The Truth Truly Is What The Majority Of The People Believe
Posted by Michelle Moquin on August 14th, 2009
Hello…
Well…health care is obviously the hot topic this week. I love that my readers are so current as it keeps me on my toes. I did not hear about Sen. Grassley’s town hall meeting until I read the comments this morning. So I clicked on the link (Thanks Anonymous 14) and began to watch it. After a few minutes (ok more than a few minutes), listening to all of his rhetoric, I was done.
I mean, how can Sen. Grassley say that we have the best health care in the world when we are ranked no. 37!? And once again, he’s quoting the Lewin Group, the strength of the GOP’s talking points. Most of the people at the meeting are elderly, and he’s taking advantage of that by preying on them and breeding fear. And some are taking it in as if he’s their BFF, protecting them.
Do any of these town hallers check out their sources? Do they question authority? I know many are challenging him with their questions but are they hungry to find the truth or do they just take his words, his answers, as gospel? They are most likely trusting him to tell the truth. I mean he is their Senator, representing their state. He does have their best interest at heart, right? Think again. Once again, in my opinion he is just another wolf in sheep’s clothing trying to bury Obama at the expense of us all.
This is very scary to me. Truth is an illusion. The truth truly is what the majority of the people believe.
Oh, we have our work cut out for us. We can no longer smile and pass pleasantries to our friends, neighbors, and families when they speak of things that just aren’t true. We need to set them straight….hell even talk to strangers if you get the opportunity. These rumors and lies need to be buried deep…or our health care reform is gonna be in deep shit.
In case you haven’t gotten the latest from the Obama administration, this will hopefully help to do just that. Pass it along. Speak up.
Dear Friend,
This is probably one of the longest emails I’ve ever sent, but it could be the most important.
Across the country we are seeing vigorous debate about health insurance reform. Unfortunately, some of the old tactics we know so well are back — even the viral emails that fly unchecked and under the radar, spreading all sorts of lies and distortions.
As President Obama said at the town hall in New Hampshire, “where we do disagree, let’s disagree over things that are real, not these wild misrepresentations that bear no resemblance to anything that’s actually been proposed.”
So let’s start a chain email of our own. At the end of my email, you’ll find a lot of information about health insurance reform, distilled into 8 ways reform provides security and stability to those with or without coverage, 8 common myths about reform and 8 reasons we need health insurance reform now.
Right now, someone you know probably has a question about reform that could be answered by what’s below. So what are you waiting for? Forward this email.
Thanks,
David
David Axelrod
Senior Adviser to the President
P.S. We launched www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck this week to knock down the rumors and lies that are floating around the internet. You can find the information below, and much more, there. For example, we’ve just added a video of Nancy-Ann DeParle from our Health Reform Office tackling a viral email head on. Check it out:
8 ways reform provides security and stability to those with or without coverage
- Ends Discrimination for Pre-Existing Conditions: Insurance companies will be prohibited from refusing you coverage because of your medical history.
- Ends Exorbitant Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Deductibles or Co-Pays: Insurance companies will have to abide by yearly caps on how much they can charge for out-of-pocket expenses.
- Ends Cost-Sharing for Preventive Care: Insurance companies must fully cover, without charge, regular checkups and tests that help you prevent illness, such as mammograms or eye and foot exams for diabetics.
- Ends Dropping of Coverage for Seriously Ill: Insurance companies will be prohibited from dropping or watering down insurance coverage for those who become seriously ill.
- Ends Gender Discrimination: Insurance companies will be prohibited from charging you more because of your gender.
- Ends Annual or Lifetime Caps on Coverage: Insurance companies will be prevented from placing annual or lifetime caps on the coverage you receive.
- Extends Coverage for Young Adults: Children would continue to be eligible for family coverage through the age of 26.
- Guarantees Insurance Renewal: Insurance companies will be required to renew any policy as long as the policyholder pays their premium in full. Insurance companies won’t be allowed to refuse renewal because someone became sick.
Learn more and get details: http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/health-insurance-consumer-protections/
8 common myths about health insurance reform
- Reform will stop “rationing” – not increase it: It’s a myth that reform will mean a “government takeover” of health care or lead to “rationing.” To the contrary, reform will forbid many forms of rationing that are currently being used by insurance companies.
- We can’t afford reform: It’s the status quo we can’t afford. It’s a myth that reform will bust the budget. To the contrary, the President has identified ways to pay for the vast majority of the up-front costs by cutting waste, fraud, and abuse within existing government health programs; ending big subsidies to insurance companies; and increasing efficiency with such steps as coordinating care and streamlining paperwork. In the long term, reform can help bring down costs that will otherwise lead to a fiscal crisis.
- Reform would encourage “euthanasia”: It does not. It’s a malicious myth that reform would encourage or even require euthanasia for seniors. For seniors who want to consult with their family and physicians about end-of life decisions, reform will help to cover these voluntary, private consultations for those who want help with these personal and difficult family decisions.
- Vets’ health care is safe and sound: It’s a myth that health insurance reform will affect veterans’ access to the care they get now. To the contrary, the President’s budget significantly expands coverage under the VA, extending care to 500,000 more veterans who were previously excluded. The VA Healthcare system will continue to be available for all eligible veterans.
- Reform will benefit small business – not burden it: It’s a myth that health insurance reform will hurt small businesses. To the contrary, reform will ease the burdens on small businesses, provide tax credits to help them pay for employee coverage and help level the playing field with big firms who pay much less to cover their employees on average.
- Your Medicare is safe, and stronger with reform: It’s myth that Health Insurance Reform would be financed by cutting Medicare benefits. To the contrary, reform will improve the long-term financial health of Medicare, ensure better coordination, eliminate waste and unnecessary subsidies to insurance companies, and help to close the Medicare “doughnut” hole to make prescription drugs more affordable for seniors.
- You can keep your own insurance: It’s myth that reform will force you out of your current insurance plan or force you to change doctors. To the contrary, reform will expand your choices, not eliminate them.
- No, government will not do anything with your bank account: It is an absurd myth that government will be in charge of your bank accounts. Health insurance reform will simplify administration, making it easier and more convenient for you to pay bills in a method that you choose. Just like paying a phone bill or a utility bill, you can pay by traditional check, or by a direct electronic payment. And forms will be standardized so they will be easier to understand. The choice is up to you – and the same rules of privacy will apply as they do for all other electronic payments that people make.
Learn more and get details:
http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck
http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck/faq
8 Reasons We Need Health Insurance Reform Now
- Coverage Denied to Millions: A recent national survey estimated that 12.6 million non-elderly adults – 36 percent of those who tried to purchase health insurance directly from an insurance company in the individual insurance market – were in fact discriminated against because of a pre-existing condition in the previous three years or dropped from coverage when they became seriously ill. Learn more:http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/denied_coverage/index.html
- Less Care for More Costs: With each passing year, Americans are paying more for health care coverage. Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums have nearly doubled since 2000, a rate three times faster than wages. In 2008, the average premium for a family plan purchased through an employer was $12,680, nearly the annual earnings of a full-time minimum wage job. Americans pay more than ever for health insurance, but get less coverage. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hiddencosts/index.html
- Roadblocks to Care for Women: Women’s reproductive health requires more regular contact with health care providers, including yearly pap smears, mammograms, and obstetric care. Women are also more likely to report fair or poor health than men (9.5% versus 9.0%). While rates of chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure are similar to men, women are twice as likely to suffer from headaches and are more likely to experience joint, back or neck pain. These chronic conditions often require regular and frequent treatment and follow-up care. Learn more:http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/women/index.html
- Hard Times in the Heartland: Throughout rural America, there are nearly 50 million people who face challenges in accessing health care. The past several decades have consistently shown higher rates of poverty, mortality, uninsurance, and limited access to a primary health care provider in rural areas. With the recent economic downturn, there is potential for an increase in many of the health disparities and access concerns that are already elevated in rural communities. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hardtimes
- Small Businesses Struggle to Provide Health Coverage: Nearly one-third of the uninsured – 13 million people – are employees of firms with less than 100 workers. From 2000 to 2007, the proportion of non-elderly Americans covered by employer-based health insurance fell from 66% to 61%. Much of this decline stems from small business. The percentage of small businesses offering coverage dropped from 68% to 59%, while large firms held stable at 99%. About a third of such workers in firms with fewer than 50 employees obtain insurance through a spouse. Learn more:http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/helpbottomline
- The Tragedies are Personal: Half of all personal bankruptcies are at least partly the result of medical expenses. The typical elderly couple may have to save nearly $300,000 to pay for health costs not covered by Medicare alone. Learn more:http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction
- Diminishing Access to Care: From 2000 to 2007, the proportion of non-elderly Americans covered by employer-based health insurance fell from 66% to 61%. An estimated 87 million people – one in every three Americans under the age of 65 – were uninsured at some point in 2007 and 2008. More than 80% of the uninsured are in working families. Learn more:http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction/diminishing/index.html
- The Trends are Troubling: Without reform, health care costs will continue to skyrocket unabated, putting unbearable strain on families, businesses, and state and federal government budgets. Perhaps the most visible sign of the need for health care reform is the 46 million Americans currently without health insurance – projections suggest that this number will rise to about 72 million in 2040 in the absence of reform. Learn more:http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/assets/documents/CEA_Health_Care_Report.pdf
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9:32 am: Sorry for the confusing post. An old edit was posted, my final write was lost, but now it has been retrieved. Please refresh your server if you haven’t done so already.
Peace out…
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor
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August 14th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Hi Mischa, great info, can’t wait to attend down here…waiting a return e from a staffer at Harman’s office.
The Euthanasia thing is seriously pissing me off, that is not what is suggested, just offing old people bc they’re old, it is the idea of a living will so at the end of life you can have your personal wishes carried out, period. I have one and I’m young, but I am a stickler for details like choosing my destiny : ) and how my final breath on this planet happens should I be at a hospital at the time. I’m hoping for that afternoon nap that never ends, that runs in the fam. I do wish people would stop misconstruing this end of life consultation concept. But, like Doug said, either out of ignorance or a fear that speaking of death would precipitate it earlier, people often don’t have a regular will in place let alone a living will…sad, but true.
Tennis is very Zen for me (‘see the ball, hit the ball’ is all you can really concentrate on) and my life is fully in non-Zen mode, so tennis and working (and crying, bc there’s nothing like emptying the tearducts) are good alternatives. It’ll all sort out shortly (or eventually) but it is a double dose of stress right now…I’ll comment here and maybe we can have a call in a week or two when there is a shift in the, um, ZL atmosphere?
Hi Howie and Al’a'mode : ) and my MIA Anonz…
Caio, Zen Lill
August 14th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Hi Michelle,
I too thank anon.#14 for that link. Senator Chuck “SNAKE IN THE GRASSely’s Town Hall Meeting. WTF is he doing holding a Town Hall meeting in a Methodist Church. No offense to any Methodist’s, but we have laws in this country that are supposed to be separating Church and State.
And there is reason for these laws, one is so all will be included, excluding nobody. How many OTW’s do you think are Methodist, I don’t know, but I would not feel welcome or as comfortable in a church of a religion other than my own. That would be all churches in my case.
But what I’m saying is that is an exclusionary tactic, and is supposed to be against the law.
That is what high school auditoriums and other venues are for. So everybody can feel equal and welcome.
Anyway, the constituents didn’t seem so support him all that much, and he talked shit for an hour. What a lame excuse for a senator. Wake up Iowa
The spin doctors are really working overtime thse days, cannot stand all the BS I’m hearing.
Nice job putting your post together today.
Al-a-king
August 14th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Hi Zen Lill,
happy you met Dennis, but take it easy on his balls. Youcth
Howie say hay.See ya
Al
August 14th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
DO STATINS MAKE WOMEN MEAN?
Very low LDL cholesterol (the “bad” kind) has become the mantra of doctors today. Their eagerness to help patients avoid heart attacks and strokes has led to a change in treatment philosophy concerning LDL levels. Whereas not so long ago the usual recommended level for LDL was less than 100 mg/dL, doctors may now urge some people with risk factors such as high blood pressure to sink LDL to the extremely low level of 70. However, because the brain is made up of fat and cholesterol, there is some concern that lowering cholesterol might be detrimental. And indeed, early observational studies of men showed a slight association between low cholesterol levels and adverse effects on brain function, cognitive performance and mood – specifically a small but notable increase in suicide, accidents and violent behavior.
Cardiologist C. Noel Bairey Merz, MD, director of the Women’s Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, who studies gender differences, was interested in learning whether low cholesterol in women has an association similar to that in men. As chair of the multi-center Women’s Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) study on chest pain and suspected coronary heart disease, she and her research colleagues examined data on 498 women to determine whether there was any association between low cholesterol levels and cognitive/mood responses among women taking lipid-lowering drugs compared with those who were not. She also compared the women with LDL cholesterol of less than 100 with those who had higher levels. Effects were measured by asking the participants to respond to 48 questions to determine levels of aggression, hostility, cynicism and depression. The major difference identified in the low-cholesterol group of women versus the others was that their answers were rated as more aggressive.
WHAT MAKES A WOMAN AGGRESSIVE?
Dr. Bairey Merz told me that the problem with observational studies, including this one, is that there is no way to determine cause and effect. She said one possibility is that women who are more aggressive are more direct about their feelings and needs and seek out ways to get them met… therefore, perhaps they are assertive with their doctors and more likely to get prescriptions. Also there could be a biological connection between low cholesterol and more aggressive behavior. More studies are required to further examine the issues around low cholesterol levels (with and without medication) and behavior.
Source(s): ??C. Noel Bairey Merz, MD, director of the Women’s Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles.?
August 14th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Now that Dennis’s balls thang has me laughing right out loud, Al’aKing, thanks for that, you just made my day! – ZL
August 14th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Hi Connie,
Sorry I did not reply sooner. You say I inspire you. I hope that it is in good way, as in helping to get health care reformed or such.
Michelle is the real inspiration (she does all the work) of this blog.
Bye-Bye.
Al mused
August 14th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
For all of the Grassley followers and believers in his Methodist campaign tactics, or Limbaugh’s lip service lovers, or any of the O’Reilly factors…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/14/grassley-voted-for-socall_n_259750.html
This link discusses the Death Panels that Grassley voted for in the heavily laden GOP vote of 2003 for the Medicare overhaul for the prescription drug bill.
The irony…
The Horror…
Rosebud…