Showing posts with label health care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health care. Show all posts
Monday, August 31, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Barry Jackson, Online Advocacy Manager, AARP - Don't believe them
Hi,
My inbox has been flooded with emails spreading crazy rumors about health reform so I wanted to share some facts from AARP about what's really going on. Please join me in forwarding these facts to everyone you know. Print them out and pass them around at your social gatherings and other places where people are discussing the issues of the day.
FACT #1: Medicare will not be ended, and no benefits or services will be cut.
Your services will not be ended, nor will your benefits be cut. AARP's position on this could not be clearer. And we have sent this message loud and clear to Congress. While the current proposals include savings in Medicare by cutting out fraud, abuse, waste, and inefficiency, we're standing up and making sure benefits for Medicare recipients are not only fully protected, but are improved. 1
FACT #2: No legislation currently in Congress would mandate the rationing of care. Period.
Our staff has read all of the legislation circulating in Congress and there are no provisions in these bills that would ration care for our members. None. If any ever did, we would vigorously fight to stop that legislation. 2
FACT #3: There is no provision of any piece of legislation that would promote euthanasia of any kind.
The rumors out there are flat out lies. Right now Medicare does not cover counseling for end-of-life care. The portion of the bill in question would simply provide coverage for optional end-of-life consultations with doctors, so that the patient can be aware of all of the treatment options on the table. It is not mandatory and it has nothing to do with euthanasia. 3
FACT #4: We have not endorsed President Obama's plan.
In fact, we haven't endorsed any plan. We are supporting reform of our health care system, something that AARP has pushed for many years. We're working closely with Republican and Democratic members of Congress to lower health care costs and to ensure quality affordable coverage for older Americans – and we want reform legislation passed and signed by the president this year. 4
So what is AARP fighting for in health reform?
1. Stopping insurance companies from charging older Americans unaffordable premiums because of their age.
2. Ending the practice of excluding people from insurance because of pre-existing conditions.
3. Holding down health costs and making insurance coverage more affordable for all Americans.
4. Making prescription drugs more affordable by narrowing the Medicare doughnut hole, bringing generics to market faster, and allowing Medicare to negotiate better drug prices.
Find out more and take action at HealthActionNow.Org
1 "AARP to Congress: Don’t Make Medicare More Expensive," AARP, July 30, 2009
2 "Debunked: Health Reform Means Rationed Care For Seniors," AARP, August 4, 2009
3 "AARP Responds to Health Reform Scare Tactics," AARP, July 24, 2009
4 "Obama Vows No Cuts To Medicare Benefits," AARP, July 29, 2009
My inbox has been flooded with emails spreading crazy rumors about health reform so I wanted to share some facts from AARP about what's really going on. Please join me in forwarding these facts to everyone you know. Print them out and pass them around at your social gatherings and other places where people are discussing the issues of the day.
FACT #1: Medicare will not be ended, and no benefits or services will be cut.
Your services will not be ended, nor will your benefits be cut. AARP's position on this could not be clearer. And we have sent this message loud and clear to Congress. While the current proposals include savings in Medicare by cutting out fraud, abuse, waste, and inefficiency, we're standing up and making sure benefits for Medicare recipients are not only fully protected, but are improved. 1
FACT #2: No legislation currently in Congress would mandate the rationing of care. Period.
Our staff has read all of the legislation circulating in Congress and there are no provisions in these bills that would ration care for our members. None. If any ever did, we would vigorously fight to stop that legislation. 2
FACT #3: There is no provision of any piece of legislation that would promote euthanasia of any kind.
The rumors out there are flat out lies. Right now Medicare does not cover counseling for end-of-life care. The portion of the bill in question would simply provide coverage for optional end-of-life consultations with doctors, so that the patient can be aware of all of the treatment options on the table. It is not mandatory and it has nothing to do with euthanasia. 3
FACT #4: We have not endorsed President Obama's plan.
In fact, we haven't endorsed any plan. We are supporting reform of our health care system, something that AARP has pushed for many years. We're working closely with Republican and Democratic members of Congress to lower health care costs and to ensure quality affordable coverage for older Americans – and we want reform legislation passed and signed by the president this year. 4
So what is AARP fighting for in health reform?
1. Stopping insurance companies from charging older Americans unaffordable premiums because of their age.
2. Ending the practice of excluding people from insurance because of pre-existing conditions.
3. Holding down health costs and making insurance coverage more affordable for all Americans.
4. Making prescription drugs more affordable by narrowing the Medicare doughnut hole, bringing generics to market faster, and allowing Medicare to negotiate better drug prices.
Find out more and take action at HealthActionNow.Org
1 "AARP to Congress: Don’t Make Medicare More Expensive," AARP, July 30, 2009
2 "Debunked: Health Reform Means Rationed Care For Seniors," AARP, August 4, 2009
3 "AARP Responds to Health Reform Scare Tactics," AARP, July 24, 2009
4 "Obama Vows No Cuts To Medicare Benefits," AARP, July 29, 2009
The Obama Way
Every one of us likes to be a back seat driver, to second guess the coach, to think we have a better way.
I have been an Obama supporter since he started what most people thought was an impossible dream; his quixotic campaign for the presidency. No one really thought he had a chance, not even me.
After 9/11 who would vote for an Obama? or Osama?, or someone with the middle name Hussein. Laughable. What about the Reverend Wright controversy, or the charge he "pals around with terrorists"?
What drew so many of us to support him financially and with our "blood, sweat and tears"? How did he topple two unconquerable political forces, first the unstoppable Clintons who fought it out to the last primary; and then immediately turn to duel it out with the dirty political jugernaught created by Karl Rove and Dick Cheney.
This is what I believe about our President:
a) He is 10 times smarter than I think he is and 100 times smarter than I am. In his mind he is way ahead of all of us. When he has dinner by himself in the West Wing there is more brain power in that room than was in Independence Hall when our Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence.
b) As he has made clear since he started the campaign for President, he will change Washington and there will be no more politics as usual.
What is so frustrating to us is that NONE OF US can imagine any OTHER KIND OF POLITICS than "business as usual". Unfortunate as it is, we all believe in MAJORITY RULE. Although we don't like to admit it we believe that Dick Cheney is right when he says that all you need to govern is 50% plus one vote and the rest of America can go to Hell.
It will take time to abolish the mindset of "business as usual" in Washington. Liberals, Conservatives, Democrats, and Republicans are all shaking their head thinking President Obama is a nut case. Its one thing for this man with an Islamic sounding name, a mutt with a black father and a white mother, to beat TWO unstoppable political machines to become president. Now this NAIVE greenhorn thinks he can actually change how Washington DC works.
Cossacks and Rednecks, Wall Street and Main Street, Peace Activists and Neo-Cons beware. Politics as usual is on its last breath. Partisanship is dying and the consensus that only a community organizer can bring to a society is the NEW POLITICS.
c) President Obama does not run from a fight. He gave 'em as much as he took in the 2008 Election. He won't be pushed around. He listens to everyone, until he sees consensus and once he has a plan that is supportable by ALL "sane" people regardless of party, and he agrees with it, HE WON"T BACK DOWN and he is unstoppable.
As far as Health Care, by the end of the year, President Obama WILL negotiate an agreement reconciling the work of the five committees of Congress. All credible, thoughtful Representatives and Senators regardless of party will agree with it. As a good community organizer, President Obama will not talk specifics on any of the plans until he negotiates a final agreement that Congress passes. However, if the leaders of the Republican Party abandon common sense, and take the side of the wing nuts, that is their death wish and they have to suffer heavy consequences.
Health Care this year is ESSENTIAL and WILL HAPPEN. But the way it is achieved will be the "Obama Way", which does bring on THE END OF POLITICS AS USUAL IN WASHINGTON.
I have been an Obama supporter since he started what most people thought was an impossible dream; his quixotic campaign for the presidency. No one really thought he had a chance, not even me.
After 9/11 who would vote for an Obama? or Osama?, or someone with the middle name Hussein. Laughable. What about the Reverend Wright controversy, or the charge he "pals around with terrorists"?
What drew so many of us to support him financially and with our "blood, sweat and tears"? How did he topple two unconquerable political forces, first the unstoppable Clintons who fought it out to the last primary; and then immediately turn to duel it out with the dirty political jugernaught created by Karl Rove and Dick Cheney.
This is what I believe about our President:
a) He is 10 times smarter than I think he is and 100 times smarter than I am. In his mind he is way ahead of all of us. When he has dinner by himself in the West Wing there is more brain power in that room than was in Independence Hall when our Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence.
b) As he has made clear since he started the campaign for President, he will change Washington and there will be no more politics as usual.
What is so frustrating to us is that NONE OF US can imagine any OTHER KIND OF POLITICS than "business as usual". Unfortunate as it is, we all believe in MAJORITY RULE. Although we don't like to admit it we believe that Dick Cheney is right when he says that all you need to govern is 50% plus one vote and the rest of America can go to Hell.
It will take time to abolish the mindset of "business as usual" in Washington. Liberals, Conservatives, Democrats, and Republicans are all shaking their head thinking President Obama is a nut case. Its one thing for this man with an Islamic sounding name, a mutt with a black father and a white mother, to beat TWO unstoppable political machines to become president. Now this NAIVE greenhorn thinks he can actually change how Washington DC works.
Cossacks and Rednecks, Wall Street and Main Street, Peace Activists and Neo-Cons beware. Politics as usual is on its last breath. Partisanship is dying and the consensus that only a community organizer can bring to a society is the NEW POLITICS.
c) President Obama does not run from a fight. He gave 'em as much as he took in the 2008 Election. He won't be pushed around. He listens to everyone, until he sees consensus and once he has a plan that is supportable by ALL "sane" people regardless of party, and he agrees with it, HE WON"T BACK DOWN and he is unstoppable.
As far as Health Care, by the end of the year, President Obama WILL negotiate an agreement reconciling the work of the five committees of Congress. All credible, thoughtful Representatives and Senators regardless of party will agree with it. As a good community organizer, President Obama will not talk specifics on any of the plans until he negotiates a final agreement that Congress passes. However, if the leaders of the Republican Party abandon common sense, and take the side of the wing nuts, that is their death wish and they have to suffer heavy consequences.
Health Care this year is ESSENTIAL and WILL HAPPEN. But the way it is achieved will be the "Obama Way", which does bring on THE END OF POLITICS AS USUAL IN WASHINGTON.
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