Let him know we’re watching him!

But how? Despite his famous Blackberry, Obama is firmly ensconced in the Beltway bubble.

And, anticipating the right wing feeding frenzy:
Did Obama do this on his way to or from Minneapolis?

[No, I am not serious - I’m just old enough to remember the Georgetown Starbucks incident.]

PW, I saw part of the MN rally, and I thought he put a little more heat into his boosting the PO than he has recently. It doesn’t translate in the transcript, but I thought it was there.

Swopa recently optimistically observed that the PO was hanging in there, and I think there is perhaps reason for some “small sliver” of hope.

I’ve always thought that one of Obama’s biggest mistakes was not getting out front on Jan. 20 and identifying a list “issues” that health care reform would deal with.

There are different “constituencies” that have different problems: a) uninsured [getting them covered]; b) currently insured, but premiums rising [measures re cost-containment]; c) currently insured, but at risk of losing job, getting kicked out by insurance co –>”pre-existing condition –> no subsequent insurability; d) used to be insured but now= “pre-existing condition;” e) general capricious assholeness of insurance companies re their denial of claims. Add a few more of your own.

For instance, even those who “are currently happy with their health insurance” have to realize that they could lose it, that their premiums, deductibles, etc. escalate every year, so they should be able to get behind reforms in this area.

Pointing out that we ALL pay for the uninsured [and how we do so], should generate support for proposals in that area.

An approach such as this could have shown how we are interconnected and inspired folks to work TOGETHER, instead of continuing the Balkanization, “I’ve got my issue and I want it solved; to hell with everything else” meme.

For a “community organizer,” Obama’s been pretty damn stupid.

“I have also said that one of the options in the insurance exchange should be a public insurance option. [WILD SUSTAINED APPLAUSE HERE….SO LONG THAT OBAMA SEEMED ALMOST SURPRISED] Let me be clear – it would only be an option. No one would be forced to choose it, and no one with insurance would be affected by it. What it would do is provide more choice and more competition. It would keep pressure on private insurers to keep their policies affordable and treat their customers better, the same way public colleges and universities provide additional choice and competition to students without in any way inhibiting private colleges and universities.”

He’s very much into a certain campaign mode in this speech…so he describes the public option….and the roar from the crowd is deafening…long, loud and very enthusiastic….they obviously think it’s the best thing since democracy. He pauses like he’s surprised, like he’s nonplussed, like he wasn’t expecting to have his speech’s momentum interrupted here. he wasn’t expecting such a thunderous positive response.

He fumbles a bit through the next few sentences which basically explain why the public option isn’t going to hurt them or their access to healthcare. Sentences now that are totally unnecessary at least for this crowd…And the crowd’s response is tentative as though they can’t figure out why he’s justifying something they obviously love.

If he was really grooving on the public option this response could have elicited one of his cocked eyebrows, half smile looks as if to say “hey glad you liked it”, but no he didn’t quite know what to make of it.

And to casual observer the crowd put the heat into the public option….that affirmation was coming from them.

continuing along analogous lines, Lewison goes yard with another . . .

Imagine if instead of being constituted as government programs, Medicare and Social Security had been constructed as highly regulated insurance and retirement pools, respectively. Is there any doubt they would have been completely destroyed in the 1980s under Reagan or in the 2000s under Bush?

Perhaps now he’ll push for it more clearly, but I’m no fortune-teller.

Keep the pressure on him. Let him know we’re watching him!

You can pressure Obama all you want and attack Emanuel all you want too. They’re not going to push for the public option because unlike some, they were paying attention in their high school government class that taught them that all federal legislation must pass through the Congress. I guess you think we live in a dictatorship where the President’s plans are the law.

Doesn’t Obama know the public option is dead? Cokie Roberts, David Brooks, the New York Times, and Fluffyhead Gregory told me so.

Tell it, Barack. Make us believe again.

This is the firmest commitment from Axelrod I’ve heard yet.

But it won’t be if they mess around with “triggers”

Yeah, like THEY want a pony for Christmas too. Morons

Hi PW. I think there is a problem with the analogy. I can’t apply for a scholarship to the private hospital if I get sick.

This is rich: the 60 Minutes video clip at TPM of Obama on health care legislation is
sponsored by . . . Pfizer.

Hey, Kassandra, bad link. That seems to someone’s gmail address.

I only want to hear “I will veto any bill without a public option, and will not accept triggers.” If Obama can’t say that, he is a paper tiger at best; a corporate shill at worst.

There’s a problem with analogies to health care because most of them don’t end in death.
I like public school analogy (not college, just plain k-12, keep it simple) and the US Postal Service analogy. Imagine if tomorrow, no one had public schools anymore, everyone had to pay for books, teachers, etc. Imagine if you couldn’t send letters via USPS and had to pay for everything FedEx or UPS. Maybe they would find they could only go to Whoville every 2 weeks, oh well, that’s the way it is, gotta watch the bottom line.

I’ve stood in line longer at the UPS store than at the post office lately; the post office is bad on Saturday morning when the boxholders are coming by to pick up their packages, but in the middle of a weekday, not a problem.

I didn’t hear alot of support for the public option on the Sunday shows. I heard, from Democrats, a lot of sentiment that it isn’t going anywhere.

Here’s a better public option that would improve the health of the country much more.

According to OECD’s latest health report, the percentage of obese (their word, not mine) people in France was 10%. In the US, it was about 32%. That is threes times as many people as a percentage. No wonder France ranks #1 in the WHO ranking and the US is far below.

We all know that this one factor would negatively affect many, many other health indicators, like numbers with heart disease, etc.

The best thing the Congress could do to improve the health and well being of the US population is enact a National Diet. And, like insurance, make it mandatory.

This would improve the “outcomes” far more than any other action. And, it likely wouldn’t cost too much. Subsidies could be made for low income people to buy Nutri-System or Jenny Craig.

If they can’t do the public option, maybe they could get this going and get our health on par with France.

It would also bring down the total cost of health care spending.

I like the analogy, and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the Minnesota rally. This wasn’t a wonky, policy speach; it was one of his “Fired up, ready to go!” speaches, literally. He didn’t have to even mention the public option – that crowd, deafening roar when it was mentioned notwithstanding, would have been roaring without it. If you watch it rather than just read the transcript, it is almost just dropped in there. I can’t figure out why he would continue mentioning it if it was off the table. Better to let it die quietly.

Now he’s on 60 min. Croft doing the tort reform dance.

He talked about how HC reform didn’t make it during Clinton and in the back of my mind I was hearing W wanting to do better than his daddy.

Weird.

My sister has been visiting from out of state. Today she had some health issues she thought warranted medical attention but not urgent enough to require the ER. We have two major clinics in the area that offer a Convenient Care service. When she arrived at the first, she was informed that they don’t accept BCBS insurance. She drove down the road and the receptionist at the second clinic did NOT KNOW if they accepted BCBS. She tried calling the two member service numbers on the back of her BCBS card… several times. Nobody answered either line. She called me and I checked the second clinic’s website and learned that they do accept BCBS.

Yep, America has the best health care in the world (that private insurance companies are willing to offer).

For instance, even those who “are currently happy with their health insurance” have to realize that they could lose it, that their premiums, deductibles, etc. escalate every year, so they should be able to get behind reforms in this area

I don’t remember the exact numbers or wording so I am paraphrasing.
In his speach Obama actually said that they received a report citing the fact that hundreds of thousands will lose their insurance over a specific period of time.

“For one thing, the post office might conjure up visions of long waits for service.”

You mean like at the supermarket?

I caught some of this yesterday on teevee and concur with debcoop that he seemed taken aback by the enthusiasm for the PO. I don’t think he and Rahm counted on this being the magnet for progressive support the way it’s played out.

Public colleges and universities also make private school tuition cheaper, as fewer people are competing for a limited number of spots.

Which, is, by the way, exactly why the public insurance option is supposed to be a major cost-saving measure even if only 10 million of people are in it.

Morons? Well, well.

I don’t like this part from Obama on the public option:

. . . no one with insurance would be affected by it.

So, if you’re stuck with crappy coverage in your job, too bad. You can’t elect the public option, because it’s only for folks without coverage. Quit your job, and go uncovered for a while . . . OK, you’re good to go. Just be sure you don’t get really sick in between. And, oh, how you going to pay for it now that you’re unemployed?

So now Croft is pushing the Wilson shout at the speech. Are we not tired enough of the agenda being hijacked by the press? So pathetic.

Yep. That’s one of the big problems.

Obama done talking and the ad is “Flomax” Pharma just loves this administration.

I worry that the premiums are going to price me right the hell out of the insurance that has almost bankrupted my family thus far. I keep hearing you wont be required to change if you already have, but I am not hearing how in the hell premiums are NOT going to rise…

Want to reduce the cost of health care, return to the golden days when prescription drugs weren’t advertised on TV. From the moment the ban on TV ads was lifted, drug prices shot through the roof. I’d be willing to bet they spend a thousand times more on ad buys than on research.

yep.

Best way for premiums not to rise? Single payer. But that’s never been on the table. Next best way? Medicare for everybody (a variation on single-payer, granted). Next best? Public option for everyone. Not on Obama’s table.

Not much is going to change as long as folks working for $12.00 an hour have to pay $120 just to see a doctor. And pay we do, whether it’s as a private patient, or in insurance premiums, deductibles and co-pays.

There is a trickle down joke in there somewhere. /s

left behind in a puddle somewhere

I am in favor of reform, but this potential issue of increasing premiums needs to be addressed by Congress & Obama to avoid surprises. While listening to the Diane Rehm radio program during last week, I heard a caller from Michigan say she pays about $1K now per month to cover her & 2 or 3 children. And she received a letter from her insurer stating her total was going up by about $300 monthly because they anticipate now having to cover those with pre-existing conditions. That was their alleged rationale. – I’m just saying this needs to be addressed. Otherwise, in the event a bill actually passes, we could all be in for a rude awakening.

I’m wondering if he didn’t have a really good meeting with the 17? senators. He can break most any of them if he decides to get tough.

I think that may really be the third rail of this debate. No one wants to talk about it,and when people do, they are called names.

Michael Pollan said this in an op-ed in the NYT last week:

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, three-quarters of health care spending now goes to treat “preventable chronic diseases.” Not all of these diseases are linked to diet — there’s smoking, for instance — but many, if not most, of them are.

The link in the quote is to this site.

The United States cannot effectively address escalating health care costs without addressing the problem of chronic diseases:

* In 2005, 133 million people, almost half of all Americans lived with at least one chronic condition.
* Chronic diseases account for 70% of all deaths in the United States.
* The medical care costs of people with chronic diseases account for more than 75% of the nation’s $2 trillion medical care costs.
* Chronic diseases account for one-third of the years of potential life lost before age 65.
* Hospitalizations for pregnancy-related complications occurring before delivery account for more than $1 billion annually.
* The direct and indirect costs of diabetes is $174 billion a year.
* Each year, arthritis results in estimated medical care costs of nearly $81 billion, and estimated total costs (medical care and lost productivity) of $128 billion.
* The estimated direct and indirect costs associated with smoking exceed $193 billion annually.
* In 2008, the cost of heart disease and stroke in the U.S. is projected to be $448 billion.
* The estimated total costs of obesity was nearly $117 billion in 2000.
* Cancer costs the nation an estimated $89 billion annually in direct medical costs.
* Nearly $98.6 billion is spent on dental services each year.

Also, I meant to mention that the French drink good wine and eat good cheese, almost all of it local. There’s this farm near Les-Eyzies de Tayac where they make pate….

Something I am not hearing much about is that this bill — however it turns out, probably will just be the first step in reform. For me, the example of relevance, because it dealt with core social policy, was the Civil Rights Bills. The first bill since reconstruction was in 1957, and in order to get it passed, Senate Leader Lyndon Johnson had to gut most of the voting rights and employment rights clauses — in fact resolution of such was put into the hands of all white Southern Juries (no other kind in those days). In 1959-60, he came back with another piece of the agenda, and again weakened but with slightly less gutting, the essence of the bill. It was really all about setting a pattern of defeating the fillibuster, which both required. It was also about gaining large scale public support for changes — which was much enhanced as a very visable social movement was also growing in those times. Then — three to four years later, 1963-64, we brought the issue back in far more serious and far reaching form, but with a mature social movement that included many parts of society in the arena of public support. For instance, during the long fillibuster on the 64 Bill, we threw up a vigil day and night of a minimum of 50 Seminarians around the Senate with Candles — 24/7 for about six weeks. It takes time to convince people to put aside work or studies, and engage in lengthy demonstrations. In 57 we didn’t have that sort of force — by 1964 we had it and used it.

Health Care Equity is going to need to go through the same sort of long process…which over several years or cycles brings many persons differently situated in the society to invest in Health Care Advocacy in the Political Arena. Nothing in American Political History suggests that we do far-reaching change fast, or without large bodies of the public clearly committed to it.

So we know Obama gives good speeches, and he gave another good speech today. I believed him once and he let me down, so now why should I believe him again when his actions don;t match his rhetoric?

That interpretation doesn’t make any sense because it would not increase competition with the private carriers. If you are only covering the uninsurable and unemployed that can’t afford private insurance you are doing nothing to reduce costs of private insurance.

To use the Public College analogy…it would be like offering a special college education to those who never graduated from HS or got a GED. That would not impact private universities whatsoever.

I also have an odd point to make…just what was the “John McCain Plan” for the unemployed that Obama referred to. I know about McCains desire to privatize all insurance covered by business and then offer tax credits as recompense by the individual if they bought insurance. But how does this work for the unemployed? Tax credits? For people not likely to have significant income? To people who might not have enough to afford the initial premium for health insurance?

You can’t deal with these issues unless you get people into programs that assist them. It also starts with kids living healthy/eating healthy. PE-type recesses needs to be mandated at schools…getting kids active and outdoors from an early age…even if it’s just hiking down to the nearby park to look at ducks. Make it part of a Science or art class, or Math (doing trig or algebra by measuring the h eight or sides of the park). Get them out to look at what different people do in the community. Walk, stretch, dance, jog, look.

For older folks get them into work based programs…reward workers who do so (less medical costs in the long run). Obesity leads to diabetes, orthopedic problems, circulatory and heart disease and a whole host of other problems. Smoking…unprotected sex (yes for adults…who are also teh stupid, or need to be constantly reminded…or giving the “tools”).

I was at the rally. The roar for the public option would have continued longer had Obama not interrupted it. This event was open to anyone from the public so I wasn’t sure if there would be a lot of teabaggers there. They were outside with their signs, but it was a relatively small group by comparison. Obama also mentioned FDR at the rally, in regard to social security.

He did say once some months ago that his administration will communicate in public what it says in private in regard to foreign policy. I hope that’s his standard for domestic policy as well.

- Tom

I’d probably be feeling better if I was walking down the Seine with a nice bottle of wine and some good cheese too.

I may not agree with the entire reform program, but I do think making preventative care and later in life check ups easily available is an important thing.

Someone mentioned premiums going up. Yes, they can’t help but go up because the new insurance conditions begin right away, but, assuming a public option passes, there is no public option insurance until 2013. With all the pre-existing conditions having to be accepted, the co-pays eliminated, and all the other additional costs–and no public option around to move costs down–where else are the premiums going to go but up?

This is why, in a certain way, the HR 3200 needs to be scrapped and some thing that is more well thought out needs to be done. Though, today I heard Kent Conrad or Claire McCaskill say that HR 3200 is totally dead.

So, at this point, there really is no specific plan to even discuss one way or the other.

But, also, to me, it is not an insurance cost crisis, it is a health care SERVICES cost crisis.

But, I don’t see any real plan to deal with that. If the cost of services continue to skyrocket, the cost of ANY insurance plan, public or no, is going to continue going up.

Insurance reform is fine, but we ought to be talking about the cost of the services themselves much more than has been discussed.

And, to me, just planning on waste and fraud or maybe jawboning some fees down isn’t going to cut it. There is some other pressure point pushing all these costs up. More expensive machines? Lawyers? Doctors?

Don’t forget, everyone will be locked in to the higher premiums because it’s mandated. If people are smart, they will fight the mandated insurance tooth and nail. Congress knows nothing about insurance and yet they spout how simple it is to cover pre-x. They will muck it up and we will pay the price.

We are on to Obama’s moderate plan with no public option. Working with Mad Max Baucus instead of working with “we the people” who put him in office. Insurance industry giveaway. We should not let this stand.

I worked for a 5 doctor, 4 nurse practitioner office with 2 locations-they charged high fees, bought machines expressly to make money. One doctor wanted to see a patient every 10 minutes. Sure, technology plays a part, but unadulterated greed does too.

The Congress is back in session and doing the dirty work for the Medical Industrial Complex.

mcconnell $3.3M, hatch $2.9M, baucus $2.8M, grassley $2.7M,
lieberman $2.6M, burr $2.4M, ensign $2.4M, cornyn $2.2M, kyl $2.1M,
conrad $2.1M, cantor $1.8M boehner $1.7M, coburn $1.2M, j wilson 800K
were paid by the Medical Industrial Complex to kill Health Care Reform.

Citizens for Tax Justice pointed this out. The tax legislation enacted under President George W. Bush from 2001 through 2006 will cost $2.48 trillion over the 2001-2010 period. This includes the revenue loss of $2.11 trillion that results directly from the Bush tax cuts as well as the $379 billion in additional interest payments on the national debt that we must make since the tax cuts were deficit-financed. Over the upcoming decade (2010-2019), the costs of the health care proposals approved by three committees in the U.S. House of Representatives are projected to be around $1 trillion and deficit neutral(that means they’re paid for). In 2010, when all the Bush tax cuts are finally phased in, a staggering 52.5 percent of the benefits will go to the richest 5 percent of taxpayers. The Bush tax cuts were deficit-financed, which increased the national debt and resulted in greater interest payments on that debt. They never even tried to pay for their tax-cuts. So, for the price of bush’s tax-cuts for the wealthiest 5%, we could have had Health Care for every American. Instead Americans got bupkus and cheney/bush’s republican buddies got filthy rich off of the Blood Money from No-Bid, Cost-Plus Federal Contracts.

12 Million Americans were denied Health Care Coverage by the Medical Industrial Complex because they had a Pre-Existing Medical Condition. 12K Americans lose Insurance Coverage everyday. Over 18K Americans die each day because they lack health insurance. (Source: WaPo Article 05′ by Harvard Prof. E. Warren)

Follow the Money: Link

Call Congress and demand, Single-Payer Health Care for All!

Sign Single-Payer Petition: Link

Don’t let the Medical Industrial Complex steal your Health Care from you and your family by donating huge sums of money to Crooked Politicians in order to maintain the Status Quo. Keep up the good fight.

SEMPER FI!