by Mark Silva
Now it's President Barack Obama's turn.
Several members of the president's party have staged some congressional "town hall" meetings during the summer recess at which the dialog about healthcare reform has gotten, in the words of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at least, "simply unAmerican.''
The president, who has conducted plenty of town halls of his own, will roll out the microphones for another one Tuesday at Portsmouth High School in New Hampshire. It starts at 1 pm EDT.
In light of all that has happened during the past couple of weeks at congressional town halls, we'll be watching to see if the president is confronted with questions about the "death panels'' that Republican Sarah Palin warns about in the "downright evil'' healthcare bills -- Democrat Howard Dean, a physician, assures all that "there is no euthanasia in this bill'' -- of if Obama will find some of that "civil discourse'' that the other kinder and gentler Sarah Palin wrote about today in her Facebook Notes.
Or if, as Sen,. Dick Durbin suggests, Obama "owns the pulpit'' this summer. The White House, for its part, appears to want no ownership in the comments that Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer made about the disruptive town hall protesters in their Op-ed essay this morning. En route home from Mexico today, where the president consulted with hemispheric leaders about swine flu and other threats, the traveling White House press secretary had this to say about all this "unAmerican'' business:
""I think there's actually a pretty long tradition of people shouting at politicians in America," Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton told reporters aboard Air Force One en route home. "The president thinks that if people want to come and have a spirited debate about health care, a real vigorous conversation about it, that's a part of the American tradition and he encourages that, because people do have questions and concerns ...
"And so if people want to come and have their concerns and their questions answered, the president thinks that's important. Now, if you just want to come to a town hall so that you can disrupt and so that you can scream over another person, he doesn't think that that's productive. And as a country, we've been able to make progress when people actually talk out what our problems are, not try to shout each other down."
Tomorrow Burton suggests, the president believes "we're going to be able to have a constructive conversation... and he'll continue to do that at the town hall later in the week and throughout this effort."
Comments
Please. The people in Obama's townhall have probably already been pre-screened. The questions have been submitted in advance. Do you honestly think the Secret Service would let in loudmouths -- or if people turned out to be a loudmouth they wouldn't be thrown out?
Let's see if our leader can mouth something other than campaign platitudes.
Posted by: beth | August 10, 2009 10:59 PM
An Open Letter of Rebuttal to Our House Democrat Leadership
Dear Speaker Pelosi/Rep. Hoyer:
Your joint article in USA Today on August 10th, 2009 has come to my attention. Frankly, it is extremely disturbing, offensive, and reflective of a deep-seated ignorance of who and what Americans are and what rights and privileges were endowed upon us by the Founding Fathers.
Word is, you guys are much too busy to read so in the likely event neither of you perused the article, you can catch it here: http://bit.ly/LXwEh
Headlined, ” ‘Un-American’ Attacks Can’t Derail Health Care Debate,” in that article you see fit to describe sincere and honest dissent as “un-American.”
I regret that I have to inform you it is both very American and it is a sacred right guaranteed under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America to publically address issues with which the people disagree.
It is unfortunate that the Constitution does not impose term limits on our representatives and, obviously, Congress has not seen fit to self-impose such limits.
One result has been career politicians, such as yourselves, who have been too comfortably, and too long, ensconced in their positions. Another result is that you have lost touch with the pulse of the people you represent. A third and perhaps most egregious result is that you have forgotten the fundamental reality that in our democratic republic you work for us, and not vice-versa.
The widespread protests against ostensible “health care reform,” popularly known as Obamacare, are not in any way illegal, immoral, or uncalled-for.
You hypocritically state in your article that, “We believe it is healthy for such a historic effort to be subject to so much scrutiny and debate” and that, “The dialogue between elected representatives and constituents is at the heart of our democracy and plays an integral role in assuring that the legislation we write reflects the genuine needs and concerns of the people we represent.”
Words are cheap, Madame Speaker and Democratic Majority Leader Hoyer. I include those pictures as a reminder of who you are since I’m certain you rarely have the nerve to look at yourselves in a mirror.
There is indeed “an ugly campaign” . . .
(Read the rest at http://genelalor.com)
Posted by: Berlet98 | August 11, 2009 12:46 AM
Even though I have no clue of the current sentiment, with all the panic going on the drop may last a little longer yet, especially with people being all so negative about the GE.
Posted by: Black Ultra Tall Ugg Boots | August 11, 2009 4:25 AM
Let's Respect others and discussion, not shouting and disruption.
'What's in it' ? or 'shouting and disruption', which one is the reason of slow-down ?
Part 1.
The runaway premium similar to the peak fuel price last year and left so many folks in despair insists on staying the course with the attitude 'unchanged', clearly this trend could bankrupt individual, business, and government. Now the government subsequently is tasked with these two main assignments, first, to address premium inflation, second, to expand coverage to all in urgent need.
In order to cover all and not to add to the deficit, the public option can not set the same rates of private market, rather, it needs to have the function to keep it in check in terms of inflation, too. Unfortunately, this 'unavoidable' direction is aggressively being accused by the runaway premium, citing government 'take-over' .
Under the circumstances the energy bill to determine human future and the other major issues are presently piled up, who wants to waste time making enemies ?, which also does not benefit the forthcoming election.
On the other hand, to make things worse, critics say the savings from the proposed public option is not enough to meet the revenue goal. Furthermore, on another hand, some say 'hands off' . Where do these No tax, No saving and the like intend to force this reform to go ? The conclusion by 'just-say-no' is no doubt. Ironically, the Deficit-sensitive groups have a distinctive common ground, they all have a Deficit-driven background out of question.
Part 2.
Of all choices, the best thing would be savings through efficiency. Considering the wasteful structure, the highest premium in the world (Costing over twice as much as every other county), and the most expensive part of medicare, with the prevention / wellness program in place, an American style innovation, an 'outcome'-based payment founded upon IT system may be enough to save more than 50 billions per year (500 / decade), both 'improving quality' and removing the unnecessary procedures (as pay is dependent on patient's outcome). Young folks and advocates need to explain the notion of a pay for outcome agreement to the elderly misled by the disinformation.
Part 3.
Unlike private market, this public option includes large-scale investments, these large investments still does not get the fair score, instead seem to become a source of acute conflict, even so, this common sense-based program needs to develop further as early detection goes beyond monetary value.
In short, with the heartbreaking tears in mind (Nearly 11 Million Cancer Patients Without Health Insurance), private market also needs change and should join together to complete this reform , as promised, if not, the runaway premium only has itself to blame. Job-based coverage (indirect payment), mandate code, and ample capital might be favorable to the private market. And It can be said that fair competition starts with fair market value.
Over time, supposedly, the public plan will concentrate more on basic, primary cares, and the private insurers will provide their clients with differentiated services.
Thank You !
Posted by: HSR0601 | August 11, 2009 5:05 AM
Part 1.
Problems :
1. No systematic, expansive Prevention & Wellness Program.
According to the scoring of CBO on the prevention & wellness program, all fitness centers around the world should close down immediately and all media have to end
reporting health tips about prevention. Rather, all of the excellent health systems seem to have one feature in common, a expansive, systematic preventative program
requiring immense investments.
I think a prevention system works as a 'levee' built against flood by the government, similarly, it also needs non-profit investments from the government 'on a large scale'.
This might offer us one clue of why all of the free states have public insurance policy in place.
Surprisingly enough, the system today is designed around treating patients once they become sick. As far as I'm concerned, the congress affected by the special interests
has turned down the budget request for prevention program in Medicare & Medicaid, which are the most expensive parts of the health program. Let's imagine the astronomical
costs and invaluable lives following the levee breach.
2. A pay for each service / volume compensation, & No E-Medical Record.
As much as 30 percent of all health-care spending in the U.S. -some $700 billion a year- may be wasted on tests and treatments that do not improve the health of the
recipients, and this 700 billion dollars a year can cover a lot of uninsured people, in return, it could lessen the tragic, prohibitive ER cares.
Medical errors ( No e-Medical Record ) & lawsuits, more profits motive, and indirect payments from employers etc would account for it.
Supposedly, 'a pay for each service / volume' compensation seems to leave the medical institutes unequipped with the essential IT system. To understand its importance, If
we imagine the cost difference between the previous and current system in financial institutes, the magnitude of cost-savings and the mess in health care system can
be easily explained.
3. Premium Inflation.
This last spring, due to the demand decrease, the peak fuel price came down below $40 per barrel, though, the
'Similar' insurance premiums keep on rising, accordingly the inaction could bankrupt family, business, and
government 'BEYOND this recession' , as all across the spectrum agree.
Insurance premiums have nothing to do with the law of demand & supply and the free / fair market concept.
Basically, as demand diminishes, the price tends to reflect it, nonetheless, the insurers that formed a cartel through
consolidation have replenished the loss by exercising inhumane malpractices involving denying, capping, cherry-picking, rationing, rapid
premium increase and the like. And this runaway premium ended up in the collapse of middle
class ranging ' from finance to mental health' , alongside the peak fuel price and fast-growing mortgage rate, as all of
us know. Thereby they could be cited as an objective for anti-trust or anti-corruption. If the public plan sets the same rate of the insurers, it will be another headache.
Ironically, the Deficit-sensitive groups have a distinctive common ground, they all have a Deficit-driven background out of
question. Therefore, I'd say they have nothing to say about deficit unless they are free from the sponsors.
And the spoiled menu, 'Takeover and Rationing Cliche' is still marching for bankruptcy, as opposed to its motto.
4. 'Work or Break' health system with no brake or safety system.
Just like marriage, economy also undergoes up and down, however, economic downturn is not reflected in the employment-based system.
The rising mental stress or illness & 'keep eating habit' , which are the epicenter of a number of different diseases,might be traced
to this insecure system and exorbitant premiums.
Part 2.
The Public Plan:
1. Thankfully, the health care reform bill currently before Congress makes several key investments including more primary care doctors in preventive care, and those pieces
of the public plan must be maintained .
2. The pay for 'Outcome' pack is most likely to expedite the introduction of Health Care IT SYSTEM, and it will help doctors focus on their patients.
3. The 'innovative' idea of a 'pay for value / outcome' pack will allow for Quality and affordability
. If you are a physician, and your pay is dependant upon your patient's outcome, you will most likely strive to
prescribe the best medicine earlier in the process, let alone skipping the wasteful, unnecessary risk-carrying
procedures.
Young folks and advocates need to explain the notion of a pay for outcome agreement to the elderly misled by the
disinformation.
4. The synergy effect of the combined Health Care IT & a pay for 'outcome' system may allow the clinicians to
'correctly' diagnose and effectively treat a patient earlier in the process so that it can measurably decrease the
crushing lawsuits and deter the excuse for unnecessary cares to make fortunes.
5. The creative idea of 'a pay for outcome' will more likely prompt team approach and decision, as at Myo clinic.
Under the 'pay for outcome' pack, for good reason, best practices as 'recommendations' would simply help them
make a better decision, and the government won't still have to meddle in the final, actual decision-making
process as a non-expert.
6. This New 'Payment Reform' could accelerate the progress in medical science, in return, it will save more cash.
And this idea will be able to bring 'competition' to the private market, as a result, it can contribute to mitigating premium inflation.
7. Supporters of the agreement say it could save the Medicare System more than $100 billion a year and 'improve'
care, that means more than $1trillian over next decade, and virtually needs no other resources including tax on the
wealthiest. Supposedly even the 'conservative' number of such savings might be able to meet the objective of revenue-neutral.
(Please visit http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=820455&catid=391 for detailed infos).
8. Through clinic's network, users of its health-care services can keep up with their health information and information for family members, and receive health guidance and recommendations from clinic that is optimized for each person.
The system also allows patients to upload information from home-health devices such as blood glucose monitors and digital scales. Patients can authorize whether they want to share their health information with doctors or other caregivers, and those caregivers can provide health-care and general wellness recommendations based on the information patients provide.
9. In case the health care reform provides the general public with peace of mind, the rising mental stress, obesity caused by the insecure system and
exorbitant premiums may bend the curve surprisingly.
10. Clearly, the positive impacts involving massive job creation, promising stem cell research, several times more economic effects of 'from bed to work' lie ahead, these will lead to economic recovery.
Part 3.
Conclusion ;
1. The last thing to expect is rallying for premium inflation, JUST SAYING NO.
2. Over time, supposedly, the public plan will concentrate more on basic, primary cares, and the private insurers will provide their clients with differentiated services.
3. With the Prevention & Wellness Program as a stable levee in place, the promising pay for value/ outcome reimbursement reform based on IT system could clear the way for revenue-neutral. Some say the installation of IT network will take time, but once this new outcome-based payment system is implemented, the hospitals reluctant to adopt it will most likely rush to introduce it.
4. The final hurdle looks like a scoring issue surrounding the savings on Prevention & Wellness Program, but I'd like to say
health clubs and media reports on prevention tips must be maintained.
5. People would be entitled to various services whether you are employed, unemployed or self-employed, homeless or housed, young or old, chronically ill or mentally ill, moving from job to job or from town to town or from state to state.
Thank You !
Posted by: HSR0601 | August 11, 2009 5:06 AM
The only way you can get people to stop the shouting matches at these "Town Hall Meetings" is to shut down the schools where they learn to do this sort of thing...no more Hannity, O'Reilly, Beck, Mourning Joke or those web-thingys like the Faceplace on the internets with all those tubes and stuff. But that would be UnAmerican!
Posted by: lochnesssmonster | August 11, 2009 7:00 AM
Lets hoe this doesn't mean Obama is trying to muzzle free speech.
Posted by: Inky | August 11, 2009 9:15 AM
The Healthcare Corporations: "We don't need no stinking democracy." We don't need to discuss the wonderful healthcare in our country. We allow you to have some medical attention, maybe not all that you want, but only what we decide is good for you. The doctors, what do they have to do with anything. They work for us. We tell them what they can and can't do. Where did you get that silly notion that they have a say in what we allow our clients to receive, in terms of medical attention. We base those decisions on our bottomline, nothing more and nothing less. So, what if you pay for the most expensive healthcare in the world, at least you have a choice. You can chose between this insurance company and that insurance company ! What more do you want, good, affordable healthcare ? Well, you can't have it, because if you could, you would put us, the Healthcare Insurance Corporations out of business. You bet your bottomline, we will not let that happen !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | August 11, 2009 9:25 AM
Shouting down opponents seemed to be perfectly legitimate when the liar in chief was instructing the thugs at ACORN. Shouting down opponents is standard operating procedure for the liar's purple shirts from SEIU. Now that the liar is "explaining" his plan he wants civil discourse so he can lecture the racist and selfish American people how things are going to be.
Maybe the liar would like to explain how he known what is in the bills when he can't be bothered to either propose his own language or read what has been passed. If anyone is stupid enough to believe this facist and his stooges in Congress, they deserve the fate that awaits them and their children. Nothing is for free and their aren't enough rich people to pay for this government takeover. Every country with socialized medicine is moving towards privatization as a means to alleviate shortages.
Well the fool in the white house has managed to shut down growth in major sectors of the economy so why not trash another 10%. Pretty soon we can be just like those economic powerhouses in Europe with their decades of 10%+ unemployment and stagnant economies.
This is what you get when you put a fool that has never worked for a private business but has sponged off others all his life.
Posted by: Hans | August 11, 2009 9:59 AM
Of course, people who have decent health insurance are going to get excited (and a little irritated) when government is going to relplace their current healthcare system with something less effective.The Democrats in the House and Senate need to hear from these people who dont want Government Run Health Care. If it were really such a good plan, the Senators and Congressmen would include themselves and all the other government employees in the program, but they wont. they will keep their lavish plans and subject the rest of us to long waits to get even the simplest of treatments
Posted by: Tom B. | August 11, 2009 10:41 AM
The Obama Town Hall Meeting will probably be the typical staged performance with selected devout followers that he usually has in such gatherings for the television cameras. The Health Issue is too important an issue for it to be just ramrod through Congress and signed into law. We do need Health and Tort reform in this country. But just to pass any old bill with most of Congress not even knowing what is in it is just stupid. If this happens we may get a law that will make things much worse than they are now. Both sides need to sit down and put together a Health Bill that is constructive and does good. We do not need, as some want a secret end run to establish Socialized Medicine in this country.
Posted by: Depot Jim | August 11, 2009 11:36 AM
"Tom B.", back up your distortions and misstatements. We want to discuss this issue, not get the heck scared out of us, by Corporate shills and the Bush&Cheney fringe !! Speak facts, not fear and smear slogans !! What's wrong, do you think American citizens would prefer to have their government decide healthcare programs, rather than the Bottomliners !! Get real and quit trying to scare people with your half-truths and distortions.
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | August 11, 2009 11:39 AM
From Evita. Sound familiar?
"There is only one man who can lead any workers' regime
He lives for your problems, he shares your ideals and your dream
He supports you, for he loves you
Understands you, is one of you
If not, how could he love me?
(Workers:)
A new Argentina, the workers' battle song
A new Argentina, the voice of the people
Rings out loud and long
(Eva:)
Now I am a worker, I've suffered the way that you do
I've been unemployed, and I've starved and I've hated it too
But I found my salvation in Peron, may the nation
Let him save them as he saved me
(All:)
A new Argentina, a new age about to begin
A new Argentina, we face the world together
And no dissent within"
Obama! Obama!
Posted by: Hope N. Change | August 12, 2009 11:14 PM
Obama is a joke, Politicians (Dem & Rep) want you and your kids to endure socialized medicine. The want us to jeopardize our family’s health, pay for all the illegal aliens (criminals – people who have blatantly broken our laws); yet politicians get to keep their personal medical plan for their families? The same rules do not apply to the politicians, yet they want to force us to endure this burden and jeopardize our health and financial well-being.
This is another political shame that should not take place.
Posted by: Ribby | August 13, 2009 10:05 AM
you know what strikes me funny about this whole thing?
Lawyers are probably the most responsible for our current system and the insane prices that are charged for medical attention.
I say that becuase it's malpractice defense that causes a lot of the medical costs we face today.
As always, if we could get rid of the lawyers the world would be a better place.
(P.S. most politicians were laywers once)
Posted by: Kno | August 13, 2009 11:43 AM