Health Care Reform

The Senate Finance Committee Vote And Senator Olympia Snowe

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Today’s 14-9 vote by the Senate Finance Committee on the so called Baucus bill on health care reform, with every Democrat and Republican Olympia Snowe voting yes, is a welcome moment, but it is not enough.

The lack of a public option in the bill means that the Baucus bill cannot be accepted as it is. Since Olympia Snowe does not promise that she will support the ultimate health care bill that is reconciled between the House and the Senate, we can thank her for her support, making the proposal slightly bipartisan, but not allow her to dictate the final version of the bill, as the price for her vote.

Optimism is arising that the health care bill will pass by Thanksgiving, and if it does, it will be the ultimate triumph of a vision first enunciated by former President Theodore Roosevelt in the 1912 presidential election when he was the candidate of the Progressive Party for President.

Medical Malpractice Limits And Health Care Reform Legislation

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Democratic Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania made a very interesting and proper statement regarding medical malpractice reform on CNN today.

He said a Republican proposal to limit medical malpractice awards to $250,000 was “insulting” to the principle of justice in cases where there is intentional or negligent conduct by doctors or other medical personnel.

I totally agree, as if someone is harmed by medical malpractice, and most likely is affected for a lifetime in his or her ability to earn income or live a productive life, then he or she should be entitled to a much higher award. Discretion should be allowed, so as not to victimize an unfortunate patient, while at the same time putting a “reasonable” limit on such awards.

So there should be reform on this issue, but with a substantially higher threshold.

Illegal Immigration And Health Care

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The movement toward health care reform specifically eliminates any illegal or undocumented immigrant from coverage, and this is one of the most politically incendiary principles brought up by opponents of any legislation.

President Obama has also made it clear that no such illegals will be covered, and no one is openly willing to face the issue that presents itself daily. What is to be done if an illegal or undocumented alien is taken ill or injured in an accident?

Are we to refuse medical treatment and let such an individual die? Are we to turn our backs on such people, and treat them as less significant than a pet?

This is the quandary we are in. The fact that someone is illegal is a major problem, but can we just dump such people on the street and let them die, particularly when many of the illegals are young people? If denial of care is seen as desirable, what if such a person has a communicable disease?

This is an issue that torments people of religious faith, and anyone who believes in human decency and dignity. The cost of such care is estimated to be about one billion dollars. Are we to allow money to take away our responsibility to fellow human beings, even if they are “illegal”?

This is a question of conscience, not easily addressed or answered!

Health Insurance Company Abuse Supported By Several States Regarding “Domestic Violence”

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As part of the health care reform being considered by Congress, the push is on to ban “domestic violence” against women as a “preexisting condition” that prevents battered women from being eligible to be covered.

Is there anything more venal and disgusting than this? And to think that several states still allow that to be a factor in limiting health care coverage! The guilty states, which should be ashamed of themselves, include Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Idaho, plus, unbelievably, the District of Columbia! How in the world can any state or jurisdiction allow this? How can we, in good conscience, allow in the past, present or future that any health insurance company is permitted to justify this in the name of decency?

This is another reason why, despite great fears by many people and most conservatives and Republicans, that we cannot continue to allow health care to be totally controlled by private corporations and backward states that have no concern for human dignity!

The federal government option MUST be offered so that everyone in this country is allowed to have dignity when it comes to health care!

Five Prominent Republicans Back Obama Push For Health Care

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It is great news to see that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has joined former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson in calling for an overhaul of the health care system through support of President Obama’s push for reform. Also, as reported earlier, Bob Dole and Howard Baker, two other GOP Senate Majority Leaders from earlier times, have backed the need for change.

Only one Republican senator, Olympia Snowe of Maine, seems willing to move in that direction, and the fact that four significant Republicans from the past and the governor of our largest state are breaking ranks with the “just say No” Republicans in Congress is therefore an encouraging move.

Obama has also met with a group of doctors from the the fifty states, as he is becoming more intimately involved in pushing for what a majority of Americans say is essential–to change the nature of our health care system so that we finally bring almost all Americans under the umbrella of protection, a step that should have occurred long ago!

How Far The Republican Party Has Fallen As Compared To Past Leadership!

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News has emerged that THREE former Republican Majority Leaders of the Senate would, if they were in the Senate now, vote for a health care reform plan, instead of Mitch McConnell and just about all Senate Republicans in today’s Senate who are totally negative and lacking in any new ideas.

I am speaking of Bob Dole of Kansas, Howard Baker of Tennessee, and Bill Frist of Tennessee.

This just is further evidence of how far the GOP has fallen as compared to the party in the age of Nixon and even Reagan. Then the GOP had some principles, as compared to now when they have no real alternative ideas and have allowed their party to be co-opted or hijacked by whacko talk show hosts.

Not only should the Republican party of today be ashamed, but I contend that if Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt or Dwight D. Eisenhower were alive today, they would refuse to remain Republicans, and I would add to that list, even Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.

The Republican party had a significant role in the past, but now all they are able to be is negative. What a disgrace!

Polls And The Public Option On Health Care

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A New York Times poll shows that 65 percent of the American people want a public health option, and 78 percent say that there is a need for dramatic change in the health care field for the American people.

Despite this, the GOP continues to call for a “restart” button and for true bipartisanship. But while stating they want a bipartisan bill, they have refused to cooperate with the majority Democrats, and only maybe the two Maine senators (Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins) seem likely to POSSIBLY go along with the Democrats, the same as with the economic stimulus bill.

It is time for the Republicans to stop their obstructionism and recognize that the American people WANT the health care option and TRUE health care reform!

The Republicans And Health Care: Ask Your Neighbors Or Charity For Help

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Not only did Republican Minority Whip Eric Cantor suggest it recently, but also Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma as well: If you have a crisis health situation, and don’t have health insurance, turn to charity and your neighbors for help.

Are these and other Republicans living in the 21st century? Can we rely on our neighbors to help us when we are in trouble, at a time when millions of Americans are in desperate economic circumstances, and those who are fortunate don’t overall want to hear of other people’s problems, as they have been taught to only think of themselves and those they know, and not get involved with “strangers”?

The Republicans offer no alternatives for those unfortunate enough to lose a job, or not have health insurance, or have health insurance which decides not to cover a specific medical problem. All they are good at is to promote the idea that everyone must be self reliant and individualistic, as Herbert Hoover promoted during the Great Depression in the early 1930s.

The Republican party has no “heart” and no “empathy” for those who are less fortunate, and are actually impatient even to hear of the plight of those who don’t have lots of assets and money. How can a modern political party be so thoughtless and uncaring, and claim to be promoting the interests of the American people in the 21st century?

As Franklin D. Roosevelt said often, we are not ultimately judged for our character by how much we acquire and own, but by how much we sacrifice for others, and only government can do what needs to be done for those not as fortunate as we are. As even highly religious people should practice as they preach on the Sabbath, “there but for the grace of God go I”. It is the moral and ethical thing for our government, representing our population, to come to the rescue if there is no alternative!

Eric Cantor And Health Care Solution

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House Minority Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia showed that he had no concern on the issue of health care at a recent Town Hall meeting.

A woman described a friend who had lost her job and health care coverage, and had recently been diagnosed with stomach tumors that required immediate medical and surgical attention.

Cantor’s response was to say that unfortunately a certain percentage of people do not have health care, but that this woman could seek charity to help her situation.

This was an uncaring response, and shows the problem with the GOP and many people who call themselves conservatives, who believe in limited government. Basically, if you are unlucky and do not have health care, don’t expect any sense of support and willingness to find a solution. Just wait to die, because it is evil if everyone has access to health care. Your life does not matter, if you don’t have money, as health care is NOT an entitlement. Rather, it is a privilege that some have and others do not. This is simply survival of the fittest, and really survival of the haves, and to hell with the have nots!

Shame on Eric Cantor and his party, who claim to be the party of life, when it comes to the issue of abortion, but once you are born, oh well, there is no responsibility to preserve life by offering health care to those who do not have it. You see, it is all a question of money and profit. That is all that matters in a capitalist system–money and profit. There is no place for concern for human life. We actually often give better care to our pets than to human beings! What an absolute disgrace! 🙁

Barack Obama At Eight Months In Office: Time Of Troubles And Turmoil

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President Obama was everywhere this Sunday morning, appearing on five taped shows (from Friday) to explain his health care plan, the Afghan war, the economy, and the flu virus threat.

Obama has hit a rough patch in all of these areas. The honeymoon is over, but of course, it was bound to end in any case.

Criticism is rampant on the left and the right on these issues. At a time of such economic hardship and the growing fear of terrorism at home with the recent revelations of plans to attack the NYC train transportation system, the President is facing harsh attacks on both extremes of the political spectrum.

The fear of growing costs for health care reform at a time when unemployment continues to rise makes any action on this issue highly questionable that it will succeed. The growing debate on increase of troops in Afghanistan places the President more with his domestic GOP critics than with his Democratic supporters, an example being Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin of Michigan, who has made it clear that we should not send more troops there, even though Obama today pointed out that it was from Afghanistan where Al Quaeda struck on September 11. Obama seems to be on a tightrope on this issue, not yet willing to agree to increased troops, but not hinting that he will change course either.

The H1N1 virus threat also plagues many Americans, and the reality that vaccine will not be available for awhile, and one can not be certain that when it is available, that it will work and not cause more grief than protection for American citizens.

Obama backed away from backing President Jimmy Carter on the issue of racism causing a lot of the problems and division that now exists in America, the only statement he could be expected to make. Still, it is troubling that we are allowing so much attention to be drawn to those who promote hate and controversy for their own aggrandizement, so why does Time Magazine have to put an outrageous picture of Glenn Beck on the cover of its magazine this coming week? All this does is feed the paranoia and insanity that he and other talk show hosts represent.

So basically, it is reality that Barack Obama in in very difficult circumstances at eight months in office, but yet his public opinion rating remains in the mid to high 50s, despite all of the attacks and criticisms.

One thing is for certain: We live in challenging times, and constant turmoil will continue as we try to face the many difficult issues this country faces. We can only pray that we do not see a resort to violence and bloodshed because of the poisonous environment that we find ourselves in.

As Barack Obama said, Franklin D. Roosvevelt and Ronald Reagan also faced vitriol and wild extremist reactions because they represented fundamental change, and that he understood that is occurring again because he is involved in similar actions, and there will be predictably negative responses as in the past.

Obama called for civility and decency in political discourse, but unfortunately, that seems extremely unlikely. 🙁