Call Back: Good. Connecting: Not So Good.
Posted by Michelle Moquin on October 13th, 2009
Good morning.
I haven’t spoken about health care in quite a few days but it is still heavily on my mind. Yesterday I received an e-mail (see below) and I decided to take action and make my voice heard at least one more time, since time is getting crucial….and we all need to speak up, once again…and again…and again…
Dear Michelle:
Congress will vote on single-payer, Medicare-for-All soon! They need to hear from single-payer supporters from all over the country.
While media coverage of the health reform debate is focused on the Senate Finance Committee’s bill (which was largely drafted by current and former executives at Wellpoint, the nation’s largest private health insurance company), several congressional votes on single-payer, Medicare-for-All loom on the horizon.
You can help determine the outcome of these votes by calling Congress now.
Ask them to support the Weiner, Kucinich, and Sanders amendments.
Sometime in the next two or three weeks, Rep. Anthony Weiner’s (D-NY) amendment to substitute single-payer legislation (along the lines of Rep. Conyers’ H.R. 676) for the House leadership’s bill, H.R. 3200, will come up for an up-or-down vote on the House floor.
Additionally, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) has secured a provision in H.R. 3200 that would allow individual states to adopt their own single-payer systems.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will introduce two single-payer amendments to the Senate bill, one to create a national single-payer plan, and the other to allows individual states to adopt single-payer.
Contact Congress today and ask them to vote “yes” on the Weiner, Kucinich, and Sanders amendments for single-payer.
Go here to call for free. It’s easy, knows your Representatives, provides a simple call script, and is toll-free. Or, call the Congressional Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
Thanks for all that you do,
Healthcare-NOW! National Staff
P.S. For more on the Kucinich and Weiner amendments, go here.
Ok…so I was intrigued when they mentioned that it was easy, they know your Reps and the call is free, etc etc. Okay. Why not. So you click Go here to call for free and they ask you to put in your name, e-mail, etc, and a phone number where they can call you back. My first question was “When” and “Do I have to wait all day for a phone call?” I gave it a shot. Within seconds after filling out the info, and clicking on ‘place call’ my phone rang. Cool. I picked up. I was thanked for supporting Healthcare Now and then I was connected. Hmmm…So far I like this system.
Then the glitch happened.
At Barbara Boxer’s office, I was greeted by Boxer herself - Well not her, but her voice. I was instructed to leave a message about my concerns or something to that matter. And then…Oops – the mailbox was full. Bummer. I couldn’t give my canned reply of supporting the single-payer option.
Next.
I clicked to get a call back from Sen. Feinstein. Just like the first time, within seconds, I was getting a call back. Again, I was thanked for the call and connected to Sen. Feinstein’s office. And again I was greeted by an answering machine. Only this time I could not only not leave a message, as I was told to call back during regular office hours, which were given, (Ugh…I was calling during those times) and that if I needed immediate service to call the offices throughout California. Oh okay. Ooopps – sorry no phone number to any of these offices were given. The call ended. Strike two.
Next.
My final call back, was to Rep. Nancy Pelosi. Same as above issue with Barbara Boxer. Strike three.
Frustrating yes? You bet. Here I am taking the time to contact my peeps and I can’t even leave a message voicing my desires for health care.
And….just to see if things changed, I did make all three calls again later in the evening last night. No change.
Healthcare Now: If you are reading, I like your plan, but it failed in the most important part…your weakest link broke….the constituants are not able to speak their minds, and support that which you are asking us to support. Your system, in my mind, has failed.
Readers: Okay, so maybe it’s not all the fault of Healthcare Now. But if I was going to put out a nationwide campaign for constituants to be heard…to support something I strongly believed in, I would want to make sure that the other end was prepared, so that everyone could be heard.
We all know that government isn’t the best run business, but come on peeps, (I’m talking to our Senators and Representatives now): You ask us to do our part? We’re trying to. Make it easy. Check your messages, clear your channels, and provide us with information that makes it easy for us to be heard. Is it really that difficult?
So that being said readers, if you decide to give it a go, which I hope that you do, please let me know if you were able to leave you two.
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Peter: Welcome back in. I had a feeling when I saw no comments that there was an issue. I know you have brought up the war reparations before and it stunned me then that it has taken so long for compensation. It sounds like Bordallo does have the people’s best interest at heart. I hope that her decision was a good one and reparations will come to fruition soon. Hafa Adai.
Anonymous: Thanks for commenting. I agree with much of it. I have to chuckle when I read Clemente’s comment though. He says, “…anyone who still might be confused about the difference between news reporting and vibrant opinion, my suggestion would be to talk about the stories and the facts rather than attack the messenger. Well hello….have your messengers, your reporters, the ones that represent your news show, give the straight facts and quit lying and maybe then, we won’t try to shoot the messenger.
And FYI Clemente: Vibrant opinion? Not sure I would use that word coming from FOX News. Talking semantics here, I would use the word spirited or strong, or perhaps passionate. When I hear the word vibrant, to me it means brilliant, colorful (perhaps because I am a designer). But, I can tell you one thing, FOX’s commentary is neither brilliant nor colorful – It’s about as white as it gets. Get my drift?
Hi Roy: Thanks for telling us more about you. Sorry to hear that your experience visiting your neighboring planets was not a good experience. Do you wish that life was the way it used to be? I hope that you’ll share more.
Cathy: Hey, sometimes a girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do. :) How I wish that people only tuned in for the comedy of it, but people actually do listen and watch, thinking they are getting the facts.
It’s a fact that I need to post and get out of here. Stay dry; it’s pouring where I am.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor
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October 13th, 2009 at 10:50 am
NEW PROCEDURE TO PREVENT ESOPHAGEAL CANCER: RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION
There’s no such thing as a “good” cancer diagnosis, but esophageal cancer is a particularly lethal one. It used to be rare but is becoming less so — likely due to poor dietary habits, obesity and overuse of acid-suppressing drugs. The National Cancer Institute estimates that this year alone there will be more than 16,000 new cases and more than 14,000 deaths from it. I’m pleased, therefore, to be able to offer a bit of positive news about a new, less drastic treatment called radiofrequency ablation (RFA) that appears helpful in eradicating a certain kind of tissue damage (called Barrett’s esophagus) thought to be a precursor to esophageal cancer.
WHAT IS BARRETT’S ESOPHAGUS?
Barrett’s esophagus refers to a type of damaged esophageal tissue thought to often develop from repeated exposure to stomach acids in people who have chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
For insight into the latest treatment approaches to Barrett’s esophagus, I spoke with Joel E. Richter, MD, chair of the department of medicine at the Digestive Disease Center at Temple University in Philadelphia. He explained to me that until recently the “gold standard” treatment for patients with high-grade dysplastic Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal cancer was surgery that completely removed the esophagus. While this may be one way of solving the problem, it’s a drastic step that also is associated with a wide range of debilitating complications and a high mortality rate that, depending on the hospital, ranges from 7.5% to 29%.
NEW TREATMENT EFFECTIVE, LESS TRAUMATIC
All that explains why there is great enthusiasm about this less invasive but apparently effective treatment, which has few side effects. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an outpatient endoscopic procedure performed under mild sedation in which the doctor (usually a gastroenterologist) uses a tiny camera to guide wires and a device through the esophagus, where it will heat up the water inside the Barrett’s cells and cause them to die.
Though the procedure is fairly new, thus far complications of RFA are very rare. According to Barrx Medical, manufacturer of the technology used for RFA, of the 13,663 procedures performed last year, only 22 serious adverse events were reported (0.16%). While some people experienced post-op chest pain and other mild, transient side effects (such as fever, discomfort with swallowing, sore throat), many have no significant complaints at all, Dr. Richter said.
RFA IS VERY EFFECTIVE
The effectiveness of RFA was demonstrated in a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (May 28, 2009). Researchers divided 127 patients with dysplastic Barrett’s esophagus into two groups — one group received RFA and the other received a “sham” (control) procedure. The condition was eradicated in fully 90% of patients with low-grade dysplasia and 81% of those with high-grade dysplasia, compared with 2% of those in the control group. Moreover, patients in the ablation group had less disease progression (3.6% versus 16.3%) and fewer cancers (1.2% versus 9.3%) compared with the control group.
Michael S. Smith, MD, director of the Esophageal Program at the Temple Digestive Disease Center, is cautiously enthusiastic about RFA. “RFA has become the new gold standard,” he said, noting, however, that as yet there is no long-term data on efficacy, though results thus far look promising. “It’s useful, easy to use and has few side effects.” Most of the studies have focused on patients with high-grade dysplasia, so Dr. Smith said that “it is too soon to tell if RFA will be appropriate for the vast majority of people with Barrett’s esophagus or for those with low-grade dysplasia.” Cautioning that more research on short- and long-term efficacy is needed, Dr. Smith pointed out that at present, RFA is performed at only a few academic centers by top gastroenterologists. “When it goes out into the wider community, it has the potential for misuse, which may lead to more side effects and complications,” he said.
In the meantime, if you have Barrett’s esophagus, you may want to consider RFA. If so, Dr. Smith recommends getting the treatment done at a center of excellence where many RFA procedures have been done. “The more experience the endoscopist has with different patients, the more likely he/she will be able to successfully customize a treatment plan for you,” he explains, adding that it is fine to use the Internet to find physicians who offer RFA, “but I believe the most important step is to schedule a face-to-face consultation so you can make sure you are comfortable with the doctor that will be performing your procedure.”
Source(s):
Joel E. Richter, MD is chair of the department of medicine at the Digestive Disease Center at Temple University.
Michael S. Smith, MD, is director of the Esophageal Program at the Temple Digestive Disease Center.
October 13th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Roy
Have you had sex with an earth woman yet? If so how does it compare with the women on your world? What are the body differences between the people on your world and ours?
Larry
October 13th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
I is illegal to use a cell phone while driving in Guam unless it is with a hands free device. Coming or returning to Guam? Now you know.
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Blabbing in the cab may soon be illegal on Guam
BY BERNICE SANTIAGO • PACIFIC DAILY NEWS • OCTOBER 14, 2009
Read Comments(13) RecommendPrint this pageE-mail this articleShare
Talking on your cell phone handset while driving could soon become illegal, if a bill recently introduced by Sen. Tom Ada becomes law.
Bill 255, which was introduced Oct. 9, would make talking on the phone a second offense, which means police cannot stop a vehicle solely because the driver is talking on the phone.
If a driver is using a cell phone in the course of causing an accident, a fine of $1,000 could be imposed. Otherwise, a fine of $500 can be imposed if the driver was talking or sending text messages with a cell phone when pulled over.
Reading, writing and sending text messages while driving already is against the law.
The bill completely outlaws the use of cell phones while driving for bus drivers and drivers with learning permits and intermediate licenses.
However, exceptions to the law exist for other drivers. The bill excludes drivers who are making emergency calls to the police, a health-care provider, the fire department, or any other emergency service agency. Emergency responders using cell phones in the course of their duties are exempt, the bill states.
The bill further excludes drivers who use hands-free devices with their mobile phones, and commercial vehicle drivers who use two-way radios.
“(A cell phone) can cause distractions on the road, it can cause accidents,” Mangilao resident Arthur Jackson said yesterday. “It’s good for emergencies, but we need to use it wisely.”
Jackson objected to the law’s provision that drivers can be pulled over only if caught committing a different traffic violation. “If that was the case, they might as well push it all the way,” Jackson said. “If it’s ‘no cell phones,’ then ‘no cell phones’ all the way.”
“I think it’s a good idea,” said Albert Malanum, from Dededo. “It causes a lot of mishaps, accidents. People don’t pay attention on the road.”
Amy Lopez of Tamuning said she was worried about recent accidents on Guam’s roadways. She sees a lot of people on the road using cell phones while driving.
“I have a kid. I have to concentrate on driving,” Lopez said while gassing up her car. “I think it’s not safe driving and using a cell phone.”
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Hafa adai
Anna
October 13th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
I got this from the web. i don’t understand why the dems keep courting the repubs.
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Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) said Tuesday that she intends to vote for passage of the Senate Finance Committee’s health care reform package. She cautioned that her vote should be seen as a sign of her faith in the process going forward and not as support for the final package that will arrive on the Senate floor.
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Yolanda
October 13th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
I commend this great woman, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) for giving the health reform effort a bi- partisan status.
October 13th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
We’ve asked you before to call your senator in support of real health care reform with a public option—but today we’ve got an even more important way to make a difference.
There are a few states with conservative Democratic senators who are undermining health care reform by opposing the public option. So we need their phones to ring off the hook with outraged constituents.
To help make that happen, we’ve dusted off the online calling tool we used in the 2006 and 2008 elections, and set it up so you can call MoveOn members in those key states and connect them directly to their senator’s office on Capitol Hill.
Your fellow MoveOn members are always fun to talk to and eager to help out, and the tool is really easy to use—but we need some help testing it out today before we share it with the wider world. Can you make a few calls right now?
http://pol.moveon.org/ndhealth/call/start.html?-7692656-20091103-fBRC7K&id=17514-7692656-7Mg3W9x&t=3
To get started, we’re making calls to MoveOn members in North Dakota—the home state of Senator Kent Conrad, who’s been one of the biggest obstacles to President Obama’s health care plan.
He recently sided with big insurance companies to vote against a public health insurance option in the Senate Finance Committee—so we’ve set a goal of calling every MoveOn member in his home state to let them know about his vote and sign them up to call his office.
You don’t need to know anything special—our phone tool will walk you through the process and give you all the info you need. You can practice reading through the calling script, and then start calling MoveOn members.
The only requirement is that you’re able to be on the phone (land line or cell phone) and on the Internet at the same time. And we can only make calls before 5 p.m. Eastern time, while Capitol Hill offices are still open.
If you have any questions, the webpage below includes answers to frequently asked questions and a way to email other MoveOn members for help. Go ahead, click now to get started:
http://pol.moveon.org/ndhealth/call/start.html?-7692656-20091103-fBRC7K&id=17514-7692656-7Mg3W9x&t=4
October 13th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
As for the general commentary, Snowe is still a Republican, making sure that a bunch of outdated obstructionist GOP ideas make it into the bill. As much as I would like to thank her for the vote of confidence, I’d rather have her thrown out of office and have another Democrat in that seat.
October 13th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
When was the last time a republican controlled senate went out of its way to the point of drastically changing the legislation to gain the support of a single democrat congressman??