Senate Republican Leaders Plan Closed Health Care Forum

Senate Republicans may have found a way to keep public health care meetings at home from getting out of control: keep the public out.

On Monday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) will host a "Health Care Reform Forum" at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri.

"No, it's not open to the public," Jessica Salazar, who does media relations for Children's Mercy Hospital and Clinics, told HuffPost. The meeting, she said, will be attended by 75 invited guests.

It is, however, open to the press, she said. A GOP aide said the event was being limited in size out of respect for the hospital and patients.

The closed event clearly tweaked Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), whose open, televised and raucous town hall became cable news fodder.

McCaskill vented on Twitter Thursday night: "More townhalls on Monday. West Plains and Springfield. Open to public. Sens Bond and McConnell having one in KC Mon but invitation only." A local blog also complained about the closed affair.

McCain hasn't shied away from open town halls, having held three in the last three days. On Thursday, McConnell talked health care with a group of some 1,600 farmers and business people in Kentucky.

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Comments

[Joe The Nerd Ferraro - Huffpost Blogger]

Closed forums are a great way to tune your echo chambers.

[dimplesmile7]

Closed meeting, closed mind. Sounds republican to me!

[greenie 61]

A "closed forum"...i­s there any other kind for republicans?

[MMJones]

've been writing on HP since the Obama campaign. I feel strongly about insurance company reform, though I am of the age where -- finally, after exorbitant premiums that cover little -- we are now going to benefit from Medicare, what I am concerned about is the generations to follow...

The final insult was the call I got from my son yesterday. He was insured all through college. Then we started him on a "low cost, healthy person" plan his last semester, saying we'd cover his very reasonable premiums for a year after graduation from university. This "starter" insurance then tripled in cost over 2 1/2 years and is no longer affordable for any of us.

So now he's trying to get his own insurance.­.. and the result? This healthy nonsmoker has been DECLINED, which has to be revealed on future applications, all but ensuring he will be unable to obtain coverage. The only thing on his application? There was a period in college when he was treated for depression. What is he supposed to do now??? Good gawd, the world is going mad... or at least this country, with the halls full of screaming elders with their "I GOT MINE" attitudes.

So now he has no insurance, no way to get it, and on and on it goes. THIS is what the Medicare grey-hairs plan to leave behind???

I'm ashamed to be one of them, a grey-haired entitlement baby.

PUBLIC OPTION AND SEVERE HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM NEEDED NOW.

[elfish]

You have my sympathy. The same thing happened to me and it is probably going to happen to millions more. All those people who claim they like their insurance are young, healthy and havent' had a claim. Once an insurance company decides you a risk, you're in trouble.

I paid into the same insurance company for 35 years with out a single claim. It was even one of those high deductable policies they are promoting now ($7,500). When I turned 50, they started trying to push me out. They started sending me letters encouraging to find another company, because they didn't want to do business in Colorado. (They were still advertising here.) When that didn't work, that started calling me and writing me letters after ever doctor's appointment. They knew everything I had said to the doctor and wanted me to explain it again and again. (What was that rash you talked about?) Finally they started raising my rates every three months. Within a year it was over $15,000 a year. I tried to raise my deductable thinking it would help. Big mistake! They turned me down! Once you have been turned down, you can never get insurance from any company ever. Fortunately, I was eligible for the VA. Best health care I've ever had. Every time you go in the doctor spends an hour with you. Never had that happen in private care. I just wish everyone was eligible for "socialized" VA medical care.

[pantherburns]

I called McConnell's office to see when eh would have a public town hall meeting. It was good for a laugh. Apparently he is afraid to meet with actual voters. Lobbyists are no problem though.

[BillyMae]

Oh gosh. I thought they were going to do it in that house on C-street.

[useyourbrain]

Can we all agree and set up a fund to buy this many some lips? Geez, he gets creepier by the day. I know he plays for the "other team" as a classic closet-caser, but I guess giving head isn't what he's after -- not with those lips (or lack of them).

[myjoyy]

No surprise here. The Republicans closed healthcare forum goes well with their closed minds.

[useyourbrain]

It won't be closed to the medical-ph­arma-insur­ance lobbyists and CEO's.

[Zeev10]

That Forum should take about two minutes . They gather and make ugly faces at one another then simultaneously yell NO at the top of their lungs and then skulk off into the darkness, yet again!

[lagumbo]

The republicans will not stop health care reform. The can do what ever they care to do, we will have health care with a public option.

[Pupadup4oBama]

exactly! They thought they could stop Obama from becoming POTUS....w­e see how that worked out for them.
As someone said earlier though, I'm really getting tired of this trip - are we there yet? I have patience..­..it's coming soon

[floridafun]

yes we will!

[Old300]

Either far left or Far right! All our problems are being blamed on previous presidents so let's take it back to the source and blame G.W. for everything. No solution will be found by blaming. I support free interprise. I do not look to my government to fix anything due to their long standing past history. I don't like the idea of any kind of government run health care for fear that it will turn into a failed system like SS. If we could unglue ourselves from the far left and right wall and start walking towards the middle we will find our solution. Let's stop the divisions and just be Americans trying to help Americans.

[timhere]

spoken like a true far righter. Next your gonna say fox news is fair and balanced. Social Security is not broken. Tell me this, what would happen without social security. How would old people eat? You wouldnt need death panels because you could just let them starve to death, or die from no heat, no house. Or would they all just keep on working and make enough money as door greeters at walmart( the free market solution). Or would there children and grandchildren take care of them on their constantly shrinking buying power. Dont attack a program that keeps people alive unless you have a solution.

[Pupadup4oBama]

The government IS America...­.it's the representatives that we hired to do a job that aren't doing what they are supposed to be doing for us.
You might think the government does a bad job of running things, but think of the alternatives if we didn't have public police force, fire departments, public libraries, public mail, public schools, public roads.
The government is there to support us. If we need it...it should be there. Private insurance companies don't care about us.

[anywaylm]

THANK YOU! Why is it so hard for the right to understand the fact that we are going to be in so much deep, deep trouble is we don't get health care reform and take the control away from insurance companies? I hear people screaming "I don't want gov. control!!!", and yet they are more than willing for insurance to control them in a much worse way. It's beyond me. WE NEED HEALTH CARE REFORM, with or without the approval of GOP.

[ReealOne]

Um..... Republicans, need I remind ya'll that you ain't in charge, so you can have all the closed door health-care meetings you wish, as long as you don't try to interfer with a viable health-care plan from the Dems.

"WE" are not willing to compromise on some watered-down version of health-care which equals out to no change or reform. We don't want to hear anything about any tax credits, so folks can go and buy their own insurance.­.. which means nothing if you're not working, or the cost of health-care keeps growing out of control. The Republicans seems to think that they dont' need to change a thing... they just need to keep trying to interject their failed policies..­. a bit LOUDER then evenually, we'll agree with them. You 've done enough unprecedented damage to this country... for which we may never get out of.

After the bizarre behavior we've all witness of the Republicans, WE NO LONGER TRUST REPUBLICANS ON ANY ISSUE TO DO WHAT BEST FOR THIS COUNTRY.

[outlandish]

Small government,small member,small mind.

[dolphy]

I can't get the image of him with a 60's do, glasses, earrings and dress that my mom used to have. It would really be a hoot if somebody can post a photoshop of that picture

[outlandish]

The republcan sales spiel on health care reform and the disasterous state that it is in now is.
Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?