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Obama Gets the Health Care Bill He Wanted

Don't like the way the health care bill is shaping up? Glenn G. says Blame Obama.

Sounds about right to me.

Note that this is in one sense worse than the expansion of the war in Afghanistan. Obama promised us more war in the campaign. This health care bill — and the administration's Rahmian maneuvers about it — breaks several promises.

(The war and the health care bill both involve life and death decisions; arguably the war is worse as so many of those being killed have not even a theoretical say in the matter.)

Senator Lieberman Is Against ANY Health Care Reform that Actually Reforms

The Plum Line has the video, Watch Lieberman Endorse Medicare Buy-In Three Months Ago. Now he says that the inclusion of the very proposal he formerly claimed to support is why Lieberman opposes the health care bill.

It seems increasingly the case that the core of Lieberman's ever-shifting objections to health care reform is summed up in this classic song:

It would be nice if our Senate could transcend the Marx Brothers. I am not feeling hopeful about that right now.

Those Billionaires Can Sing

Billionaires for Wealthcare Serande the Masses on Capitol Hill - 11/5/09 (HQ)

Progressive Video Pushes Obama for Public Option

Tough pro-public-option video from a former Obama campaign staffer in Maine, President Obama: It's Time To Fight

Video by the Progressive Change Campaign Comission. It gets a nice shot in at Olympia Snowe, too. She deserves it since her stand seems entirely unprincipled and driven by fear of her caucus.

One thing, though: although an Obama campaign white paper did mention the public option, he really didn't campaign on it. Indeed, Obama's somewhat cautious health care policy was one of the reasons why I wasn't a bigger fan in the primaries. The problem with Obama's policies here is, to me, more one of consistent timidity rather than going back on a pledge. And then there's Rham too…

The Search for the Senate Democrats' Spine Continues

Daily Kos: Harry Reid abdicates his leadership role.

Seems the X-rays emerging from the Majority (q.v.) Leader's Office are not encouraging.

Rachel Maddow Claims Senate Democrats Have Grown Spines

Maddow reports on the search for a Democratic spine

The search for a Democratic spine has consumed more than a decade, almost two. Signs of one were briefly located in Howard Dean, but the party's antibodies seem to have rejected him. Signs of small ones have been seen in the House although the incidence is very erratic. Now Rachel Maddow claims that two “major power brokers,” unnamed, are trying to inject one into Harry Reid by having the party strip committee chairmanships and subcommittee chairmanships for anyone who voted to support a GOP filibuster on health care reform.

My guess is that this is atmospherics designed to spur the uncertain rather than something that can actually happen. Do spines grow back after they atrophy?

Rep. Grayson Attacks GOP "Health Plan"

Alan Grayson on the GOP Health Care Plan: “Don't Get Sick! And if You Do Get Sick, Die Quickly!”'

Rep. Grayson's remarks have been attacked by many on the right as somehow akin to Joe Wilson's (false) “you lie” shoutout during President Obama's speech. In fact, while not particularly civil, they do capture the essence of the GOP (and far-right-Democratic) opposition to health care reform: it's fine to leave some Americans without health insurance, and if they get sick, it's mostly their problem. We'll do emergency room care for them, but nothing long-term, and certainly nothing preventative.

That said, Grayson's remarks can be called inaccurate in one respect — there really isn't a Republican health proposal on the table at all, just a bunch of bills each with a small number of sponsors, none endorsed by the Republican leadership.

To those who would attack Rep. Grayson for his unusually blunt talk, I would ask, “Do any of the leading Republican plans ensure basic health care for all Americans?” And, where were you when Republicans were using similarly hot rhetoric?

Grayson is certainly not backing down: “47,000 Americans die every year for lack of health insurance. And by the way, that's 20 or so since we started talking about it. That's over a hundred a day.”

Florida's Senator Nelson Votes Against the Full Public Option

Nelson votes against public option. (To be fair, Nelson voted against the full-blooded public option proposed by Sen. Rockefeller . Sen. Nelson said he would support a watered-down version being pushed by Sen. Schumer. Not that this will pass the Finance Committee either….)

Glorious moments from Sen. Nelson's career:

• Florida's Senator Nelson Votes Against Capping Credit Card Interest
• Sen. Bill Nelson Prefers Telcos to Constituents
• Senator Bill Nelson Lets Us Down Again, This Time on FISA
• Bill Nelson Sells Out America
• Senator Bill Nelson Votes for Torture
• Profile in Caution: Senator Bill Nelson

Baucus Bill Explained

The Truth About the Baucus Healthcare Bill

Well, it's actually worse than the video makes it seem, but it's a start.

Is the Miami Herald Useless?

It looks like a good article — Hialeah and Weston: A tale of two cities, one health crisis but don't look too carefully.

The key facts reported appear in paragraphs four and five (after a back-in lead humanizing the statistics):

More than half of Hialeah adults aged 18-64 — 53.1 percent — lack health insurance, according to Census data released last week. That's almost three times the national average and the highest rate in South Florida. The lowest — 13.8 percent — is in Weston.

That disparity “could certainly be a poster child about the need for reform,'' says Robert Berenson, a physician who is a health policy expert at the Urban Institute.

So far, so good. But then the Herald chickens out in paragraph six.

The congressmen for the two cities — Republican Lincoln Diaz-Balart for Hialeah and Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz for Weston — agree reform is needed, but have completely different ideas on what should be done.

And the we don't learn a thing about what they (or others) think should be done…until paragraphs 23-26, the final graphs of the article:

In an e-mail to The Miami Herald, Diaz-Balart wrote that something needed to be done, in particular to help small businesses. He proposes allowing them to “to pool together to negotiate and purchase health insurance, across state lines,'' which should drop premium prices through leveraged buying and increased competition.

“Individuals who are self-employed should receive tax credits to help them purchase health insurance'' across state lines, the Republican wrote.

Wasserman Schultz sent an e-mail saying the contrast between the cities “show clearly the need for health insurance reform.'' She strongly supports a public option and strict controls on private insurers so that they can't reject applicants for preexisting conditions. She also advocates subsidies for people who can't afford coverage.

“Whether it is 13 percent or 53 percent, Americans need to have the stability and security that come from having quality, affordable, health insurance choices,'' the Democrat wrote.

Yes, that's it. Not one word on whether either or both of those plans would address the problem. Hint: Diaz-Ballard's “plan” is not going to do much about small businesses that feel they can't afford to give people health care or the low wages that make it unaffordable plus going accross state lines will weaken enforcement efforts. Waserman Schultz's “subsidies” might, depending how big they are and how they are targeted, but it's a fairly meaningless idea unless it is connected to a realistic proposal now on the Hill — is it? And if not, what if anything does Waserman Schultz, a power in the Democratic Party, intend to do about it?

In short, the Herald ducked everything complicated, important, and interesting about this story. It failed to help readers figure out which if any of their representatives were actively engaged in doing anything meaningful about the problem. And this on one of the leading political controversies in the country, one which the House will be voting on soon.

And it's not as if the Herald can't find or is afraid to quote experts — they put one in paragraph five (quoted above) after all.

Epic fail.

I am as loyal a reader and lover of newspapers as you will find anywhere, but more and more wonder why I keep my Herald subscription as the paper gets thinner and duller.

I used to say I got the Herald for the local news, but we've now had not one, but two days of opinion columns and one news story telling us that the recent arrests of politicians in Broward were no surprise. Well, it certainly was a surprise to readers of the Herald, as I doubt there was ever a hint of this in its pages…

Comments closed due to attack robots

A Cause to Rally Around

It's popular, but techPresdent wonders if it isn't a bit late.

Opposition to Health Care Reform Highly Correlated with 'Racial Resentment of Blacks'

Health Care, Race and Political Polarization:

We find an extraordinarily strong correlation between racial resentment of blacks and opposition to health care reform.

Correlation is not causation, but this is very consistent with earlier trans-national research showing lower spending on social welfare spending in racially polarized societies.

Doctors Support the Public Option

According to an article in the New England Journal of Medicine, a substantial majority of doctors support a public option; add in the number who prefer single-payer, and the status quo loving group is a small minority.

Sign of the Times

Spotted around the law school:

The Horrors of Canadian Health Care

This post from Orcinus really captures the true horror of Canadian health care.

Most notably, it explains the connections between good privacy laws and good health care.

Fafblog Is Still Fafblog

Fafblog! the whole world's only source for Fafblog. finds the silver lining in an ugly cloud of bigotry at a health care town hall.

Unfortunately, the silver lining is this:

On the bright side, though, the Mayan zombie gods should wipe us all out in just a couple years

Ros-Lehtinen's Almost-Fair Health Care Survey

Congresswoman Ileanna Ros-Lehtinen is asking constituents to fill out her Health Care Survey Form.

I have to admit, it's less biased than I would have expected. But then my expectations were very low.

Nevertheless, there are a few good questions on there like if you support the public option, so if you live in Florida's 18th district, might as well fill it out.

Full text of the survey — with some comments — after the jump.

Healthcare Survey

It is undeniable that our country’s current healthcare system is in desperate need of comprehensive reform. There are over 50 million Americans lacking health insurance and many more who are underinsured. In Florida alone, 21% of the population is uninsured, average premiums have increased about 88% since 2000, and the number of Floridians with employer coverage is declining. It is increasingly clear that we can no longer maintain the status quo. Americans deserve affordable high-quality health insurance, regardless of their socio-economic background, and I am deeply committed to the development of a feasible and inclusive system that will improve the livelihood of all our nation’s citizens. As you may know, Congress has already launched various initiatives to tackle the issue of health care. As your representative, I truly value your input on this significant matter. Please take the time to fill out this short survey and let me know your thoughts.

1. Do you currently have health insurance? Yes No

2. If you have health insurance, are you satisfied with your coverage? Yes No

3. Would you want to keep your current healthcare insurance, no matter what health care reforms are enacted? Yes No

4. Are you generally supportive of healthcare reform? Yes No

5. Do you support a government run health care option? Yes No

6. Are you in favor of employer mandated health insurance? Yes No

This is one that could be spun. It's not yes/no but compared to what…

7. Is your health insurance provided by your employer? Yes No

8. Are you concerned that your employer may opt for a government insurance program because it may be less expensive than the one currently offered? Yes No

I think this is a little loaded — it presumes that the government plan is worse, or else why be 'concerned'; if it's cheaper and better we all win.

9. Are you in favor of a tax exemption for firms with fewer than 25 employees? Yes No

10. Under the existing health care system, do individuals have the necessary information to make informed and appropriate health care decisions? Yes No

11. Do you support individuals keeping their health care coverage when changing jobs? Yes No

12. Should individuals who do not have health coverage be required to buy it? Yes No

Again, it depends what they are able to get. It may be good to expand risk pools, but it would be bad to make people pay for worthless insurance — and that can happen.

13. Do you believe that individuals should receive tax deductions for their health insurance premiums? Yes No

14. Should there be a government sponsored health insurance option for all Americans? Yes No

I was impressed that the question was put that neutrally.

15. Should health insurers have simpler, cheaper, and fairer contracts in order to allow them to compete with each other? Yes No

16. Do you think that government sponsored health insurance will be of lower quality than that of a private insurer? Yes No

I wish it had asked if we thought it would be of HIGHER quality, or HIGHER QUALITY FOR THE MONEY … again the presumption is government plans must be worse.

17. Do you think there would be increased competition created by the introduction of a public health insurance option? Yes No

18. Would a public health insurance option drive down costs and make health insurance more affordable? Yes No

19. Should the government subsidize business that cannot afford to provide health insurance to their workers? Yes No

20. Do you support encouraging doctors and hospitals to list their prices? Yes No

21. Would you be concerned with Washington making your medical decisions, instead of you or your doctors? Yes No

This may be the worst question on the list. It should say “instead of your insurance company.” Because that is who decides now, not the doctor.

22. Do you want doctors to be protected from expensive lawsuits so that they can reduce unnecessary tests and procedures? Yes No

This is a loaded question. An equally loaded question the other way would be “do you want doctors to be protected from the life-destroying expensive consequences of their mistakes”.

23. Are you concerned that access to specialists would be limited or based only on referrals under a government plan? Yes No

Again, this fails to say, 'compared to the limits of your private insurance, or lack of insurance.

24. Should resources go to expanding and improving the health care workforce through more physician training, scholarships and loans for those healthcare professionals entering areas that have shortages? Yes No

25. Do you think that a public health care option would limit diversity in treatment? Yes No

What's that mean?

26. Should insurance companies be prohibited from refusing coverage or renewing policies based on pre-existing conditions or health status? Yes No

27. Would you support insurance market reforms that prohibit rate increases based on health status, gender, or occupation and age? Yes No

Is that on the table?

28. Are you in favor of premium discounts for those who engage in health behaviors such as maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, and managing chronic illnesses like diabetes? Yes No

29. Do you support a federal funded expansion of Medicaid and Medicare? Yes No

30. Medicare currently compensates doctors on how many tests and procedures they order: is evaluating treatment efficacy a better option? Yes No

31. Are you in favor of states capping health care spending by reducing Medicare payments in areas where spending is above the national average? Yes No

32. Are you in favor of a fee ($750/employee, $375/part time) for businesses that do not pay at least 60% of the cost of healthcare coverage? Yes No

33. Would you support higher taxes on alcoholic beverages and soda drinks to raise funds for health care reforms? Yes No

34. Would you support a refundable tax credit for the working poor in order for them to receive health insurance? Yes No

Barney Frank Knows How to Deal with Teabaggers

Crooks and Liars, Exclusive: The Rest Of That Barney Frank Town Hall Meeting With The Teabaggers:

Anyone who is aware of all Internet traditions has by now seen the footage of Barney Frank taking down the Larouchie who asked him if he would support a “Nazi policy” by asking her, “On what planet do you spend most of your time?” But Rep. Frank was in rare form that night, standing up to the uninformed shrieking of the right and offering a real lesson in how to argue with conservatives. Rep. Frank's office provided C&L with the tapes of that town hall meeting in Dartmouth from last week, and I put together a sort of greatest hits reel.

I wanted to illustrate this with a picture of what is probably my all-time-favorite US campaign poster, Frank's c. 1980-82 campaign poster with a rumpled candidate and the slogan “neatness isn't everything” … but strangely I couldn't find a copy of the image online.

Truth Gets Its Boots On

From MediaMatters, Debunking The Latest Conservative Health Care Smear: “Death Book For Veterans”

There Really Are "Death Panels'

It turns out that there really are death panels. Only they are run by insurance companies.

Healthcare Heroes

DemocracyForAmerica.com has a list of “healthcare heroes”: Congresspersons who are standing up for the public option.

There are three members of Florida delegation listed there:

Corrine Brown (FL-03)
Robert Wexler (FL-19)
Alcee Hastings (FL-23)

Notably absent are Kendrick Meek (FL-17), who is running for Senator and you would think might want to get out in front on this but who is running to the right almost as fast as Charlie Crist, and progressive folk like Alan Grayson (Fl-8), Ron Kein (FL-22) and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (FL-20).

Well, maybe Wasserman-Schultz isn't such a surprise. But Alan Grayson definitely is.

It is a sad thing that contributions often speak louder than polls. If you want to contribute to show these healthcare stalwarts that you appreciate their backbone, click on the thermometer on the right.

The August Air War Begins Early

Progressive groups target health care denier Ben Nelson (DINO-Neb.) in HealthCareCantWait.com.

Apparently they have a significant ad buy scheduled in Nebraska and are raising funds for more.

Health Care Wars -- the Ground Game

I like this ad from Americans United for Change, “SNAIL”: Tell Congress to Pass Health Insurance Reform Now!:

I get why the GOP wants to stall health care reform: if it gets voted now, Obama wins. I accept that they don't care enough about uninsured (or pseudo-ensured) Americans to vote the way I think they should.

What I don't get is why observers think delay will do the GOP much good. What legislators have waiting for them when they get home is a lot of people who have lost their jobs — and thus their health care, and even more people nervous that it could happen to them. They are going to be bombarded with localized pitches, like this one which details the effects of the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act on Florida's 18th Congressional District:

America’s Affordable Health Choices Act would provide significant benefits in the 18th Congressional District of Florida: up to 22,000 small businesses could receive tax credits to provide coverage to their employees; 11,000 seniors would avoid the donut hole in Medicare Part D; 1,100 families could escape bankruptcy each year due to unaffordable health care costs; health care providers would receive payment for $110 million in uncompensated care each year; and 118,000 uninsured individuals would gain access to high-quality, affordable health insurance.

Our Congresswoman, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, is a particularly hard case with a relatively safe seat and she's unlikely to be moved by mere considerations of the benefits to local families. But that won't be as true elsewhere.

We Can Do Better than This

10 Lessons of Prostate Cancer - Well Blog - NYTimes.com

Insurance can cause more stress than cancer. The goal of your insurer — no matter how singular or complex your case is — is to try to turn you into a statistical cliché, a cipher, in the face of your very human flesh-and-blood disease. In the months after my diagnosis, as my wife and I struggled to find the right pair of highly-skilled hands to perform my potentially difficult surgery, wrestling with my insurer caused me more grief, stress and depression than my cancer did. In our modern health-care-industrial-complex — and I'm talking about the bureaucrats who try to herd you into the cheapest cattle car available, not the nurses and doctors who are on the front lines — the emphasis is neither on health nor care, but on the bottom line. It's our job, as patients, to resist with all our strength.