government takeover of any portion of our health care system.

We ask that Congress and the President above all pledge to ensure the constitutionality of any health insurance reform legislation considered by the federal government.

We implore the President and his allies to listen to the will of the American people and start over on health insurance reform.

As House Democrats piece together a second health care reform bill, Representative Steve Kagen of Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District is calling for more transparency in health care costs.

Late last month Kagen, who’s a medical doctor himself, introduced a bill that would require hospitals, clinics — really, any health care provider — to openly disclose the price of its services.

Monday Kagen likened the proposal to a menu at a fast food restaurant,  saying it would give patients a clear picture of the costs any procedure or appointment would incur –  a picture he says now doesn’t exist.

“No, they don’t, and if they ask their doctor, as I did when I had my knee surgery, ‘Well, Doctor, what’s this knee surgery going to cost?’ he said, ‘I’m not sure.’”

However, the Wisconsin Hospital Association, which represents each of Green Bay’s hospitals, says sometimes pinning down a price can be a complicated procedure.

“It’s kind of difficult to estimate what the cost of an episode of care or what the cost of care is going to be if there’s complications when we don’t know what those are upfront,” WHA executive vice president Eric Borgerding said.

The hospital association, however, says the industry has embraced the idea of price transparency.

By law, the association has a web site that details the average price of each the establishment’s 75 most common procedures.

www.wbay.com article

Wisconsin 8th Congressional District candidate Terri McCormick’s article picked up by national news and published in hundreds of media outlets:

U.S. Senate: ‘Naughty or Nice’ This Season?

Download image

APPLETON, Wis., Dec. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The following statement was issued today by Terri McCormick:

In the rush to pass the so-called “healthcare reform bill,” U.S. Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) stomped his feet and held his breath until he extracted his presents from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. One such gift exempts Nebraska from paying the $45 million increase in Medicaid imbursement costs. Nelson was the 60th Democrat to get his stocking stuffed.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091223/DC30345)

Smart parents know not to give in to spoiled children trying these shenanigans. If we gave kids everything they demanded, our family budget would be as busted as last year’s toy under the couch. You know, the one with batteries that are only made in China.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Heritage Foundation: http://blog.heritage.org/2009/12/10/morning-bell-obamacare-is-seriously-unconstitutional/
December 10, 2009

On October 23rd, a reporter asked Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): “Madam Speaker, where specifically does the Constitution grant Congress the authority to enact an individual health insurance mandate?” Speaker Pelosi shook her head and before moving on to another question replied: “Are you serious? Are you serious??” Pressed for a more substantive response later, Pelosi’s press spokesman admonished the reporter: “You can put this on the record. That is not a serious question. That is not a serious question.”

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) disagrees. In 1994, the CBO said of an individual mandate to buy health insurance:

Read the rest of this entry »

Why Dems Are Obsessed by Health Reform

Wall Street Journal | December 4, 2009 | JOHN FUND
Posted on Saturday, December 05, 2009 11:35:21 AM by neverdem

Health Care Forum
Monday - November 16
7 P.M. - Eagle River

Sponsored by: Northwoods Patriots and Vilas County Republicans

From the Desk of:
Steve Elliott, President, Grassfire.org Alliance

We just learned that the Senate Finance Committee will vote
on its sketchy version of ObamaCare on Tuesday.

It’s all part of the Reid/Pelosi/Obama plan to ram through
a final healthcare bill that was written behind closed doors
with little or no public debate.

But the key first step is getting ObamaCare passed through
the Finance Committee on Tuesday. If Chairman Baucus fails
on Tuesday, it would be a serious blow to the Democrats’
stealth plan. Here’s why… Read the rest of this entry »

 Over Promise, Under Deliver, by Kevin Peterson, 40th Assembly District 

Wisconsin’s State Run Health Care

On February 1, 2008 Wisconsin’s Family Medicaid and BadgerCare programs were combined and renamed BadgerCare Plus (BC+).  Badger Care Plus extends coverage to childless adults, all children up to age 19, and pregnant women among other low-income and/or disabled populations.

BadgerCare Plus, SeniorCare, FamilyCare, and supplementary medical assistance programs are all funded through the state Medicaid program.  Medicaid accounts for 77% of the Department of Health Services’ budget and equates to 1/5 of the entire state budget. In real numbers, $12.21 billion was allocated for Medicaid this biennium.

Late July, BadgerCare Plus Core Plan began enrollment.  Funded at $154 million and infused with a five year $50 million stimulus grant from the federal government, this program extended coverage to childless adults.  As of September 30^th, there were 33,000 people enrolled with an additional 34,000 applicants still being processed. 

Currently, the program is funded to cover 50,000 registrants.  If every application being processed qualifies, a 17,000 enrollee shortfall in funding will occur.  Because of the mismatch in numbers, Department of Health Services secretary Karen Timberlake announced that Governor Doyle was suspending enrollment and starting a waiting list at noon on October 9^th.  Read the rest of this entry »

URGENT ACTION IS NEEDED NOW!

Please read this special report from Robert Knight, Coral Ridge Ministries Washington, D.C., Correspondent and then call your senators and representative. The Capitol Hill switchboard is (202) 224-3121. (Click these links to identify your senators and representatives.)

 From Robert Knight:

Folks, in my nearly 20 years in Washington, I have seen a lot of deception and chicanery. But what’s unfolding now takes my breath away. It should raise the blood pressure of every freedom-loving American. The Democrats are still trying to ram through a national health care takeover despite being told over and over by Americans that we do not want it.

The Senate Finance Committee is poised to vote on a massive health care reform bill on Tuesday authored by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.). A glaring, outrageous fact unreported by the media is that the bill has been kept secret. No one actually knows what’s in it – not even senators, who will be told to vote for it. Entire sections will be added later. That’s what happened with the House version. Nobody read the bill, and 75 “phantom” amendments were added after the vote. A similar maneuver happened in the Senate, when a key committee approved another version of a sweeping health care bill in July without seeing the text. Actual language was unveiled months later in September.

Posted in Health Care | Tags: Health Care | No Comments »