Kennedy's Death Spurs Calls To Pass Health Legislation

Wall Street Journal:

The death of Sen. Edward Kennedy quickly became a rallying cry for Congress to pass health care overhaul legislation.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office sent an email to reporters at 2:30 a.m. today, just hours after his death, calling for the passage of health care overhaul. "Ted Kennedy's dream of quality health care for all Americans will be made real this year because of his leadership and his inspiration," the statement read.

Read the whole story: Wall Street Journal

Comments

[joktu]

11:24 PM on 08/27/2009

To 'EnoughAlready',
How has the Federal government (be it Dems or GOPs in charge) proven itself qualified and able to administer and handle health care costs when it has failed to manage its own rising debt which now stands at over $11 Trillion, the bulk of which comes from its money-hemorrhaging management of its existing health entitlement programs. Can you and proponents of a government run public option scoff at the irrefutable fact that Social Security and Medicare will be exhausted by 2017... and that an additional expansion will push our economy beyond the brink. That is one major inconvenient truth that Pelosi has so urgently omitted in her equally urgent note to the press.

How can this administration also claim to be a champion of health reform when its refuses to include Tort Reform in the Bill? Medical liabilities creates an environment of fear for our doctors who order numerous, expensive, unnecessary test to avoid litigations by lawyers who are enriched by this system passing on that cost to the industry. Is it a coincidence that trial lawyers paid about  1/3 of all contributions to democratic party candidates and the president's  campaign. Anybody wonder why fixing malpractice is not in HR 3200? What hypocrisy! (I'll qualify my statement by saying I am a freelancer, who voted for Obama + real change. Not more of the same)

[enoughalready]

10:55 AM on 08/27/2009

To "simplyamerican" - you evidently are not dealing with all the facts when you state that the insurance provided for Congress is only for a few hundred - 2007-08 figures put federal employees at 1.8 million excluding postal workers, the federal government is the countries largest employer. All federal employees have the same coverage.

Because of such a large pool they get better coverage for a better price. That is what a public option would do for the entire country.

[codycap]

12:18 PM on 08/27/2009

"Back in 1993, all our Veterans Administration hospitals got together and agreed to buy prescription drugs as a group. The next week, the costs of those drugs went down by 50 percent.

[enoughalready]

01:20 PM on 08/27/2009

codycap - you are so right.

Something of interest - http://www.rand.org/news/press.04/12.20.html

"VA Patients get better chronic, preventive care than similar U.S. adults - VA edge linked to improved information technology, tracking of performance, and accountablility"

Worth a read!

[rxvette]

09:19 AM on 08/27/2009

I really hope that Senator Kennedy's seat can be filled quickly with a fellow pro healthcare reform minded individual. It would be a great honor to have his name on a meaningful and successful health care bill later this year.

As a medical professional myself I've dedicated my life to trying to make people healthier and happier. I fully support the public option along with many other ideas that you can read in my article here - http://bit.ly/9QLV8

[Arrecho]

09:05 AM on 08/27/2009

Tiime to call the blue dogs and press them:
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2009/06/blue-dog-bark-backed-by-insure.html

[confidance government]

03:34 AM on 08/27/2009

Pardon me for being rational, but I don't see how this man's passing adds to or detracts from health care reform.

[socialmistfit]

03:20 AM on 08/27/2009

Just what Limbaugh predicted and LibDems and the press jumped all over him.

LibDems can't let a good crisis or passing go to waste, can they?

[kteachums]

08:16 PM on 08/26/2009

It is a shame healthcare for all didn't pass before Senator Kennedy died. So, let's celebrate his
work and memory by seeing that it becomes a reality!

[Arrecho]

09:14 AM on 08/27/2009

OK, time to walt the talk:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-ross/congress-on-sale-politica_b_264755.html

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2009/06/blue-dog-bark-backed-by-insure.html

[MyrtleJune]

06:08 PM on 08/26/2009

Dear Democrats, all of the Democrats, just get the public option done. You are being played by the Republicans and that much should be obvious to EVERYONE of you by now.

We voted for it. DO IT.

[JonGarfield]

05:02 PM on 08/26/2009

The passage of Medicare was spurred on by calls to honor the legacy of the nation's fallen president, Jack Kennedy. JFK never had forty years to work for health care reform. This became the cause of Sen.Ted Kennedy, who was tireless in his decades-long efforts to achieve universal health care. Passage of truly progressive reform worthy of Kennedy's best efforts will make us a better nation. The good senator wouldn't want it any other way.

[swift goat pet for truth]

04:48 PM on 08/26/2009

Ezra Klein is so good.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/

The bottom line: The cost of insurance comes mostly out of employees’ paychecks. If insurance costs more, employees are generally paid less. If insurance costs less, employees are paid more. The cost of insurance does not have a big effect on employers’ overall compensation costs.


Employees, in other words, don't worry too much about the cost of their health insurance because they think their employer is picking up the tab. Employers don't worry too much about the cost of health insurance because they know employees are picking up the tab. And so there's no real constituency for cost control. If either group were actually experiencing the full cost of health insurance, the constituency for reform would be a whole lot larger than it already is.

[D-V-H]

07:31 PM on 08/26/2009

Thank you for pointing out the realities of compensation.
Every dollar that goes to paying for your health insurance is a dollar you can't take home.

[rainjustice]

04:09 PM on 08/26/2009

What will we do without Teddy?
What will we do without him? Who can possibly fill his shoes? For over four decades Senator Kennedy has stood in the the breach, fighting, fighting and holding the line on behalf of all those Americans less fortunate than he; For, not just the poor, but for all working Americans, he has battled the greed of extremists and the power-mad, war-mongering republicans. He has always been "my" and, truth be told, "our" Senator. He is, truly, "America's Senator", as irreplaceable as the clean air we breathe, and the freedoms we hold so dear. And he has fought long and hard to protect those freedoms and our environment. His dream of affordable healthcare as a natural right, as in other modern countries, rather than a privilege, is so close. If Teddy had been able to act., we would've already had a bill.
Push it through for Teddy. Please.
What will we do without Teddy? Who will take up his fallen standard?
I really don't know...
rainjustice.com

[romavictor]

03:58 PM on 08/26/2009

God bless this great great great men's soul....finally the first politician in decades to enter heaven.

[BetterDeadThanRed09]

03:39 PM on 08/26/2009

Legendary Leadership, Ted Kennedy was the embodiment of what it means to be a liberal -- a philosophy, an ethos dedicated to the protection of those with the lowest means, a guarantee of fairness across all sectors of society, and a commitment to strong government that protects the general welfare of its citizens. While his leadership cannot be replaced, I hope President Obama is able to step into this great void and truly take up this mantle.

We will miss you, Ted. Rest in peace.

[CelticMajic]

03:32 PM on 08/26/2009

First, nothing but peace be with the Kennedy Family

Second, how about waiting, oh, 24 hours, before using this man's death as a means to a political end. This crassness is the opposite side of the same coin that would abuse his memory.

[Charles NYC]

03:38 PM on 08/26/2009

Agree.
No, they need to use his name in order to push this legislation

[CTtransplant]

03:52 PM on 08/26/2009

Strongly disagree! Health Care was this man's life's work! He, more than any other, would want us to push forward, to never give up the fight!

[nia122]

05:01 PM on 08/26/2009

I agree with you. Senator Kennedy made it clear that universal health care for all was his passion and the "cause of his life". As he said, The work begins anew, the hope rises again and the dream lives on."

The best way to remember someone is to b sure to make their dreams come true.

[CTtransplant]

03:29 PM on 08/26/2009

Kennedy carried the torch on this for years! It is now up to all of us to carry it for him!

We did indeed lose a great man in Kennedy yesterday - and one of our greatest champions of health care reform. It has become even more important than ever that we get this done! And rightfully call it the TeddyPlan in honor of the man who made this his life's work! He carried the torch for a long time...and now it is up to us to continue to carry it for him!

We cannot let the scare tactics dissuade us from reaching our goal!

While many of us are struggling to afford medical insurance/medical bills.

While Congress people try to stop healthcare reform.

While Congress people accept large contributions from lobbyists to prevent health care reform.

Our elected officials in Congress receive health care mostly paid for by us tax payers, yet many are trying to make it impossible for us to purchase an affordable plan of our own.

Please sign both petitions! Thank you!

http://www.petitiononline.com/PubOp676/petition.html

http://www.democrats.com/honor-ted-kennedy?cid=ZGVtczQ0MTA5OGRlbXM=