Healthcare
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12/29/2009 | Healthcare
GOP’s ‘Repeal Health Care’ Plan Faces High Hurdles
The Washington Independent
As soon as the Senate passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on Dec. 24, Republicans and conservative activists started making a promise to voters. Give them a victory in the 2010 midterm elections, and they’ll repeal the bill.
“Every Republican in 2010 and 2012 will run on an absolute pledge to repeal this bill,” said Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House who remains a key strategic thinker for the party, on the Dec. 27 episode of “Meet the Press.”
“This has an unusual ability to be repealed, and the public is on that side,” said Max Pappas, the vice president of public policy at FreedomWorks, in a Dec. 28 interview with Avi Zenilman. “The Republicans are going to have to prove that they are worthy of their votes.”
Recommended Guests:
Michael Barry, Director of Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phila.Karl Benzio, Founder and Executive Director , Lighthouse NetworkTwila Brase, President and Co-founder, Citizens' Council on Health FreedomMarjorie Dannenfelser, President and Chairman of the Board, Susan B. Anthony ListColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USA12/23/2009 | Healthcare
Ala. Dem defects to GOP over health care, policy
Associated Press
A U.S. House Democrat who opposes the health care overhaul announced Tuesday he is defecting to the GOP, another blow to Democrats ahead of the midterm elections.
U.S. Rep. Parker Griffith spoke to reporters at his home in northern Alabama, a region that relies heavily on defense and aerospace jobs.
"I believe our nation is at a crossroads and I can no longer align myself with a party that continues to pursue legislation that is bad for our country, hurts our economy, and drives us further and further into debt," Griffith said as his wife Virginia stood by his side.
Recommended Guests:
Michael Barry, Director of Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phila.Karl Benzio, Founder and Executive Director , Lighthouse NetworkTwila Brase, President and Co-founder, Citizens' Council on Health FreedomMarjorie Dannenfelser, President and Chairman of the Board, Susan B. Anthony ListColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USA12/23/2009 | Healthcare
Audit Says State Wasted $92 Million on Medicaid
The New York Times
New York’s Medicaid system, the state’s largest single expense, lost at least $92 million to improper payments, billing errors and poor recordkeeping during the last five years, according to several audits released Tuesday by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.
In one instance, a Medicaid recipient in Poughkeepsie was provided with $300 round-trip daily taxi service to visit her child in a long-term care facility in Albany, which cost the state roughly $196,000 before the authorization was revoked.
Recommended Guests:
Michael Barry, Director of Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phila.Karl Benzio, Founder and Executive Director , Lighthouse NetworkTwila Brase, President and Co-founder, Citizens' Council on Health FreedomMarjorie Dannenfelser, President and Chairman of the Board, Susan B. Anthony ListColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USA12/22/2009 | Healthcare
Health bill money for hospital sought by Dodd
Associated Press
A $100 million item for construction of a university hospital was inserted in the Senate health care bill at the request of Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., who faces a difficult re-election campaign, his office said Sunday night.
The legislation leaves it up to the Health and Human Services Department to decide where the money should be spent, although spokesman Bryan DeAngelis said Dodd hopes to claim it for the University of Connecticut.
Recommended Guests:
Michael Barry, Director of Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phila.Karl Benzio, Founder and Executive Director , Lighthouse NetworkTwila Brase, President and Co-founder, Citizens' Council on Health FreedomMarjorie Dannenfelser, President and Chairman of the Board, Susan B. Anthony ListColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USA12/22/2009 | Healthcare
GOP senator: Democratic health care deals 'sleazy'
Associated Press
A Republican senator who has opposed President Barack Obama's health overhaul effort said Tuesday that the deals Democratic leaders have cut to round up the votes they need to push the measure through the Senate have been "sleazy."
Speaking Tuesday on NBC's "Today" show, GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina cited concessions won by Nebraska Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson, whose support gave Democrats the 60th and final vote they need. Among other things, Nelson won an agreement that the federal government will pay to expand Medicaid services in Nebraska.
Said Graham: "That's not change you can believe in. That's sleazy."
Recommended Guests:
Michael Barry, Director of Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phila.Karl Benzio, Founder and Executive Director , Lighthouse NetworkTwila Brase, President and Co-founder, Citizens' Council on Health FreedomMarjorie Dannenfelser, President and Chairman of the Board, Susan B. Anthony ListColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USA12/15/2009 | Healthcare
Window closing for healthcare reform: Biden
Washington Post
If the U.S. Congress fails to agree on a healthcare bill soon, the opportunity for a sweeping overhaul of the $2.5 trillion system will be lost for a generation, Vice President Joe Biden warned on Tuesday. Biden was speaking just hours before Democratic lawmakers were to meet at the White House with President Barack Obama, who is pressing them to reach agreement and pass a bill on his signature domestic policy issue.
Recommended Guests:
Michael Barry, Director of Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phila.Karl Benzio, Founder and Executive Director , Lighthouse NetworkTwila Brase, President and Co-founder, Citizens' Council on Health FreedomMarjorie Dannenfelser, President and Chairman of the Board, Susan B. Anthony ListColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USA12/11/2009 | Healthcare
Health care loophole would allow coverage limits
Associated Press
A loophole in the Senate health care bill would let insurers place annual dollar limits on medical care for people struggling with costly illnesses such as cancer, prompting a rebuke from patient advocates.
The legislation that originally passed the Senate health committee last summer would have banned such limits, but a tweak to that provision weakened it in the bill now moving toward a Senate vote.
As currently written, the Senate Democratic health care bill would permit insurance companies to place annual limits on the dollar value of medical care, as long as those limits are not "unreasonable." The bill does not define what level of limits would be allowable, delegating that task to administration officials.
Adding to the puzzle, the new language was quietly tucked away in a clause in the bill still captioned "No lifetime or annual limits."
Recommended Guests:
Michael Barry, Director of Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phila.Karl Benzio, Founder and Executive Director , Lighthouse NetworkTwila Brase, President and Co-founder, Citizens' Council on Health FreedomMarjorie Dannenfelser, President and Chairman of the Board, Susan B. Anthony ListColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USA12/9/2009 | Healthcare
Senators Strike Health Deal
www.wsj.com: Senate Democrats reached tentative agreement to abandon government-run insurance plan
WASHINGTON -- Senior Senate Democrats reached tentative agreement Tuesday night to abandon the government-run insurance plan in their health-overhaul bill and to expand Medicare coverage to some people ages 55 to 64, clearing the most significant hurdle so far in getting a bill that can pass Congress. Liberals dropped the public insurance plan that was a central plank of the Democrats' health bill in favor of a more limited alternative, following intense pressure from a small group of Democrats who had insisted for months that it was a deal-breaker. While disputes over abortion coverage and other issues remain, Democrats appeared a whisker away from having enough votes to overcome Republican opposition and pass a sweeping health overhaul in the Senate. The Senate bill -- including the lack of a public plan -- is likely to form the core of any final legislation, though it will have to be reconciled with a health bill passed by the House last month.
Recommended Guests:
Michael Barry, Director of Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phila.Karl Benzio, Founder and Executive Director , Lighthouse NetworkTwila Brase, President and Co-founder, Citizens' Council on Health FreedomMarjorie Dannenfelser, President and Chairman of the Board, Susan B. Anthony ListColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USA12/9/2009 | Abortion, Healthcare
Senate rejects Nelson amendment on abortion
Washington Post
The Senate narrowly rejected an amendment that would have restricted abortion coverage in the pending health-care bill, leaving in question whether Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) has the 60 votes needed to move the bill toward final passage.
The measure, which failed 54-45, addressed the scope of restrictions on coverage of abortion services for people who receive subsidies to buy insurance. The outcome was expected, but could cost the support of Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), who has threatened to filibuster the $848 billion bill unless abortion restrictions are tightened.
Recommended Guests:
Michael Barry, Director of Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phila.Karl Benzio, Founder and Executive Director , Lighthouse NetworkTwila Brase, President and Co-founder, Citizens' Council on Health FreedomRev. Clenard Childress, Jr., Assistant Director, Life Education and Resource NetworkSteve Curtis, LifeCommercials.comMarjorie Dannenfelser, President and Chairman of the Board, Susan B. Anthony ListLen Deo, President, New Jersey Family Policy CouncilWilliam Devlin, Senior Pastor-Manhattan Bible ChurchJessica Echard, Executive Director, Eagle ForumTim G. Echols, President/Founder, TeenPactGeorgette Forney, Co-Founder, Silent No MoreColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USADr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchPeter Lillback, President, Westminster Theological SeminaryJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinJeff Myers, Incoming President, Summit MinistriesPhyllis Schlafly, President and Founder, Eagle ForumChristopher Slattery, Founder and President, EMC Frontline Pregnancy CentersDavid Smith, Executive Director, Illinois Family InstituteDavid Wheaton, Author, Speaker, Radio Talk Show Host, TheChristianWorldview.com12/8/2009 | Healthcare
Senate turns to health bill's major obstacles
Washington Post
Seeking to resolve two contentious issues blocking health-care reform in the Senate, lawmakers began consideration Monday of an amendment to restrict abortion coverage, while Democrats closed in on alternatives to the public-insurance option.
The abortion provision, co-sponsored by Sens. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), would bar individuals who receive federal insurance subsidies from purchasing private policies that cover elective abortions. It also would ban coverage under a government plan -- an issue that could become moot if the public option is dropped.
Recommended Guests:
Michael Barry, Director of Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phila.Karl Benzio, Founder and Executive Director , Lighthouse NetworkTwila Brase, President and Co-founder, Citizens' Council on Health FreedomMarjorie Dannenfelser, President and Chairman of the Board, Susan B. Anthony ListColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USA12/1/2009 | Healthcare
HHS would become federal giant under Senate plan
Washington Examiner
A quick search of the Senate health bill will bring up "secretary" 2,500 times.
That's because Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius would be awarded unprecedented new powers under the proposal, including the authority to decide what medical care should be covered by insurers as well as the terms and conditions of coverage and who should receive it.
"It's a huge amount of power being shifted to HHS, and much of it is highly discretionary," said Edmund Haislmaier, an expert in health care policy and insurance markets at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank
Recommended Guests:
Michael Barry, Director of Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phila.Karl Benzio, Founder and Executive Director , Lighthouse NetworkTwila Brase, President and Co-founder, Citizens' Council on Health FreedomMarjorie Dannenfelser, President and Chairman of the Board, Susan B. Anthony ListColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USA11/23/2009 | Healthcare
Doctors Ask: What Do You Mean, Cosmetic Tax?
ABC News
Tucked into the last hundred pages of Sen. Harry Reid's proposed health care bill is a 5 percent tax on cosmetic surgery that has doctors from various specialties wondering if they will soon become tax collectors who must also interpret the tax code.
If the bill passes as it was proposed Nov. 18, doctors will be asked to collect tax on surgical procedures that fall under the bill's definition of "cosmetic," regardless of whether the procedure is covered by insurance. If the doctors don't collect the tax, they are responsible for paying it.
Recommended Guests:
Michael Barry, Director of Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phila.Karl Benzio, Founder and Executive Director , Lighthouse NetworkTwila Brase, President and Co-founder, Citizens' Council on Health FreedomMarjorie Dannenfelser, President and Chairman of the Board, Susan B. Anthony ListColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USA11/18/2009 | Healthcare, Economy
Improper US Government Payments Hit $98 Billion
Reuters
Improper payments by the U.S. government to people, firms and contractors rose sharply to $98 billion in fiscal 2009 and President Barack Obama plans new rules to clamp down, the White House said Tuesday.
Over half the mistakes were made in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and although some of the deterioration reflected stricter measurement, it also showed the need for healthcare reform, Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag told reporters.
Improper payments in the Medicare and Medicaid programs totaled $55 billion in fiscal 2009, according to documents provided by OMB.
Recommended Guests:
Barry Asmus, Senior Economist, National Center for Policy AnalysisMichael Barry, Director of Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phila.Karl Benzio, Founder and Executive Director , Lighthouse NetworkDavid Bossie, President, Citizens UnitedTwila Brase, President and Co-founder, Citizens' Council on Health FreedomDan Celia, Host, "Financial Issues Live" Radio ProgramPhil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Ward Connerly, Author/Founder and Chairman, American Civil Rights InstituteMarjorie Dannenfelser, President and Chairman of the Board, Susan B. Anthony ListWilliam Devlin, Senior Pastor-Manhattan Bible ChurchJames Edwards, Cofounder, Olive, Edwards, & Cooper, LLCJoseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyJames Gelfand, Senior Manager of Health Policy, U.S. Chamber of CommerceLou Giuliano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (r, ITT CorporationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USALowman Henry, Chairman & CEO, Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.Larry Hunter, President, The Social Security InstitutePhillip Kim, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resour, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of BusinessJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)Chuck Stetson, Co-founder and Managing Director, PEI FundsTony Strickland, Taxpayer AdvocateJohn Weiser, Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary , In Medias Res11/9/2009 | Healthcare
Health reformers prepare for Senate hurdle
FinancialTimes.com
The first thing Barack Obama did late on Saturday night following the passage of the healthcare bill in the House of Representatives was to phone the heads of three industry lobby groups to thank them for their support. Not included on the list was the largest insurance lobby group, American Health Insurance Plans, which doggedly continues to oppose Democratic reform efforts. Amid all the late night celebrations after the razor-thin 220-215 vote for the bill, Karen Ignagni, head of AHIP, warned that it would be a much tougher battle to push reform through the Senate in the weeks ahead. “The current House legislation fails to bend the healthcare cost curve and breaks the promise that those who like their current coverage can keep it,” she said. “The result will be increased costs and massive disruptions in the quality of coverage individuals and families rely on today.”
Recommended Guests:
Michael Barry, Director of Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phila.Karl Benzio, Founder and Executive Director , Lighthouse NetworkTwila Brase, President and Co-founder, Citizens' Council on Health FreedomMarjorie Dannenfelser, President and Chairman of the Board, Susan B. Anthony ListColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USA11/4/2009 | Abortion, Healthcare
Democrats' concerns over abortion may imperil health bill
The Washington Post
While House leaders are moving toward a vote on health-care legislation by the end of the week, enough Democrats are threatening to oppose the measure over the issue of abortion to create a question about its passage. House leaders were still negotiating Monday with the bloc of Democrats concerned about abortion provisions in the legislation, saying that they could lead to public funding of the procedure. After an evening meeting of top House Democrats, Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (Md.) said, "We are making progress," but added that they had not reached an agreement.
Recommended Guests:
Michael Barry, Director of Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phila.Karl Benzio, Founder and Executive Director , Lighthouse NetworkTwila Brase, President and Co-founder, Citizens' Council on Health FreedomRev. Clenard Childress, Jr., Assistant Director, Life Education and Resource NetworkSteve Curtis, LifeCommercials.comMarjorie Dannenfelser, President and Chairman of the Board, Susan B. Anthony ListLen Deo, President, New Jersey Family Policy CouncilWilliam Devlin, Senior Pastor-Manhattan Bible ChurchJessica Echard, Executive Director, Eagle ForumTim G. Echols, President/Founder, TeenPactGeorgette Forney, Co-Founder, Silent No MoreColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USADr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchPeter Lillback, President, Westminster Theological SeminaryJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinJeff Myers, Incoming President, Summit MinistriesPhyllis Schlafly, President and Founder, Eagle ForumChristopher Slattery, Founder and President, EMC Frontline Pregnancy CentersDavid Smith, Executive Director, Illinois Family InstituteDavid Wheaton, Author, Speaker, Radio Talk Show Host, TheChristianWorldview.com10/30/2009 | Healthcare
House health bill clocks in at 1,990 pages
Politico
It runs more pages than War and Peace, has nearly five times as many words as the Torah, and its tables of contents alone run far longer than this story. The House health care bill unveiled Thursday clocks in at 1,990 pages and about 400,000 words. With an estimated 10-year cost of $894 billion, that comes out to about $2.24 million per word. . And for some members, that may not be enough.
Recommended Guests:
Michael Barry, Director of Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phila.Karl Benzio, Founder and Executive Director , Lighthouse NetworkTwila Brase, President and Co-founder, Citizens' Council on Health FreedomMarjorie Dannenfelser, President and Chairman of the Board, Susan B. Anthony ListColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USA10/23/2009 | Economy, Healthcare
In Massachusetts, Obama won't promote state's plan
Washington Post
President Obama will travel Friday to Massachusetts, one of only two states to implement a universal health-care program similar to his ambitions for the entire country. But he does not plan to use the trip to make his case for far-reaching reform. The president's critics say his reluctance to spotlight the Massachusetts model is real-world evidence that his vision would not work on a national scale. High costs have forced the state to trim benefits for legal immigrants and prompted one safety-net hospital to sue over a $38 million shortfall.
Recommended Guests:
Barry Asmus, Senior Economist, National Center for Policy AnalysisMichael Barry, Director of Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phila.Karl Benzio, Founder and Executive Director , Lighthouse NetworkDavid Bossie, President, Citizens UnitedTwila Brase, President and Co-founder, Citizens' Council on Health FreedomDan Celia, Host, "Financial Issues Live" Radio ProgramPhil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Ward Connerly, Author/Founder and Chairman, American Civil Rights InstituteMarjorie Dannenfelser, President and Chairman of the Board, Susan B. Anthony ListWilliam Devlin, Senior Pastor-Manhattan Bible ChurchJames Edwards, Cofounder, Olive, Edwards, & Cooper, LLCJoseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyJames Gelfand, Senior Manager of Health Policy, U.S. Chamber of CommerceLou Giuliano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (r, ITT CorporationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USALowman Henry, Chairman & CEO, Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.Larry Hunter, President, The Social Security InstitutePhillip Kim, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resour, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of BusinessJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)Chuck Stetson, Co-founder and Managing Director, PEI FundsTony Strickland, Taxpayer AdvocateJohn Weiser, Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary , In Medias Res10/19/2009 | Healthcare
Medicaid, S-CHIP expansion plan could hurt states' budgets
USA Today
The government programs that provide health care to the poor would expand to cover nearly one in five Americans under health insurance legislation pending in Congress, putting pressure on federal and state budgets. Medicaid, one of the fastest-growing government programs for two decades, and the State Children's Health Insurance Program would grow from about 50 million people today to more than 60 million in 2019, according to data from the Congressional Budget Office and Kaiser Family Foundation. That would be the biggest single expansion since Medicaid was created in 1965.
Recommended Guests:
Michael Barry, Director of Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phila.Karl Benzio, Founder and Executive Director , Lighthouse NetworkTwila Brase, President and Co-founder, Citizens' Council on Health FreedomMarjorie Dannenfelser, President and Chairman of the Board, Susan B. Anthony ListColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USA10/12/2009 | Healthcare
Read the health bill! Not as easy as you think
Associated Press
Read the bill! It was a rallying cry at angry health care town halls this summer and has evolved into something of a political movement. Many Americans are demanding that lawmakers actually read the comprehensive legislation they've written — or at least make it publicly available — before voting on it. The push for transparency has become a running side debate in Congress, with lawmakers — often minority Republicans, but some Democrats too — pressing leaders to post measures online for 72 hours before a vote. "People became outraged when they discovered that the norm was for legislators to vote on legislation they hadn't read," said Colin Hanna, head of a group, Let Freedom Ring, that is asking lawmakers to pledge to read health overhaul legislation before voting.
Recommended Guests:
Michael Barry, Director of Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phila.Karl Benzio, Founder and Executive Director , Lighthouse NetworkTwila Brase, President and Co-founder, Citizens' Council on Health FreedomMarjorie Dannenfelser, President and Chairman of the Board, Susan B. Anthony ListColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USA10/5/2009 | Healthcare
Health Overhaul Is Drawing Close to Floor Debate
The New York Times
With the Senate Finance Committee set to approve its health care bill this week, Democrats are tantalizingly close to bringing legislation that would make sweeping changes in the nation’s health care system to the floor of both houses of Congress. As Senate Democrats try to secure the 60 votes needed to overcome a possible Republican filibuster, intricate details and big hurdles stand in their way. Republicans have said they will fight the legislation at every turn. The policy challenges are also daunting. In the space of one year, the Democrats are trying to restructure one-sixth of the economy, writing a bill that will affect almost every American, every business and every doctor and hospital in the country.
Recommended Guests:
Michael Barry, Director of Pastoral Care, Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Phila.Karl Benzio, Founder and Executive Director , Lighthouse NetworkTwila Brase, President and Co-founder, Citizens' Council on Health FreedomMarjorie Dannenfelser, President and Chairman of the Board, Susan B. Anthony ListColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring USA