TUESDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Expanding health coverage to adults may result in later savings from reduced Medicare spending on these individuals after they turn 65, especially for the uninsured with cardiovascular disease, diabetes or severe arthritis, according to research published online Oct. 6 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
J. Michael McWilliams, M.D., of Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues analyzed data from 2,951 adults who were continuously insured before the age of 65, and another 1,616 who were continuously or sometimes uninsured before this age. They assessed annual Medicare spending after age 65 for each participant.
The researchers found that total annual Medicare spending was $1,023 higher for the previously uninsured, which was a significant difference. The previously uninsured had higher annual hospitalization rates for complications related to cardiovascular disease or diabetes (9.1 versus 6.4 percent) and joint replacement (2.5 versus 1.3 percent).
"There are good reasons to believe that insurance coverage in the pre-Medicare years would reduce expenditures during the Medicare years, and health reform advocates will certainly take heart from the authors' conclusions. Unfortunately, because the data and methods used in this study are not capable of supporting causal interpretations, the savings to Medicare are unlikely to be as large as this study suggests," writes the author of an accompanying editorial.
The study was supported by the Commonwealth Fund. Several co-authors reported relevant consulting work and legislative testimony.
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Adviser Soapbox
Capitalist Case For Nonprofit Health Insurance
John E. Girouard 10.12.09, 7:09 PM ET
If you want to know what went wrong with our health care system and the best way to fix it, all you have to do is look back a few decades to a time when health care was a community concern, considered as essential as any public utility. It should be again, not just because it makes sense but also because it's the most profitable way to go.
The irony in the current debate over a "public option" health plan is that we once had a form of socialized medicine. Blue Cross, the most recognizable name, began in 1929 as a tax-exempt insurer covering a community of teachers in Dallas. Blue Shield was started as a tax-exempt insurer to cover employees of mining and lumber companies in the Pacific Northwest, with a group of local doctors providing care through a service bureau.
We lost the positive aspects of affiliation health insurance starting in the 1960s and through the 1980s when Wall Street discovered there was money to be made turning nonprofit health insurers, hospitals and nursing homes into investor-owned companies. What we got was a massive conflict-of-interest--profit vs. public good--that has culminated in a dysfunctional health delivery system that has undermined our economy, reduced our national wealth and torn our social fabric.
One might argue whether our estimated 47 million uninsured is a moral shame, but there is no argument that millions of people clogging our emergency rooms and other social services because it's their only option is a crime against our economy, both in direct costs and loss of productivity.
A solution that would have something for everyone and meets the test of minimum government intervention would have three tiers of coverage:
1. Primary Care Community Nonprofits: States, regional groups, hospital consortiums and communities would be encouraged to form nonprofit health insurance companies guaranteeing at reduced premiums a primary level of care--ambulatory, emergency room, routine physicals, and so on. Every citizen would be required to be covered.
This would immediately add 47 million new customers generating premium payments into the pool of available revenue. There would be no qualifying exam nor any discrimination based on pre-existing conditions.
Those who paid their mandatory premiums could deduct them on their income- tax returns. Those who failed to pay their premiums might be subject to a minimum tax penalty or some other mechanism to encourage compliance.
These nonprofits might then, like municipalities, be able to turn to the financial markets to raise capital for building projects and other needs, perhaps issuing tax-exempt bonds.
2. Reinsure Catastrophic Risk: Community nonprofits would be required to do what large companies do when self-insuring. They set aside enough reserves to cover their employees up to a set threshold above which they reinsure themselves. Nonprofits could do the same thing, passing risk on to for-profit companies against a financial disaster from big-ticket losses that could result from a single disaster, a disease outbreak, or just having a high percentage of elderly patients needing extensive care.
The for-profit reinsurance business ought to be highly profitable if well-managed. The number of transactions they would have to handle would be vastly reduced, driving down costs. But for this to work, these companies would need to be reinsured as well, much as banks are. That's where government steps in, just as it does in the banking industry.
3. Create a Federal Health Insurance Corporation: Just as we regulate the banking industry because it is essential, requiring banks to pay insurance premiums to guarantee deposits, the role of the federal government would be to act as the insurer of last resort. Such an agency would guarantee claims above a set amount, allowing private reinsurers to calculate their risks more accurately and set competitive, profitable premium rates.
This is not a public option, it is a public imperative. It is what we expect from government after a hurricane or other natural disaster. It seems logical that in the event of a health insurance disaster, Uncle Sam should be ready to step in for the public good. And it seems equally logical that the federal government should be in the business of setting standards and regulating an industry that provides a public service, just as we regulate water, power and public transportation companies.
This three-tiered approach contains elements that should appeal to most interest groups. The nonprofit primary care level eliminates the conflict of interest that currently exists between profit and the rendering of a crucial public service. Insurance companies would go back to doing what they are supposed to, managing risk instead of managing care.
This system is close to what members of Congress refer to as "the same health insurance we have." Once a year federal employees get to choose who their health insurer is from a list of a dozen or so approved providers. A covered employee with a chronic disease can switch insurers if he or she decides a different company offers a better plan, without an exam and regardless of pre-existing conditions.
This system should appeal to both sides of the "public option" argument.
Liberals who want to see everyone covered and the profit motive taken out of medical decisions would see their aims met as more citizens would likely seek out and receive preventive care instead of waiting until they need to be rushed to an emergency room at enormous expense.
Conservatives who want government to spend less and do more to stimulate the flow of capital and the creation of wealth would achieve their goals in the form of the private financing of nonprofit insurers and in the presumed net reduction in the cost to taxpayers of providing emergency and social services to the uninsured.
John E. Girouard of Washington, D.C., is a financial writer and the author of "The Ten Truths of Wealth Creation."
< Prev 12 of 20 Next >
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Word-from-the-White-House-President-Obama-Welcomes-Doctors-from-Around-the-Country/
It's no secret that institutions of all stripes focus their communications on certain messages day to day. We thought it would all be a little more open and transparent if we went ahead and published what our focus will be for the day, along with any related articles, reports or documents.
Supporting Article: "Poll: Doctors Among Public Option's Biggest Fans," NPR, 9/15/09
Related Event: "President Obama Speaks to Doctors from Across the Country," Live-streamed at WhiteHouse.gov at 11:10
On Friday, Dr. Alice Chen sent out a special message to fellow OFA supporters:
My name is Alice Chen. I'm an OFA supporter, and a physician practicing internal medicine in Los Angeles.I'm following the health reform debate pretty closely -- you probably are too. And as I see opponents of reform trying to water down or derail the President's plan, I know it's our urgent responsibility to speak out.That's why millions of my fellow doctors and nurses, the American Medical Association, the American Nurses Association, and groups like the one I work with called Doctors for America are all fighting so hard for reform right now: talking to our patients, holding grassroots events -- and a few are even filming an ad with OFA.Health professionals are doing what we can, but this is something we need to do together. Your voice, your opinion, and your story can help influence the debate at this crucial moment. Can you take 5 minutes to write a letter to the editor of your local paper in support of President Obama's Plan for health reform?OFA has an online tool that makes it really easy. They'll provide background info on the President's plan that you can combine with your personal story about reform, and you can even submit your letter online to newspapers near you.You don't have to be a doctor or an expert to write an effective letter -- you just have to have an opinion or a personal story to share. And these letters are short, usually just a paragraph or two, but they can have a huge impact because it shows your representatives and the media what local folks are thinking in the most public way possible.I know that one of the most important things I can do for the health of my patients is to stand up for the reform all Americans need. That's why I and my fellow doctors are working so hard to spread the word, and that's why I'm asking you to join me by writing a letter today.http://my.barackobama.com/writeThank you,Dr. Alice ChenP.S. -- I want to share a story with you about why I'm so passionate about reform: Two years ago, I took care of a businessman in Los Angeles. He had Crohn's disease, and his health and nutrition had been getting worse for over a year. He was seeing doctors at one of our private hospitals, but he lost his insurance, so he couldn't see his doctors anymore. Buying private insurance was impossible - no amount of money could have convinced an insurance company to cover him. He tried the county hospital ER, but the wait was 24 hours. He thought maybe he could manage.A few months later, when he could barely walk from his bed to the door, he tried the ER again. By then, he had kwashiorkor (the kind of malnutrition that famine-stricken African children get) as a complication of his gut disorder. Every organ system was failing. I remember that even in the hospital, he tried to keep up his work via his Blackberry. We tried to help him, but he rapidly deteriorated and died just six days after admission.I was devastated and talked to many colleagues about what I could have done differently to save my patient. He should have been living his life and being a productive member of society today, but he's dead. We could have saved him if he had been able to come for care sooner -- instead of being deterred by his lack of insurance. Ultimately, I recognize that he died because the system failed him. In our great country, that is unacceptable.That's a big reason why I keep fighting for reform. I hope that this week, you can share your own view and your story in your letter to the editor. Over the past week, OFA has been organizing events for health insurance reform with doctors and nurses across the country. At a “Roundtable” event in Gainesville, FL, Dr. Rob Hatch said the health care status quo is unsustainable and unacceptable. Here’s his quote from an article in the Gainesville Sun:"It's just inexcusable. It's absolutely inexcusable and we need to do something about it. One reason our health care is so bad is that we have so many uninsured people," Hatch said.In Albany, Georgia, about half a dozen doctors are planning to make 40,000 calls for health insurance reform. They’re talking to locals about what reform will mean for them, answering questions, debunking rumors and asking them to call on their senators and representatives to support President Obama’s plan. Here’s an excerpt from the piece on WALB News:"I was calling to discuss health care reform with you," said Dr. Tania Smith, of Prestige Pediatrics.Public opinion over health care reform remains divided and now these south Georgia health care professionals are weighing in. They joined forces with Organizing for America to push reform now."Right now people are looking for answers, they're looking for the truth about health care reform and doctors are a great place to start," said Ken King, Organizing for America.Pediatrician Tania Smith is on the front line of this debate. While critics worry the President's plan may take decisions away from doctors, she feels insurance companies are already doing that. "As the system is going now we have a lot of people who are medically ignorant making decisions and denying claims and making insurance populations where you don't have any wellness visits included in your plan," said Smith.
My name is Alice Chen. I'm an OFA supporter, and a physician practicing internal medicine in Los Angeles.I'm following the health reform debate pretty closely -- you probably are too. And as I see opponents of reform trying to water down or derail the President's plan, I know it's our urgent responsibility to speak out.That's why millions of my fellow doctors and nurses, the American Medical Association, the American Nurses Association, and groups like the one I work with called Doctors for America are all fighting so hard for reform right now: talking to our patients, holding grassroots events -- and a few are even filming an ad with OFA.Health professionals are doing what we can, but this is something we need to do together. Your voice, your opinion, and your story can help influence the debate at this crucial moment. Can you take 5 minutes to write a letter to the editor of your local paper in support of President Obama's Plan for health reform?
OFA has an online tool that makes it really easy. They'll provide background info on the President's plan that you can combine with your personal story about reform, and you can even submit your letter online to newspapers near you.You don't have to be a doctor or an expert to write an effective letter -- you just have to have an opinion or a personal story to share. And these letters are short, usually just a paragraph or two, but they can have a huge impact because it shows your representatives and the media what local folks are thinking in the most public way possible.I know that one of the most important things I can do for the health of my patients is to stand up for the reform all Americans need. That's why I and my fellow doctors are working so hard to spread the word, and that's why I'm asking you to join me by writing a letter today.http://my.barackobama.com/writeThank you,Dr. Alice ChenP.S. -- I want to share a story with you about why I'm so passionate about reform:
Two years ago, I took care of a businessman in Los Angeles. He had Crohn's disease, and his health and nutrition had been getting worse for over a year. He was seeing doctors at one of our private hospitals, but he lost his insurance, so he couldn't see his doctors anymore. Buying private insurance was impossible - no amount of money could have convinced an insurance company to cover him. He tried the county hospital ER, but the wait was 24 hours. He thought maybe he could manage.A few months later, when he could barely walk from his bed to the door, he tried the ER again. By then, he had kwashiorkor (the kind of malnutrition that famine-stricken African children get) as a complication of his gut disorder. Every organ system was failing. I remember that even in the hospital, he tried to keep up his work via his Blackberry. We tried to help him, but he rapidly deteriorated and died just six days after admission.I was devastated and talked to many colleagues about what I could have done differently to save my patient. He should have been living his life and being a productive member of society today, but he's dead. We could have saved him if he had been able to come for care sooner -- instead of being deterred by his lack of insurance. Ultimately, I recognize that he died because the system failed him. In our great country, that is unacceptable.
That's a big reason why I keep fighting for reform. I hope that this week, you can share your own view and your story in your letter to the editor.
Over the past week, OFA has been organizing events for health insurance reform with doctors and nurses across the country. At a “Roundtable” event in Gainesville, FL, Dr. Rob Hatch said the health care status quo is unsustainable and unacceptable. Here’s his quote from an article in the Gainesville Sun:
"It's just inexcusable. It's absolutely inexcusable and we need to do something about it. One reason our health care is so bad is that we have so many uninsured people," Hatch said.
In Albany, Georgia, about half a dozen doctors are planning to make 40,000 calls for health insurance reform. They’re talking to locals about what reform will mean for them, answering questions, debunking rumors and asking them to call on their senators and representatives to support President Obama’s plan. Here’s an excerpt from the piece on WALB News:
"I was calling to discuss health care reform with you," said Dr. Tania Smith, of Prestige Pediatrics.Public opinion over health care reform remains divided and now these south Georgia health care professionals are weighing in. They joined forces with Organizing for America to push reform now."Right now people are looking for answers, they're looking for the truth about health care reform and doctors are a great place to start," said Ken King, Organizing for America.Pediatrician Tania Smith is on the front line of this debate. While critics worry the President's plan may take decisions away from doctors, she feels insurance companies are already doing that. "As the system is going now we have a lot of people who are medically ignorant making decisions and denying claims and making insurance populations where you don't have any wellness visits included in your plan," said Smith.
"There is still strong support for critical elements of the Obama/Democratic plan:
* 62 - 32 percent in favor of giving people the option of a government insurance plan;
* 61 - 36 percent for higher taxes on high income earners to pay for health care reform;
* 60 - 32 percent in favor of insurance subsidies for individuals making up to $43,000 and families of four making up to $88,000;
* 54 - 38 percent for requiring businesses to provide insurance or pay the government.
Voters oppose 68 - 26 percent requiring people to have health insurance or pay a fine and oppose 68 - 27 percent taxing employees for health care benefits from employers. Independent voters, perhaps the key voting group, are more worried about the deficit rising than congressional inaction, 54 - 37 percent. These voters say 59 - 36 percent that overhaul should not occur if it would "significantly" increase the deficit. Independents oppose 63 - 33 percent passing a bill with only Democratic votes."
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Letters-to-the-President/
MONDAY, AUGUST 3RD, 2009 AT 7:20 AM
Letters to the President
Tens of thousands of letters, faxes, and emails from Americans across the country arrive each day at my office, the Office of Presidential Correspondence. We do our best to reply to these in a timely fashion, and a handful—just ten a day—are chosen for President Obama to personally read and respond to.The "Letters to the President" video follows the journey of your message as it winds its way from your home to the President’s desk in the Oval Office. This is the first in a series of exclusive "Inside the White House" videos that will be available here at www.WhiteHouse.gov
download .mp4 (58.5 MB)
Every day I try to pick a sample of messages that are representative of all those addressed to the President, are representative of things happening in the news, or which contain particularly compelling stories.President Obama has said these messages help him stay in touch with what is happening in our Nation. Some writers are critical of the President or his agenda, others express their agreement, while still others say they want to provide their unique perspective. They tell the President what is happening in their lives right now on health care, the economy, energy, the environment, national security, veteran’s issues and a host of other topics.We appreciate your feedback on this video and, of course, your continued correspondence with President Obama.Mike Kelleher is the Director of Presidential Correspondence
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/A-Health-Reform-Town-Hall-in-Ohio/
From OFA Director Mitch Stewart:
Last week, Republican Senator Jim DeMint tried to rally our opposition by declaring that stopping reform would "break" President Obama. Instead, hundreds of thousands of you rushed forward to stand up for enacting health insurance reform this year.Then last night, the President delivered a powerful prime-time address about why further delay is simply not an option, and even more support came pouring in. (Watch the highlights here).Now, we're on the brink of a major milestone in building this campaign: One million Americans publicly declaring their support for the President's three core principles for health insurance reform this year.Our goal is to reach the one million mark before Congress casts the first crucial votes as early as next week. This is just a first step of many we'll take together. But it will send a clear message that the American people will not stand for playing partisan politics with our lives and livelihoods -- and that we won't settle for anything less than the real health insurance reform America so desperately needs this year.Add your name to stand up for the President's three principles for real health insurance reform in 2009.Adding your name right now will have real impact. Not only will you help us hit this key milestone, but we'll run the signatures we collect in local and national newspaper ads and present them in powerful displays at high-profile local events across the country in the crucial days and weeks to come.We're so close to a million because volunteers all over the country are reaching out online, door-to-door, on the phone and at public events in their community. And every time a new supporter stands up with the President, they in turn reach out to others and the movement grows.Less than three months ago, OFA launched our campaign for health insurance reform. In that short time, hundreds of thousands of Americans have joined in by: sharing a personal health care story calling their representatives going door-to-door talking with their neighbors calling neighbors in all 50 states publishing letters to the editor in local newspapers donating hosting or attending a local event, and much more.For Republican leaders and special interests, the health insurance debate may be a political game. But for millions of American businesses and families, the cost of inaction is economic ruin and deteriorating care for the ones we love. Out-of-control health care costs are breaking the budgets of families, businesses and government -- and every day that Congress refuses to act, 14,000 Americans lose their coverage entirely.We're working so hard in every part of this country because we understand -- this is no game. Add your name to help us reach one million public supporters this week, and join in this effort to reform health insurance in 2009.Thank you, MitchMitch StewartDirectorOrganizing for America
Last week, Republican Senator Jim DeMint tried to rally our opposition by declaring that stopping reform would "break" President Obama. Instead, hundreds of thousands of you rushed forward to stand up for enacting health insurance reform this year.Then last night, the President delivered a powerful prime-time address about why further delay is simply not an option, and even more support came pouring in. (Watch the highlights here).Now, we're on the brink of a major milestone in building this campaign: One million Americans publicly declaring their support for the President's three core principles for health insurance reform this year.Our goal is to reach the one million mark before Congress casts the first crucial votes as early as next week. This is just a first step of many we'll take together. But it will send a clear message that the American people will not stand for playing partisan politics with our lives and livelihoods -- and that we won't settle for anything less than the real health insurance reform America so desperately needs this year.Add your name to stand up for the President's three principles for real health insurance reform in 2009.
Adding your name right now will have real impact. Not only will you help us hit this key milestone, but we'll run the signatures we collect in local and national newspaper ads and present them in powerful displays at high-profile local events across the country in the crucial days and weeks to come.We're so close to a million because volunteers all over the country are reaching out online, door-to-door, on the phone and at public events in their community. And every time a new supporter stands up with the President, they in turn reach out to others and the movement grows.Less than three months ago, OFA launched our campaign for health insurance reform. In that short time, hundreds of thousands of Americans have joined in by:
For Republican leaders and special interests, the health insurance debate may be a political game. But for millions of American businesses and families, the cost of inaction is economic ruin and deteriorating care for the ones we love. Out-of-control health care costs are breaking the budgets of families, businesses and government -- and every day that Congress refuses to act, 14,000 Americans lose their coverage entirely.We're working so hard in every part of this country because we understand -- this is no game. Add your name to help us reach one million public supporters this week, and join in this effort to reform health insurance in 2009.Thank you, MitchMitch StewartDirectorOrganizing for America
WEDNESDAY, JULY 22ND, 2009 AT 2:24 PM
Tonight's Press Conference - Tune in at 8pm ET
Posted by Cammie Croft
We're hearing a lot of back and forth about health insurance reform. And it's hard to decipher myth from fact -- especially as Washington heats up with its usual political games and 'who's up', 'who's down' rhetoric.So, tonight, President Obama is holding a primetime press conference to address the nation about health insurance reform. He will lay out where we are, where we're going, and why health insurance reform matters. Check back later for advance excerpts of tonight's address. And at 8pm ET, tune in to watch the press conference live at Whitehouse.gov/Live and participate in the live chat on Facebook.As the President has said, we are closer than ever before to accomplishing comprehensive health insurance reform. And now is not the time to slow down or lose sight of the finish line. Spread the word:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Reforming-Health-Insurance-Reforming-Washington/
The President spoke in the Rose Garden today on health insurance reform, but began his remarks by praising the Senate vote on F-22 funding. The President is committed to changing the way we do business in Washington, whether that means finding common ground on health care or eliminating waste and inefficiency in our defense projects.
The consensus that we've forged is not limited to Congress. Indeed, we've forged a level of consensus on health care that has never been reached in the history of this country. Health care providers have agreed to do their part to reduce the rate of growth in health care spending. The pharmaceutical industry has agreed to spending reductions that will make prescription drugs more affordable for seniors. Hospitals have agreed to bring down costs. The American Nurses Association and the American Medical Association, who represent millions of nurses and doctors who know our health care system best, have announced their support for reform.
Even as consensus builds on these critical issues, the President knows the road ahead will not be easy. Those who are committed to the status quo will fight to delay and defeat reform, as they’ve done before. But the President is committed to bringing change to Washington, and he knows that this isn’t about political games, it is about the American people
http://stories.barackobama.com/healthcare
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Weekly-Address-Health-Care-Reform-Cannot-Wait/
The President calls on Congress to seize this opportunity – one that may not come again for decades – and finally pass health care reform: "It’s about every family unable to keep up with soaring out of pocket costs and premiums rising three times faster than wages. Every worker afraid of losing health insurance if they lose their job, or change jobs. Everyone who’s worried that they may not be able to get insurance or change insurance if someone in their family has a pre-existing condition..."
Dear Congress,Americans want health care costs brought under control, unfair treatment of people with pre-existing health conditions to end, everyone to have access to high-quality, affordable health care.And we want it now. We – and the millions of Americans who want coverage they can afford, coverage they can get and they can keep – urge you to move quickly and to enact meaningful health care reform. Sincerely,Harry and Louise
http://www.harryandlouise.org/
These organizations totally support the return of Zelaya and condemn the coup. They were critical of certain policies of Zelaya in the past (however short his rule was), especially of his endorsement of the Plan Puebla Panama. However I record reading in the local press when in Honduras that Zelaya just have met with some indigenous leaders in June and promissed his support of their rights to land. The Garifuna leaders were also first to indicate certain rightist American organizations and individuals (Reich) as having hand in the coup, two days after the coup of June 28. OFRANEH found it also telling that the American Ambassador left the country the day prior to the coup.
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DECLARATION FROM DURUGUBUTI
[transalated for RA by Rosalind Gil]
Garífuna, Lenca and Vía Campesina representatives have come together as part of the Foro de Biodiversidad: Territorio y Cultura (Forum on Biodiversity:Lands and Culture) to declare that we honour the spirits of our ancestors who were massacred seventy years ago during the dictatorship of Tiburcio Crías and we declare that:
Faced with the offensive of the neo-liberal Plan Puebla-Panamá, a plan to reinforce neocolonialism amongst our peoples and to spread the powerful neo-liberal transport and maquila network, we raise our voices once again against the sacking of our lands and the breaking up of our social and political organizations; all of which is designed to expand the domination of the industrialized countries and their multi-national companies in Central America.
Destructive projects for so-called “integration and development” implemented by international financial organizations such as the FMI, BM, BID, USAID, UE, etc. are endangering the life and the cultures of our peoples. The “development” they put forth is based on economic profits that cause an imbalance to nature, which is an intimate part of our cosmology and from which many of us sustain ourselves.
The grave food shortage crisis in our country stems from a policy of agricultural production that is for export only. There is no existing plan for agricultural reform that guarantees a right to the land and to Food Sovereignty for Honduran campesinos.
The appropriation of biodiversity by the trans-nationals seriously endangers our survival. Biodiversity includes water, flora, and fauna, as well as our people’s traditional knowledge concerning conservation and rational use of resources.
The colonial policies put forth by Plan Puebla-Panamá are causing social conflicts that have led to repressive actions on the part of state security forces. These forces have adopted terror as a social-control strategy. The only ones who benefit from this strategy are the powerful elite, the transnational companies and financial organizations that put together the plan for economic domination.
Global warming and the need to satisfy the ferocious appetite of industry have grave consequences for the planet. Industry is responsible for climate change and is affecting us negatively in many ways.
Faced with the large number of totally asymmetrical Free Trade Agreements favouring a system based on exploitation and out of control consumerism that has caused the destruction of the planet:
WE DEMAND:
* Suspension of mega-projects in highly fragile ecological areas such as the Tigre and Patuca Dams (The MesoAmerican Biological Corridor), the Bahia de Tela where tourism is being developed and plans are in place to fill in the Laguna de Micos (RAMSAR 722). As well, efforts should be made to stop the destruction of many rivers and streams throughout the country.
* Immediate suspension of the existing Mining and Forestry law and of attempts to reform the law by trans-nationals and by members of the Congress who are being paid off. Immediate cancellation of the 300 mining concessions that have been granted (the equivalent of 30,000 square kilometers of the country). This will allow us to regain our national sovereignty, environmental balance, as well as respect for the land and cultural rights of the indigenous, black and campesino peoples of Honduras.
* Comprehensive agricultural reform, as well as a strategy for ensuring food supplies for the whole country. This strategy should respond to the needs of the people and not be designed to suit the needs of international financial organizations or the up and downs of the market.
* An indefinite moratorium on exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons.As well, a strategy should be developed and put in place to preserve energy.The litigation process must, in the end, ensure that commitments to the Honduran people are kept. Our sovereignty and dignity must be put ahead of those of the trans-nationals and of the US Proconsul.
* Immediate ratification of the Cartagena Biosafety Protocol to stop the loss of our native seeds, especially corn seeds. Measures must be taken to save our native corn by identifying products made from genetically modified food. And in this way, with the reactivation of corn production, we will stop the massive importation of genetically modified seeds and cereals, and stop the importation and production of genetically modified varieties.
* Faced with global warming and the situation we have had to endure in Honduras since Hurricane Mitch, an increase in the intensity and number of storms, an increase in temperature and long periods of drought, we demand that a strategy be put in place for dealing with global warming and its effects on highly vulnerable areas such as the Caribbean coast, the southern area of the country, and in fact, the whole country.
* Rejection of the Ley Indigena (Indigenous Law) which was put together for the PAPIN-BID consortium and was created behind the backs of the indigenous peoples, violating OIT 169, which, we insist, must be enforced, beginning with the amendment of the Property Law which tries to do away with communal property.
* Faced with the systematic repression that we have had to endure, we, the indigenous peoples, black people, campesinos and environmental activists demand total respect for the human rights of the Honduran people and we demand that criminals be brought to justice.
Despite the on-going aggressions against our people, we are committed to intensifying our resistance. We will continue organizing, spreading information and training, as well as seeking ways of constructing a just and equitable society.
With the spirit of those who were massacred in Durgubuti, Talanquera, Astillero, Horcones and the spirits of Lempira, Etempica, Iselaca, Mota, Barauda and Satuye, we will continue our struggle with dignity.
San Juan Tela, DurugubutiMarch 18, 2007.
OFRANEH (Honduran Black People’s Fraternal Organization) COPINH (The Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations ofHonduras)Vía CampesinaGrito de los Excluidos – Honduras
Brothers and Sisters, we invite you to join us by signing up at ofraneh@laceiba.com, copinhonduras@yahoo.es
http://www.rightsaction.org/urgent_com/Garifuna_Alert_042907.html
Link: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd5vs2xt_0hkwp6xd8 Subject: ESCR under attack - CONTACT NIH TODAY!!! Forwarded message from Don Reed, national stem cell research advocate-- Dear Stem Cell Research Advocate: The next 6 days are crucial in the stem cell research struggle. Here's why. Remember when President Obama signed that document removing the Bush stem cell restrictions? That same day he called upon the National Institutes of Health to draft a new set of guidelines for scientists wanting federal funding. Those guidelines have just been issued. see http://stemcells.nih.gov/policy/2009draft.htm The next 2 days are the comment period for the new guidelines for stem cell research, which American scientists will have to live with if they want federal funding. This is the public's only chance to shape those guidelines: which can be improved-or made worse. Unfortunately, there are problems with the proposed guidelines! Not only are the guidelines far more conservative than we had hoped, but opponents of the research are systematically flooding the comment process. Conservative religious bodies, have launched a national campaign to attack early stem cell research by mass emails to the NIH. *"The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) launched a new "Oppose Destructive Stem Cell Research" campaign today, equipping citizens to contact Congress and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to oppose embryonic stem cell research ." -- WASHINGTON, May 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ www.usccb.org/stemcellcampaign Is their anti-research campaign having an effect? Dr. Wise Young of Rutgers University , ". of the 6000 plus comments that NIH has received concerning the draft guidelines, 99% were from people who opposed embryonic stem cell research."-Carecure Forum http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showpost.php?p=1039001&postcount=12
Recent Fact and Figures on Health Care in the U.S.
Taking On Debt
More and More Americans Lack Health Insurance Coverage
Americans Are Spending Large Shares of Income on Health Care
Source: “Losing Ground: How the Loss of Adequate Health Insurance is Burdening Working Families,” Report by The Commonwealth Fund (Published August 2008)
IT REALLY MADE MY DAY!
i LOVE MICHELLE WITH ALL MY HEART, AND HER ENTIRE FAMILY.
DO NOT MISS IT.
MERCED IS A VERY NEW CAMPUS IN CALIFORNIA, AND ALREADY
SO MUCH AHEAD OF THE VENERABLE NOTRE DAME.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"(...) Apart from these big-picture analyses, it is important to catalogue all of the differences on a more specific level, as well. For example, yesterday, the Huffington Post took a look at the differences between spending on the "drug war" from 2009 to 2010. Again, the results were minimal (more in the extended entry):
In the 2010 budget, prevention takes a 10.6 percent hit while domestic law enforcement gets a boost of 2.3 percent, with "interdiction" (military and police actions designed to stem the flow of drugs into and about the country) gaining 4.4 percent. On the positive side of the ledger, treatment shows a 4.4 percent increase. And what of the never-ending seesaw battle between supply and demand initiatives? Unfortunately, demand reduction efforts (education, prevention) are down 0.8 percent, while (generally futile) supply reduction initiatives (enforcement, burning or poisoning crops) gets a 2.7 percent bump.
In terms of actual spending figures, here is the breakdown from the Obama administration itself:
Interdiction: $4.004 billion (2010) vs. $3.836 billion (2009) Domestic Law Enforcement: $3.737 billion (2010) vs. $3.654 billion (2009) Drug Treatment: $3.566 billion (2010) vs. $3.416 billion (2009) Drug Prevention: $1.602 billion (2010) vs. $1.791 billion (2009) International Enforcement: $2.160 billion (2010) vs. $2.174 billion (2009)
I have hardly ever sent emails like the one below but please read and help this little girl and her parents. This is why we also need to support Obama's health care reform. This story will make you sad and angry.
Reno girl must get chemo in Oakland or pay more (Associated Press, 05-08-09) By SCOTT SONNER
Erica Schneider lives about 15 minutes from a Reno hospital where her doctors visit regularly from California to provide chemotherapy treatments to children like her -- a 5-year-old girl with leukemia. But unless her parents come up with more money or their insurance company relents, she'll likely have to continue to travel more than 400 miles roundtrip on a weekly basis for up to two years to receive the same treatments in Oakland, Calif.
Sound crazy? Her parents, Paul and Yvette Schneider, think so. So do the two widely respected oncologists treating her, a state insurance examiner, the governor's office and the majority leader of the U.S. Senate. But so far, their appeals for a compassionate waiver have failed to stir any sympathy at the Government Employees Health Association, a Missouri-based insurance provider for federal workers.
"As it stands, GEHA is forcing our 5-year-old who is sick with cancer to travel nearly 500 miles from Reno to Oakland and back every week for uncomfortable treatments that could be administered by the very same doctors 12 miles from our house at Renown," Yvette Schneider said in an interview. Drs. Robert Rafael and Joseph Torkildson are based at the Children's Hospital & Research Center in Oakland but travel to Renown Medical Center in Reno a day or two each week to provide such treatment to a number of children. That includes patients whose insurance companies' in-network policy dictates that, in normal cases, they receive treatment at the other major hospital in Reno, Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center.
However, the doctors and officials at both hospitals say that in most cases like this, other insurance companies grant temporary waivers to provide the treatment at Renown because Saint Mary's doesn't have an intensive care unit for pediatric cancer patients. GEHA, on the other hand, continues to demand that in order for the Schneiders to receive in-network coverage capped at $5,000 a year, they must travel to an in-network facility such as the one in Oakland.
Jane Overton, GEHA's vice president for claims, said she doesn't believe the company is being unreasonable because the Schneiders are welcome to choose any hospital they want if they pay the out-of-network rate capped at $7,000 annually. "We are fortunate she has our coverage," Overton said on Friday from the company's headquarters in Independence, Mo.
"Her costs (for treatment) will be hundreds of thousands of dollars," she told AP. "Proportionately, to pay that extra amount may or may not be reasonable" depending on one's point of view. Yvette Schneider, whose husband Paul works for the Federal Highway Administration in Carson City, said the family can't afford to pay any more and will have no choice but to continue to make the weekly trips to Oakland. And, she said, there's no guarantee the treatment will end in two years. She said the company's stonewalling is adding to the "physical, emotional and financial stress" of dealing with the illness of their young child.
"It's crazy," Schneider said after 12 hours of traveling and treatment earlier this week. "The money we already have to pay out of pocket is already more than we can afford. Saying that it is only $2,000 a year more -- it might as well be $200,000 a year more. It's already more than we have." Rafael said he is "furious about the whole situation." Torkildson said it's the first time they've met so much resistance to securing authorization to treat a patient who lives in Reno.
"To force a family to drive four hours a week to Oakland for therapy that she could get just down the road from their home seems absolutely atrocious," he said. Connie Goes, a nurse practitioner who works with the two doctors in Oakland and makes the trip to Reno once a week, said it is the first time they have been unable to reach an agreement with any insurance company who is contracted with Saint Mary's.
"The bottom line is this is a little child with leukemia and there is not a pediatric oncology program in northern Nevada outside what we travel to Reno to provide," Goes said. Goes said when she spoke with GEHA officials, the only explanation they would provide was that Renown is not in their network.
"They were very short, very blunt. I get very frustrated with these people," she said. Torkildson said his experience has been that Renown will negotiate a temporary contract in good faith and offer a rate equal, or similar, to the rate offered at St. Mary's. "But this company (GEHA), for whatever reason, doesn't seem to want to open that dialogue," he said. Don Butterfield, communications director for Renown Health, confirmed the situation is unusual. "Renown routinely cooperates with nonparticipating insurers to provide local health care that benefits both patient and family," Butterfield said.
"Usually, when an insurer recognizes a clinical gap in their network, they promptly authorize care at Renown, even if your providers are outside of their network," he said. Shannon Reynolds, GEHA's network manager, said the preferred provider organization GEHA contracts with in the Reno market -- the Universal Health Network -- has been unable to come to an agreement with Renown that would bring it into GEHA's network. "It appears that the hospital isn't quite in the quality quadrant that UHN would like to contract with," Reynolds said Friday. "Not to say Renown is not quality ... but we believe there is very high quality at the hospital in Oakland."
Overton also acknowledged there's been some confusion over the Schneiders' coverage because a customer service representative mistakenly gave one of their doctors the impression there wouldn't be any coverage if they went out of network. "That was inaccurate. We regret any misunderstanding," she said.
The Schneiders have asked for help in letters to Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and the Nevada Division of Insurance, among others. Reid spokesman Jon Summers confirmed the Senate majority leader's office is looking into the matter but said he couldn't discuss it further publicly.
Van Mouradian, chief insurance examiner for the Nevada Division of Insurance's Life and Health Section, said the state doesn't have any legal jurisdiction over the federal employees program. But he said in an e-mail to AP that the division has asked GEHA to review its procedures so Erica can be treated at Renown. He said a representative of Gov. Jim Gibbons' office has made a similar request. "The company is in the process of reviewing the situation on a priority basis and will let us know as soon as they make a determination," Mouradian said. Dianne Cornwall, director of the Nevada Department of Business and Industry, said she was glad the Division of Insurance was getting involved despite the jurisdictional issue.
"I know it is stressful for this family to have a daughter who is ill, so your assistance to them means more than you might think," she said this week in an e-mail to Mouradian.
Please email Senator Reid: http://reid.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
or
Gov. Jim Gibbons of Nevada at http://gov.state.nv.us/ContactX.htm.
or call GEHA
GEHA's Customer Service Department : Phone:
Call (800) 821-6136.
cs.geha@geha.com
Thank you so much.Kay
Who killed the public transport?
Well, many are guilty. Like those of us who do not use it even though it is there for grabs.
But especially guilty are designers of public transportation vehicles who are not regular users. Or perhaps just have “visited” a train between driving their well cushioned four door luxury sedans. I was close to a heart attack when I saw the “designs” for the new BART trains – the public train system in San Francisco Bay area. I use it all the time. And I have CFIDS. These photos made me dizzy by just looking at them.
Please read the comments following the article. I am sure glad that I am not alone in my feelings. Let's not let them squeeze us any more! We are working people. We deserve respect and comfort.
And MUNI, the San Francisco bus system, is going to raise the fair 50 cents. The highest rise in century!
All this when the Planet is warming every day more.
I am mad! fib
« PREVIOUS NEXT »
BART lays out ambitious plans for new railcars This design includes three doors, and keeps the seating configuration fairly similar to the existing BART Cars at the far ends of the car, but changes the middle seating to allow longitudinal (side facing) seating. This opens up considerable room for passenger flows and standees. (Courtesy of BART)
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000oooooo
"BART is set to embark on a $3.4 billion project to replace its existing trains with 700 new cars that will carry more people, move passengers through stations faster, and meet the needs of suburban and urban riders.
"This is a significant undertaking for this agency, one we don't even make every generation," BART General Manager Dorothy Dugger said Thursday. Many of the 669 BART cars now in service have been running since the system opened in 1972.
BART officials are confident they can get $1 billion, most of which would come from the federal government, to pay for 200 cars and hope to get a further $2.4 billion in funding to pay for the remaining 500 trains in the fleet. Some of the costs could be paid for by fare hikes and bridge toll increases.(...)"
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/05/08/BAKO17GMMN.DTL
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Thursday, Apr. 30, 2009
Making Health Care Reform Pay for Itself
By Karen Tumulty / Washington
The budget that just passed both houses of Congress has given the prospects for health-care reform this year a big boost. With the inclusion of procedural language that would make it impossible for opponents to filibuster, it will now take a simple majority to pass the Senate, rather than 60 votes, simplifying the political arithmetic considerably.
But that is only the beginning. As hard as it will be for lawmakers to navigate the political and philosophical minefields to get to 51 votes for health-care reform, the most difficult challenge of all may be the number on the bottom line. Under the budget rules, any reform scheme will have to pay for itself within six years. (See five truths about health care in America.)
Trying to meet that ambitious goal in such a short time frame may make it hard for lawmakers to make the wisest policy choices. Though advocates say that fixing the health system promises big savings over the long haul, it will take some big, up-front investments — in technology and preventive care, for instance — whose benefits will not begin to take effect for years. And most of the savings will accrue not to the Federal Government — whose direct costs for health care are felt largely through the Medicare and Medicaid programs — but to the economy writ large, where health care now accounts for about 17% of all spending, more than double its percentage in 1970. "Ironically, the things that may wind up being the most important are the things that we will get little or no credit for" under the budget rules, says White House Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag.
See the world's most influential people in the 2009 TIME 100.
So daunting is the prospect of passing a bill that fits the confines of a pay-as-you-go budget that a coalition of 30 organizations pushing for health-care reform — including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, organized labor, the drug lobby, AARP and organizations representing hospitals, doctors and patients — wrote a letter in March asking lawmakers to suspend the rule with respect to health-care reform. But officials at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue say that would be political suicide at a time of record deficits — and a guarantee that Republicans and fiscally conservative Democrats would not support the plan.
So where will lawmakers find the money? President Obama proposed a $634 billion "reserve fund," paid for by higher taxes on the wealthy, but even if that passes, experts say it won't be enough to cover even half the cost of comprehensive health-care reform over the next 10 years. Hospitals and doctors are also bracing for what they expect will be efforts to cut the reimbursements they get for treating patients under Medicare and Medicaid. (See an illustrated time line of Obama's first 100 days in office.)
One of the biggest ways to raise money to pay for health-care reform is also the most politically delicate: taxing employer-provided health benefits. It's an idea that Obama criticized when his opponent John McCain proposed it during last year's presidential campaign, but one that his top White House advisers now say should remain on the table. And it is an approach that Senate Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus says he is considering.
It's easy to see the appeal, if you look at the numbers. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that fully counting employer-provided health benefits as taxable income could bring as much as $246 billion a year into federal coffers. But the politics of taxing something that workers now believe they get for free would be treacherous. More likely than a total elimination of the favorable tax treatment is the prospect of putting some kind of limit on that deduction — forcing workers to pay taxes, for instance, if their employer offers a particularly lavish plan. Or lawmakers may come at it another way, curbing the tax deduction that companies can take for offering those benefits.
Such choices get to the real truth behind the cold hard numbers of health-care reform. Every one of them is a political calculation, one that pits one constituency against another. Can lawmakers really balance the books on health-care reform? "You can do it," says former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle, a leading voice in the health-care-reform effort. "It's just a matter of how much pain you want to endure."
See the top 10 medical breakthroughs of 2008.
See TIME's Pictures of the Week.
...as I know all too well. fib
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Before saluting Arlen Specter, President Obama discussed the flu situation, Here are some excerpts -- and note that the president doesn't use the phrase "swine flu."
- "I'd like to briefly address the ongoing challenge posed by the H1N1 flu virus."
-"An infant in Texas has died as a result of this virus. And my thoughts and prayers and deepest condolences go out to the family, as well as those who are ill and recovering from this flu."
- "This is obviously a serious situation - serious enough to take the utmost precautions."
- "It's also the recommendation of our public health officials that schools with confirmed or suspected cases of H1N1 should strongly consider temporarily closing so that we can be as safe as possible. If the situation becomes more serious and we have to take more extensive steps, then parents should also think about contingencies if schools in their areas do temporarily shut down, figuring out and planning what their child care situation would be."
- "Yesterday, I also requested from Congress an immediate $1.5 billion in emergency funding. This funding will ensure that we have adequate supplies of vaccines and the equipment to handle a potential outbreak."
- "I'll continue to get constant updates on the situation from the responsible agencies, and we will continue to offer regular updates to the American people about the steps they need to take and the steps that we are taking."
(Posted by David Jackson; photo by Mandel Ngan, AP)
