Democrats, do not let your guards down; health care still has a long way to go. Now hit the road and educate people. Expose LIES!

The behavior of the Republicans have been unbelievable!  I thought we were all supposed to be Americans first.  When I listened to Rep. Boehner and others I am simply stunned.  However, if we read comments made by Republicans when President Johnson was trying to get Medicare passed we will see that this is a consistent  pattern for Republicans; they support big businesses and the very wealthy and could care less about the average American.  Where was the Republican opposition and outrage when president George Bush was piling up the deficit and running the country into the ground?  Why weren’t they asking how we were going to pay for the unnecessary war in Iraq? Where were these fiscal conservatives when the economy was going south and war was going north?  They oppose health care reform and health benefits for hard working Americans, but they support bailout for the rich and tax breaks for the super wealthy! They did until President Obama took office then they started asking questions.   Sheer hypocrisy.

To the Democrats I say:  you dropped the ball by allowing the Republicans to frame the issue of health care reform using the most outrageous language, deception and flat out lies.  Now you  Democrats need to hit the road with town meetings, forums and the facts, educating Americans about what this really means for all of us.   Do not sit back any longer and think people will understand.  Unfortunately,  you cannot depend on people understanding your good intentions; they need to be factually informed without room for LIES to fester.  It is harder now because too many people are already convinced of, or predisposed to believing  the lies that have been fed to them.  Democrats now need to overcome those lies and give people the facts.  This is harder; however, present the long-term benefits of health care reform starting now.  Educate the American public as to the accumulative benefits on all levels of having good comprehensive health care.  We have a long way to go.  But with coordinated and concerted efforts it can be done, and it MUST be done starting now.  It is important to engage people and allow them to ask thoughtful questions.

Health Care reform is a Public GOOD.  It is good for Americans; it is good for the workplace; it is good for families, but they need to be adequately informed. To all five congressional representatives in CT, I say, please start the education process NOW.

Please let us resist the conservative ‘group think’ and stop listening to the dictates of the pundits. They are hoping that we will listen and act as they dictate then they can claim susccess of their predictions.  Don’t give them the satisfaction.  They are being paid to be pundits; their motives are far from pure.  They do not care about anything but raking in the big bucks.  Americans NEEDS good health care reform in 2010 and we NEED the Medicare-type public option.

“The federal government’s involvement with this issue (of compulsory health insurance) began in earnest in 1934. [6] In that year President Franklin Roosevelt established the Committee on Economic Security (CES) and charged it with drafting a Social Security bill.  The Social Security Act signed into law on August 14, 1935, empowered the Social Security Board (SSB) to study “related” areas, and on August 15, 1935, Roosevelt appointed an Interdepartmental Committee to Coordinate Health and Welfare Activities to pursue the health insurance issue.” 

“Legislative efforts in the 1930s and 1940s went nowhere. The American Medical Association (AMA) strongly opposed compulsory national health insurance, denouncing it as socialized medicine and mounting costly efforts to defeat it. [10] President Roosevelt withheld his active support. Opinion polls indicated strong public opposition, with 76.3 percent of the public in a 1942 Fortune poll saying that the government should not provide free medical care (Cantril 1951: 440).  You can read all about this at: www.cato.org/pubs/  (This is exactly what is being done today.  The private insurance companies reportedly are spending millions weekly.  The media is colluding in this so as to boost its own advertising revenues.)

The resulting Medicare Bill– prized by many today and some of whom likely opposed it in the 1940’s and 50’s — was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on July 30, 1965; 31 years later!  How many of those with Medicare today would give it up?  We can save $Billions by rolling all of the multiple types of public health care plans that now exist (SAGA, HUSHKY, Medicaid, etc) into one Medicare-type Public Option plan. Focus on reducing Medicare fraud and put all of the adminstrative savings into covering more people.

More than a million medical professionals today support health care reform with a public option!  Those with Medicare can move anywhere in the country and they still have Medicare; they do not have to wait 30, 60 or 90 days; they cannot be denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition.  That is what we all need: A Medicare-type public option.  Write, call, email, fax, get in touch with your elected representatives.  They are hearing from the lobbyists; let them hear from you.

Like many others, I wish that President Obama had more direct involvement with crafting the original health care bill; instead he expected members of Congress to act like responsible adults, so he left it up to them.  He had too many things on the radar. Being a smart person, he thought that the moral clarity and the economic imperatives were so clear that Democrats and Republicans would act in the best interest of the American people.  He was wrong.  Now let us all demand that our elected represntatives act in our own best interest and pass health care with a public option.

Health Reform is ALIVE – Let us ensure it gets legs and that it walks through the House and the Senate. This is the civil rights issue of the 21st century. Access to affordable health care is an imperative.  People, this cannot fail. It must not fail.

Anyone who watched the “summit on health care” with the President and the Republican and Democratic leaders last week can have no doubt that the Republicans have no interest in meeting the needs of the millions of Americans who have no health care coverage, or access to affordable care.  It was a remarkable display of indifference and commitment to big pharmaceuticals and the private insurance companies.  Whether we are Democrats or Republicans we would have to be blind not to see what was happening. As an American citizen I was stunned at  John Boehner, Republican House Leader’s behavior.  He is truly frightening.

The president tried to get everyone in the room to focus on areas of agreement. Someone I once respected, Lamar Alexander, was incredibly obstructionist.  Many of the Republicans just flat out lied and did everything they could to undermine the President’s efforts at cooperation and bipartisanship.  The only obvious exceptions to the stone-walling and obstructionist behavior were Senator Thomas Coburn (a very conservative doctor from Oklahoma) and Representative Dave Camp, a lawyer from Michigan.  John Boehner has consistently been one of the most offensive, hostile and irresponsible representative in the House.  Eric Cantor is close behind.  Some of the Democrats are pretty spineless also.  This is why people like Bayh are leaving; they want to get work done, but Washington is in freeze mode.  There should be term limits.  Too many of our elected officials are serving the lobbyists rather than the people who elected them.  When they stay too long they get too powerful.

Finally, the President has gotten the message.  The Republicans have no intention of meeting the needs of the American people.  He has told the Democrats to get some spine and call a vote by the end of the month or soon.  This is where we – the people—come in. It is not too late to get Comprehensive Health Care Reform in America, and it is NOT TOO LATE for a Public Option.  We NEED to Mobilize!  Since the Republicans are not going to support any plan the President put forth anyway, we might as well go for broke and work for real comprehensive reform.

In 2007, the CEOs at the top seven for-profit, private insurance companies pocketed an average of $14.2 million each in total compensation (blog.aflcio.org)

 In the past few years insurance premiums have gone up 100 — 150 percent.  These costs are passed on to those who have such coverage and to their employers.  This is why many companies are cutting back on the benefits they offer. Insurance companies price their premiums much above what they expect inflation to be; this guarantees their investors a solid profit.  This is what the Republicans want to ensure.

 In an article written by Jason Shafrin, Ph.D., economist in the Healthcare Economist magazine we learn that William W. McGuire, CEO of UnitedHealth Group, received compensation of $124.8 million in 2005.  Managed Care Magazine also says that the average executive compensation (excluding unexercised stock options) for an executive of a ‘top 10 for profit health plan’ was $11.7 million and that was back in 2000.  The compensation for this one executive could pay the health care premium for 34,000 Americans.  Yet, most of these wealthy people pay no health care premiums at all.  Recently Anthem Blue Cross in California announced a 39 percent increase in health premiums on many customers; the increase is effective March 1; two weeks’ notice! They are raising premiums now to gauarantee their profits for a long time to come.  I am all for free markets, but this is straight  ripp off.

What justifies this increase?  GREED and POWER. They do it because they can.  What accounts for the extreme opposition to health care reform by the wealthy and powerful, and by the Republicans? It has nothing to do with these people caring about the average American; far from it. It has nothing to do with anyone losing coverage, or govt. being in our pockets; neither is it due to concern that the govt. is coming between patients and their doctors.  None of that is true.  These private insurance companies and for-profit health care groups simply want to maintain their enormous profit margins.  The Republicans simply want the President to fail. These people could care less about the average American.   UnitedHealth Group’s Profit Rises 30% UnitedHealth Group’s 4th-quarter profit climbs; commercial enrollment continues to stumble By TOM MURPHY AP Business Writer, INDIANAPOLIS January 21, 2010 (AP)

There are many groups –across the country– that are fighting for health care reform. Sadly, the mainstream media is not telling us about them; we hear a great deal about the Tea-Partiers and those who oppose health care.  We at OneWorld strongly encourage people to get involved and network with others who want reform; it is our only hope. 

Visit our web site www.oneworldpi.org the Health Literacy Section and get in touch with a state, community or national group.  Write an email or a letter to your congressional representative, or make phone calls.  Encourage family members and friends and church affiliates to participate.  This is the civil rights issue of the 21^st Century. Americans should not have to decide whether to have health care or a roof over their heads. The President and Congress can use Democrats only to pass a health care reform bill.  The Republicans did it when they wanted to pass the Bush tax cuts. They are now screaming about how unfair it will be to use reconcilliation, but it was fine when they used it on 14 of the 19 occassions it has been used since 1980.   Click the links below to get the fact on reconcilliation and the Republican and Democratic use of this process.  The hypocrisy is palpable.  Please get involved to relieved the suffering of hard-working Americans who have no access or limited access to affordable health care. 

FACTBOX-U.S. Democrats try to expedite healthcare bill | Reuters

Mar 4, 2010 … Reconciliation was used “for tax cuts for the rich twice under Bush.” … www.politifact.com/…/bush-tax-cuts-were-passed-reconciliations-50-votes/

Getting involved in The Battle for Health Care Reform – is a part of all our responsibility. America is a democracy; however, it only functions as such if we -the people- participate in how our government works. Democracy Requires Direct Action By The People.

Get involved in one of the most important issues of our time: Access to Affordable Health Care (especially in the United States) should be A Human Right. It Is A Moral Imperative. We should not buy into the false information being disseminated by the right.  Click onto the links below and learn for yourself information from the White House.

Democracy is supposed to be about –We the People. Are you involved, or are you one of those getting angry because you do not understand exactly what is happening? What efforts have you made to learn specifics about what Health Care Reform will mean for – we the people?

The President cannot do it all by himself. Too many Democrats are timid, some are spineless and too cuddling. Most Republicans want the President to fail. What do you want? And what are you doing about getting good information and striving for what you want America to be? We all have an important part to play in keeping America a real democracy.

The US Supreme Court just handed corporations a powerful weapon to be used against the average person. Wealthy corporations can now use their money and influence to control the political process by spending without restrictions on elections.  The pharmaceutical companies and big corporations want to control what happens with health care in America.  We the people need to exercise our power by letting our elected officials know that they work for us; we elected them.  We need to send a message to corporations that we are the consumers of their products; we have something to say and they need to listen.  We need to decide what it is that we want to say.

Learn some of the details about what health care reform could mean. Read some of the details about various aspects of the programs being proposed. BE INVOLVED in Democracy. Health reform is about a fundamental human right. How can we claim to be a world leader when more than 46 million Americans do not have access to affordable health care? Every decent, thoughtful American should be outraged! Stand up for this human right; this is a moral imperative. Others having access to care will not deprive you of good health care; it will not costs you more to have health care. Do not succumb to the fear tactics being used by the right wingers. Learn more:

Health Care | The White House Comprehensive health care reform can no longer wait. Rapidly escalating health care costs are crushing family, business, and government budgets. www.whitehouse.gov

Health Reform

Health reform must make health care more than just sick care. …

www.healthreform.gov

The revised recommendations issued by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force concern mammograms and breast self-exams. Under the new guidelines, the task force now says:

• Most women in their 40’s should not routinely get mammograms.
• Women 50 to 74 should get mammograms every other year until they turn 75, after which the risks and benefits are unknown.
• The value of breast exams by doctors is unknown.
• Breast self-exams are of no value. (This is the most shocking. Four of five young women I know to have been diagnosed with breast cancer in the past two years found the lump in their breast through self examination)
• These guidelines are in disagreement with both the recommendations of the American Cancer Society, and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists.

Who makes up this panel of so-called federal experts who recently issued these guidelines about breast cancer screening? My understanding is there are no oncologists on the panel! If this is true, how can we have people making recommendations who are not experts in what they are recommending?

Who appointed them? Do we know if any have been lobbyists for the insurance industry? What exactly are the main objectives of these new and reckless guidelines?

How can a woman examining her own breast be a detriment to her health?

• We need to encourage women to be proactive and vigilant in maintaining health and well-being.
• Women should know from in their teens what a normal healthy breast should feel like.
• Women with a family history of breast cancer need to be particularly vigilant and start screening 10 years before the age their mother or affected first degree relative was diagnosed.
• We are not advocating for added radiation to any part of the body; we do believe that women should find good, competent OB/GYN physicians, develop a relationship and get good reliable medical advice and guidance. Women should not depend on sound health advice from such panels, but rather from health care experts who know their family history and personal health condition.

According to an article in the NY Times dated Nov. 20, 2009, “This panel was appointed by the prior administration, by former President George Bush.” President Obama has been vilified by some for a panel he had no part in selecting. This type of Task Force has been in existence since 1984. Could it be that the prior administration put in place a group to do exactly what this group is doing?

• What exactly are the benefits of these guidelines?
• What are they intended to accomplish and for whom?

“Breast cancer is most common in women over 50. But that doesn’t mean it can’t occur in younger women. There are many cases in women in their 40s. And while it’s far more rare in women under 40, women in their 20s and 30s can and do get breast cancer. But it is relatively rare. Less than 5 percent of all breast cancers occur in women under age 40.” While this might be true in some abstract form, if your child is one of the 5% then to you it is NOT rare at all. Right here in CT between 2007 and 2009, I personally know of five women in their 30’s who have the most aggressive form of breast cancer.

“All too often, a young woman may be misdiagnosed. She may detect a lump or a thickening, go in to see her doctor, and be told she just has lumpy breasts or “fibrocystic disease” and should be followed. And she is—until her doctors realize it’s more serious than they initially believed. Then, they step into action. This is why even though the vast majority of lumps in women under 35 are benign, it’s important for doctors to be vigilant and bear in mind that young women can develop breast cancer.” (The above two paragraphs in quotes are from Dr. Susan Love’s web site at www.dslrf.org)

Another area of breast cancer that needs to be very closely examined and research is– to see if there is a possible relationship between using an IUD and developing breast cancer. An IUD, or intrauterine device, is a tiny, plastic, T-shaped instrument inserted into a woman’s uterus for the purpose of preventing unwanted pregnancies. Compared with other methods of birth control, IUDs are considered to be among the most cost effective and convenient method of contraceptives available.

One of the young women I know was put on birth control pills to regulate her period; she then developed breast cancer. Another had been on birth control pills for several years; she was diagnosed with bilateral tumors at age 34. The other three all had IUDs for four or more years and they were all diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer in their early to mid-30’s. While there may be many other reasons why these young women are now sharing this unfortunate distinction, we are saying this needs to be looked at more closely. When we have raised this question with some physicians we have gotten a shrug of the shoulder and a: ‘as far as I know, there has been no link established.’ A link can only be established if there is research and careful study. If breast cancer is indeed rare among young women, when five young women show up with this disease, and birth control methods seem to be the most obvious thing they have in common, it needs to be looked at very closely. We can only find out if we explore. While individual doctors are not responsible for research, vigilant and astute doctors are often responsible for promulgating solutions. These findings should be reported to the CDC.

While we know that we need to be careful how we react to information on the web, there are times when such information is very helpful in pointing us in important directions to get valuable information. Here is one such link:

Breast Cancer Topic: Mirena IUD?
http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/27/topic/706634
31 posts – 25 authors – Last post: Oct 8, 2009
My radiation oncologist suspects that the Mirena IUD, which I had inserted 3+ years prior, could have been the cause of my breast cancer. …

Breast cancer in the 30’s might not be as rare as we tend to think. The possible connection between the use of IUDs and breast cancer needs to be explored. One of the women went in and had a bilateral mastectomy and the doctors did not remove her IUD, or even discussed it! Yet, for another of the women her doctor said the IUD had to be removed immediately. Unfortunately, there is no uniformity in standard of care on these issues. It seems to be the luck of the draw, and who you have as a doctor. This is why it is important to be able to check for key background information on your health provider. It is very important that you get the best and most effective treatment at the outset; cancer does not allow kindly for do-overs. While mammograms might not pick up all invasive forms of cancer early enough, if it picks up 30 percent who can be treated successfully, that will be 57,711 of the estimated 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer which occurred among women in the United States during 2009. Early detection and effective treatment are keys to survival and continued good health. Since when is 30% of anything not valuable to know?

Get familiar with what your breast feels like and ask your doctor to teach you how to do a thorough breast self-exam. Get your annual check-ups and talk to your health care providers about your concerns. Be proactive; get informed. Knowledge is power. Empower yourself in 2010. Peace and good health to you.