The Party of NO, is Fighting for the Status Quo

( – promoted by buhdydharma )

In case you haven’t noticed, there is a Talking Point War, developing around the “validity” of the Public Option.

There is very much at stake in this inevitable War of Words — not least of which is YOUR Future Health, Wealth, and peace of mind.

Of course, the forces of the Status Quo, will do everything within their Financial Power, to convince you that a non-profit “Public Option” in Health Care — is against your best interests!  That it is anti-American! … That a Public Option is somehow an “inferior” product.  (says who, btw?)

Just don’t buy what their selling, because really it’s someone else’s “best interests” that those Talking Point warriors, really have in mind:

Beware of Big Business’ next “Bait and Switch”!  

(Whether it be some amorphous “co-op” idea, or some other shiny object, like promising to finally “play nicely now”.)

In his movie, Al Gore talks about that poor Frog placed in a pot of water.  If the water temperature is OK to begin with, the Frog will just keep sitting there, all the while the dangerous heat from the stove burner, is slowing starting the water to boil. The Frog is perfectly capable of Jumping out of its predicament, but it doesn’t … too often it just gets too comfortable for its own good.  Too disengaged to realize the impending danger, surrounding it.

Remind you of anyone, you know?

COST: Rising health care costs cut take-home pay

Len Nichols – March 25, 2008

But what few seem to have noticed is that even if you count employer premium contributions as part of employee income (as most economists argue you should), family health insurance premiums have risen to 17% of median family income (using 2006 data, the latest available), up from 7% in 1987.

(emphasis added)

http://www.newamerica.net/blog…

And if costs of living are so challenging when you have a job, imagine the challenges that the underemployed face, without even our meager Health Care “safety net”.

Imagine what Retirees face daily in terms of skyrocketing costs.  That will include you one day, if you are lucky enough to survive, and make it to that Rocking Chair on Golden Pond:

When it comes to retirement, health care is #1 concern

May 21, 2008

The top risks facing retirees and those contemplating retirement are: the cost of health care; inflation’s impact on investments; affordability of long-term care; and, the cost of living, and living longer.

(emphasis added)

http://www.healthpopuli.com/20…

(for larger image, click graphic in source document)

Talk about “earning your due” and enjoying your Golden Years — maybe it used to be that way “back in the day”, when a Pension was actually was worth the paper it was printed on. Back when, Health Care for Retirees was a given — Not a re-tractable benefit.

Well those days, seem to be but a fleeting memory, in the new age of Corporate Socialism.

And if you haven’t noticed, there are more pressing concerns in the Halls of Congress these day too — than protecting the People’s interests. And their urgency is for protecting the “gilded interests” of the “private sector”, who’s generosity, will make their re-election campaigns possible, next time.

(Afterall, how can those Congress spokes-people ever manage to do the People’s Business, if they can’t manage to stay in office? — first things, first!)

Three guesses, where the People rank on their lists? (Why do they let Lobbyists draft the Legislation again?)

And now a few words from the latest battlelines from that Health Care “war room”:

Dems Prepare For Health Reform Cost Analysis While Courting GOP Votes

Jun 12, 2009

Moderates want to ensure that that government-backed health care plan doesn’t undermine the private market.

(emphasis added)

… it [the public option] should be self sufficient, it should be a competitor with the private sector and not have an unfair advantage …

(emphasis added)

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.or…

Apparently Corporate Persons, and their captured Reps, DO believe in “competition” and the American Way — SO long as, that Competition, DOESN’T interfere with their own built-in “unfair advantage”.

And the financiers of those residents of Hallowed Halls, are now planning to “pull out all the stops.”  They see their “gravy train” might be dismantled, right before their eyes — they see the specter of that dreaded “Public Option” rising, and that has cause them to regroup and re-strategize.

Obstructionists Unite — the People are about to get a Fair Choice, and a Fair Deal.  How DARE They? … just who do they think they are, anyways?

There is much more at stake, than just “Good Available Health Care”, here:

Industry Groups Increase Lobbying As Details Of Health Plan Emerge

Jun 12, 2009

Business groups are “deeply displeased” with the legislation circulated by Health Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., which includes possible provisions for a government-sponsored insurance plan and “requirements for employers to provide health care to their employees or pay a fine,” the AP reports.

Today, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce will meet with business groups “to plot strategy as alarm grows over the direction of Democratic health care overhaul proposals.” Randy Johnson, a chamber vice president, told the AP “that business groups have been largely restrained to date about voicing opposition, but it might be time for that to change. The purpose of the meeting is to determine a strategy, possibly including an advertising campaign

(emphasis added)

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.or…

There’s private sector profit at stake, don’t you know. And it’s well-versed at siphoning away your pay, and denying you care, at the same time. (that is what their “pure competition” has brought us to.)

And if the People get their way, that private sector economic drain, may finally to be plugged — to be replaced by a system that actually focuses on Care, instead of Profits.  

But the Status Quo they won’t let that happen — NOT without a fight!

In America, we Corporate Persons still have the Right to “Gouge the Public” — Damn it! That’s how millionaires are made … and who doesn’t want to be a millionaire?

Health Care CEO Profits Looks Like

Jun 8th, 2009

The National Coalition on Health Care reports employment-based health insurance has dropped from 70 percent in 1987 to 62 percent in 2007.

…

As millions of Americans are finding themselves without health care, or are filing bankruptcy

to cover catastrophic health emergencies, American health care providers are reaping record profits for their shareholders and record salaries for their CEOs

…

FierceHealthcare reports the following top 10 CEO salaries for 2008.

— Ron Williams – Aetna – Total Compensation: $24,300,112.

— H. Edward Hanway – CIGNA – Total Compensation: $12,236,740.

— Angela Braly – WellPoint – Total Compensation: $9,844,212.

— Dale Wolf – Coventry Health Care – Total Compensation: $9,047,469.

— Michael Neidorff – Centene – Total Compensation: $8,774,483.

— James Carlson – AMERIGROUP – Total Compensation: $5,292,546.

— Michael McCallister – Humana – Total Compensation: $4,764,309.

— Jay Gellert – Health Net – Total Compensation: $4,425,355.

— Richard Barasch – Universal American – Total Compensation: $3,503,702.

— Stephen Hemsley – UnitedHealth Group – Total Compensation: $3,241,042.

When American patients trust their health to a for-profit insurance company, they’re doing nothing less than gambling with their lives in a game where the odds are stacked in favor of the insurance company.

(emphasis added)

http://www.articlesbase.com/in…

If you like the current system you can take your chances … (and keep it)

Of course that’s exactly what the Status Quo is afraid of — given the Choice — you WON’T like their system — and you WON’T keep it!

Therefore, they just won’t give you the Choice!

But gee-whiz, the Status Quo system is SOOOO convenient! It’s so helpful to get the Coverage you need, that you’re paying for, that websites like this one have sprung up, to help the belegured Health Consumer:

Tips on Appealing a Claim Denial

And afterall, the Status Quo system has an army of Contract Specialists, that they must keep gainfully employed, in order to keep you, from going over-board, with all that “staying healthy” stuff.

It’s called “fine print”.  And it’s hard work to write up all those “nice sounding” restrictions, that stand between you and your doctor’s advice.  (that keep you locked in current job … that keep you deathly afraid of “getting sick” — OMG!)

Claim Denial Policy of Insurance Company  (aka the “Fine Print”)

Your insurance company has every right to deny your claim, since you did not follow the procedures that are explained in your policy details. It would seem that your complaint should be with the medical clinic that accepted your insurance ID card without explaining to you the limitations of your insurance type. Did they make you sign anything that said you would be liable for the medical bills if your insurance company did not pay them?

(emphasis added)

http://www.healthinsurancefind…

Meanwhile those illnesses, keep ticking, despite the “red tape” designed to prevent them. (or really to prevent “the expense” of them.)

The Status Quo system is oh so resourceful — it has come up with another minor “private sector” industry, to help keep all those “pesky doctor’s bills” in check too … to keep the “fear of bankruptcy” ever-present in the Patient’s psyche. (as if one reaper, were not enough, already?)

Because, “if you got to pay for it, well you just might think twice”, about asking for that next test, in the first place, now won’t you? … A little pain, never hurt any one!

Medical Claims & Denial Management: MCDM —

Putting the pieces together to improve your bottom line

MCDM: Our Mission

MCDM’s mission is to provide a streamlined, nonintrusive experience geared toward increasing profit potential and cash flow, by improving hospital and healthcare provider revenue cycles. Whether engaged to recover wrongfully denied claims, expedite accounts receivable collection, recover underpaid claims or implement an improved billing service, MCDM offers more personalized services then the typical medical claim recovery firm.

(emphasis added)

© 2003 Medical Claims and Denial Management. All rights reserved.

http://www.mcdminc.com/mission…

MCDM: Services

We are one of only a few regional collection firms that provide emergency room denial management. MCDM also offers a number of competitive and attractive fee arrangements, including fees based solely on what is recovered, thereby permitting our clients to avoid additional financial risk.

(emphasis added)

© 2003 Medical Claims and Denial Management. All rights reserved.

http://www.mcdminc.com/service…

Nice business, eh, “Medical Claims & Denial Management”?  I wonder who, or better yet, “which” purely competitive forces, made it profitable for these “middle tier” care-deniers, to stand in between the people, and the maze of fine print, protecting Insurer’s rights?

The last thing Health Insurance Industry is about, is YOUR Health — that kind of “profit center” would take some serious long-term “investments”:

Preventive Care

And Who’s got the time, or the incentives, to invest in Preventive Care?  (the last thing Insurers need is Patients getting MORE Tests — Jeeesh!)

If it’s not Broken — don’t fix, the saying goes …

Well, when it comes to the “Party of NO”, somethings will always need some fixing, it seems …

Hey NO-phers — here’s your new list of Parrot Points, squawk! from de-man himself:

How to Stop Socialized Health Care

Five arguments Republicans must make.

By KARL ROVE – Wall Street Journal – JUNE 11, 2009

If Democrats enact a public-option health-insurance program, America is on the way to becoming a European-style welfare state. To prevent this from happening, there are five arguments Republicans must make.

The first is it’s unnecessary. …

But 1,300 companies sell health insurance plans. That’s competition enough.

Second, a public option will undercut private insurers and pass the tab to taxpayers and health providers just as it does in existing government-run programs. …

Third, government-run health insurance would crater the private insurance market, forcing most Americans onto the government plan. …

Fourth, the public option is far too expensive. …

Fifth, the public option puts government firmly in the middle of the relationship between patients and their doctors. …

http://online.wsj.com/article/…

Now repeat after me, 1, not necessary, 2, hurts private insurers, 3 … what was three, something about private insurers, again —

Well Karl is in good company apparently, and will have an ally in Rick Scott — the point person, who will be pedaling those Status Quo Talking Points. Conservatives for Patients’ Rights Action Fund and its salesman Rick Scott, have plenty of experience running a playbook of dirty tricks — they’ve been there, done that before.

Now Scott and crew, want you to be “Shocked” by Congress’ effort to reform Health Care.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…

Mr. Scott bought ads for his group “Conservatives for Patients’ Rights” on CNN and FOX News networks. The ads were created by the same firm behind the now discredited “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth” ads from the 2004 presidential campaign.

http://www.seiu.org/2009/05/wh…

Health Care CEO Profits Looks Like

Jun 8th, 2009

The ads feature the chairman of Conservatives for Patients’ Rights, Rick Scott who was a former deputy inspector general from the Department of Health and Human Services.  Scott is not a doctor, he is a convicted felon who took two hospitals in Texas and built them into the largest health care chain in the world, Columbia/HCA. In 1997, he was fired by the board of directors after Columbia/HCA was caught in a scheme that ripped off the Federal and State governments for hundreds of millions of dollars in bogus Medicare and Medicaid payments, the largest such fraud in history. The company had to cough up $1.7 billion dollars to get out of the mess.

(emphasis added)  

http://www.articlesbase.com/in…

Like I said at the beginning of this post, there is a “Talking Point War” brewing — and chances are, the Obstructionist robots, DON’T have YOUR best interests at heart — they rarely do. … (Where’s the Profit in that, eh?)

Lest we forget,

The Party of NO, will always Fight for the Status Quo.

The truth, well that’s just another casualty of war, it seems.

Damn the Torpedoes — that’s the American Multi-national Way!