Saturday, August 1, 2009

Y! Alert: The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

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The latest from The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

Andy Ostroy: Conservative Radio's Andrew Wilkow Makes Sean Hannity Sound like Rosie O'Donnell Top
He barks and snaps like a rabid pitbull, spewing his venomous hate-speak towards everyone from gays and blacks to immigrants and liberals. His shrill, vitriolic diatribes suggest a serious anger-management problem. Thankfully relegated to the low-ratings, low-significance Sirius Satellite Radio, he is nonetheless, with the exception of the moronic blabbermouth Mike Church, the most narrow-minded, racist, homophobic, xenophobic, sexist buffoon on the airwaves. This is a guy who, on the day Sen. Chris Dodd announced his prostate cancer, said of the Connecticut Democrat: "I'm starting to think the prostate cancer is from spending a little too much time with Barney Frank." What are you, 15 , Wilkow? So you're implying that Dodd and Frank have gay sex, and that's why Dodd's been stricken with prostate cancer? Not only is this an utterly ignorant thing to say, it's a colossal insult to the gay Massachusetts Congressman, and towards Dodd it's cruel, crude, insensitive and highly juvenile, especially for someone who spends half his airtime criticizing "snarky" liberals. Your hypocrisy knows no bounds. Regarding another top liberal suffering from a typically deadly illness, Sen. Ted Kennedy, who's inflicted with brain cancer, Wilkow's been railing for weeks now about how much money is being "wasted" in an attempt to save the Massachusetts liberal: "Why throw more money down that rat hole." How about showing a little compassion, Andrew? Wilkow often talks about his dad who's suffering from cancer himself, and having lost a father to cancer, I sympathize and sincerely wish them both the best. Yet when it comes to liberals suffering from this dreaded disease, Wilkow appears to have ice running through his veins and is devoid of heart. Last Friday, in another classic asinine Wilkow diatribe, he wondered how easy it would be to take on Democrats even while inebriated: "Maybe I should drink and see if I can debate liberals. Just dumb myself down." Well, you can't get any lower on the dumb scale, Wilkow. And, as I have done twice with you when guesting on your program, debating you--drunk, sober or even comatose--is like taking candy from a baby.
 
Linda Bergthold: And so it begins -- the August attack on health care reform Top
Today I received a mass email that exhorted the recipients to pray for our country because of the disaster surely to befall on us if health care reform is passed. It is very important for all of us to understand what health reform is about, so being able to respond to these distortions is important. So I went through every charge and answered it and sent it back to the huge email list to which it had been distributed. The original email charges are in bold and my comments are in CAPS below each of these distortions. I am not really shouting (in CAPS) but in a way I am. This makes me mad, particularly the charges about killing old people. The bill being referred to is HR 3200 , Affordable Health Care Choices - this is what is being referred to as the House Bill. http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h3200ih.pdf FIRST OF ALL -- Please note that the first five hundred pages of the bill, or Titles I and II, refer mainly to the new Health Exchanges and the health plans that will offer benefits through these exchanges. There is also language about improvements to Medicare, although you will note that the author of these attacks (anonymous to me) seem to confuse Medicare with private plans. SO HERE STARTS THE CHARGES -- AND THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM! Page 22 - MANDATES the Government will audit books of ALL EMPLOYERS that self insure. NO, ACTUALLY THE LANGUAGE SAYS THAT A STUDY SHOULD BE COMMISSIONED TO DETERMINE -- IN GENERAL -- HOW MANY EMPLOYERS ARE SELF-FUNDING THEIR BENEFITS AND MIGHT WANT TO SHIFT THEIR EMPLOYEES TO THE HEALTH EXCHANGE. NOTHING IN THERE ABOUT AUDITING THE BOOKS. Page 30 Section 123 - There will be a Government COMMITTEE that decides what treatments/benefits you get. NOT EXACTLY. FOR HEALTH PLANS THAT OFFER BENEFITS TO INDIVIDUALS WHO BUY THEIR INSURANCE THROUGH THE EXCHANGE, JUST LIKE WITH MEDICARE SUPPLEMENTS NOW, THERE WILL BE A COMMON PACKAGE OF BENEFITS OFFERED SO PEOPLE CAN COMPARE THEIR CHOICES. AN INDEPENDENT COMMITTEE WILL RECOMMEND THE BENEFITS TO BE OFFERED, JUST LIKE WHAT YOUR EMPLOYER DOES NOW OR YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY -- THERE WILL BE OPPORTUNITIES TO BUY MORE EXPENSIVE OR COMPREHENSIVE PLANS BUT IT WILL BE YOUR CHOICE. Page 29 lines 4-16 - Your Health Care is RATIONED. WOW. NOT AT ALL! THIS LANGUAGE SAYS THAT YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO PAY MORE THAN A SET AMOUNT EACH YEAR FOR YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE. RIGHT NOW YOU ALL HAVE MAXIMUM AMOUNTS THAT YOUR INSURANCE WILL PAY ANNUALLY AND THEN YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN. THE NEW LAW WILL PROTECT YOU FROM HAVING TO PAY MORE THAN SET AMOUNTS. YOU SHOULD BE SO LUCKY!! Page 42 - The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your Health Care Benefits for you. You have no choice. AGAIN. NOT TRUE. THERE WILL BE CHOICES OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF PLANS YOU CAN BUY. RIGHT NOW IF YOU ARE EMPLOYED YOUR EMPLOYER CHOOSES FOR YOU. IN THE EXCHANGE, ALL KINDS OF PLANS WILL BE OFFERED FOR YOU TO CHOOSE. Page 50 Section 152 - Health Care will be provided to ALL non US citizens, illegal or otherwise. THERE IS NOTHING ON PAGE 50 OR SECTION 152 ABOUT ILLEGALS. ILLEGALS WILL NOT BE COVERED. THIS SECTION PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THEIR RELIGION OR GENDER OR ANYTHING ELSE. Page 58 - Government will have real-time access to individual's finances and a National ID Health Card will be issued. NO. IT SAYS THAT THE HEALTH PLANS IN THE EXCHANGE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DETERMINE YOUR FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY BEFORE THEY ISSUE YOU AN INSURANCE PLAN. YOU ALREADY HAVE ID CARDS IF YOU HAVE PRIVATE INSURANCE NOW OR EVEN MEDICARE. AND YOU CAN'T GET HEALTH INSURANCE NOW UNLESS YOU CAN PAY FOR IT. THIS IS NO DIFFERENT. IT'S NOT THE GOVERNMENT BUT THE PRIVATE INSURANCE PLANS THAT WILL REQUIRE THIS INFORMATION. Page 59 lines 21-24 - Government will have direct access to your bank accounts for electrical funds transfers. NOT THE GOVERNMENT. AGAIN. YOU WILL HAVE TO APPROVE AN ELECTRONIC (NOT ELECTRICAL!) FUND TRANSFER IF YOU WANT TO PAY YOUR PREMIUMS THAT WAY.IT WILL BE THE PRIVATE INSURERS WHO PROCESS THIS, LIKE BLUE CROSS, AETNA, ETC. HOW DO YOU DO IT NOW? Page 65 Section 164 - A payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in Unions & community organizations (ACORN). NO. THIS IS A PROGRAM WHERE THE GOVERNMENT WILL HELP EMPLOYERS WHO PROVIDE RETIREE MEDICAL BENEFITS TO PAY FOR THOSE BENEFITS IF THEY EXCEED A CERTAIN AMOUNT. IT'S A REINSURANCE PLAN THAT LARGE EMPLOYERS REALLY LIKE BECAUSE IT ALLOWS THEM TO CONTINUE GIVING THEIR EMPLOYEES RETIREE BENEFITS WHEN THEY RETIRE BUT NOT BREAK THE PRIVATE EMPLOYER'S BANK. UNIONS OPERATE HEALTH PLANS JUST LIKE PRIVATE EMPLOYERS SO OF COURSE THEY ARE INCLUDED. NOTHING SAID ABOUT ACORN HERE. Page 72 Lines 8-14 - Government is creating an Health Care Exchange to bring private health care plans under Government control. GOVERNMENT WILL HELP TO REGULATE THE EXCESSIVE ACTIONS OF PRIVATE INSURERS WHEN THEY DENY YOU COVERAGE BECAUSE OF A PREEXISTING CONDITION OR BECAUSE YOU WERE SICK ONCE THEY CHARGE YOU A LOT MORE. THE EXCHANGE IS A WAY TO KEEP OUR PRIVATE INSURANCE SYSTEM WORKING, BUT NOT ALLOW THEM TO DENY YOU INSURANCE OR CHARGE YOU AN ARM OR A LEG. IF THEY WANTED GOVERNMENT CONTROL, THEY WOULD HAVE WRITTEN A SINGLE PAYER LAW. THIS LAW KEEPS THE PRIVATE SYSTEM INTACT BUT SIMPLY ASKS INSURERS TO ACCEPT EVERYONE AND NOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST THEM FOR HAVING BEEN SICK. HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO BUY PRIVATE INSURANCE BY YOURSELF? IF YOU DID, YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU WERE EVER SICK, THEY CAN REFUSE TO SELL IT TO YOU OR CHARGE YOU A LOT. Page 84 Section 203 - Government mandates ALL benefit packages for private Health Care plans in the Exchange. THERE WILL BE DIFFERENT PLANS FOR YOU TO CHOOSE FROM. BASIC TO COMPREHENSIVE DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU WANT TO PAY. RIGHT NOW IF YOU ARE A MEDICARE BENEFICIARY AND CHOOSE TO BUY A SUPPLEMENT OR "GAP" PLAN, YOU CHOOSE PLANS FROM A TO J AND THE BENEFITS ARE MANDATED AND CONSISTENT. Page 85 Line 7 - Specifications for Benefit Levels for Plans = The Government will ration your Health Care. NO RATIONING HERE. YOU CHOOSE THE BENEFITS YOU WANT TO PAY FOR. ONCE YOU HAVE YOUR PLAN, YOUR DOCTOR DECIDES WHAT TREATMENTS YOU NEED. "BENEFITS' MEANS YOU GET HOSPITAL SERVICES AND LAB AND X RAY. IT DOESN'T DETERMINE WHEN OR HOW OR WHY. JUST LIKE THE PLANS YOU HAVE NOW THROUGH YOUR EMPLOYER OR WHICH YOU BOUGHT YOURSELF. NO DIFFERENT. Page 91 Lines 4-7 - Government mandates linguistic appropriate services. Example - Translation for illegal aliens YES, LINGUISTIC SERVICES. NO, ILLEGAL ALIENS. NO SERVICES TO ILLEGAL ALIENS. THIS IS A BLATANT LIE. THERE IS NO MENTION OF ILLEGAL ALIENS HERE AT ALL. Page 95 Lines 8-18 - The Government will use groups i.e., ACORN & Americorps to sign up individuals for Government Health Care plan. THE BILL SAYS "APPROPRIATE ENTITIES" WILL HELP WITH ENROLLMENT. DOESN'T MENTION ACORN OR AMERICORPS. Page 85 Line 7 - Specs of Benefit Levels for Plans. AARP members - Your health care WILL be rationed. NO MENTION OF AARP. NO RATIONING. YOU GET TO CHOOSE THE LEVEL OF BENEFITS YOU CAN AFFORD. BUT SOMEONE HAS TO DESIGN THESE PLANS. GOVERNMENT WILL REQUIRE PRIVATE PLANS TO DESIGN THE BENEFITS SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THEM AND CHOOSE APPROPRIATELY. Page 102 Lines 12-18 - Medicaid Eligible individuals will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. No choice. NO. LINE 16 SAYS IF YOU DO NOT ELECT (CHOOSE) TO ENROLL IN A PRIVATE PLAN AND IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR MEDICAID BY REASON OF LOW INCOME, YOU CAN BE ENROLLED AUTOMATICALLY. BUT YOU MAKE THE CHOICE. Page 124 lines 24-25 - No company can sue Government for price fixing. No "judicial review" against Government Monopoly. TRUE NO JUDICIAL REVIEW OF GOVERNMENT RATE NEGOTIATIONS. BUT GOVERNMENT IS NOT A MONOPOLY HERE. THIS ONLY PERTAINS TO THE PUBLIC PLAN AND YOU DO NOT HAVE TO CHOOSE THE PUBLIC PLAN NOR DOES A DOCTOR HAVE TO CHOOSE TO CONTRACT WITH THE PUBLIC PLAN. IT IS VOLUNTARY. Page 127 Lines 1-16 - Doctors/AMA: The Government will tell you what you can make. NO. THIS PERTAINS ONLY TO THE PAYMENTS NEGOTIATED FOR THE PUBLIC PLAN. IT'S THAT WAY NOW WITH MEDICARE. PHYSICIANS CAN CHOOSE TO CONTRACT WITH MEDICARE AND THEY CAN CHOOSE TO CONTRACT -- OR NOT -- WITH THIS PUBLIC PLAN. AND YOU DO NOT HAVE TO CHOOSE TO ENROLL IN THE PUBLIC PLAN. Page 145 Line 15-17 - An Employer MUST automatically enroll employees into public option plan. No Choice. ABSOLUTELY NOT. THE EMPLOYER CAN PROVIDE ITS OWN COVERAGE OR IT CAN ALLOW EMPLOYEES TO CHOOSE FROM THE MANY MANY PRIVATE INSURANCE OPTIONS. NO ONE HAS TO GO INTO THE PUBLIC PLAN. Page 126 Lines 22-25 - Employers MUST pay for Health Care for part time employees AND their families. THIS PAGE NUMBER AND REFERENCE IS WRONG. NOT SURE WHAT PAGE THEY ARE REFERENCING. Page 149 Lines 16-24 - ANY Employer with payroll 400k & above who does not provide public option pays 8% tax on all payroll. THERE IS AN EMPLOYER MANDATE FOR SMALL EMPLOYERS THAT HAVE MORE THAN 400K IN PAYROLL BUT IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PUBLIC PLAN. THE PUBLIC PLAN IS OPTIONAL. Page 150 Lines 9-13 - Business with payroll between $251k and $400k who does not provide public option pays 2-6% tax on all payroll. NO REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE THE PUBLIC OPTION. WHERE IS THIS COMING FROM? Page 167 Lines 18-23 - Any individual who does not have acceptable Health Care according to the Government20will be taxed 2.5% of income . THIS IS TRUE. THERE IS AN EMPLOYER MANDATE AND AN INDIVIDUAL MANDATE IN THIS BILL. EVERYONE MUST HAVE INSURANCE AND THERE ARE PENALTIES IF THEY DO NOT GET IT. BUT THERE ARE ALSO SUBSIDIES TO HELP THEM PAY FOR IT. IT'S LIKE AUTO INSURANCE. YOU HAVE TO HAVE IT AND YOU PAY FINES IF YOU DON'T GET IT. Page 170 Lines 1-3 - Any NONRESIDENT Alien is exempt from individual taxes. (American Citizens will pay). ILLEGAL ALIENS WILL NOT BE COVERED. THEREFORE THEY WILL NOT BE PENALIZED. THEY WILL CONTINUE TO GET THEIR CARE IN EMERGENCY ROOMS LIKE THEY DO NOW, WITH THOSE COSTS BEING SHIFTED TO THE REST OF US. Page 195 - Officers & employees of Health Care Administration (Government) will have access to ALL American's finance/personal records. NOT ALL RECORDS. AND ONLY FOR THAT INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING IF THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES. DO YOU WANT GOVERNMENT PAYING SUBSIDIES FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN AFFORD COVERAGE? PROBABLY NOT. Page 203 Line 14-15 Health Care - "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax". Yes, it says that. IT DOES. AND IT'S FUNNY. BUT TAX IS A LEGAL TERM UNDER THE IRS RULES AND THIS IS A CLARIFICATION. Page 239 Line 14-24 - Government will reduce physician services for Medicaid. Seniors, low income, and poor will be affected. NO. THE LANGUAGE IS NOT VERY CLEAR BUT IT REFERS TO A FEE SCHEDULE, WHICH IS IN PLACE NOW ANYWAY FOR MEDICAID. YOU THINK GOVERNMENT PAYS ANYTHING A PROVIDER CHARGES WITHOUT CHECKING IT? Page 241 Line 6-8 - All doctors will be paid the same regardless of their specialty. NO. THIS REFERS ONLY TO EVALUATE AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES THAT PHYSICIANS PROVIDE, NOT THEIR PAYMENT FOR TREATMENT OF A MEDICAL CONDITION. AND IT ONLY REFERS TO MEDICARE PAYMENT NOT PAYMENT TO DOCTORS FOR PRIVATE PLANS OR PRIVATE PATIENTS. Page 253 Line 10-18 - Government sets value of doctors time, professional judgment, etc; literally the value of humans. THE RVU (RELATIVE VALUE UNIT) IS THE WAY DOCTORS ARE PAID FOR MEDICARE NOW. IT'S A COMPLICATE FORMULA. PHYSICIANS ACCEPT IT AND ACTUALLY SOME LIKE IT BECAUSE IT REWARDS THEM FOR TIME SPENT TALKING TO PATIENTS NOT JUST TIME WRITING PRESCRIPTIONS. THIS WHOLE SECTION IS ABOUT PAYMENT FOR MEDICARE. MEDICARE ALREADY USES THESE FORMULAS. IF YOU DIDN'T LIKE THIS, WHY DIDN'T YOU SPEAK UP EARLIER WHEN MEDICARE WAS PASSED IN 1965? Page 265 Section 1131 - Government mandates and controls productivity for private Health Care industries. THIS IS FOR MEDICARE. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE EXCHANGE OR PRIVATE PLANS. Page 268 Section 1141 - Government regulates rental and purchase of power driven wheelchairs. THIS IS ABOUT MEDICARE. GOVERNMENT ALREADY DOES THIS. NOT EVERYONE NEEDS A POWER DRIVEN WHEELCHAIR. DON'T YOU WANT YOUR TAXPAYER MONEY BEING SPENT WISELY BY MEDICARE? Page 272 Section. 1145 - Treatment at certain CANCER HOSPITALS; rationing for cancer patients. NO. THIS REFERS TO MEDICARE PAYMENTS TO CANCER HOSPITALS AND THE ATTEMPT BY GOVERNMENT TO KEEP COSTS UNDER CONTROL BY NOT OVERPAYING. Page 280 Section 1151 - The Government will penalize hospitals for what Government deems preventable readmissions. THIS REFERS TO MEDICARE AGAIN. AND YES, IF A HOSPITAL DUMPS A PATIENT OUT BEFORE THEY ARE READY TO LEAVE AND THEY HAVE TO COME BACK AND BE ADMITTED AGAIN, THE HOSPITAL SHOULD BE REPSONSIBLE FOR THAT. THIS IS ONLY FOR MEDICARE. Page 298 Lines 9-11 Doctors, treat a patient during initial admission that results in a readmission and the Government will penalize the Dr. THIS APPLIES TO MEDICARE ONLY. AND YES, THE DOCTOR WHO RELEASES THE PATIENT SHOULD ALSO BE RESPONSIBLE IF THE PATIENT HAS TO COME BACK. Page 317 Lines 13-20 - PROHIBITION on ownership/investment. Government tells Doctors what/how much they can own. NOT ALL OWNERSHIP. JUST SITUATIONS WHERE DOCTORS OWN THE MAJORITY OF A HOSPITAL OR LAB AND ONLY SEND THEIR PATIENTS TO THE PLACE THEY OWN, THUS INCREASING THEIR INCOME BUT NOT GIVING PATIENT ANY CHOICE. Page 317-318=2 0Lines 21-25,1-3 - PROHIBITION on hospital expansions. NO. ONLY SITUATIONS WHERE DOCTORS OWN THE HOSPITAL AS WELL AS THE LABS, ETC. AND THEY HAVE A MONOPOLY. Page 321 2-13 - Hospitals have opportunity to apply for exception BUT community input is required. Approval by ACORN? NOTHING SAID ABOUT ACORN HERE OF COURSE. AND BY THE WAY, THERE HAVE BEEN PROGRAMS TO REVIEW HOSPITAL EXPANSIONS SINCE 1980. Page 335 Lines 16-25; Page 336-339 - Government mandates establishment of outcome based measures. Health Care the way they want it. Rationing. THIS ONLY APPLIES TO MEDICARE. AGAIN. BUT WHY SHOULDN'T WE MEASURE THE QUALITY OF CARE RECEIVED? HEDIS, CAPHS, ALL USED FOR YEARS BY PRIVATE SECTOR -- EVEN BEFORE MEDICARE USED THESE MEASURES -- MOST DOCTORS AND HOSPITALS AGREE THAT OUTCOME MEASURES ARE IMPORTANT. THIS IS NOT CONTROVERSIAL IN MOST CIRCLES. WHO DOESN'T WANT BETTER QUALITY CARE? Page 341 Lines 3-9 Government has authority to disqualify Medicare Advance Plans, HMO s, etc. thus forcing people into Government plan. YIKES. MEDICARE IS A GOVERNMENT PLAN. AND IT'S MEDICARE ADVANTAGE, NOT ADVANCE. AND MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS
 
Frank Dwyer: Political Haiku: Oh, Say Can You CNN? Top
Racist, homophobe, hate-monger, birther, fool, Lou Dobbs won't fit in haik More on CNN
 
Ester Amy Fischer: Killing Me Softly with Healthcare: How I Was Nearly "Terminated" By My Health Insurance Company Top
As the health care debate continues in Washington and those of us who still hope for a public option (indeed a single-payer plan) find our dreams being crushed by the jaw-like machinery of the health insurance lobby, I'm forced to recall my personal saga with for-profit health insurance. One thing I've learned through my ordeal is this: the health insurance industry functions like a gambling casino. Your health, indeed your life, has an odd attached to it. This is determined by actuarial charts. And according to said actuarial charts, at the outset anyway, I was a low risk customer: a "good gamble." I was in my late twenties, a vegetarian, a yoga practitioner, slim as a wafer, blood pressure of a trickling mountain spring, cholesterol of a plant. Sure, I had certain family histories, but nothing I needed to worry about at that age. The one problem I had was that, due to certain not uncommon digestive complaints and a routine office exam, a gastroenterologist had discovered a benign polyp in my sigmoid colon. This might have been unremarkable in a sixty or seventy year old, but at my age, it was something to watch. It was removed and I was told to have another colonoscopy within the next three to five years. Fast forward a few years. I had moved, changed doctors, and bought a new insurance plan which I paid for out of pocket as a self-employed individual. I also had started to have some disturbing symptoms: gastrointestinal pain and worse than that, blood in my stool. I went to my new doctor (let's call him Dr. Doolittle) and told him about my symptoms. I also told him about the polyp. I told him that I needed to have a colonoscopy. He scoffed at my concern. "People your age don't get polyps," he said. I was taken aback by his seeming irritation. "I had a polyp," I told him. "Why would I lie?" What I didn't realize was that the thought bubble above Dr. Doolittle's head might have read something like: How am I ever going to justify giving this test to her insurance company? She's too young for a routine colonoscopy. They are going to give me a hard time, chastise me for ordering an unnecessary test, maybe penalize me financially. What a drag. Nevertheless, he grudgingly agreed to give it to me. And although I don't know what went on behind closed doors while he was trying to get the authorization, I can speculate based on what I've been told by doctor friends, things like: "That's the way it is now. I have to fight for every test." and "There's a lot of noise about unnecessary tests, but the reality is we can't perform necessary tests." So in my speculation about what happened, I imagine that Dr. Doolittle had been peeved. The insurance company had given him a hard time and he was concerned about money. So when this renowned doctor, this attending physician at a prestigious teaching hospital performed the colonoscopy, he did it carelessly. He was angry at me for forcing his hand and he didn't really look. I remember that the procedure seemed to be over in the wink of an eye. "You're a perfectly healthy young woman," he said with aplomb as he put away his instruments and removed his gloves. "You have a bleeding hemorrhoid. Next time you see blood in the toilet, ignore it. Now get out of here." I had no reason not to believe him. Still slightly disoriented from the sedation, I was relieved that there was nothing seriously wrong with me. My thoughts turned to what I would eat for breakfast. I was given apple juice, dismissed and went about my merry way. And in fact, over the course of the next half year, my symptoms improved so much that I forgot all about it. But then, almost suddenly, my symptoms returned. Now, however, believing I had a hemorrhoid -- the good Dr. Doolittle had looked inside, hadn't he? -- I tried countless home and natural remedies. I experimented with my diet: fiber, veggies, raw, cooked, macrobiotics. But after several more months, my symptoms became debilitating (and here I spare you the details.) I wanted another opinion so I chose a new doctor (let's call him Dr. Tulate.) By this time, I'd begun to suspect there was something seriously wrong. I wanted another colonoscopy. I asked him to repeat it. Back to the thought bubble, this time Dr. Tulate's. Hmm (he might have thought looking at this now very skinny yoga woman) she just had a colonoscopy nine months ago. Her insurance company is really going to give me hell if I order another one. "Now let me look at your tusche ," he said as he stuck his gloved finger inside. "Nothing here. You're fine." He sent me home with stool softeners. I went back to him again and again. On the third or fourth visit, three months later, he finally agreed to order the test. I had colorectal cancer. A big deadly tumor had been growing inside of me, undiagnosed for a year. It had breached the colonic wall and invaded my lymph nodes, threatening to spread to other organs and do what cancer does best: kill. I had surgery immediately. The tumor was so large it nearly obstructed my colon: a condition which could have caused sudden death from toxicity. I underwent six months of chemotherapy. I also prayed, meditated, studied anti-cancer diets and applied them, and visited a slew of spiritual healers. My friends, my family, even kindly acquaintances and strangers helped me through. My medical team was fantastic. Nine years later and I'm alive. I beat it; I lived and I am full of gratitude. But in the process, unbeknownst to me, I had changed status in the eyes of my insurer. I had become a high risk customer, a "bad gamble." They studied their actuarial charts. They looked at the balance sheets. My premium payments probably did not exceed services rendered. I was a loss. A loser. And a future liability because, even though I am considered cured of that bout with cancer, I am higher risk for other cancers. They have done studies; there are statistics. So one day, two years ago, seven years after my surgery, during another horrible life crisis, while my father was fighting for his life in the cardiac ICU, I found out that I had been terminated by my health insurance company. I was at the pharmacist's trying to fill a prescription for sedatives (I had been up all night at my dad's bedside and still couldn't fall asleep) when I was informed that my coverage had ended. I was confused. Certainly there'd been an error. I called my insurer. "No, you've been terminated," the customer service representative said with a bizarre satisfaction in her voice, almost as though I'd personally offended her . "But why?" My mind flipped to an image of me and my bill paying routine: at the computer, sending off the payment. I'd paid my bill. I'd always paid my bill. "Nonpayment," she said curtly. "B...b...but that's impossible." "You didn't pay your bill," she said with finality. I realized I'd get nowhere with her, so I got off the phone. I went to my online banking page looking for the transaction. The payment had been requested, but hadn't gone through. But why? After several more fruitless and aggravating conversations with several customer service reps, I got an answer: my insurer had changed its PO box number. Since I bank online (like almost everyone) I hadn't used the envelope provided, nor had I seen the notice they had supposedly sent out. I breathed a sigh of relief -- my payment had gone to the wrong PO box, a misunderstanding which would certainly be swiftly rectified. I had been with them for years and despite the continued outrageous escalation of my premiums, I had paid them religiously. I thought I had been a good customer. Boy, was I ever mistaken. After a lengthy appeal process, I was given my answer: the insurer wouldn't budge. No pleas, no begging, no tears could sway them. They had no pity. They didn't want me anymore; it was the final word. Now this constituted a serious problem for me because, by the time I got my "rejection" letter, enough time had passed that given my pre-existing condition, another insurer would not only want nothing to do with me, but could legally deny me coverage. So after years of paying my premiums out of my own pocket and despite the desire to continue to do so, I found myself among the swelling ranks of uninsured Americans. I was livid. Was suddenly changing the PO box a scam perpetrated on their customers to weed out as many "bad gambles" as they could? If I had been a "good gamble," let's say a 25 year old with no history of anything more serious than an ingrown toe nail, wouldn't they have just taken me back? I was frightened. I was ineligible for any government program and no private insurer would take me. What if I had a recurrence? Would my parents have to sell their house and lose their entire retirement savings? What if I had an accident or something else unexpected happened? I felt like I was flailing about in treacherous waters with no life preserver, no flotation device, nothing. Fortunately for me, I had friends (not in high places, but knowledgeable friends.) I feel lucky, especially when I recognize that not everyone in my position would have such friends or did have such friends. What happened to those who didn't have resources, who didn't know what to do, who just accepted the final judgment of the insurer like it was the word of God? I called a lawyer friend who referred me to another lawyer who specialized in health insurance litigation. That very generous gentleman took time out of his day to give me free advice. He agreed with me that the sudden, inexplicable PO box change was probably an underhanded attempt to separate the wheat from the chaff, the "good gambles" from the "bad gambles." He told me exactly what to do: contact my public officials. Now the operative word here is public . Get it. Public . The public official would be my friend. The private insurance company had already demonstrated they were not my friend. The public official wanted me to live and thrive and have coverage. The private company couldn't have cared less if I died in the gutter. I was a drain on their profits. I had committed the sin of becoming ill and become a "bad gamble." As per the lawyer's advice, I called my state attorney general's office and with little ado and astounding efficiency, an extremely sympathetic staffer became my knight in shining armor. Within a week, my insurance was reinstated. Two more years have gone by. My father passed after two lengthy stays in the cardiac ICU and a heart valve replacement surgery from which he never recovered. Medicare ( public insurance) covered nearly the entirety of his treatment. My mother is widowed, but thankfully not bankrupt. I joined a professional union and was able to switch from an individual plan to a group plan under which I am much more protected by laws (laws made by public officials.) I know that in the final outcome, I am one of the fortunate. I know there are stories far worse than mine, stories of people who both had and didn't have insurance. Whose lack of insurance killed them or whose insurance (in withholding treatment) killed them. Who were terminated from their plans and hadn't known whom to turn to. So I ask you, America, who would you rather have determining what tests and treatments you are eligible to receive or whether you are eligible to be covered at all: a private company to whom you are nothing but a dot on an actuarial chart (a gamble good or bad) or a public agency whose policies you can influence? After my experiences, I know my answer.
 
Health Care Bill Has Little Margin For Error In House Top
Last night, the Energy and Commerce Committee voted 31-28 to approve a compromise version of the Democrats' health care reform bill. As the Energy and Commerce Committee happens to be quite representative of the House as a whole, this vote is useful in forecasting the bill's overall prospects. Specifically, as it did in the committee, the compromise appears to be favored to win the support of the full House, although probably by a very narrow margin.
 

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