New York Times: Lobbyists Fighting Last Big Plans to Cut Health Care Costs

New York Times:

WASHINGTON -- As the health care debate moves to the floor of Congress, most of the serious proposals to fulfill President Obama's original vow to curb costs have fallen victim to organized interests and parochial politics.

And now the last two initiatives with real bite that are still in contention -- a scaled-back "Cadillac tax" on high-cost health plans and a nonpartisan Medicare budget-cutting commission -- are under furious assault.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[NorrisHall]

If you are pissed at the insurance industry…

Email Karen Ignani, the CEO of America’s Health Insurance Plans, the insurance industry lobbying group.
Karen Ignani email address…. [e-mail]

[punkindmb]

So they want a major revolution, right. If they don't pass the right bill, I can see the people marching on Washington demanding the heads of the leaders instead of a just and fair piece of legislation.

[vlm1948]

Amen to this. I think there will some bad days if the right health care bill is not passed, ie. one that is not a give away to big insurance.

[rf-hawaii]

No to worry. The bill doesn't have to be perfect from the start. It can be amended. And we can force the issue once item at a time.

[TN60]

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/10/12/cooperatives/index.html?source=newsletter

I'm not sure of the veracity of this piece. Would some of you who are smarter than I, please weigh in.



Sounds like the insurance companies in this blog's title are threatening us ( I don't mean the Salon piece)

I don't "cotton" to being threatened. "Too big for their britches" is a common saying and apt.

[PhilipTaylor]

“The lobbyists are winning,” said Rep Jim Cooper, a Tennessee Democrat who teaches health policy - Lost to Lobbyists:

1. Everyone gets Medicare as a Single-Payer=Lost on Day ZERO to Baucus
2. Competition Between Insurers - Insurers have Exemption from Sherman Anti-Trust
3. Strong Medicare Public Option within Combined Private Public Internet Exchange
4. Government/Medicare Negotiation of Health Care Costs

We as a COUNTRY HAVE LOST OUR WAY when Corporations can OWN SENATORS and House Members!

[janeycat]

Check this out guys....

http://thefunpie.wordpress.com/2009/08/20/the-evil-public-option/#comment-35

now here is how a PO is supposed to work

[lillebabu]

I feel compelled to write this (being Canadian) ...

MANY people use the word socialism and government takeover and other words to scare people. These words do NOT have a negative conotation..on the contrary ...they have a very direct meaning ...especially to the people that are suffering right now ...have lost their home or all they have to pay for an insurance ....which should be just that ...a backstop...a safety net ...a preservation of a way of life that if you buy into ...work hard ..save ...get ahead ...that you won't have in the blink of an eye it ALL taken away from you ...just because you get sick...

In Canada and in most other western democracies ...the crux of the matter is twofold (2 )

DO people of higher means pay more for people thay have little or nothing? ...and the answer is yes in those countries but NOT in the US.

Can Insurance companies in some of those countries co-exist with the government ? ..and again the answer is yes (ONLY ) with strict regulation and the guiding principle that yes ...capitalism ..or a commericial entity can make a profit ...just NOT one that is OBSCENE...

so there you have it ..argue away one way or the other ..but it ALL boils down to that ...and now the few senators that stand in the way have to vote and wrestle with their morals ... ...

if they have any?

[TN60]

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/10/12/cooperatives/index.html?source=newsletter

Would you please explain the Canadian system. We have heard so many lies and distortion, I'm not even sure what the Canadian system is.

[lillebabu]

http://www.mta.ca/about_canada/study_guide/doctors/delivery.html

enjoy :)

[lillebabu]

Let's try this ...(since there seems to be right wing talking points tonight)

1) take profit out of the system in tending to the sick or wounded or dying
(instant screaming of socialism and takeover and blah blah ) ..ok fine
2) As the insurance companies cap money to the people they insure ...cap them ...no more 30....40 or higher % profit ...all private entities can make 10% that's it ...mark up across the board 10%
3) set the fees across the board for ALL procedures ...ALL ...I honestly do not know what the % should be ...but what I do know is that a procedure should NOT cost 500k or a MIL or TWO ...cmon!
4) CRACK down on ALL fraud and waste and abuse ...NO TOLERANCE
5) incentivize everybody ...people to live healthier and doctors for prevention ...NOT for the amount of tests they do or people they see
6) Sinple , clear and concise regulation and policies and procedures ...yes ..to cutdown on mistakes and if they are done ..then yes to take away the malpractice abuse and costs ...
7) cuting off the money for above cuts off the funds that finance the buying off the politicians

just a start ....

[TN60]

And...a mighty fine starting point.

[OBXartist]

Just saw an anti-healt­hcare/insu­rance reform ad from Americans For Prosperity on TV...what a lie-filled load of rubbish! The same rebutted and disproven exaggerations, distortions and downright untruths that conservatives (both Republicans and Dems) have been tossing about for months. I can understand trying to put the best spin on information to prove your point or move people toward your position. I cannot understand people who knowingly lie, who repeatedly say things they KNOW not to be true just to scare people into accepting their position. You have to wonder what these people are teaching their children! How do you discipline your own child for lying when you've spent your day spreading potentially deadly lies to hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people? I just can't wrap my head around that. And yet, I'm sure all these Americans for Prosperity yahoos think they're simply wonderful parents.

[Cyndy Keith]

I watch CNN and MSNBC but not Fox. So I noticed about 5 commercials against health insurance reform to every one commercial for it on CNN in the afternoons, and I haven't noticed any commercials for or against on MSNBC at night. I am wondering if Fox airs commercials for it?

[dumboldfarmer]

How much money in dollars has the poor little insurance companies invested in fighting the reform? I would love to see total figures. Seems to me that the money spent on fighting reform would have been better spent paying claims and (perish the thought) changing their business models to be more receptive to what consumer payers of their policies need. But no, that would be asking too much.

[weneedaLEADER]

1.4 million a DAY

[jjgg5]

Congress: Don't let the lobbyists win. We're watching each and every one of you.

[textynn]

There is an ad at the top of my page for Patients First saying Hands of my Health CARE. ON HP can you believe they let these ads get through.?

[textynn]

http://www.noinsuranceclub.com/blog/index.php/join-patients-first-before-their-secret-actually-gets-out/
Why do major polluters want to kill health care reform. Because those made ill by pollution are disenfranchised from health care and can't even claim injury without medical records. These polluters are also controlling the major health care companies. They sit on their boards for a reason.

[textynn]

I don't know what is going to happen but I do know that this country cannot afford to keep allowing the health of our people to degrade and be subject to capitalistic greed. The American way is turning into a nightmare where a person's entire existence is dependent on some supervisor in some wishy washy business. We must end the complete domination of the employer over the employee. Employers should not hold the keys to a person's health care. A person and their family's health should not be dependent on whether someone is employed in the right job. It should not be in the hands of some random supervisor that may or may not be a good person. It cannot be dependent on the business and financial abilities of their employer. This is wrong and it is costing millions their health and 45,000 a year their lives. It's a form of slavery and it must end.

End the employee-employer health care marriage necessity.
Single Payer Now.

[vlm1948]

Totally agree.

[bannorhill]

All of the plans being considered by Congress cost more per insured person than current insurance plans.

[oldngrumpy]

Perhaps you should compare them with premium estimates for 2013. From that point both should begin coming down.

[bannorhill]

The government costs will go by the same amount.

If the Government plan saves so much money then why do taxpayers have th pay $829 billion dollars.

[mitsie]

A medicare commission is really needed. I am a retired RN Certified Risk Manager, my husband and I are on medicare. I know first hand about the providers, including doctors and hospitals who double bill, bill for tests not performed etc. They get reimbursed because Medicare is too busy to pick up these fraudent claims. IMO if this commission would really recommend some needed provisions and regulations, we probably could save enough in ten years to pay for the public option.

[alexdog]

And don't bother calling to report fraudulent billing like my mother did, just a waste of time they were totally uninterested. Also the amount they pay home health when they send supplies such as bandages, saline and such is ridiculous. These are just a couple of examples I have seen first-hand.

[patricksmom]

Isn't it funny that economists want to cut the lack of income tax on individual policies through an employer, but have no problem with insurance company profits?
Mine plan isn't a cadillac plan and doesn't cover "elective colonoscopies" for instance. I couldn't go to a more basic plan without deleting preventative care and without a limits cap. I guess the basic thing is that unless you are rich you should just be lucky you have anything.