Just got off the phone with “Emily” in Pomeroy’s office. I explained that the health insurance industry routinely boots the least profitable patients to the taxpayers via Medicare and Medicaid. Then they take 20% out in administrative costs from the most profitable clients. Medicare only charges 3% in administrative costs. In its present form, the health insurance industry provides no value to patients. It is stealing from the taxpayers, and from providers (physicians, nurses, medical device providers….) who really do provide value.

I then added that if a robust public option does not get passed I would certainly consider contributing to a primary against Pomeroy.

Good for you, Boo!

Somebody has been doing a lot of homework!

Emily told me that North Dakota’s hospitals would be closed and people would have to go to another state to be hospitalized. I imagine that’s what she’s telling all Pomeroy’s constituents when they call. I told her I didn’t believe her; that it sounded like corporate propaganda to me.

Oh, and then I called Nancy Pelosi’s office and left a TM saying Pomeroy’s aides were lying to his constituents and he should be relieved of his committee duties.

Even as criminal as the insurance companies are about playing games with doctors that make it hard to get paid, my doctor friends tell me that Medicare is the worst. They pay pennies against dollars, thus many doctors won’t take medicare patients.

Pomelroy does have a point. If a public option won’t pay, as Medicare often doesn’t, it won’t be much of an option.

Talk to any doctor, you won’t find much enthusiasm for a public option that is basically expanded medicare, and that’s coming from a bunch of people who abhore insurance companies.

Blue Cross, monopoly, wants to vote for a bill no one has seen, says hospitals will “close”. Fascinating. Sounds like the congressman is taking bribes from Blue Cross to protect their agenda, doesn’t it?

Didn’t BCBS fire its ND CEO from his $887K per annum position?

Great segment, Jane. You’re scaring these legislators – which means you’re doing very good work!

(Slightly o/t: Would a better mic cut down some of that background noise? Just wondering.)

And was there any video on the Feinstein thing from earlier today? I’d enjoy seeing it. (I called her San Diego office and a very nice, if hapless, young lady took my message. I sort of felt sorry for her, actually. She seemed blindsided when I told her that if Feinstein wanted to continue acting like a Republican, then she should drop the silly pretense and go join that party.)

Pomelroy does have a point. If a public option won’t pay, as Medicare often doesn’t, it won’t be much of an option

ANd anyone who feels as you do would be free not to choose that option. See? More choice.

Well, Jane. I just looked at the clip, and gosh, Pomeroy seems really concerned and very, very sincere. He’s just trying to do the right thing. Obviously he’s a deeply caring kinda guy. /s/s/s/s/s/s

You are a gutsy person, and fwiw, I admire you. Now I’ll shut up.

Jesus,

Americans are about to be screwed.

Go to the phones.

Great job Jane. You really got his attention when you asked about his fund raising.

I lied. I’m back. You need one more today for a trifecta!!

BCBS (my secondary coverage) has refused to pay my anything at all on my hospital bills even though Medicare (my primary coverage) paid their full share. I hope your doctor friend doesn’t have BCBS for secondary coverage. In fact, they refuse to pay for hospital care when a person is carried there by ambulance even though that person has no choice in which hospital they go to.

Ask your doctor friends how they’ll feel about empty waiting rooms when all their patients are stuck with BCBS high deductible/copay plans if real reform fails?

I then added that if a robust public option does not get passed I would certainly consider contributing to a primary against Pomeroy.

mmm-hmmm.

but would you consider stopping voting against your interests by continually voting for Democrats who go to Washington to thwart meaningful health care reform – Single Payer – the reform that works by purging the parasitic insurance oligopoly?

I have had BCBS forever and a day. Never really had to put it to the test. But during the 18 months of David’s roughly three-quarters of a million dollar cancer odyssey, Medicare and his secondary provider (UCare) paid virtually everything. An exceptional plan. How long? Who knows? But I’ve got my eye on it for my own future. And feeling immensely disloyal all the while because I have family working for BCBS. Urgh.

P.S. Damn. I said I’d shut up and here I am again, behaving like a Republican.

I’m guessing there’s going to be an excise tax on Vaseline. You’d think they would at least have the decency to comp us on that part.

Maybe something has changed – probably has – but when I had BCBS I was extremely satisfied with it. Paid almost everything.

Hadn’t heard the hospital shutting down argument before. I bet somebody got paid a lot of money to come up with it. It is a powerful argument that will frighten a lot of unsavvy people.

The AMA just endorsed the bill that Pomeroy says is bad for doctors, so while it’s understandable he wants North Dakota to receive equitable medicare reimbursement rates, I’m not sure the doctor angle is his real concern.

Yeah I was surprised he turned around to talk to me on that one.

Pomeroy Weasel! – Just look at the $$$ (Btibes) he got to buy his vote against Health Care For All.

Thank you Jane and Mike!

That would be fine if he wasn’t such a deficit hawk about healthcare.

On Democracy Now! this morning, Amy Goodman interviewed a recently retired Cigna spokesperson who had A LOT to say about insurance company practices and how they distort statistics and feed the unsuspecting press very selective information to support their theft and denial. It was about 45 minutes long and riveting. The text and the video is at the website. Realllllly good stuff. Somehow I don’t thing Anderson Cooper will invite him on. Or Wolf? or Larry? or Lou? Pathetic. However, he did recently testify to a Congressional committee, but I think Wolf, Larry, Lou, and Anderson missed it. Their attention span is too short anyway.

Drive by …

Don’t have a lot of time, but, honestly Earl Pomeroy is a weasel – hope you’re reading this Congressman – and I say this as a former resident who knows a lot of voters back there. And can’t sit down and read this all, but, from his website

UNFAIR COMPETITION:
North Dakota and the Public Insurance Option

Background: The presence of a public insurance option in North Dakota would increase consumer choice and promote competition in the marketplace.

This is bad?

The public option only works if it operates on a level playing field with private insurance providers, such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, and does not unfairly advantage the public insurance option.

IE He has to protect his puppetmasters

Under the current version of the House health care reform bill, the public insurance option would reimburse providers at Medicare rates, which unfairly disadvantages North Dakota. Medicare underpays providers in North Dakota to begin with, so a public option that pays Medicare rates could diminish the quality and level of services available in our state,

He’s admitting he’s ineffectual. Please go on Congressman

leaving North Dakotans to potentially have drive to Minneapolis to see a specialist or having to wait longer to see a primary care provider.

Scare tactics. Are you a Republican?

Medicare reimbursements in North Dakota: According to a Milliman Medicare Comparison Study, North Dakota is reimbursed nine percent lower than its surrounding states under Medicare.

Isn’t this a “you” problem, Congressman?

When looking at Medicare reimbursements for typical hospital services, a Fargo hospital is reimbursed at 11.4 percent less than Miami, 28.4 percent less than Los Angeles and 35.9 percent less than New York. A public insurance option that pays Medicare rates to providers does nothing to lessen these payment inequities, but instead promotes it.

Could this possibly have anything to do with a higher cost of living in those areas?

Private insurance reimbursement less then surrounding states: North Dakota providers are also reimbursed 23 percent less by private insurers than surrounding states for inpatient hospital services and 38 percent less for outpatient hospital services. In addition, North Dakota is paid seven percent less by private insurers than surrounding states for physician services.

All the more reason BC/BS is perfect example of a money-grubbing-greedy-scrooge of a corporation

Unfair Competition: Private insurance reimbursement for health care services is 152% more than Medicare. According to data provided by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, if 30 percent of beneficiaries reimbursed by private payers transfer to a public plan, it will result in $131 million in annual lost reimbursements.

Really? You think they might be a little biased? There’s nobody at UND or NDSU that could possibly do study on health care in ND?

With nearly two-thirds of our state’s large health systems having negative operating margins, the loss of more than $100 million in reimbursements would substantially change the face of North Dakota health care delivery.

In other words BC/BS would be severely impacted

PS Bismarck is spelled with a “c”