Phone Calls For Health Insurance Reform Surpass All Expectations

Phone Calls For Health Insurance Reform Surpass All Expectations

Goal Overshot By More Than 300%

Yesterday we posted a link to Organizing For America's project asking supporters of health insurance reform to call their Representatives in Congress and make their views known.

Today, we are happy to report that not only did you respond, but you overshot OAF's goal of 100,000 phone calls in one day - by over 300%! More than 300,000 phone calls to congress were logged in support of health insurance reform efforts!

Here is what OAF and the Obama Administration have to say to those of you who participated in this great show of support:

As you know, we set a big goal: 100,000 calls to Congress placed or committed to in a single day by OFA supporters and allied organizations. By 2:30 p.m., you had crushed it. So, we gulped and said let's go for 200,000, not knowing what would happen. But the calls just kept pouring in -- keeping phones ringing off the hook in congressional offices in D.C. and your representatives' district offices around the country.

Then, OFA supporters gathered in over 1,000 living rooms and community centers from Macon, Georgia to Missoula, Montana. You called hundreds of thousands of key voters in your community and got them to agree to call Congress and speak out for reform, too. President Obama joined in at a call party in New York -- and he had some amazing words of support for the folks like you who make this movement possible.

I'm looking at the numbers, and with almost all of the reports now in, the tally wasn't 200,000 calls placed or pledged -- it was 315,023. You did it.

Take a moment to watch the President's inspiring words to OFA volunteers on this incredible day.

Your voice was overwhelming -- with reports in the media of congressional offices "completely crushed with calls." CBS News described your effort as an "onslaught." And a congressional aide was quoted with a common response, saying their office was deluged by "pretty much non-stop health care calls from OFA.

You set a new OFA record, you caught the national media's attention, and you certainly put Congress on notice. But you know that's not what really matters.

The message I sent earlier talked about a woman, Jenny U., whose insurance company cut off her coverage because they decided her kidney donation to her sick daughter counted as a "pre-existing condition." What really matters is that today you brought America one giant, irreversible step closer to being a place where no one will ever have to suffer that kind of injustice again. That's what all the messages, late nights, and phone calls ultimately add up to. It's what makes everything we do together worthwhile -- and it's why we'll keep fighting together until the job is done.

Watch President Obama's special message to you from a call party in New York:

http://my.barackobama.com/TTDreport

Thank you, so much, for being part of the team.

We thank you all, from the bottom of our hearts, for joining this fight for health insurance for ALL Americans. We have never been prouder to share this great nation with you.
~ Editor and contributors to HealthForLouisiana.blogspot.com

Call Your Representatives Today - 100,000 Phone Calls For Health Care

Call Your Representatives Today - 100,000 Phone Calls For Health Care

Organizing America has declared today, Tuesday October 20, the first threshold for supporters of health care reform to conquer. Constituents (that's you and me) are being asked to call their representatives today to state their support for President Obama's health care reform package, including an affordable public health insurance option for all Americans.

With crucial negotiations taking place in congress, [our] volunteers and other organizations are raising our voices to make it clear to our representatives: It's time to deliver on health insurance reform. We've set a big goal for today - 100,000 phone calls made or committed to in a single day. To hit it, we'll need your help - Will you take 5 minutes to call Congress now?

As of 12:56 pm Central Time today, 89,223 calls supporting health insurance reform have been logged.

To call your representatives, dial the numbers listed below for state Senators Landrieu and Vitter, and go to House.gov to find your district's Representative by zip code.

Senator Landrieu - (202) 224 - 5824


Senator Vitter - (202) 224 - 4623


If you live in another state, go to Senate.gov to find your senator's phone number.

If you can only make one call, please make it to Senator Landrieu, who is one of the senators President Obama has noted as a key vote for health insurance reform.

Editor's UPDATE: 3:46 pm

As of 3:46 pm, over 160,824 calls to our representatives supporting health insurance reform have been logged today! OFA has raised it's goal to 200,000 calls - so if you haven't called yet, you can still help!

I spoke with Senator Vitter's office today regarding his letter stating his position on (resisting) health care reform. His aide seemed unaware of Senator Vitter's stance, other than to say that he does not support a public option. When I read to her statements in his letter, her responses ran along the lines of "I don't know."

I spoke with my House Representative, Congressman Cao, whose aide had a fantastic grasp of the health care situation from both points of view. She stated that the Congressman would like to come out with a stronger statement supporting the reform efforts, and has not yet done so due to the fact that several bills are being discussed and he can't be sure which one will actually be voted upon. We also discussed the need for a public option, which he does not currently support but which he states he is willing to consider. When asked why he has not supported a public option, she stated that he was concerned about the effect on small businesses. I responded that small businesses would no longer be responsible for their employees'  health care if a public option were available - a position which she promised to pass on to him.

I have not been able to reach Senator Landrieu's office due to the number of calls she is currently receiving. Good work Louisiana!

Why don't you call and see if you can accomplish more than we did? Let us know how it goes! Write to us at HealthForLouisiana@gmail.com

Why Insurance Companies Are Different, And Why They Need To Be Regulated More Than Your Job

Much has been made of “insurance companies’ right to make a profit” and “treating them like everyone else” lately. What this attitude fails to take into account is the series of massive favors that we, as a society, do for the health insurance industry. See, we are allowed to add regulations and requirements because we have exempted health insurance companies from the Federal Anti-Trust Act (the act that prevents an industry from having a monopoly on the entire market). Let’s say that again.

We have exempted health insurance companies from the Federal Anti-Trust Act. The McCarran-Ferguson Act of 1945, 15 U.S.C. § 1011, allows state law to regulate the business of insurance without federal government interference, though it does allow the Federal Government to pass laws specifically aimed at the insurance industry. It just exempts them from non-insurance-specific Federal Laws. Including anti-trust laws.

This is important because it means that we have not required health insurers to have competition or behave in a competitive manner. As such, “the market,” which everyone screams will save us from the horrible health care companies, has no bearing. “The market” requires competition. So it’s kind of like if we stopped regulating prices on energy companies completely. How much do you think you’d be paying for electricity if there weren’t rules about that sort of thing? See, that’s a trade-off. We give Entergy, or SoCal Edison, or whoever, a monopoly in a certain area. We then regulate their prices and what they supply to be sure they don’t take advantage. But we haven’t been doing enough of that in the United States in the health insurance arena.

Some facts about the anti-competitive nature of health care in America in 2008, according to the United States Government Accountability Office:

• The median market share of the largest carrier in the small group market was about 47 percent, with a range from about 21 percent in Arizona to about 96 percent in Alabama. In 31 of the 39 states supplying market share information, the top carrier had a market share of a third or more.

• The five largest carriers in the small group market, when combined, represented three quarters or more of the market in 34 of the 39 states supplying this information, and they represented 90 percent or more in 23 of these states.

• Thirty-six of the 44 states supplying information on the top carrier identified a Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) carrier as the largest carrier, and in all but 1 of the remaining 8 states, a BCBS carrier was among the five largest carriers.

• The median market share of all the BCBS carriers in the 38 states supplying this information was about 51 percent, with a range of less than 5 percent in Vermont and Wisconsin and more than 90 percent in Alabama and North Dakota.

This is unacceptable. A lack of competition coupled with a lack of regulation means higher costs to consumers and skyrocketing profits for companies. Which helps explain why 17.6 percent of our GDP is spent on health care, and why the average family health care plan has increased from $6,654 per year to $13,378 per year in the last decade. That’s over double, for those of you counting.

Nationally, the average premium for health insurance rose five times as much as median worker wages in the last ten years.

If health insurance companies want an exemption, they will live with regulation. If not, the numbers above show that they would already be under court order to split up if it weren’t for anti-trust exemptions. We should stop letting them be ungrateful, gluttonous children and show them what life is like for the rest of the businesses in this country. It’s cutthroat, it’s tough to scrape out a living, and it involves needing actual business acumen and sense.

Or, they can simply jump on board with reform and regulation. It seems like that would be in all of our best interests.

Why We Should Support Reform NOW

Why We Should Support Reform...NOW!

There are many reasons that our readers might want to support the health care and insurance reform efforts currently going on in congress. Some might support the bill because they cannot currently access health insurance due to a pre-exisiting condition or excessive cost. Others might want to use the public option to receive more affordable prescription medications. Some might simply believe, as we do, that the American economy would be improved by providing an affordable public insurance option for small business owners, contract or part-time employees, and those who are self-employed.

But there is one good reason to support the health care reform option as it exists now...because the longer the debate is drawn out, the less benefits we are likely to see. More than a few people are legitimately undecided about health care reform. They believe that reform is necessary, but are unsure how to go about it. But the real concern we have is in regards to those in congress and business who go out of their way to reject virtually any form of health care reform. Senators like David Vitter, who receive the majority of their campaign contributions from insurance and pharmaceutical companies, are putting the very nature of health care improvement at risk. Because the longer the debate continues, the more concessions will have to be made to satisfy those squeaky political wheels who benefit from resisting reform.

It is our belief that nothing is more powerful in America than an idea whose time has come, and like it or not, subsidized health insurance is that idea today. Make no mistake, some form of health care reform will be enacted. It will be enacted because it is an idea that has been effectively, if not perfectly, put into action in every other industrialized nation in the world. It will be enacted because it has received in President Obama the champion it previously lacked. It will be enacted because people like us - you and me - know that reform is key to the political and social future of our nation. And, perhaps most importantly, it will be enacted because Americans who have lived the alternative - who have lost loved ones or whose own lives are at risk without a public option - will never, can never stop lobbying for it. For millions of us, it is literally a matter of life and death.

But just to enact some health reform is not enough. Reform must be effective. It must provide affordable alternatives to Americans who currently have none. It must raise our designation as an ethical democracy in the world forum. And the longer we wait to support reform, the more we will have to give up to make it a reality.

If you have not already done so, please read about President Obama's plan. As it currently stands, it contains measures that would improve not only the status of those who are currently uninsured, but would also guarantee continued coverage to those who currently have insurance. It would be paid for up front, primarily by taxes that have already been collected, and it would not add a dime to the federal budget deficit. It is that rare but beautiful creature - a public policy that is designed to truly solve a problem. But the longer we wait, the more we hesitate, the more this plan will be torn apart by critics who will demand concessions that will mean less coverage, more cost, and ultimately could put enough holes in this plan to make it as ineffective as they already swear it to be. And then, as we all know, the terrorists win.

Don't let that happen. In all seriousness, this is about YOUR right to affordable health insurance. Congress will not win this battle for us.... they already have guaranteed health insurance for the rest of their lives. We don't. We have only each other. That is why we must each, individually, make our demands known. And the sooner we do that, the more our reform will look like this:

The President's Plan for Health Reform “It will provide more security and stability to those who have health insurance. It will provide insurance to those who don’t. And it will lower the cost of health care for our families, our businesses, and our government." – PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
If You Have Health Insurance, the President's Plan: Ends discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. Limits premium discrimination based on gender and age. Prevents insurance companies from dropping coverage when people are sick and need it most. Caps out-of-pocket expenses so people don’t go broke when they get sick. Eliminates extra charges for preventive care like mammograms, flu shots and diabetes tests to improve health and save money. Protects Medicare for seniors. Eliminates the “donut-hole” gap in coverage for prescription drugs.	If You Don’t Have Insurance, the President's Plan: Creates a new insurance marketplace — the Exchange — that allows people without insurance and small businesses to compare plans and buy insurance at competitive prices. Provides new tax credits to help people buy insurance. Provides small businesses tax credits and affordable options for covering employees. Offers a public health insurance option to provide the uninsured and those who can’t find affordable coverage with a real choice. Immediately offers new, low-cost coverage through a national “high risk” pool to protect people with preexisting conditions from financial ruin until the new Exchange is created.	For All Americans, the President's Plan: Won’t add a dime to the deficit and is paid for upfront. Requires additional cuts if savings are not realized. Implements a number of delivery system reforms that begin to rein in health care costs and align incentives for hospitals, physicians, and others to improve quality. Creates an independent commission of doctors and medical experts to identify waste, fraud and abuse in the health care system. Orders immediate medical malpractice reform projects that could help doctors focus on putting their patients first, not on practicing defensive medicine. Requires large employers to cover their employees and individuals who can afford it to buy insurance so everyone shares in the responsibility of reform.

Medical Debt #1 Cause of Bankruptcy In the U.S.

Are you concerned about the state of the U.S. economy? If you are, then consider the findings of a recent article in the American Journal of Medicine (among multiple other sources), which reports that medical debt is the #1 cause of bankruptcy in the U.S.

If you are like most Americans, you live one medical disaster away from poverty. What's worse, many of those who have unwillingly found themselves sunk in such debt had health insurance. The Washington Post points out that of those who were forced into bankruptcy by medical debt, nearly 80% had some health insurance coverage at the time of their illness, yet still reported an average medical debt of nearly $18,000. Meanwhile, Americans who did not have health insurance carried an average medical debt of over $26,000. What does all of this mean? As the health insurance system in the U.S. currently stands, you are more likely to fall to bankruptcy for medical debt than for any other reason - even IF you have health insurance!

Isn't it time we demanded more for our money?

Watch CBS News Videos Online

According to CBS News:

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius pointed out on The Early Show Friday that many Americans who have health insurance have inadequate protection, and increasing out-of-pocket expenses are "crushing families and businesses."

"That’s why President Obama is so focused on health reform this year," she said, "lowering costs for those who have coverage already so that we can keep the coverage we have, keep the doctors we have, but also to provide some coverage and some payment for the millions of Americans -- close to 50 million -- who have no insurance coverage at all."

A Public Option Story: How "Socialized Medicine" Is Already Saving Lives In America

A Public Option Story:

How "Socialized Medicine" Is Already Saving Lives Right Here In the U.S.

Critics of health care reform seem eternally focused on the potential for problems, but rarely do we take the time to consider the possibility of the "best case scenario" where the public option is concerned. But we needn't tax our imaginations to see what a successful health policy would look like. Surprisingly, it seems that a successful public option already exists in America... for people with one specific diagnosis.

Jennifer Nix is the author of the article "I Love My Socialist Kidney," a first-hand look at how a government-sponsored "public option" for patients with end-stage renal disease has been saving lives for decades right here in the U.S... and how it saved hers.

The day after this country elected Barack Obama its 44th president, a doctor told me I'd inherited from my father a rare form of cystic kidney disease and that I was already in renal failure. Beyond the devastation I felt on hearing this news, and despite having health insurance, my greatest fear in those first, foggy days was one that haunts millions of Americans. I was more terrified of being dropped or denied treatment by my insurer over some minuscule technicality than I was of facing the disease.... A few weeks into my ordeal, however, I learned that my diagnosis qualified me for a little-known existing "public option," or government health insurance plan. The same program had saved my father's life, but I was frankly surprised to learn it still existed despite numerous legislative changes through the decades. Today, almost a year after my diagnosis and amid the disheartening acrimony and willful misinformation pervading our healthcare debate, I can bear witness to what constitutes "socialized medicine" in the United States....

By the 1960s, dialysis and transplantation were established as effective treatments for kidney failure, which could allow ESRD patients to live full and productive lives. With no funding for long-term, chronic dialysis, however, hospital committees decided who would live and die. These committees looked at age, complicating health concerns, psychological well-being and a patient's "social worth," but because the wealthy could afford to pay for their treatments outright, they were the most often treated, resulting in a class-driven mortality rate. The government "death panels" decried in the hyperbolic rhetoric of today's right-wing anti-healthcare reform fanatics may be imaginary, but in the 1960s and early '70s there really were death panels for ESRD patients....

Without the government stepping in to remedy a situation that the market and private business willfully ignored, both my father and I would most likely have died within a year of our diagnoses. I believe every American citizen deserves the same kind of health security. Even before I got sick, my father's story was the reason I became an activist myself during the Bush years, as I saw people's faith in government dwindling. It's why I fought so hard to get Obama elected, and why I'll be gravely disappointed if he gives in on the public option....

Click HERE to read the entire article.

 The author makes a strong point about the idea of "death panels," as the ultra neo-conservative rhetoric has labeled them. Although the myth of Social Security "death panels" in President O'bama's plan is patently false, the idea behind them is perhaps more based in reality than we would care to admit to ourselves.

Today, the specter of a "death panel" lingers over American families who receive a chronic or terminal medical diagnosis. For those who have health insurance, the stress of waiting and wondering whether their insurance will cover the high costs of treatment - or continue to cover them at all - has become in itself a part of the illness which much be treated. The same can be said for the millions of Americans who are lost somewhere in the (usually multi-year) process of applying for disability. In these situations, an insurance executive or an administrative law judge will literally make decisions of life and death - decisions which would be left in the hands of the patients and their own physicians if a public option for health insurance were available to these same patients.

So rather than pouring our national energy into figuring out ways that a policy of providing health insurance for everyone could go wrong, perhaps we have reached a point where we need to admit to ourselves that failing to provide such coverage has already cost us too much in terms of our economy, our national standing, and - most importantly - the lives of our own loved ones. Our lack of universal health coverage has already gone far wrong. It is up to us as citizens of "the world's wealthiest nation" to refuse to allow such a monumental failure of policy to continue. What we can do, as the moral and just society we want ourselves to be, we must do. What we can do to save one life, we can do to save many. We have seen the devastation caused by the lack of such a policy, and we can see how a successful policy can be run. Now it is up to us as Americans to make it work for everyone.