Permalink:

Why America is So Mad!

August 15, 2009

inMedicine: Healthcare System, Politicians,Healthcare and Vested Interests, Stakeholder Mistrust

• Leave a comment

Stanley Feld M.D.,FACP,MACE

I have not had many guest writers. However, I received this essay from a long time reader of my blog, Matt Modleski. Matt is a strategy consultant in healthcare. He has hit the nail on the head. His essay is a worthwhile read.

Somehow the new media (Blogs, You tube, Twitter and Facebook) got America to wake up. Once this happened independent citizens are outraged. They have been expressing their outrage to the dismay of President Obama’s administration.

President Obama’s administration is trying to suppress the outrage by calling ordinary citizens right wing extremists. I would hardly call former New York City Mayor Ed Koch a right wing extremist. He wrote a brilliant commentary on August 10, 2009 about his recent cardiac bypass surgery. It is called: “ Falling Out of Love With Barack Obama.”

Now that America’s have finally woken up to President Obama’s strategy and true goals, I hope he cannot intimidate or seduce the public to sleep again.

“As a former Air Force Fighter Pilot and strategist, the political race leading up to the election of President Obama was great fodder for teaching the art and application of strategy. David Axelrod and the Obama strategists are very bright minds; so let’s look at what the overall objective is in reforming healthcare and then look at their strategy for getting there. America is right to be nervous about the proposed legislation because for the most part they don’t want more Government intervention in their lives and clearly that is the strategy behind this legislation.

First of all let’s use the Presidential campaign as our template for understanding strategy. The political climate at the time of the 2008 election cycle was mounting frustration with the status quo of politics and specifically the George Bush presidency in the final 2-3 years. We were engaged in two wars, one elective, the other forced upon us, the economy was crumbling; and we had been duped by the banking system (and the government agencies charged with regulating it). The clear objective for the Obama strategists in Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic and Time-bound (SMART) terms was to get elected as President on November 4th 2008.

Looking at the competition, the strategy of “hope and change” seemed to resonate with most voters across party lines and no-one could tactically out execute then Senator Obama when he stood before America to deliver his message. Life was good for the Obama team. (As an aside, the vulnerability of any competitor lies in their strategy for if you defeat it, you defeat them, Sun Tzu. The Clinton’s are [or hire] brilliant strategists but by the time they figured out how to defeat Obama’s strategy, and they had, they ran out of states and time to accomplish their objective).

Let’s take that template and move on to the healthcare discussion. The state of the union on healthcare is that it is broken. Most people are unaware of how broken it is (we kill between 4000 and 8000 people per month due to mistakes and errors and we waste billions if not trillions each year for a wide variety of reasons). By 2075 if we do nothing and leave Medicare in its current form, it will consume 90% of ALL FEDERAL REVENUE. Those who look at Medicare as the model to copy simply ignore that we aren’t paying for the model they want to copy. That’s a fact that’s typically left off the table.

The bottom line is this, everyone knows the system is broken, but few people know how broken it is and if we delve into all the pieces that are broken, a short term fix becomes impossible. So, rather than put all the broken pieces on the table and explain through the evolution of healthcare how we arrived here, the Obama team has the objective of “reducing the consumption of healthcare” in the US and a strategy to achieve it. I actually believe that is the right objective but I disagree with their strategy and tactics.

In order to meaningfully control the consumption of healthcare, we need to reform the demand side as well as the supply side of healthcare. For ease of discussing this, let’s simply say that talking about both sides of healthcare consumption and how we arrived where we are today puts some politically unpopular topics on the table. Issues such as personal accountability for your health, end of life spending, tort reform, reimbursement reform, insurance reform, care delivery model reform (the list goes on and on) all must be discussed. It’s not one issue, it’s all of the issues intertwined. If we begin talking about all of those issues that plague our current system, imagine how messy that gets politically. Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post articulated this nicely in a nationally syndicated column on August 10, 2009.

So the Obama strategists let the very left leaning Congressional Leadership craft the legislation on their own (which gives President Obama an opportunity to distance himself from the current outrage) and in its totality over time the original legislation would have given the government increasing control of both the demand and supply sides of healthcare consumption. So “government control” is the strategy to meet the objective of reducing healthcare consumption but the tactics required speed in their execution to avoid what’s happened which is America woke up! Fool me once with TARP, but don’t fool me twice with healthcare.

Meaningful reform of healthcare will take a 3-5 year plan, maybe longer, with an educated public and a congress held accountable for making hard choices by their constituents. The care delivery models and reimbursement models alone will take years to overhaul so that care can be delivered more strategically and reimbursement can pay for results not activity. America can handle the truth, but they can’t and won’t tolerate being misled and taken as fools. Our Representatives are learning that the hard way.

Obama’s team miscalculated the fallout and anger of America, but the distancing from the crafting of legislation was not accidental, it was calculated. One of the tenets of being a good aviator is to never let your next decision be your last good option. Obama’s team understands that. This may have been a huge miscalculation or merely a hiccup, either way they will survive; they were all raised in Chicago politics where political survival is an art form and as I have said, they are not dumb.

Here’s the real kicker. Adding access for millions to the current dysfunctional system seems likely as a result of compromise on the current legislation. None of the underlying issues will be meaningfully reformed and we will have huge new costs and the same problems at the core.

America can handle a “big-boy” discussion about the challenges in healthcare and a full-blown discussion of how we arrived in the mess we’re in. They could really handle someone telling them that we will take a long-range strategic approach to fixing the issues and that most of what we like about our system can remain intact. What they appear unwilling to accept is the government running healthcare or someone telling them that we have to reform it in a 3 month span of time when it’s taken 40-50 years to arrive here. America is mad because they’re tired of being misled by their leaders. The 2010 elections may well reflect that anger.”

Matt Modleski

Thank you Matt

The opinions expressed in the blog “Repairing The Healthcare System” are, mine and mine alon
e.

Thanks for leaving a comment, please keep it clean. HTML allowed is strong, code and a href.

Permalink:

Physician Frustration With President Obama’s Healthcare Reform Plan and the AMA Endorsement : Part 2

August 12, 2009

inMedicine: Healthcare System, Politicians,Healthcare and Vested Interests, Stakeholder Mistrust

• Leave a comment

Stanley Feld M.D.,FACP,MACE

The Texas Medical Association is not buying President Obama’s rhetoric. It has broken ranks with the AMA. It is representing the voice of physicians in Texas.

“The Texas Medical Association — the nation’s largest state medical society — is among more than a dozen state associations breaking ranks with the American Medical Association’s endorsement of the healthcare overhaul proposal in the U.S. House.”

TMA President Dr. William Fleming said:

"There are about 17 state societies that have backed off, who have not jumped on the bandwagon with the AMA.”

The TMA saw through President Obama’s charade very quickly. Nothing in the bill will Repair the Healthcare System. It will result in an increase in taxes for all including middle class and lower class Americans while decreasing access to care. None of the major problems with the healthcare system are addressed in HR 3200. The delivery of medical care will become less efficient, more expensive and require further increase in taxes.

Dr. William Fleming goes on to say

“Among the problems with the healthcare reform bill are failure to fix Medicare funding formulas, the "long-term consequences" of the government’s plan to offer a public insurance option and a prohibition on physician ownership of healthcare facilities. His note about the bill also cites a failure to include caps for medical liability, which the Texas Legislature approved in 2003.”

I am proud of the TMA and the 17 other state associations which had task forces that actually read and studied the bill. I think the AMA read the government published summary of the bill. Its summary sounds pretty good but has little to do with what is contained in the details and implications of the actual HR 3200.

“TMA believes that the public option included in the House bill "would do more harm than good," and that members remain "gravely concerned" that the option would eventually dominate the system.”

I plan to discuss the folly of the public option shortly and present a viable and less costly alternative. HR 3200 is in reality an attempt to provide the politicians and the government with more control over our lives and our freedoms.

President Obama’s healthcare plan is not focused on the correct reforms. His plan is also creating more distrust of politicians and politics among independent voters who hoped he would be centrist and create the necessary reform to maintain freedom of choice and eliminate non value added services.

Independent voters now feel President’s Obama is a spend and tax Democrat who is creating a larger bureaucracy (110,000 new government healthcare administrative jobs) which will impinge on freedom of choice, ration care and create wasteful inefficiency and increase taxes.

"TMA is very concerned that if we don’t get important reforms for our patients on the front end, then things are going to happen so fast they’re never going to happen."

I am totally in favor of universal coverage. It can be done more efficiently and with less government expenditure than what is proposed. The increase in government expenditure will lead to much higher taxation to support an inefficient government system.

"The physicians of the Texas Medical Association believe our health care system is broken and needs reform," Fleming said in a statement. "However, we cannot support the current House proposal. While it addresses some of health care’s ailments, it leaves gaping wounds and does not serve Texas patients well."

No one wants a system with less access to medical care while being subject to higher taxation for everyone including people making less than $250,000 a year.

Mr. Obama promised never to raise taxes on anyone making less than $250,000 a year to avoid being labeled a tax-and-spend liberal.

However, he has raised taxes indirectly on people making less than $250,000 already.

“On Feb. 4, Mr. Obama signed a $33 billion cigarette tax increase, which fell disproportionately on lower- and middle-income individuals.

“The “cap and trade” energy bill, approved by the House on June 26, is a tax on anyone who owns a light switch, uses a car key, or has bought anything manufactured, shipped or sold in the U.S.”

The House version of Mr. Obama’s health-care has four taxes that will largely be paid by people making less than $250,000 a year.

“There’s $8.2 billion in taxes for using health savings accounts and other tax-free medical savings vehicles to purchase over-the-counter drugs.”

“There’s an 8% tax on employers who don’t offer insurance: The Congressional Budget Office says workers in those businesses would pay the $163 billion cost via lost wages.”

“There’s a 2.5% “Tax on Individuals Without Acceptable Health Care Coverage” in the House bill that applies to people who either don’t have insurance or whose policies the government deems inadequate.”

“Finally, there’s a $2 billion “Comparative Effectiveness Research Tax” on all private and “public option” insurance policies.”

“If a version of President Obama healthcare reform bill is passed, the President will break his tax pledge even further. He will also be adding trillions to the deficit, dismantling the best elements of our present health-care system and slashing Medicare coverage by hundreds of billions of dollars.”

No one is interested in a system that has obvious unintended consequences and is destined to bankrupt the nation. Everyone must pay attention to what is being proposed. and write to your senators and congressional representatives.

I would suggest the following note.

“We do not want the government to control our lives and increase our taxes. We want affordable, universal healthcare coverage that does not limit access to care. We want control over our healthcare dollars.

You can reach you Congressional Representative with the links below.

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

The opinions expressed in the blog “Repairing The Healthcare System” are, mine and mine alone.

Thanks for leaving a comment, please keep it clean. HTML allowed is strong, code and a href.

Permalink:

Physician Frustration With President Obama’s Healthcare Reform Plan and the AMA Endorsement : Part 1

August 10, 2009

inMedicine: Healthcare System, Politicians,Healthcare and Vested Interests, Stakeholder Mistrust

• Leave a comment

Stanley Feld M.D,FACP,MACE

Physicians are not opposed to healthcare reform. The present healthcare system is broken. It has functioned poorly for both insured and uninsured patient as well as physicians. It has hindered physicians’ ability to deliver quality care. Neither President Obama nor congress is asking practicing physicians what the real problem are and what the suggested solutions are.

Finally, practicing physicians are realizing there is a way to express their frustrations. Practicing physicians are expressing their frustration through the social network Sermo and their individual blogs.

Most physicians want to do the best job they can for their patients. President Obama is focusing on the wrong issues and ignoring important issues like decreasing bureaucracy, malpractice reform to reduce defensive medicine, and increasing individuals responsibilities for their health and healthcare.

According to the Sermo survey, physicians consider important issues to be limiting insurance company’s and government’s ability to deny care; tort reform and settlement caps, and changing the law to allow doctors to negotiate collectively with insurers.

President Obama is focused on saving money by spending money and taking total control of the healthcare system. The healthcare insurance industry and hospitals are focused on making money. Physicians, in general, are interested in taking care of patients’ medical needs and maintaining the special quality of the patient physician relationship while making a living commensurate with their training, patient care responsibilities and liability.

The difference in focus of the government and other secondary stakeholders is not necessarily in the best interests of patients care. In evaluating HR3200 a Sermo editorial by Eric Novack M.D. begins:

“The 1018 page bill was just released on Tuesday morning Arizona time— it is simply impossible that the AMA could have read the full bill and the associated statutes that are amended within the bill, AND do the analysis of the impact on the medical profession in the states.”

Having been able to actually read the first 200 pages of the bill so far, it is clear that physician autonomy and patient freedom are the last items on the minds of the Congressional leaders and their staffers that have written the bill.

Eric Novack M.D.”

In the name of politics, the AMA was quick to endorse HR 3200. Its endorsement is incomprehensible to me.

“There’s a perception that the (American Medical Association) doesn’t represent the general consensus of the physician community,” said Sermo CEO Dr. Daniel Palestrant.

I thought I might have been missing something in HR 3200. I have been a member of the AMA since 1965.

“Today, the American Medical Association sent a letter to House leaders supporting H.R. 3200, "America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009."

I believe President Obama had given the AMA the notion that it could negotiate reform with the Obama administration. It was obvious that the Obama administrations mind was made up a long time ago. President Obama was calling for a bill on his desk by August recess.

"The status quo is unacceptable," Dr. Rohack President of the AMA said.

I agree with this.

"We support passage of H.R. 3200, and we look forward to additional constructive dialogue as the long process of passing a health reform bill continues. This is an important step, but one of many steps in the process.”

This is an unbelievable statement in face of the draconian provisions in HR3200 and President Obama ultimate goal of total government control of the healthcare system. President Obama has stated he is for a single party payer system. These are President Obama’s statements on You Tube that are statements that are made in context.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-bY92mcOdk

The government controls Medicare. Medicare premiums have increased annually, Medicare deductibles have increased annually as have non allowed services (rationing). Physician reimbursement has decreased annually. A 20% decrease is scheduled for 2010. This decrease would reduce reimbursement to below a physicians costs to provide the service.

Healthcare administrative services are outsourced to the healthcare insurance industry. The healthcare insurance industry charges the government twenty (20) percent for the administrative services it provides. The government claims an overhead of two percent because the government administrative services for outsourcing the administrative services is 2 %. Scandals of delays in physician reimbursement by government outsourced healthcare insurance vendors have occurred from Hawaii to Maine.

The AMA knows all of this. Physicians know past behavior is the predictor of future behavior. Why would the AMA think the Democratic controlled congress and administration change its past behavior in the face of increasing budget deficits?

Its goal is single party payer. I imagine the AMA thinks it can make a deal with the Obama administration and congress because of President Obama’s generalized rhetoric.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3BS4C9el98

All Americans must WAKE UP before it is too late. Write your congressional representatives and go to Town Hall meetings this month to make your opinion known.

I would suggest the following note.

You can reach you Congressional Representative with the links below.

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

The opinions expressed in the blog “Repairing The Healthcare System” are, mine and mine alone.

Thanks for leaving a comment, please keep it clean. HTML allowed is strong, code and a href.

Permalink:

The AMA vs. Sermo

August 8, 2009

inMedicine: Healthcare System, Politicians,Healthcare and Vested Interests, Stakeholder Mistrust

• Leave a comment

Stanley Feld M.D.,FACP,MACE

The American Medical Association (AMA), founded in 1847 and incorporated 1897,^[1] is the largest association of physicians and medical students in the United States, representing around 20% of practicing physicians . There are approximately 633,000 practicing physicians in the United States. The AMA represent about 130,000 physicians. In recent years the number of physicians in the AMA has been declining yearly. Physicians have not felt the AMA has represented their interests or their patients interests.

Sermo is an online social network of physicians that has grown since it onset in 2005 to over 110,000 practicing physician. Its membership is growning daily.

Sermo means “conversation” in latin. Physicians have conversations on Sermo about their problem patients. Sermo has clinical rounds where problem cases are discussed. I am one of Sermo’s Clinical Endocrinology consultants.

As important Sermo conducts surveys of practicing physicians’ opinions on various political issues. A Sermo survey recently asked physicians their reaction to President Obama’s healthcare pan and the A.M.A endorsement of the plan.

The AMA’s endorsement of Obamacare has generated much distress in the practicing medical community. I feel the AMA has been suckered into President Obama’s “Rope A Dope” methodology. The AMA is not represented the practicing physicians position. The AMA goal is to have a “seat at the table.

Sermo conducted a survey of its 110,000 members opinion of the AMA position on HR3200. Sermo has been far more transparent and egalitarian than the AMA. Sermo’s members feel that Sermo is far more representative of their opinions and far less political than the AMA.

Sermo Physicians Respond to AMA Endorsement of Healthcare Bill HR3200

Survey Results: Summary

4 questions.

Results as of August 04, 2009 2:10 PM

1. Do you endorse the current House Healthcare Bill as it is currently written?

Single-choice question

2

. Does the AMA speak for you in endorsing the House Healthcare Bill?

Single-choice question

3. What is the most important issue that must be addressed for you to support a Healthcare Bill? Please add the issue of most importance to you, if it’s not listed here.

Single-choice question

4. Which statement best describes you:

Single-choice question

MeSH data created, maintained and provided by the U.S. National Library of Medicine. MeSH version "2006 MeSH".

Social networks such as Sermo are going to be the organizations that will be the real political action committees of the future rather than present day lobbyist in Washington. Social networks will give people in their individual fields the ability to express their opinions directly to politicians and their individual communities. There is no question what the opinions of the American practicing physician is toward HR3200 from the Sermo Survey.

President Obama’s healthcare reform plan is focusing on the wrong issues in his attempt to Repair the Healthcare System. Sermo has given us physicians an opportunity to express our individual opinions.

The opinions expressed in the blog “Repairing The Healthcare System” are, mine and mine alone.

Manju Murthy • August 10, 2009

Dr Stanley Feld,
As always, enjoy reading your blog. I have been following Sermo for a while now. I agree with Sermo being a more democratic voice of physicians, and the role Sermo would be playing in the 21st century.
Manju
Thanks for leaving a comment, please keep it clean. HTML allowed is strong, code and a href.

Permalink:

President Obama Says “Healthcare Will Not Be Rationed”

August 4, 2009

inMedicine: Healthcare System, Politicians,Healthcare and Vested Interests, Stakeholder Mistrust

• Leave a comment

Stanley Feld M.D.,FACP,MACE

Rationing of healthcare services is not new. Medicare presently rations healthcare services. Private healthcare insurance also rations healthcare services. Physicians and patients need medical preapproval for tests, surgery and specialty consultations. If a physician wants a patient to have a simple CBC (complete blood count) and the reason for the test is not documented by an appropriate code the government and the healthcare insurance industry does not allow the charge.

Physicians’ offices spend hours trying to get preapprovals for their patients from people who are trained to look up indications for procedures on a computer.

This week President Obama has denied that his healthcare reform bill will ration healthcare services. The facts of HR 3200 and his own speeches contradict his statement. In his speech to the American Medical Association, President Obama said

“The only way to control health care costs is to get doctors to provide less care — fewer tests, fewer procedures, fewer everything. Of course, the Administration wants to eliminate only that care that is "unnecessary."

Who will determine what is unnecessary? The government will with President Obama’s healthcare reform bills!!

Ezekiel Emanuel M.D. .a medical ethicist, (Rahm Emanuel’s brother and President Obama’s medical advisor) has defined unnecessary in his book and papers. President Obama’s Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag has agreed.

Peter Singer, a medical ethicist, had a long article in the New York Times magazine section defending the fact that healthcare must be rationed.

The Administration has determined that neither you nor your physician should be the judge of the treatment you need. The government will tell physicians how it wants them to practice medicine.

The government, in an attempt to avoid blame for healthcare rationing, plans to set up an independent group of “experts” to set reimbursement fees or not allow payment for services it deems unnecessary. If a physician disagrees with the “experts” because the “experts” might not have all the facts the physician can appeal.

The process will be inefficient. It will generate waste and is doubtful it will improve care.

“ The Administration is asking for independent authority to set reimbursement fees for all providers under Medicare. To assist in this effort, the Administration is proposing a new federal health board to decide whether health care services are "effective" or "appropriate."

The Obama administration has concluded that the best way to discourage "unnecessary care" is not to pay for it. Who is liable for not delivering “unnecessary “ care that might be necessary and life saving? The government is not liable according to HR3200. Malpractice reform for physicians and patients is not to be found in President Obama’s healthcare reform bill. Yet $750 billion dollars are wasted on defensive medicine.

The administration’s new proposal represents an increase in regulations and in turn an increase in healthcare services rationing.

If healthcare is to be rationed how should it be rationed?

The administration’s answer is defined by Dr. Emanuel’s philosophy.

He advocates a system he calls a complete lives system. The complete lives system discriminates against the elderly.

“Emanuel advocated allocating health resources in order to maximize collective life years. He justifies denying care to elderly patients in the following way. Suppose a 25-year-old and a 65-year-old have a life threatening disease. Since the 25-year-old has many more potential years of life ahead of him, he should receive preferential treatment, says Emanuel.”

Even if 25-year-olds receive priority over 65-year-olds, everyone who is 65 years now was previously 25 years. Dr. Emanuel has said health services should not be guaranteed to "individuals who are irreversibly prevented from being or becoming participating citizens."

Think about Ted Kennedy. Think about the treatment he is receiving to save his life. Who is paying for it? Is the government paying for his treatment with Medicare Part C? Should he be denied treatment by a panel of “experts” when his prognosis is so terrible and he has already lived a full and productive life? If Ted Kennedy believes in his own bill shouldn’t he stop treatment that might to save his life? Should he have freedom to choose to live or die? Will Ted Kennedy be a productive citizen in the future?

My view is the individual should decide on his treatment along with his trusted physician. The government position should be to provide patients with appropriate education so they can choose the best treatment options. The government should provide funds for physician education to teach the best treatment options. The government should not decide for us.

Peter Clinch of Silver Springs, MD says it all in the comment section of Peter Singer’s article

“Health care, like all finite resources in the universe, is rationed today and will be rationed in the future. The question is who should be doing the rationing. In a society that respects life and values freedom, that task is best left to a marketplace of individuals making decisions for themselves, which is why health care reform should focus on decentralizing health insurance, not socializing it. Americans should be able to make decisions for themselves as to how much of their resources today they want to set aside for insurance that they may need in the future. To surrender our freedom and dignity to power-hungry central planners in exchange for lofty Utopian promises is an act that will mark us for generations to come as well-meaning but misguided fools”

President Obama, why don’t you attack the healthcare system’s real problems?

You should be concentrating on real malpractice reform and eliminate the need for defensive medicine, administrative waste, the large administrative service fees paid by outsourcing healthcare administration to the healthcare insurance industry, real price transparency, effective electronic medical records and e-prescriptions legislation, real chronic disease management, and public service advocacy to reduce obesity.

This is where government intervention can be effective in reducing costs to the healthcare system. Don’t continue to impinge on Americans’ freedoms. Americans will not tolerate it and you will have lost your opportunity to Repair the Healthcare System.

The opinions expressed in the blog “Repairing The Healthcare System” are, mine and mine alone.

Thanks for leaving a comment, please keep it clean. HTML allowed is strong, code and a href.

Permalink:

Feld Men’s Weekend 2009: A New Member Of the Feld Men’s Group

August 1, 2009

inLife's Experiences

• Leave a comment

Stanley Feld M.D.,FACP,MACE

Every year the Feld guys, Brad and Daniel from my team and Charlie, with Jon and Kenny go away for a weekend. We discuss technology, the world, politics, social issues, and the economy.

We usually do this in coordination with an activity everyone enjoys. We have gone fishing, hiking and for the last 5 years to baseball games. We went to spring training in Phoenix for two years. The baseball games were nothing. The talking during the games was intellectually stimulating for everyone. Being with each other was the important thing.

Three years ago we went to Fenway Park in the spring. We saw the Red Sox play the Boston (DBA Atlanta) Braves in doubleheader in the cold and rain. No one got sick.

Last year we went to the old Yankee Stadium for the next to the last game played in the “Park that Ruth” built. Dull game, great nap.

This year it was Wrigley Field in Chicago to see the Cubs. Last time I was in Wrigley Field 10 years ago it had the feel of an old timey baseball stadium. You can smell the beer from years ago. It was intimate and the players seemed to be right next to us.

The Cubs somehow sanitized the place. Everything was freshly painted. The seats were roomy and comfortable. The concessions were modern. There were even executive boxes. The stands on top of the building outside the park were real stands rather than people standing on the roof tops. It seemed sterile and not the real McCoy. .

Wrigley Field was not the big story of the weekend. Kenny had just moved to Atlanta to start a new career. He could not come.

Last year Jon asked if he could bring his son Jack who is now 71/2. The group was not “trilled” as the original Jack Feld (my father) would say. However, we let him come. The “new” Jack turned out to be the star of the weekend. He was enchanted by the subway. He stayed with us the whole time and never got tired. He asked stimulating questions. We had a lot of fun with him. He is a true Feld.

He did admit that he could not nap like his daddy. Everyone needs to understand that genetically, the Feld men have learned to nap on the spot, in any position, and in any circumstance. I assured him he would learn.

Jon wrote us all a heartwarming account of Jack’s experience along with a letter Jack wrote to Jon.

“Thank you guys for another great trip! I had a great time as usual. This trip was even better and more memorable for me because you guys took in Jack and included him in the group. This was a fantastic memory I will keep with me forever. Thanks.

Here’s what this meant to me/Jack. Here’s (verbatim) the note Jack wrote me about the trip…

**************

Dear daddy,

Thank you for taking me to Chicago. My favorite part was when we went to the Cubs game! I also loved when we went to the huge museum! Thank you for taking me to the exciting Cubs game. Thank you for getting me and Lucy Chicago stuff! My favorite thing I got was the Michael Jordan jersey. I had lots of fun keeping score at the exciting Cubs’ game. Thank you daddy. I had so much fun! I love Chicago so much! I love you daddy.

Love, Jack

*************

He also said he wants to keep the tradition going forever and go someday with all of us + Dylan + Jack’s and Dylan’s sons.

***************

He also said he was nervous around you guys on the first day but not after that and now feels comfortable with everyone.

*****************

Pretty great stuff! Thanks to you guys for making this happen and welcoming Jack. It meant a lot to me and him.

-Jon”

All I can say is this is what life should be about.

Jack, you are now a member of the Feld Men’s Group. Welcome!

Mark Solon • August 4, 2009

Stan,
I had dinner with Brad last night and told him that I thought this post was terrific! I’ve got a 9 year old son and took him back to the bronx (where i grew up) to see his first yankee game with me and his grandpa a few years ago. It was a very special day and indeed “what life should be about”. Thanks for the reminder.
Thanks for leaving a comment, please keep it clean. HTML allowed is strong, code and a href.

Permalink:

Did Your Representatives Read The House of Representatives Healthcare Bill HR3200?

July 30, 2009

inMedicine: Healthcare System, Politicians,Healthcare and Vested Interests, Stakeholder Abuse of the Healthcare System, Stakeholder Mistrust

• Leave a comment

Stanley Feld M.D., FACP, MACE

The House of Representatives Healthcare Bill is 1018 pages long. Many Representatives and Senators did not read the entire economic stimulus bill because “we did not have time” before we experienced a severe economic recession. They claimed to be saving us from another great depression.

I have read a good portion of HR3200. The provisions are unacceptable and sinister. It represents a complete government takeover of our healthcare system. It is not in the interest of the consumer. It is not in the interest of our precious freedom of choice.

A reader of my blog sent me a summary of HR 3200 written by Larry Schweikart. The reviewer FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Larry Schweikart is the author o 48 Liberal Lies About American History: (That You Probably Learned in School) and A Patriot’s History of the United States: From Columbus’s Great Discovery to the War on Terror. He blogs at patriotshistoryusa.blogspot.com. Mr. Schweikart is not the most liberal person on the planet. However, his analysis is about 80% accurate by my reading of the sections Mr. Schweikart summaries.

Every Americans, especially our Senators and Representative must know what is actually in the bill before it is passed. President Obama’s generalities do not cover the details of HR 3200.

It feels like Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged all over again.

The mainstream media is not covering the real story.

Below are few video clips that try to tell the real story

http://online.wsj.com/video/can-americans-keep-their-current-health-care/6043F8F9-0BEB-4E36-8589-7AEEE4C7AB9E.html

Mr. Schweikart evaluated 498 of the 1107 page bill. The summary of one half HR3200 is frightening. His summary is a good reference guide to the appreciation of the harshness of the bill. It also explains President Obama’s urgency in getting a bill passed before anyone realizes the implications of the bills contents.

Representatives who vote for this bill should not be reelected. They are not representing their constituents’ rights or protecting their freedoms. Your healthcare, health and freedoms are at stake.

You can check the reviewer’s summary against the actual bill at the link below.

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h3200ih.txt.pdf

“Take a look at what actually is in the Health Care bill. Obama makes disingenuous comments like "You’ll still keep your doctor" or "You’ll keep your existing health care."

Pg 22 of the HC Bill mandates the Government will audit books of all employers that self insured. Can you imagine what that will do to small businesses? Everyone will abandon “self insurance” and go on Government insurance. So when Obama says that there will still be private health care, it’s simply a lie: this mandate will force employers to abandon their private plans.

Pg 30 Sec 123 of HC bill – a Government committee will decide what treatments/benefits a person may receive.

Pg 29 lines 4-16 in the HC bill – YOUR HEALTHCARE WILL BE RATIONED! President Obama has been saying healthcare is to be rationed all along in code.

Pg 42 of HC Bill – The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your HC Benefits for you. You will have no choice!

Pg 50 Section 152 in HC bill – HC will be provided to ALL non US citizens, illegal or otherwise.

Pg 58 HC Bill – Government will have real-time access to individual’s finances and a National ID Healthcard will be issued! Government has real-time access to your tax return presently and means test Medicare recipients’ premiums

Pg 59 HC Bill lines 21-24 Government will have direct access to your bank accts for election funds transfer. A further impingement on freedom and privacy.

Pg 65 Sec 164 is a payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in Unions & community organizations (read: ACORN).

Pg 72 Lines 8-14 Government will create an HC Exchange to bring private HC plans under Government control.

Pg 84 Sec 203 HC bill – Government mandates ALL benefit packages for private HC plans in the Exchange.

Pg 85 Line 7 HC Bill – Specifics of Benefit Levels for Plans = The Government will ration your Healthcare!

Pg 91 Lines 4-7 HC Bill – Government mandates linguistic appropriate services. Example – Translation for illegal aliens.

Pg 95 HC Bill Lines 8-18 The Government will use groups, i.e. ACORN & AmeriCorps, to sign up individuals for Government HC plan.

Pg 85 Line 7 HC Bill – Specifics of Benefit Levels for Plans. AARP members – your Health care WILL be rationed.

Pg 102 Lines 12-18 HC Bill – Medicaid Eligible Individuals will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. No choice.

Pg 124 lines 24-25 HC No company can sue Government on price fixing. No "judicial review" against Government Monopoly.

Pg 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill – Doctors/ AMA – The Government will tell YOU what you can earn.

Pg 145 Line 15-17 An Employer MUST auto enroll employees into public option plan. NO CHOICE.

Pg 126 Lines 22-25 Employers MUST pay for HC for part time employees AND their families.

Pg 149 Lines 16-24 ANY Employer with payroll $400k & above who does not provide public option pays 8% tax on all payroll.

Pg 150 Lines 9-13 Businesses with payroll between $251k & $400k who don’t provide public option will pay 2-6% tax on all payroll.

Pg 167 Lines 18-23 ANY individual who doesn’t have acceptable HC according to Government will be taxed 2.5% of income.

Pg 170 Lines 1-3 HC Bill Any NONRESIDENT Alien is exempt from individual taxes. (Americans will pay.)

Pg 195 HC Bill -officers & employees of HC Admin (the GOVERNMENT) will have access to ALL Americans’ finances and personal records. Big brother will be watching your every move.

Pg 203 Line 14-15 HC – "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax" Yes, it says that.

Pg 239 Line 14-24 HC Bill Government will reduce physician services for Medicaid. Seniors, low income, poor affected. Kill off the poor and elderly.

Pg 241 Line 6-8 HC Bill – Doctors – doesn’t matter what specialty – will all be paid the same.

Pg 253 Line 10-18 Government sets value of Doctor’s time, professional judgment, etc. Literally, value of humans.

Pg 265 Se
c 1131Government mandates & controls productivity for private HC industries.

Pg 268 Sec 1141 Federal Government regulates rental & purchase of power driven wheelchairs.

Pg 272 SEC. 1145. TREATMENT OF CERTAIN CANCER HOSPITALS – Cancer patients – welcome to rationing!

Pg 280 Sec 1151 The Government will penalize hospitals for what Government deems preventable readmissions.

Pg 298 Lines 9-11 Doctors who treat a patient during initial admission that results in a readmission – Government will penalize you.

Pg 317 L 13-20 OMG!! PROHIBITION on ownership/investment. Government tells Doctors what/how much they can own.

Pg 317-318 lines 21-25,1-3 PROHIBITION on expansion – Government will mandate hospitals cannot expand.

Pg 321 2-13 Hospitals have opportunity to apply for exception BUT community input required. Can you say ACORN?!

Pg 335 L 16-25 Pg 336-339 – Government mandates establishment of outcome-based measures which of course forces health care rationing.

Pg 341 Lines 3-9 Government has authority to disqualify Medicare Adv Plans, HMOs, etc., forcing people into Government plan.

Pg 354 Sec 1177 – Government will RESTRICT enrollment of Special needs people!

Pg 379 Sec 1191 Government creates more bureaucracy – Telehealth Advisory Committee. Healthcare by phone.

Pg 425 Lines 4-12 Government mandates Advance Care Planning Consultations. Think Senior Citizens end of life prodding.

Pg 425 Lines 17-19 Government will instruct & consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney. Mandatory!

Pg 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3 Government provides approved list of end of life resources, guiding you in how to die. EVERYONE on Social Security, (will include all Senior Citizens and SSI people) will go to MANDATORY counseling every 5 years to learn and to choose from ways to end your suffering (and your life). Health care will be denied based on age. 500 Billion will be cut from Seniors healthcare. The only way for that to happen is to drastically cut health care, the oldest and the sickest will be cut first. Paying for your own care will not be an option.

Pg 427 Lines 15-24 Government mandates program for orders for end of life. The Government has a say in how your life ends.

Pg 429 Lines 1-9 An "advanced care planning consultant" will be used frequently as patients’ health deteriorates.

Pg 429 Lines 10-12 "advanced care consultation" may include an ORDER for end of life plans. AN ORDER from the Government to end a life!

Pg 429 Lines 13-25 – The Government will specify which Doctors can write an end of life order.

Pg 430 Lines 11-15 The Government will decide what level of treatment you will have at end of life.

Pg 469 – Community Based Home Medical Services/Non profit orgs. (ACORN Medical Services here?)

Pg 472 Lines 14-17 PAYMENT TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION. 1 monthly payment to a community-based organization. (Like ACORN)

Pg 489 Sec 1308 The Government will cover Marriage & Family therapy. Which means they will insert Government into our marriages.

Pg 494-498 Government will cover Mental Health Services including defining, creating, rationing those services. You’d better speak up now before you are on the "advanced care consultation" list.

It gets worse: the Health Care Reform bill that is now about to come up for a vote will absolutely eliminate private health care options. Do not kid yourself: They are going to say that they aren’t going to interfere with your right to go to your "own doctor" or have your own "private health insurance." But there won’t be non-government doctors or private health insurance if the government mandates them out of existence.

Even still, I hear people who want to "get past all this partisanship." Sorry, but GROW UP.

Our system from the beginning has pitted one group against another out of fear of the very giant government that is metastasizing before our eyes. James Madison didn’t like "parties" or "factions," but he finally admitted that they were absolutely necessary to fragment power.

For our system to work there has to be a clear choice, not a mushy middle, because the mushy middle always, always, always gravitates left. There is a "presumption of power" on the left –conservatives, by nature, do not like government, don’t trust it, and do not want to use it to advance their ends, which they see as advanced through liberty, individual achievement, and entrepreneurship.

FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Larry Schweikart is the author o 48 Liberal Lies About American History: (That You Probably Learned in School) and A Patriot’s History of the United States: From Columbus’s Great Discovery to the War on Terror. He blogs at patriotshistoryusa.blogspot.com.

It is hard to read H3200 and comprehend its implications. However, a careful reading leads me to similar conclusions to those of Mr. Schweikart.

Do you think your representatives have studied the bill? If they have and vote for it they should lose your vote. If they have not read it and vote on party lines they should lose your vote.

This bill is not going to Repair the Healthcare System. It will make the healthcare system more complex, restrict access to care, restrict the delivery of care, ration care, limit freedom of choice, and increase the deficit.

Americans have to demand that congress tackle the real problems in the healthcare system. Have you contacted your Representative and Senators? If you have, good for you. If not , what are you waiting for?

Let your Senators and Representatives know the proposals are unacceptable. Write, fax, call, email, twitter. Tell them:

“We do not want the government to control our lives. We want affordable, universal healthcare coverage that does not limit access to care. We want control over our healthcare dollars. We do not want government to control our lives and our money.”

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

The opinions expressed in the blog “Repairing The Healthcare System” are, mine and mine alone.

Health Remedies • August 2, 2009

This is quite a detail and comprehensive posting on The House of Representatives Healthcare Bill HR3200. Thanks for all these information. It is really helpful.
JCF • August 12, 2009

Sir,
I would like to better understand your read of this. In some ways your points of interpretation are completely the opposite from what I read. The language in the bill seems simple enough, but maybe I’m missing something. We’ll use the example of rationing. Please excuse the numbers and word cutoffs, but I wanted to copy and past directly from the draft of the bill i read.
First mention I saw pertaining to Rationing: On page 28 of the draft I’ve read continuing to page 29:
24 In developing such recommendations, the Committee
25 shall take into account innovation in health care and
1 ensure that essential benefits coverage does not lead
2 to rationing of health care.
Pertaining to treatment of cancer and your arguments regarding rationing of their care: page 212
18 SEC. 1145. TREATMENT OF CERTAIN CANCER HOSPITALS.
19 Section 1833(t) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
20 1395l(t)) is amended by adding at the end the following
21 new paragraph:
22 ‘‘(18) AUTHORIZATION OF ADJUSTMENT FOR
23 CANCER HOSPITALS.—
24 ‘‘(A) STUDY.—The Secretary shall conduct
25 a study to determine if, under the system under
1 this subsection, costs incurred by hospitals de
2
scribed in section 1886(d)(1)(B)(v) with respect
3 to ambulatory payment classification groups ex
4 ceed those costs incurred by other hospitals fur
5 nishing services under this subsection (as deter
6 mined appropriate by the Secretary).
7 ‘‘(B) AUTHORIZATION OF ADJUSTMENT.—
8 Insofar as the Secretary determines under sub9
paragraph (A) that costs incurred by hospitals
10 described in section 1886(d)(1)(B)(v) exceed
11 those costs incurred by other hospitals fur
12 nishing services under this subsection, the Sec
13 retary shall provide for an appropriate adjust
14 ment under paragraph (2)(E) to reflect those
15 higher costs effective for services furnished on
16 or after January 1, 2011.’’.
All this is saying is that they will monitor to ensure that hospitals that offer the same services will be compensated accordingly.
I really want to understand, from which specific lines (not your read-ins or comments) are you drawing rationing? The above are two sections you reference in making such arguments. It will help the credibility of your point and perhaps help others who may be similarly confused.
Best,
J
Thanks for leaving a comment, please keep it clean. HTML allowed is strong, code and a href.

Permalink:

Obama Double Talk: He Says Health Plan Won’t Add to Deficit: Part 3

July 28, 2009

inMedicine: Healthcare System, Politicians,Healthcare and Vested Interests, Stakeholder Abuse of the Healthcare System, Stakeholder Mistrust

• Leave a comment

Stanley Feld M.D.,FACP,MACE

Between Thursday July 15^th and Friday July 16^th the President and the House committees somehow persuaded Douglas Elmendorf, head of the Congressional Budget Office, to change his assumptions and score the healthcare reform bill budget deficit differently. He had been very definitive on Thursday July 15^th. It is hard to believe that the next day the negative scoring of the House bill could drop from 1.5 trillions dollar deficit to a $239 billion deficit over the next ten years.

“Late on Friday, hours after two House committees—Ways and Means and Education and Labor—approved healthcare reform legislation, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) had bad news: HR 3200 would result in a net increase in deficit spending of $239 billion during the next 10 years, according to its analysis. But House leadership immediately challenged the findings—and CBO changed its tune hours later.”

How did administrative pressure manage to change this number overnight? Republicans are not demanding an answer.

“The House bill, CBO said, was able to target key areas for savings. However, a key trigger in increasing Medicare spending occurred when the existing annual "sustainable growth rate" (SGR) in the Medicare physician fee schedule (with a 21% reduction in payment rates scheduled for 2010) was replaced with an inflation-based update.”

This calculation was done using today’s inflation rate. What if inflation skyrockets to 10 or 15%? The bill would create a deficit of greater than 1.5 trillion dollars in 10 years.

CBO estimated that those changes in the physician payment rates ultimately would add up to $245 billion in changed physician rates between 2010 and 2019.

Who are they going to hurt? The weakest link is the physicians because they are the most disorganized and lack leadership and effective representation.

Meanwhile the traditional media has immediately stopped publishing the $1.5 trillion dollar deficit in the “news” this week and replaced the deficit with the $239 billion dollar deficit.

“Peter Orszag, director of the Office of Management and Budget (and former CBO director). "The only reason that the bill shows a deficit" is because of the "payments to physicians…once you take that part out, the bill is deficit neutral," Orszag told Fox News on Sunday.”

This is exactly how you cook the books. You recalculate the figures using assumptions to your advantage. President Obama now has his deficit neutral bill. Magic!!

“Those reformed Medicare physician payment costs, however, should not have been included. CBO’s net calculations, according to a release from the three House committee leaders issued.”

“ Instead, they will be absorbed under the upcoming statutory "pay-as-you-go" budgetary legislation that currently is pending in the House. (With so-called "paygo," the federal government cannot launch new tax cuts or entitlement programs without finding a way to pay for them.) This would make HR 3200 deficit neutral over the 10 year budget window—and even produces a $6 billion surplus.”

If anyone wants a bridge I have one to sell. The deficit money will come from another pot.

“It also would create Medicare and Medicaid savings of $465 billion, coupled with the $583 billion revenue package reported by the Ways and Means Committee on Friday. It would "fully finance" the previously estimated $1.042 trillion cost of reform, which will provide healthcare coverage for 97% of Americans by 2019, the House committee leadership said. About 17 million nonelderly residents would be left uninsured (about half of whom would be unauthorized immigrants).”

It is unbelievable. We still have 17million uninsured. It is no wonder the House and Senate’s approval rating is so low. If the American public believes all this nonsense they will deserve what they will get. Only public opinion can stop this train. When it is all over there will be too few physicians taking care of patients just as there are too few physicians taking care of Medicaid patients.

“CBO and the Joint Committee on Taxation said that approximately $583 billion would be obtained through increasing federal revenue by methods such as issuing a surtax on higher incomes, which was approved by Ways and Means on Friday. Another $219 billion (plus physician payments) would be saved by Medicare and Medicaid by:

Making permanent reductions in the annual updates to Medicare’s payment rates for most services in the fee for service sector (excluding physicians’ services)—yielding budgetary savings of $196 billion over 10 years
Setting payment rates in the Medicare Advantage program based on per capita Medicare spending in the fee for service sector—providing savings of approximately $156 billion over the 2010 2019 period.
Changes to the Medicare Part D program to establish a new prescription drug rebate program for those eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare.”

After all these manipulations of the numbers they have the gall to make the following statement:

"This fulfills the strong commitment of the President and House leadership to enact health reform on a deficit neutral basis," said the release signed by House Committee Chairmen Henry Waxman (D-CA), Charles Rangel (D-NY), and George Miller (D-CA).”

President Obama then says he is correct. He told us he would not sign a healthcare reform bill that was not budget neutral.

President Obama has previously said that he would not sign healthcare reform legislation that was not budget neutral.

Can President Obama be trusted with numbers? His numbers were wrong with the economic stimulus package and we trusted him.

The unemployment rate today is 9.5% — nearly 20% higher than the Obama White House said it would be with the stimulus in place. Keith Hennessey, who worked at the Bush White House on economic policy, has noted that unemployment is now higher than the administration said it would be if nothing was done to revive the economy. There are 2.6 million fewer Americans working than Mr. Obama promised.

The President did tricks with the numbers to pass the economic stimulus package. All of this seems much too confusing to the traditional media and their love affair with President Obama. We are not getting critical reporting.

“

The Blue Chip consensus is an average of some four dozen economic forecasts. In January, the consensus estimated that GDP for 2009 would shrink by 1.6% and that unemployment would top out at 8.3%. Team Obama assumed both higher GDP growth (it counted on a contraction of 1.2%) and lower peak unemployment (8.1%) than the consensus.”
T

he calculations for surplus and deficit depend on the assumptions applied. If you make the wrong assumptions you can get numbers you like. If you make the correct assumptions you might get public disapproval.

So why should we trust President Obama and his Democratic controlled House committees with the assumptions about health care costs? The goal of the present administration is to dominate and control healthcare. Can you trust the administrations with your healthcare needs?

The opinions expressed in the blog “Repairing The Healthcare System” are, mine and mine alone.

shearwater • August 11, 2009

Obama’s double talk on health care insurance leads one to believe that he is a liar willing to sacrifice his integrity to get a reformed and socialized system of government run health care insurance installed by hook or by crook.
just click the next document • February 4, 2013

just click the next document

Repairing the Healthcare System: Obama Double Talk: He Says Health Plan Wont Add to Deficit: Part 3
Thanks for leaving a comment, please keep it clean. HTML allowed is strong, code and a href.

Permalink:

Obama Double Talk: He Says Health Plan Won’t Add to Deficit: Part 2

July 26, 2009

inMedicine: Healthcare System, Politicians,Healthcare and Vested Interests, Stakeholder Abuse of the Healthcare System, Stakeholder Mistrust

• Leave a comment

Stanley Feld M.D., FACP, MACE

The congressional budget office has scored the House healthcare reform bill and declared it will increase the budget deficit by 1.5 trillion dollars in the next ten years. During his testimony to congress Douglas Elmendorf head of the CBO had the courage to do his job honestly. He contradicted President Obama contention that the House bill will be budget neutral.

“Douglas Elmendorf, head of the Congressional Budget Office, provided a bleak assessment in his testimony on Thursday on whether he thought the healthcare cost curve—which has been steadily rising upward—would finally bend downward under newly introduced reform legislation.”

His response to Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, who asked the question: An unequivocal "no."

The legislation expands federal responsibility for healthcare costs without any real structural change in the healthcare system. The only structural changes will be a decrease in reimbursement to physicians and an ineffective pay for performance system.

"In the legislation that has been reported, we do not see the sort of fundamental changes that would be necessary to reduce the trajectory of federal health spending by a significant amount," Elmendorf said. "On the contrary, the legislation significantly expands the federal responsibility for healthcare costs."

The CBO is not even including the money allocated to healthcare reform in President Obama’s economic stimulus package i.e. the $60 billion dollars allocated to electronic medical records and the $30 billion dollars allocated to Federal Health Board.

On Friday July 16^th ,President Obama responded with an emergency press conference. He gave Congress a pep talk. His message was not to give up in the home stretch.

On Saturday morning he told the nation:

“I want to be very clear,” Mr. Obama said in his weekly address to the nation. “I will not sign on to any health plan that adds to our deficits over the next decade. And by helping improve quality and efficiency, the reforms we make will help bring our deficits under control in the long term.”

He crafted his message carefully. He claims even though there is a deficit in the first few years the reform will create a surplus at the end of the decade.

How will he create a surplus?

He might achieve his goal by decreasing access to care.

He could decrease care (rationing).

He could decrease reimbursement to physicians.

He could increase taxes.

He could also cook the financial books to create a profit.

One way to pay for the bill is to raise taxes. Is that a smart idea? Is raising taxes a good idea during a recession? The answer of most economists is no! President Obama,s reply reply is he is only going to tax the rich. Who create the jobs that will revive the economy?

How does President Obama maintain his high approval ratings? He maintains his high ratings by leaving the dirty work up to others while he speaks in generalities and gives pep talks. He uses powerful new media tools to provide Americans with a “voice in government.” The problem is he does not tell us what we are signing up for other than his healthcare reform. He asks us to help defeat his opponents who want to maintain the status quo.

“The same folks who controlled the White House and Congress for the past eight years as we ran up record deficits will argue — believe it or not — that health reform will lead to record deficits,” Mr. Obama said. “That’s simply not true.”

He argued that his proposals would cut “hundreds of billions of dollars” in unnecessary spending and change incentives so health providers “will give patients the best care, not just the most expensive care.”

It sounds great. It gives me a bad feeling. It sounds like big brother will take care of us. We should be empowered to take care of ourselves.

And, he said, he has urged Congress to adopt a plan for a standing commission of doctors and other medical experts to oversee cost-saving measures.

Shorty thereafter, David Plouffe, who crafts his new media internet campaign, sent a note to all his email addresses to have all of us sign up for President Obama’s healthcare reform plan blindly.

Dear Supporter

President Obama is in the White House today because last year people like you got involved and made it happen.
Passing health care reform in 2009 is a top priority for the President. Achieving it will require everyone working together — we can’t do this without you.
Please listen to the President’s call and then sign your name, asking Congress to deliver health care reform that lowers costs, guarantees choice, and ensures affordable care for all.

http://my.barackobama.com/ObamaCall
Thanks for getting involved,
David Plouffe
Organizing for America

America: It is all doubletalk!!

Think about the double talk in the last six months, the economic recovery plan, the financial sectors bailout and then huge profits to Goldman Sachs. Think about the continued huge bonuses and taxpayers’ burdens. Think about the increasing unemployment rate beyond President Obama’s predictions.

Do you trust the government to dictate your healthcare options? Do you think government should decide the course of your medical care for you and your doctor?

Government should regulate the abuse of our healthcare options not dictate medical care.

The opinions expressed in the blog “Repairing The Healthcare System” are, mine and mine alone.

Michael Kirsch, M.D. • July 27, 2009

A few weeks ago, even newshounds like myself had never heard of Douglas Elmendorf. Now’s he’s a hero for many of us. He told us what many of us have been saying and fearing: we can’t afford Obamacare. This in only 1 reason to oppose it. I am as concerned that his plan will extend medical mediocrity across the country in his quest for universal coverage. It’s fascinating that the recent opposition and obstruction to health care reform has come from his own party. Obamacare the cure may be worse than the disease. More on reform and medical quality issues at http://www.MDWhistleblower.blogspot.com
Thanks for leaving a comment, please keep it clean. HTML allowed is strong, code and a href.

78
79
80
81
82
83
84
81/120