The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is a part of the United States Bill of Rights that expressly prohibits the United States Congress from making laws "respecting an establishment of religion" (the Establishment Clause) or that prohibit free exercise of religion (the Free Exercise Clause), laws that infringe the freedom of speech, infringe the freedom of the press, limit the right to peaceably assemble, or limit the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Before I tell you about the crushing healthcare burdens destroying Americans of every socioeconomic level, I hope those of you too young to remember, will take a look at this video about how my generation changed the course of a nation.
THURSDAY NIGHT IS HEALTH CARE CHANGE NIGHT, a weekly Daily Kos Health Care Series
I've been asked to write a "patriotic July 4th" healthcare diary by the organizers of the Thursday night healthcare series.
What follows is how I see our nation on the eve of July 4th, 2008.
Patriotism is not picnics, fireworks, or a long weekend.
Patriotism is not simply showing up to vote. You don't change a nation at the ballot box alone.
Patriots fight for the voiceless. And in 2008 in the United States, the voiceless has become just about the entire population.
Scenes from an American horror movie:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
By Donna Smith, American SiCKO, communications specialist for CNA/NNOC
Well, well... It’s America’s birthday. I love the 4th of July and the fireworks and the hot dogs and the summer sun.
And it is my hubby’s birthday on July 7, so this is a great time of the year for us. But imagine my surprise and disgust when I opened an early birthday card he received just yesterday from, guess who? Humana. The health insurance giant that currently holds Larry’s Medicare "advantage" plan and is helping dismantle Medicare one private policy at a time.
The company wants Larry to have a happy and healthy birthday. You bet they do. And they send those pretty, glossy cards to one helluva lot of Medicare folks.
The New York Times reported in April 2008, "Two companies, UnitedHealth Group and Humana, have captured nearly half of the vast new market for prescription drug insurance under Medicare, according to new data issued Friday by the Bush administration." That’s 2.4 million Humana held Medicare drug plans and another 792,500 in Humana-Medicare "advantage" policies.
This is really just a personal diary. I'm not sure what larger point I have to make, if any. But a couple of months ago, the company I work for was bought out by another company. After the acquisition, we were told that our health insurance would carry over to the new company without any interruptions. We even had the same provider. (Think "blue".)
There were some forms we had to fill out. I filled them out and gave them back to our (the old company's) HR person. Then, just recently, I got an email forwarded to me from the new company's HR person. It seems that they didn't have all the right forms for me, and my health insurance expired. Back at the end of April. Which they are only telling me about now.
Oh, and today is my birthday. Happy birthday to me. As for health care, until the paperwork is straightened out, I am completely naked. So for my birthday, I am wearing my birthday suit.
In an ocean of sobering reports on the collapse of the U.S. healthcare system, this just released report from The Center for Studying Health System Change, is among the most horrifying I've seen.
Falling Behind: Americans' Access to Medical Care Deteriorates, 2003-2007
The number and proportion of Americans reporting going without or delaying needed medical care increased sharply between 2003 and 2007, according to findings from the Center for Studying Health System Change’s (HSC) nationally representative 2007 Health Tracking Household Survey. One in five Americans—59 million people—reported not getting or delaying needed medical care in 2007, up from one in seven—36 million people—in 2003. While access deteriorated for both insured and uninsured people, insured people experienced a larger relative increase in access problems compared with uninsured people.
We talk all the time about the problem with healthcare and the lack of health insurance and, yes, this is a major problem.
But, as I've learned today, the problem extends further to dental care. In 2006, the National Association of Dental Plans reported than only 57% of Americans had dental insurance. That means something like 135 million people are without any dental insurance.
Perhaps you can get by without dental insurance with good oral hygine, but even then, those small problems can come up that can cause chaos. I brush my teeth everyday, twice a day, and floss, (perhaps not well I gather) but this morning I woke up in excrutiating pain coming from a molar in my upper left jaw. The pain was so bad, I was tearing up and banging my head against the wall just to blunt the pain.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors, meeting in Miami, adopted a resolution this morning in support of single-payer national health insurance.
The assembly, in unanimous vote, backed a resolution calling for the enactment of the "United States National Health Insurance Act," H.R. 676. The bill, which is also known as the "Improved and Expanded Medicare for All Act," is sponsored by Rep. John Conyers of Michigan and 90 other members of Congress.
"This is a major achievement, a qualitative change in the movement for genuine health care reform," said Dr. David Prensky, a retired dentist from Palm Beach, Fla., who helped promote the resolution. Prensky is a member of the Chicago-based Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP).
What options would I have available if I am forced to buy a private health insurance plan? What do you get in a private plan, as opposed to what Canadians get in a national health care system? I was about to be eligible for COBRA for a large plan in California, when I received a contract job offer in another state. For the past year I have been living with extreme frugality at a low paying university job that was miserable. I quit for some higher paying temporary consulting, and had continued insurance eligibility for a while. Now I have accepted a contract assignment with excellent pay for one year in another state. It turns out that the health plan I have has no provision for medical benefits out of state except for emergency treatment until returning to California. The coverage is not applicable if one does not have a California address. All of the providers are in the local area. So my COBA eligibility is cancelled when I move out of state. The contract agency does not have a health plan any more. They used to have one, but they are based in Massachusetts, so I guess they don't have to offer their own any more. So on July 1 I will be stranded without a health plan. Here are the choices so far:
Important note for Kossacks in San Francisco: If you're attending the demonstration, please look for us at 12 noon at 4th and Howard Street - Moscone West. We'll be carrying a large orange banner which will say, (of course), DAILY KOS.
Thousands of Americans are assembling today at 12 noon today outside the Moscone West Convention Center in San Francisco. We're here to demonstrate against AHIP and for single-payer healthcare in the United States--what the rest of the civilized world accepts as normal.
AHIP is the chief lobbyist of the for profit Murder By Spreadsheet insurance industry.
It's the first time AHIP has held its annual convention and been greeted with thousands of outraged Americans. We're going to give them a hearty welcome to the City by the Bay.
We're here because AHIP is a parasitic organization whose only purpose is to take money and destroy lives. Before the day ends, AHIP will know it can no longer waltz into a great American city unchallenged. We will fight AHIP wherever it goes. And ultimately the American people will get guaranteed and affordable single-payer healthcare.
In yesterday's post on a case of an ambulance driver's "moral refusal" of taking a woman in severe pain to a women's clinic, a frequent criticism came up: "But wouldn't the EMT get in trouble if she died? Surely they could revoke his license?"
This, sadly, can no longer be assumed. In at least one state--Mississippi--the scenario of an EMT conducting a "moral refusal", the woman dying as a result, and the EMT getting off scot free is an unfortunate possibility.
Even worse, Mississippi's law is now considered a model "moral refusal" statute--as we'll see below.
In Part 2 of the miniseries which we began yesterday, we discuss how "moral refusal" clauses are increasingly going far beyond just doctors and pharmacists, and are now extending to the most basic thing we associate with healthcare--the trip in the ambulance to have emergency surgery.
Yes, you're reading this right--dominionist ambulance drivers are now refusing to take people to women's clinics just because the woman needs a medically necessary abortion.
And at the end of the post--because I never like to just bring bad news without discussing ways to fix what's broken--I present some possible solutions to the problem of "moral refusal".
Rep. John Conyers will be in New York City, Tuesday, June 17th, 2009, from 4:00PM-6:00PM, at City University of New York, 25 West 43rd St. 19th Floor Conference Room, and would be so grateful he could spend some time with you to discuss organizing strategies on HR 676/single payer national health insurance.
There are many new exciting developments regarding HR 676:
• The formation of a new official HR 676 Congressional Caucus, to add heft to the 90 congressional co-sponsors so far.
• HR 676 Caucus Members engaging in regular special orders on the House Floor on the American health care crisis, and why they believe HR 676 is the best answer.
• Meeting every two weeks with Members, staff, single payer and universal health care activists, and various NGO’s to discuss why HR 676 is the optimal bill in Congress to address the crisis.
• Soon to be launched Congressional briefings and seminars on universal health care policy, and debates in Congress on single payer vs. non-single payer.
Meanwhile in related news, the AMA "finally" discovers that Medicare is better then private insurance.
The AP is reporting that the American Medical Association today released a report card on the health insurance industry. The primary focus is on the how quickly and accurately doctors get paid but it does have some interesting data that might be useful for patients. It would be interesting to see if the same health insurers that are slow to pay providers are also slow to pay patient claims. The takeaway is that even the AMA admits single payer is the best way to go.
Now, in an end-run against "must dispense or refer" laws in several states, dominionists are now expanding the large "parallel economy" to a new area--namely, the dominionist-run pharmacy not providing contraceptives at all...and there are disturbing indications that a prediction I made re broad "moral refusal" clauses may have come to pass.
Alan just spent two weeks in the woods to consider his options. He didn't use the gun. He says he probably won't. But it's an option.
Because of the tumor growing around his spine, Alan can't use his right hand much anymore, so he duct tapes a paintbrush to his hand in order to paint and stain the cabinets and furniture he makes. He has to sell as much as he can; his medications alone cost $700 a month. The pain makes it impossible for him to ride his motorcycle, but he still walks a couple of miles every day, and the local police make it a point to drive past and check on his progress, as Alan's gait isn't very steady anymore and they're a little worried about him out there.
The health care crisis is so much worse than any of us imagined. The latest statistics, as released in a new report yesterday, are staggering.
49.5 million without health insurance
25 million who are "underinsured" and facing huge medical bills they can't afford to pay
And the problem is no longer reserved for those with low incomes (<$20,000 per year) but is creeping into the middle class, having grown 300% just in the last 4 years for families that make between $20,000 - $40,000 a year..</p>
The crisis in health insurance and health care costs in this country has never been worse.
A study released yesterday by the Commonwealth Fund found that 42% of Americans either are uninsured or underinsured.
According to the study,
"More than half of the underinsured (53%) and two-thirds of the uninsured (68%) went without needed care—including not seeing a doctor when sick, not filling prescriptions, and not following up on recommended tests or treatment."
