Health Care Group Targets Sen. Grassley In New Ad

The health care ad wars reignited on Friday with the release of a new spot urging Sen. Chuck Grassley to drop his opposition to a public plan for health insurance.

The group Health Care for America Now, which has been pushing for a reform effort to be completed within the next year, put out the spot in anticipation of Monday's White House Regional Health Care Forum in Des Moines, Iowa.

Titled "Iowa Health Care Choice," the ad doesn't mention the Iowa Republican by name. But the narrator of the spot, a registered Iowan nurse by the name of Teresa Cooley, does make the case that opposition to a public health insurance plan (which the Senator has expressed) would ultimately result in less coverage and higher costs for recipients.

"Private health insurance companies have been in control for too long," says Cooley. "They decide who can see, what's covered and what's not."

The ad, which will air in Iowa from Saturday through Tuesday, comes a few weeks after Grassley, the ranking Republican member of the Senate Finance Committee, told President Obama at the White House Health Summit that he was against a public plan.

Comments

[sarabono]

03:05 AM on 03/22/2009

Why doesn't Obama propose the existing Medicare Plan & the existing Medicare Drug Plan for Everyone?

We have 40 years of experience with Medicare. It works. It is understood. The systems are in place to administer it. It provides a very good level of care. It provides a high level of choice. Private supplemental Insurance to cover expenses not covered by Medicare is readily available from multiple vendors and is relatively inexpensive.

The Medicare Drug Plan instituted by Bush two years ago works very very well. It provides a high level of vendor choice and competition, very good coverage, and is also relatively inexpensive.

Why do we always have to reinvent the wheel all the time? Why turn this into a huge political battle?

[Colmore]

08:24 AM on 03/22/2009

Medicare works very well, with a low overhead. The drug plan was written by the pharmaceutical industry insiders, so that is not so good. Some people have complained about restrictions. I had a "supplement" that cost $213 a month, set to rise to $274. Not exactly inexpensive. Publish in each state how much the politicians receive from insurance and drug companies. Orrin Hatch is a recipient, plus his son is a lobbyist for a drug company. Guess what? Orrin is AGAINST any form of medical coverage that benefits the average citizen. Shed light on the connections, and see WHY they are against reform.

[Colmore]

12:03 PM on 03/21/2009

My family lives in Britain. Last year I had an MRI, cost was $8,346.00 My sister was taken to the hospital by ambulance (free), given an MRI (free) a CAT scan (free). spent 6 weeks in the hospital and 4 weeks in convalescent care. FREE!!! Then her husband had hip replacement, hospital and convalescent care free. Luckily they were not in the USA (the best country in the world!) They would have had to declare bankruptcy. They are shocked at the stories I tell them about health care in this country. Take away the "socialized medicine" the politicians get paid for by taxpayers. Let McCain, Cheney and the others shop around for insurance with their "pre-existing conditions". These vultures need a dose of reality.;

[JoAnnCr]

07:58 AM on 03/21/2009

I wonder if Grassley were told he could only have a health care plan for himself like what he votes on for the rest of us, if he would change his mind.

I'm so tired of the elitist, entitled mindset of the rich and powerful, I could puke! What's good for the Senator is good for everyone.

Throw the bum out!!

[1differentdrummer]

05:37 AM on 03/21/2009

Campaign finance reform is so needed.

[RightsGuy]

02:34 AM on 03/21/2009

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus and Senator Chuck Grassley ruled single-payer off the table. However, a MAJORITY of Americans want single-payer reform.

Why?
Sen. Baucus received more campaign contributions from health insurance and pharmaceutical companies over the past four years than any other Democrat in Congress.



According to the Consumer Watchdog study, Baucus has received $413,000 since 2005 from insurance and drug companies, third behind Sens. John McCain and Mitch McConnell.

The Center for Responsive Politics found that during 2003-2008, Max Baucus received $590,185 from the insurance industry and $524,813 from the pharmaceutical/health product industry. Sen. Grassley received $376,893 from insurance companies and $244,722 from the pharmaceutical/health product industry. Grassley’s second largest donor is Blue Cross/ Blue Shield.

Baucus is pressuring the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to favorably judge his health plan as financially sound--even though it is not. The CBO issued a series of recent studies which have found that most savings claimed, in the effort to keep private-for-profit insurance companies in the mix, do not exist.

Alternatively, a single-payer system would save more than $350 billion per year

GIVE SINGLE-PAYER A FULL AND FAIR HEARING BY THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE


The facts: http://www.opensecrets.org/races/indus.php?cycle=2008&id=MTS2

Write to Baucus and Grassley; tell them to put Single-Payer Reform on the table:
• Baucus: http://baucus.senate.gov/contact/emailForm.cfm?subj=issue
• Grassley: http://grassley.senate.gov/contact.cfm

[unite4change]

09:51 PM on 03/20/2009

I have a questions. If we pay taxes, what should we spend our tax dollars on?

[RightsGuy]

02:37 AM on 03/21/2009

Why is there a media blackout on single-payer healthcare reform?

And Senator Baucus and Senator Grassley refuse to put single-payer reform on the table. However, the majority of the public and the majority of doctors favor single-payer reform. How can we get the truth to the people? http://www.baltimorechronicle.com/2009/030609FAIR.shtml

A NEW STUDY SHOWS THAT SINGLE-PAYER REFORM WOULD BE A MAJOR STIMULUS FOR THE US ECONOMY and would provide:

** 2.6 Million New Jobs,
** $317 Billion in Business Revenue,
** $100 Billion in Wages, and
** $44 Billion New Tax Revenues

You can find out more about this study here: http://www.CalNurses.org/
The press release is here: http://www.calnurses.org/media-center/press-releases/2009/january/nurses-to-congress-expanding-medicare-could-reverse-job-losses-and-repair-our-broken-healthcare-system-and-safety-net.html

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_wasik&sid=ao58otXrmrPM

[orangepetal]

05:01 PM on 03/20/2009

A quite corny kind of parody I just wrote to the tune of John Lennons "Give Peace a Chance".
Just for fun.
-----------------------
All we are saying ---- is give it a chance....
All we are asking --- is please let US choose....

Everybody is talking about vitamins, exercise, fruit and nuts, heart disease, apples, playing ball, eating fish, early diagnosis, pap smears....

All we are saying ---- is give it a chance....
All we are asking --- is please let US choose....

Everybody is talking about olive oil, fresh air, sunshine, water, yoga, diabetes, pre-natal, vaccinations,
long walks, green tea, medication, meditation.....

All we are saying ---- is give it a chance....
All we are asking --- is please let US choose....

Everybody is talking about prostate, thyroid, autism, emergency rooms, uninsured, deductibles, positive / negative, denied, detox, remission, weight loss, lab tests.......

All we are saying ---- is give it a chance....
All we are asking --- is please let US choose....

[unite4change]

04:02 PM on 03/20/2009

The question we must ask our elected representatives: "Why can't the American people have the same healthcare we pay for and provide to you?"

Whomever answers this question will tell us all we need to know.

[RightsGuy]

02:42 AM on 03/21/2009

STRATEGY: Please everyone go to President Obama’s Healthcare reform website and comment. On the right side of the page, click on “Submit your question or idea.” http://www.healthreform.gov/
http://www.healthreform.gov/regionalhealthforum.html

Suggested Comments:

1. Ask why single-payer reform isn’t on the table for serious consideration.

2. Ask why there has been a media blackout on single-payer reform.

3. Point out that over 2/3rds of Americans favor a single-payer system.

4. Single-payer reform would be a major stimulus for the economy: The press release is here: http://www.calnurses.org/media-center/press-releases/2009/january/nurses-to-congress-expanding-medicare-could-reverse-job-losses-and-repair-our-broken-healthcare-system-and-safety-net.html

5. DON’T LET THE INSURANCE AND DRUG COMPANIES AND THEIR LOBBYISTS CONTINUE TO PROFIT WHILE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE DENIED HEALTHCARE.

[yngve]

03:57 PM on 03/20/2009

I have read a lot of blogs and seen many programs denigrating single payer national health care systems. They seem to come from people that have no personal experience with such systems. Numerous studies has established that single payer national health care systems cost about half of our system while providing better health care as measured by outcome such as infant mortality, longevity, hospital mistakes etc. My family has personal experience with health care systems in England, Germany, Norway and USA from living in those countries. I would not hesitate one moment to choose any of their systems over ours (USA). It is difficult to understand why systems demonstrated to be better than ours, no matter which criteria you use to compare them, are not seriously considered here in the USA. Are we that misinformed, brainwashed, uneducated, dogmatically tied to capitalist philosophy (that in this case is failing), not as smart as citizens in other countries, or is it that it was not invented by the self-proclaimed greatest nation on earth.

A viable health care system must also be decoupled from ones place of work like the rest of the world. This will help make our industry more competitive, and encourage employee mobility into new economic activities to help spawn and expand new businesses.

The bottom line, born out by facts and not emotions or dogma, is that single payer national health care systems work better for more people at lower cost than our for profit system.

[PlaceboStudman]

07:00 PM on 03/20/2009

Sure, if you don't mind the idea of being relegated down to a number and being made the ward of a medical nanny state that has full control over your life and death circumstances by deciding what they will or won't pay for.

Sorry, but as a disabled person who has known many disabled people who have fought our way out of "the system", the idea of being forced to be put back under "the system" IS a fate worse than death, when it strips us of our control, and our self respect and dignity

[patricksmom]

11:50 PM on 03/20/2009

And you think you are not a number to insurance employees who earn bonuses for denying claims? Profit is what these companies are about.

[Arthur954]

04:14 PM on 03/21/2009

I live in a country with a good national health care system and I cannot understand what you are talking about

[huffingt]

01:24 PM on 03/20/2009

He is typical Republican. complains, criticizes with no substance

[fedupinfla]

01:06 PM on 03/20/2009

Lemme guess....he's all for suicide but if you only wound yourself, you can forget insurance covering you right?!?

Yep, he's a Republican!!!

[JBVT]

12:23 PM on 03/20/2009

Q. When will the politicians such as Sen. Grassley understand the American people deserve the same health insurance coverage they enjoy?

A. They won't, therefore do not elect them to office.

[chronic]

02:07 PM on 03/21/2009

Exactly!!!

[djmarch]

12:09 PM on 03/20/2009

Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who's linning Grassly's pockets...

It's time America...enough is enough...Let your your constituents know that they work for the American people and not the lobbyist....

[rain33]

11:27 AM on 03/20/2009

i thought grassly was going to retire anyway.voters of ia need to elect a better official who's looking out for them.

[unite4change]

04:07 PM on 03/20/2009

Any politician who is not supporting universal healthcare is being paid by lobbyists, period. There is no other reason. It can't be because of the costs because we are currently paying the insurance companies, the AMA, pharmaceutical and everyone else associated with the medical industries subsidies costing billions every year.

[macjon]

11:24 AM on 03/20/2009

.
I find that there is not enough room between a doctor and the patient for an organization, that is required by law to make a profit by denying procedures and prescriptions.
.

[unite4change]

04:08 PM on 03/20/2009

Exactly, they are definately looking out for your interest. It's about the bottom line.

[Rogan]

12:31 AM on 03/22/2009

For me to pick up a dozen different medicines that I will ALWAYS have to pick up for a chronic condition, I have to involve THREE organizations: the insurance company, my doctor's clinic, and the pharmacy, a Walgreen's. Counting the staff who check me in, it sometimes takes up to nine people, to sell me a month's supply of one medication.

You know what this is? It's graft. A pharmacist is practically a thief, as far as I can tell. If anybody can convince me otherwise, please do (and telling me I need a pharmacist to tell me some info I can find fast and free here on the Internet, doesn't count as an answer).