Obama Asks For Your Questions On Health Care (VIDEO)

President Obama is scheduled to hold an online town hall on Wednesday to discuss health care and the White House is asking people to get involved by submitting their questions about health care reform via video. The White House's blog says that in this instance "we are engaging online networks outside of WhiteHouse.gov, such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter." Watch President Obama's video about the discussion below. To learn more about how to submit a question, read here.

Comments

[DestinationsUnknown]

Can any activist connect-Healthcare Fraud-Financial Fraud- SEC Fraud- Bankruptcy Fraud to healthcare?
The connections need to be made during this REFORM Debate that will consume the summer and early fall.

The activists must show the American People that much more than ‘healthcare industry’ is connected to our country’s current system – which is a totally failed fraudulent system we – Americans- have access to.

The fraud and its benefits to a small group are more than harmful to the entire healthcare system for the country. Just look at what fraud occurred stemming from healthcare fraud-only to arrive into the financial collapse in 2008.

Why is the connection ignored?

[DestinationsUnknown]

Show me the PUBLIC OPTION here:
THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2003; WWW.USDOJ.GOV;
WASHINGTON, D.C.

HCA Inc. (formerly known as Columbia/HCA and HCA - The Healthcare Company)

LARGEST HEALTH CARE FRAUD CASE IN U.S. HISTORY SETTLED.
Settlement- No prison time-why?


In 1997 Columbia decided to sell its home health-care business, the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 really hurt their profitable ‘home health’ sector.


As part of Richard Scott's severance package from Columbia he was paid $5.13 million and given a five year consulting contract at $950,000 per year

1997+5 years = 2002


In 2002 FBI raided the offices of National Century Financial Enterprises in Dublin, Ohio

“This case is one of the largest corporate fraud investigations involving a privately held company headquartered in small town America,” said Assistant Director Kenneth W. Kaiser of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division.

Guess where those home health care units were found?

Yes- "...largest corporate fraud investigations involving a privately held company headquartered in small town America,”

Why the need for ‘healthcare financial service’ i.e. (NCFE) National Century Financial Enterprises?

Home health - which was struggling under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997; about 1,400 agencies closed nationwide in 1998.

[DestinationsUnknown]

The epitome of fraud waste and abuse-

All related to the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, who remembers that?

A recent op-ed in the Wapo:

Chairman of Conservatives for Patients' Rights

Meaningful health care reform is needed but only achievable if it is rooted in principles that have proven to work. Any plan that does not will collapse on its own with no one group responsible. And whether it was in his remarks to the American Medical Association or in meetings with congressional leaders, President Obama -- so far -- has embraced principles that do not work.

There is no need for a "public option" to compete with private insurance plans. It will simply run insurance companies out of business and create a government-run health care monopoly. The AMA understands this, which is why it has expressed opposition to versions of a public option.

If the president wants to diminish opposition to his plans, he should focus on increasing competition by, for example, allowing consumers to purchase health insurance across state lines, from anywhere in the country, which Americans do right now when purchasing life insurance.

[DestinationsUnknown]

Well isn’t that something? “There is no need for a "public option" to compete with private insurance plans.”

Mr. Market-Driven Healthcare

2009-The Wall Street Journal reported that Richard Scott, "the former chief executive of HCA Inc," had formed the non-profit organization Conservatives for Patients' Rights as part of a "lobbying campaign to derail or modify" President Obama's health care proposals,….

Columbia/HCA is a partnership of financier Richard Rainwater of Ft. Worth and lawyer Richard Scott.

Scott was terminated by Darla Moore, the wife of Richard Rainwater and according to Fortune Magazine, the “Toughest Babe in the Business”.

Rainwater also owned a large stake in Magellan Health Care which controls Charter Medical. Magellan, run by Darla Moore, is the largest network of psychiatric hospitals in the country.

They are becoming more and more involved in obtaining government money for services formerly not covered as health care, according to Fortune Magazine.

Did you catch that? They (Richard Rainwater / Darla Moore) are becoming more and more involved in obtaining government money for services formerly not covered as health care, according to Fortune Magazine.


Market-Driven Healthcare-Really? ‘Government money’?

Remember July 26, 1997, Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp. - home-care practices of the nation's largest for-profit health care company

1997- TOO BIG TO FAIL- OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM-LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY!

[DestinationsUnknown]

On Sept 8, 1998 Standard and Poors downgraded the bonds of Charter/HCA to negative bases on
poor earnings.


THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2003; WWW.USDOJ.GOV;
WASHINGTON, D.C.

HCA Inc. (formerly known as Columbia/HCA and HCA - The Healthcare Company)

LARGEST HEALTH CARE FRAUD CASE IN U.S. HISTORY SETTLED.
Settlement- No prison time-why?

[LibbySole]

Here's my question: What about DENTAL? Nobody seems to talk about that at all.
Other than that, this is all still in the planning/discussion stage, so people should really settle down until A Plan is actually on the table.

[DestinationsUnknown]

Most dentist do not want anything to do with insurance.

That is why most companies have almost depleted the offering as part of their benefits program.

[ntegrity4me]

People want free dental too? Say it isn't so!? What's wrong with people? They want the government to give them every thing for FREE?

[jakiew]

if you can pay for all of it yourself, dental, health, etc. why do YOU have insurance.

[Viper]

Its not free, its just not employer based. Employer based when a person worked for the same company for 40 years made some sense... those days are long gone.

We have people who die of mouth cancers becuase the dentist wont pull their teeth so we can start treatment because they can get paid first... and because when they have done it first they have then been stiffed by the insurance company.

Regards

[classicalgeek]

I have news for you. Your dental health is part of your overall health--if you don't believe me, ask your dentist. Your vision is also part of your overall health, as is your nutrition, including what hormones, antibiotics, GMO foods, etc. go into those foods. (Not to mention what they were fertilized with and how pests were controlled.) The building materials you use in your house have a marked effect on your health. The products you handle (like BPA) and breathe (cleaning supplies) have an effect on your health, and even the plants you have in your house to brighten the place up and the kind of music you listen to have an effect on your health. This has all been published multiple times in peer-reviewed scientific journals. I suggest you start asking questions from the experts and reading the scientific journals to educate yourself.

When the Journal of Applied Microbiology starts publishing articles on the germ-killing benefits of certain herbs, as they have been doing for more than a decade, I start to get interested in what the scientists have to say.

[slocomgp]

I don't want anything for free, just make it affordable.
Why can we go to other countries and get our meds for a 10th of the price, the same meds. When we do it does not apply to our deductible, because the pharma's did'nt make a killing on us. None of the natural supplements that my doctor prescribes go against my deductible, again because they are not produce by the drug dealers of America. Nothing applies to my deductible, my insurance is like a discount card. If you don't have insurance you pay much more for everything (that makes sense). The insurance & drug companies are in charge and they know how to say NO.

[VikingQuest]

Here's my question, the large majority of Americans currently have health care coverage and it has been skyrocketing for years . . . .

If this plan passes, what would be the effect of my plan within 5 years? Will I be paying any less?

[ntegrity4me]

You will probably be able to opt for a Government plan if you can no longer afford it. I believe premiums are too high. I'm not sure what the solution will be to that problem.

[VikingQuest]

Who decides if I can afford it or not?

If they are going to give it away for free, I want the service for free.

[Theo67]

The health reform proposals do not just deal with premiums. They include reforms in payment incentives for doctors, which should eliminate the fee-for-service culture that rewards doctors for the number of treatments, not the quality of care. This is not to say that every doctor is milking the system. Some doctors are afraid of litigation, so they dot every "i" and cross every "t" - so we'll see what happens there. But if doctors get paid based on wellness outcomes, rather than quantity, that should lower costs for all. In addition, reforms include identifying best practice. There's no reason why doctors should reinvent the wheel each time they encounter a patient. Things are better in terms of shared information, but there's a lot of room for improvement in the way doctors share information in this new technology age. The intent is to lower costs due to better sharing of information about successful treatment options. Also, since there will be a requirement for insurance companies to no longer deny people for pre-existing conditions, they will get more customers, and combined with the competition that will be created by the public option, they will end up having to reduce their premiums to match those offered by the public option - and you should benefit from that.

So, in summary, even if you love your insurance, you are bound to see improvements from the introduction of a public plan and with all the other reforms also being considered.

[slocomgp]

I would think the insurance companies would have be competitive and lower their rates or go away. No competition is not working.

[Osusuki]

I don't have any questions for the President, but I do have this one bit of advice:

Every time I get wound up about single payer, my best friend tells me the story about how medicare first came into being, with a lot of fraud, waste and abuse. The government was only able to eliminate that problem by giving the insurance industry a role and a stake in managing the medicare system. We should skip that problem for this crisis and give them a role now.

Single payer will "break the rice bowl" of Big Insurance, but the government can prevent a massive unemployment spike by hiring laid off insurance industry employees to absorb the administrative load involved in the transition. Their pay would be capped at public employee pay scales, but that would only serve to limit program costs more. The only retraining involved would be a course in how to guard the public trust without committing murder by spreadsheet.

The only real losers would be the insurance industry executives and investors. And really, after drinking our blood for all these years, don't they deserve it? Health care reform will only be real when we scrape these leeches off of the body public. It doesn't take rocket science to do this, just political will. I believe that will is growing, despite the best efforts of industry lobbyists to the contrary.

So here's my bit of advice, Mr. President: Single Payer Now.

[ntegrity4me]

Mr. President ... continue to listen to BOTH sides. Single Payer is LEFT. We need to meet in the middle.

[jakiew]

LEFT if FOR the people. right is for big corp. where the money is. it's always been that way.

[classicalgeek]

Single-payer (like France, Germany, etc.) is centrist. Socialized medicine (like the UK) is left.

[slocomgp]

You really think there is a middle. If the insurance companies are in charge we loose.

[Viper]

The insurance company's long ago offshored most of their workers....

When we as a provider deal with the insurance company claims processing we are talking to some one in India or in the Carrabean...

Regards

[sonomarc]

My solution:

No more health insurance. It's completely distorted the set of services provided and has ZERO value add.
Build/ramp up free clinics for standardized healthcare procedures run by nurses and healthcare practitioners paid by the fed govt. and administered locally.
Doctors have private practices and are contracted to clinics, much like they do with hospitals.
Cap malpractice settlements.

[TJCole]

Yes Mr. President let me ask you:

Which plan would your mother be for herself, the one the Insurance companies are shoving down our throats or a Single Payer...Universal even if Insurance based and run not for profit...?

[4earth]

There is no fixing our current healthcare delivery system. it's totally broken. By trying to be bipartisan on this issue the president is going to insure we get NO change at all. There has been much fear mongering about the Canadian System. Check out this article. It should be required reading for everyone in Congress AND the administration:

http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/140918/we%27ve_been_trapped_inside_a_bad_health_care_system_so_long%2C_we_don%27t_even_know_how_much_we%27re_missing_/?page=entire

[JulieCarol]

Excellent article...thank you.

[jakiew]

WONDERFUL ARTICLE. THANKS!!!

[jakiew]

THIS NEEDS TO BE REQUIRED READING FOR ALL. BEST ARTICLE YET FOR PUBLIC OPTION.

[MacKenzie]

It should be a requirement in the bill that ALL Federal employees from the custodian to the Senators/Representatives/Judicial and Executive employees be offered only the new plan as part of their benefits. Its the only way to ensure that the new plan isn't a watered down Medicare. I work in healthcare and have seen first hand the giant amount of paperwork Medicare and Medicaid require to get anything done.

And why should my employer spend time each year renegotiating our health plan and go through all the Human Resource b s when they could just give each qualified employee a line item bonus to their check (like an auto allowance) and let them sign up for the gov't plan essentially not letting us keep our current plan which we like? From a company point of view it would reduce much work and expense and all that COBRA stuff would vanish.

[Viper]

Medicare requires far less paperwork than private health insurance... for example, in medicare there is no pre approval process before you treat and you diont get stiffed by fly by night insurance companies.

Medicaid is a pain, pays too little and is run by the states. But it would go away with a single payer plan....

Regards

[Coinyer101]

After the last 'online townhall' , I have decided not to participate in any more. He shoulda never dissed the stoner crowd. That plsses us off.

[Kalarchis]

I know it pissed me off, but I'm still glad that he's using an approach like this at all. Anyway, maybe if we keep bringing pot up, he'll start taking us more seriously. He wants questions on health care, this time. Surely we can work a weed question or two into that topic.

[Coinyer101]

I don't have a video camera anyway. lol

[lj9283]

For the past couple of months you have stated over and over that it has to be single payer or you won't participate. How is this any different?

[Coinyer101]

that doesn't make any sense....,

[JulieCarol]

Yeah, the 'coolness' meter went down just a little for me too. But I think if the voice on this subject is consistent enough and loud enough, sooner or later he will listen. It just wasn't on his top 1,000 things to do first when he took office. But if he doesn't get health care reform passed, he's lost my vote. I'm so sick and tired of thinking we finally may be able to do something about our broken system only to be let down again. I'm tired of the greed that runs this country.

...sorry about the rant.

[Coinyer101]

rant away! I do. lol

[RSU]

I just have one question:

If the healthcare you propose for the average American, isn't good enough for you and your familiy, then why do you think it's good enough for everyone else?

Poor care can be just as bad, if not worse, than no care at all. If you cannot accept the same care as everyone else, then we shouldn't be touting this as an achievement in advancing health care in America.

It's not!

[CJWebber]

Question: Why has the U.S. has given both Iraq and Afghanistan UHC through war-funding, but the U.S. citizens, who are footing the bill, are still paying ridiculous amounts for their own healthcare?

[Ddayv825]

SINGLE PAYER system ONLY !! The current dialogue is erroneously and disappointingly over emphasizing
the traditional , ineffective current system with mandatory insurance. I'd rather we maintain the current system than have it changed to mandatory ins. Mandatory insurance is rife with abuse that will not curtail but may further promote
patient treatment deficiencies and bankruptcies.
Single payer system has many benefits that encompasses more areas of our society- job growth with better product competition, no malpractice insurance, no lawsuits, growth in smaller, efficient health care industries, preventative care growth to name a few. Currently many are covered one way or another with health care insurance- job coverage, medicare and medicaid. I am one of those not covered and living on the edge. Fortunately, neither I nor my family has had any huge expensive treatments- we do not abuse. I see " the covered "
especially with municipal or government coverage constantly abuse the system for every ache & pain real or imagined- take extended time off with pay-then sue. THEY milk the system to the max , driving up costs.
Once I had to pay for my son's appendectomy. The a-hole doctor tried to charge me 10,000 for a laprascopic procedure ( 8 years ago ) and only a 17 hr hospital stay.This procedure should only have cost 2800 to 4800 - we negotiated to 6000. Just venting my 2 cents.

[ntegrity4me]

If you had to pay for your son's appendectomy, I'm assuming you had no insurance. Were there not State sponsored plans in your state, if you couldn't afford insurance? I hope your son came though it all ok.

[slocomgp]

In CA you have to broke, low income and have no assets to benefit from any programs that help you pay. When an uninsured person is treated it cost MUCH than the insurance companies are charged.

[LafnBacstage]

Mr. President.

What are you doing to reduce the influence of industry lobbyists who are attempting to kill health care reform?

This is not a complex issue. It is a very simple and ancient problem. Its called GREED.

[newname]

here's my question: When? n/t