Another Health Reform Bill Conundrum

As I understand it, hidden deep inside the 2700 or more pages of the recently passed health bill is a small detail I think my readers should know.

As you may know the issue of pre-existing conditions was a major PR focus in the efforts to ram this bill through Congress, and get the citizenry to think they were really getting something.

What's missing is this tiny detail I fell upon in the past day or so about exactly what happens to one of the Big Insurance carriers that will be allowed in the "pool" to sell you something that will continue to give their CEO at least $13 million a year in salary without perks.

And you might end up not getting your claims paid if you happen to have one of these items, obscure and otherwise, deemed "pre-existing" by insurance profiteers.

It just so happens that whomever has been writing this bill, and of late it always seems that industry is writing the legislation, they sure seem to favor industry over Joe or Jane Citizen.

The slap on the hand for denying coverage for "pre-existing" is a paltry $100 a day. To Big Insurance the $100 a day fine doesn't even measure up to pocket change.

In the interim, you or a loved one could die.

Don't you think it might be a good idea to start taking back responsibility for your health?

See also "health care problem is far from solved"

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Posted in: corporate backing for health reform,denying health insurance claims,health reform,preexisting conditions

Health Lobby Fights Against Progress with $$$

If you aren't aware that the health insurance reform bills aren't being bought, here's an update on how the battle is moving from Congress payoffs to the state level -

" Insurance companies, hospitals and other health care interests have been positioning themselves in statehouses around the country to influence the outcome of the proposed health care overhaul. Around the 2008 election, the groups that provide health care contributed about $102 million to state political campaigns across the country, surpassing the $89 million the same donors spent at the federal level, according to the institute. " Health Lobby Takes Fight to the States

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Posted in: corporate backing for health reform,health insurance reform,health lobby,health reform

How About Political Reform over Health Reform

62% Disconnect between insured and uninsured in the US

and as you think about this Big PhARMA wants another 9% price increase as Medicare expects payment and service cuts.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. drug manufacturers have been raising their prices at the fastest clip since 1992, industry analysts say.

Wholesale prices for brand name prescription drugs have increased by about 9 percent in the last year, even as the industry has agreed to support Obama administration healthcare reforms that would cut the nation's drug costs by $8 billion, The New York Times reported Monday.

Drug makers say they need to raise prices to plow money back into research and development to find new drugs, contending they need to replace popular drugs whose patents will soon expire. But critics say the manufacturers are trying to raise the price bar before Congress passes reform measures aimed at curbing future drug spending.

"When we have major legislation anticipated, we see a run-up in price increases," Stephen Schondelmeyer, a University of Minnesota pharmaceutical economics professor, told the newspaper.

Joseph Newhouse, a Harvard University health economist, told the Times a similar pattern of unusual price increases happened in 2006 just before Congress added drug benefits to Medicare, when prices shot up by their widest margin in the six previous years.

"Price adjustments for our products have no connection to healthcare reform," said Merck spokesman Ron Rogers.

At the same time, Michelle Obama calls for healthcare reform but you have to ask what her definition is.  Mrs. Obama is a former hospital executive and this discussion hasn't even begun to go past drugs and insurance.  We aren't even close to discussing health care except some hairbrained idea to change doctor pay as a best bet to curb costs when the number of primary care doctors is decreasing over income.

Following on this I am distressed to learn that so many people with chronic health problems have to cut drugs because of cost or no insurance, but no one in mainstream medicine is there to educated them about what natural remedies can replace the drugs and help them get well. (This is why we designed our services and educational programs.)

See NYT article on this topic

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Posted in: Big Insurance,Big PhRMA,Chamber of Commerce lobby,corporate backing for health reform,drug price increase,Michelle Obama,Obama,political reform

Corporate-backed health care campaign

UPDATE: 10/21/09
Instead of Obama and Congress continuing the give-a-way to corporatopia, how about a turnabout so that the people get to be the focal point in this argument?

Big PhARMA is Big Winner in health insurance reform
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NHN reported on this earlier and now we are seeing NO REAL CHANGE continuing-

and here is one differing opinion a few deviations from the status quo.

Dem officials set stage for corporate-backed health care campaign

At a meeting last April with corporate lobbyists, aides to President Barack Obama and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) helped set in motion a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign, primarily financed by industry groups, that has played a key role in bolstering public support for health care reform.

The role Baucus’s chief of staff, Jon Selib, and deputy White House chief of staff Jim Messina played in launching the groups was part of a successful effort by Democrats to enlist traditional enemies of health care reform to their side. No quid pro quo was involved, they insist, as do the lobbyists themselves.

The result has been a somewhat unlikely alliance between an administration that came into power criticizing George W. Bush for his closeness to Big Business and groups such as the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers.

Use link above to read complete article

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Posted in: corporate backing for health reform