The Pressure’s On
Posted by Michelle Moquin on March 20th, 2010
It’s down to the wire and yes the republicans are still the unanimous party that opposes health care reform, using the same same old fiscal excuses – how easy they can put a price on someone’s life when it is not their own.
And yesterday Stupak was still trying to get his strict anti-abortion say, slipped into the health care bill. Oh, how I wish Stupak would take a pregnant pause and leave his filthy paws out of business that doesn’t pertain to his sex. Thankfully and hopefully the bill probably won’t need Stupak’s support.
Here’s the latest write from the Huff Po:
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama set his sights on Capitol Hill, ready to rally House Democrats on Saturday for a final health care push as party leaders appeared confident they had overcome a flare-up within their ranks over abortion funding restrictions in the legislation.
Building on Democrats’ momentum, the House Rules Committee worked to set the terms for floor debate and a final vote Sunday on Obama’s top priority and the focus of his first year in office.
The battle tilted in Obama’s direction Friday as more Democrats disclosed how they would vote.
Victory within reach, the president decided to make a final personal appeal with a Saturday afternoon visit to the Capitol. Republicans, unanimous in opposition to the bill, complained anew about its cost and reach.
Under a complex and disputed procedure the Democrats have devised, a single vote probably will be held to send one bill to Obama for his signature and to ship a second, fix-it measure to the Senate for a vote in the next several days.
“This process corrupts and prostitutes the system,” said Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, pleading with the Rules Committee head, Rep. Louise Slaughter, to allow separate votes on the underlying Senate bill and the fixes.
Slaughter, D-N.Y., chastised Barton, a GOP leader on health care, and said his party had “opted out” of co-operating on the legislation. “We have to get on with it,” she said.
Democratic leaders and Obama focused last-minute lobbying efforts on two groups of Democrats: 37 who voted against an earlier bill in the House and 40 who voted for it only after first making sure it would include strict abortion limits that now have been modified.
Leaders worked into Friday night attempting to resolve the dispute over abortion, and Saturday morning they were increasingly confident it would not scuttle the bill.
Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., who succeeded last November in inserting strict anti-abortion language into the House bill, had hoped to do so again. But Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., told The Associated Press leaders are closing in on the votes to pass the bill and probably won’t need Stupak’s backing. “That’s the likely outcome,” said Waxman, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and an author of the House bill.
Stupak’s office postponed a news conference the lawmaker had scheduled for Saturday morning.
Along with eight Democrats and one Republican as co-sponsors, Stupak had introduced a resolution Friday that would insert his abortion restrictions as a “correction” to the underlying bill. That would add new complications to the already complex strategy Democrats are pursuing to pass the bill, requiring additional votes on a highly charged issue. Abortion opponents are divided over whether restrictions on taxpayer funding for abortion already in the bill go far enough.
The vote count seemed to be breaking in Obama’s favor.
An abortion foe, Rep. Baron Hill, D-Ind., said Saturday announced he would support the bill. In addition, Reps. John Boccieri of Ohio, Scott Murphy of New York and Allen Boyd and Suzanne Kosmas of Florida become the latest Democrats to say they would vote “yes” after voting against an earlier version that passed last year. , bringing the number of switches in favor of the bill to seven.
On the other side of the ledger, Reps. Michael Arcuri of New York and Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts became the first Democratic former supporters to announce their intention to oppose the bill. Lynch said he did so despite a telephoned appeal from Vicki Kennedy, whose late husband, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., championed health care for decades.
Rep. Anh Cao of Louisiana, the only Republican to support the earlier measure, has announced his opposition, too.
The legislation, affecting virtually every American and more than a year in the making, would extend coverage to an estimated 32 million uninsured, bar insurers from denying coverage on the basis of existing medical conditions and cut federal deficits by an estimated $138 billion over a decade.
Congressional analysts estimate the cost of the two bills combined would be $940 billion over a decade.
For the first time, most Americans would be required to purchase insurance, and they would face penalties if they refused. Billions of dollars would be set aside for subsidies to help families at incomes of up to $88,000 a year afford the cost. The legislation also provides for an expansion of Medicaid that would give government-paid health care to millions of the poor.
Republicans resorted to unusually personal criticism in their struggle against the bill, calling Kosmas a “space cadet” after she announced her position and labeling Pennsylvania Rep. Jason Altmire a “drama queen” for waiting to announce his opposition.
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Readers: As I said, we’ve got to keep going – the pressure’s on. I just found a place to make phone calls for a few hours today. How about joining me in your town?
Zen Lill: I can not imagine someone that you know actually saying to you that they didn’t think health care is a right everyone should have. My question would’ve been, ‘And why not?’ I would love to hear her answer that one.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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March 20th, 2010 at 10:54 am
Misch, straight faced answer bc ‘i’m a fiscal conservative and who’s going to pay for it’ hmmm stop some warring and there’s the dough, her hubby works for a division of the military that trains special ops so I thought it best nit t’i risk the black eye : ) she’s way bigger and meaner than me. And I’m not s conversion ‘come to Jesus’ type…she will either see the light someday or she won’t. My bet is her education MBA, her religion and her hubbys lucrative position will prevent that. We are acquanted via the nutrition/exercise program here in the South Bay so we are not close pals…obviously : )
Caio! Zen Lill
March 21st, 2010 at 9:22 am
Get Dental Care for Less Money
Jordan Braverman, MPH
Dental care is rarely covered by Medicare… few retirees have dental insurance… and those who do have dental insurance often find that their coverage is very limited.
Dental bills average around $677 per year for the typical senior, and a major procedure, such as a root canal or a dental implant, can push that tab into four or even five figures.
Exception: Medicare usually will pay dental bills if they are related to a medical incident that requires a hospital stay, such as jaw reconstruction following a car accident.
Some resources that could help you dramatically reduce your dental bills or even provide dental care for free…
HEALTH INSURANCE
Insurance can help pay dental bills. Options to consider…
Dental insurance. If you have access to subsidized group dental insurance through an employer or former employer, it likely is worth having. If not, the case for dental insurance is less compelling.
Dental insurance typically features copayments as high as 50%… annual benefit caps in the low four figures… often long waiting periods before expensive procedures are covered… and usually only 80% coverage if your dentist is out of network.
Dental insurance premiums for seniors are about $480 per year for individual plans. That’s a steep price for such limited coverage, but not necessarily an awful deal if you have reason to believe that you will require significant dental work within a few years, perhaps because your dentist has warned you that a major procedure cannot be put off too much longer.
If you do decide to sign up for dental insurance, consider the policies offered through AARP. Rates on AARP dental policies often are a bit lower than what comparable individual dental coverage would cost elsewhere.
More information: Visit www3.deltadentalins.com/aarp/.
If you do have dental insurance, confirm that your dentist will accept it before agreeing to any procedure. Work with him/her to get the most out of the insurance if he does.
Example: If the dental work you require is not an emergency and significantly exceeds your coverage’s annual benefits cap, ask your dentist if the work — and the bill — could be spread out over two or more plan years.
Private health insurance. If you do not have dental insurance but have private health insurance in addition to Medicare, this health insurance could include some basic dental benefits. Read the plan literature or call the insurance company’s customer service department to find out.
Medical flexible spending accounts (FSAs). FSAs can substantially trim the effective cost of dental care by allowing patients to pay for health-care bills — including dental bills — with pretax dollars. Unfortunately for retirees, FSAs are available only to employees whose employers offer FSAs as part of their benefits packages.
HAGGLING
Dentists’ bills often are negotiable — but only if you discuss costs before having the dental work done. Ask if you can get a senior discount or a cash discount if you pay in cash. Either of these appeals could net you savings of 5% to 10%.
Call other dentists’ offices to ask their prices for the procedure. If you find a better rate, tell your dentist that you are on a tight budget and ask if he can match the lower price.
Get a second opinion before agreeing to any major procedure. There’s a chance that your dentist could be recommending an expensive procedure that is not necessary.
Have your dental files, including the most recent test results and X-rays, forwarded to the dentist who will provide this second opinion so that you do not have to pay to have these repeated.
You will have to pay for the second opinion, but the cost of a simple office visit is so much lower than the cost of an elaborate dental procedure that it can be a smart investment if there is any chance that the original dentist was wrong.
IF YOU HAVE A LIMITED INCOME
You probably can get dental care even if your financial resources are very limited…
Medicaid. Medicaid is available only to those with low incomes and limited assets. Eligibility rules and program benefits vary by state. In most states, Medicaid provides at least basic dental care for those living near or below the poverty line.
To find out if you qualify, contact your state’s Medicaid Office. (Visit http://www.benefits.gov, select Medicaid/Medicare from the Benefits Quick Search menu, then choose your home state. Or call 800-333-4636 for a contact phone number for your state’s Medicaid office.)
Helpful: Nursing homes are legally required to arrange for dental care for residents who use Medicaid to pay for their stays. That typically means that they must either bring a dentist to the nursing home or transport the resident to a dentist’s office to receive care.
Local and state dental associations. Many have programs that provide dental services for free or reduced rates to those in financial need. Services are provided by dentists who volunteer their time. Eligibility requirements vary.
State and local dental associations can be found on the Web site of the American Dental Association (ADA) — at http://www.ada.org, select “Dental Organizations” off the menu, then check both the “Constituent (State) Directory” and the “Component (Local) Directory” to find relevant associations. Or call the ADA at 312-440-2500 and ask for your state dental association’s phone number.
Example: The Connecticut Dental Association sponsors an annual “Mission of Mercy” program that provides free cleanings, extractions and fillings on a first-come, first-served basis.
Unlike most programs of this sort, Connecticut’s Mission of Mercy does not require proof of limited income. See the Connecticut State Dental Association’s Web site for more information (www.csda.com/ctmom/ctmom4.html).
Public or nonprofit dental clinics. Available in many regions, these typically charge very low rates, perhaps linked to the patients’ ability to pay. In some cases, treatment is free.
Your area Agency on Aging should be able to direct you to any dental clinics in your region and might know of other local low-cost dental options for seniors.
(Call the US Administration on Aging’s Eldercare Locator, 800-677-1116, or use the Locator on the Web at http://www.eldercare.gov to find your local Agency on Aging if you cannot locate it in your phone book.) Your local or state dental association also might know of area clinics.
MONEY-SAVING OPTIONS
If you are too well off to qualify for low-income dental programs, consider these options…
Local dental colleges. Performed for perhaps half the usual cost, the work is done by dental students under the supervision of qualified instructors. The quality of the dental care tends to be good… however, a dental school might not provide a full range of dental services.
The American Dental Education Association Web site can help you find dental schools in your region. (At http://www.adea.org, click “About ADEA” then “Who We Are,” and “Predoctoral Dental Education Programs.”) Typing “dental schools” and the name of your state into Google.com also can help you find any schools in your region.
Retail dental centers. Usually located in shopping malls, they typically charge 10% to 20% less than traditional dentists’ offices.
Bottom Line/Retirement interviewed Jordan Braverman, MPH, former director of legislative and health policy analysis at Georgetown University’s Health Policy Center, Washington, DC. He is author of several books on health-care policy and financing, including Your Money & Your Health (Prometheus).
March 21st, 2010 at 9:42 am
I am a court reporter. I thought you would like to hear just how stupid those lawyers you hire and put so much trust in are.
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This is from a book called Disorder in the American Courts, and are supposedly things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters.
______________________________ ______________
ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS: Take a guess.
March 21st, 2010 at 9:43 am
I am 61 so this got my attention. I hope it helps others.
American women slowed by arthritis
Want some arthritis relief? Take a load off… and I mean that literally.
Because according to a new study, losing weight could be one way to battle arthritis.
When researchers analyzed data from a survey of over 8,000 Americans and Canadians, they found that women in the United States have a higher rate of both arthritis and arthritis-attributable activity limitations than their neighbors to the north.
In the U.S., 23.3 percent of U.S. women have arthritis, compared to 19.6 percent of Canadian women. Similarly, 13 percent of American women are forced to cope with the limitations of the disease, versus just 9.2 percent of Canadian women.
What do Canadians have that we don’t? The answer should come as no surprise: The researchers found that the biggest difference between the two groups is that Americans tend to weigh a lot more… and move a lot less.
Arthritis is just one example of how this type of lifestyle hurting us. After all, carrying around all that extra weight can take a toll on the joints.
One recent study found that every extra point on the body mass index increases the risk of rapid deterioration of knee cartilage by 11 percent. And that, in turn, leads to osteoarthritis, especially in older women.
American women on the whole live longer than American men– but they’re not spending those extra years in comfort. Repeated studies have found that women tend to be sicker in those later years, and one study last year found they suffer 2.5 times the rate of disability as men the same age.
And half of that gender gap comes from obesity and arthritis alone.
As our friends in Canada have shown, beating arthritis can be as simple as keeping the weight down and the movement up.
There can also be other contributing factors–such as food allergies or joint damage–but it can be hard to narrow down a more specific cause if you’re in bad shape to begin with.
If you’re not facing arthritis yet, count yourself lucky– and then focus on keeping your weight down and getting a little more exercise to reduce your odds of facing this disease in the years ahead.
March 21st, 2010 at 9:59 am
DRIVING ??
Two elderly women were out driving in a large car.
Both could barely see over the dashboard.
As they were cruising along, they came to an intersection.
The stoplight was red, but they just went on through.
The woman in the passenger seat thought to herself ‘I must be losing it. I could have sworn we just went Through a red light.’
??After a few more minutes, they came to another intersection ?and the light was red. Again, they went right through.
The ?woman in the passenger seat was almost sure that the light had been red but was really concerned that she was losing it. She was getting nervous.
??At the next intersection, sure enough, the light was red ?and they went on through. So, She turned to the other woman and said, ‘Mildred, did you know that we just ran through ? three red lights in a row? You could have killed us both!’
Mildred turned to her and said, ‘Oh, crap, am I driving?’ ? TELL ME THIS WON’T HAPPEN TO US !!!! ?
March 21st, 2010 at 10:17 am
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