Affordable Care Act - the more you know

With the recent Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act and all the hysteria among my neighbors and friends ginned up by local and national media, it was good to read a commonsense and nonpolitical article addressing some of the pros and cons. Consumer advocate Stacy Johnson addressed a reader's question about the penalty and coverage and then went on to note some of the law's provisions.

While being upset by all the hype about the penalty, most people I know are supportive of well-known provisions of the law - for example, allowing children to stay on the parents' policy until age 26 and forbidding the big insurance companies from cherry-picking by denying or dumping people with preexisting conditions. As more of the law's provisions become known, this bird predicts the law will gain even more support.

Stacy's MoneyTalksNews post included information about a provision of the Affordable Care Act that I've found very few people knew about, but when informed, they think is a great idea - insurance companies are required to spend 80-85% of gross income on health care for customers and not on bureaucracy, CEO pay, or stockholder dividends. Failing to meet this requirement, means the company will have to send rebates to policyholders. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates the rebates to businesses and consumers could be as much as $1.3 billion in 2012 alone.

Anytime you are discussing the big health insurance companies, cynicism rolls through the brain like sweat off the brow during the recent heatwave - creative accounting and smoke and mirrors may yet undo these good intentions of the law. But, the fact that this "anti-greed" provision is even in the law more than implies that federal inspectors will be keeping at least a cursory eye on the company books.

When I brought this to the attention of an anti-Obama skeptic the clucking stopped for a least a moment. Seems even Tea Partiers and Occupy folks can find common ground when it comes to excessive CEO salaries and greed! While I don't think the Affordable Care Act is perfect and will need modifications especially during the first years of implementation, I do think there is far more good than most Americans now realize - the more you know.

Get it done

Healthcare reform will take giant stride this weekend when the House of Representatives formally moves it forward. Hopefully Rep. Tom Perriello (VA-05) will show the courage of his convictions and support the bill. I expect he will, although he is certainly facing lots of hateful lies and distortions being spread like manure on the fields in spring.

Republicans will scream and holler that the bill isn't bipartisan. Well, no it isn't... mostly because Republicans won't support much of anything on President Obama's agenda. They long ago made the political decision to oppose him on every turn - not because it was good policy, but according to their calculations, it was good politics. Their calls to delay or restart the debate are transparent.

There is misleading rhetoric being fired from the left too. Some claim that if various leaders had been stronger advocates that the public option would still be in the bill. But, that is at best a pipe dream... too many moderate Democrats either weren't for it or were worried about their seats. Make no mistake, the public option is probably necessary for real reform and real cost savings to occur. Medicare for all. But, current political realities make the public option untenable and the speaker and president don't want to spend political capital of their Democratic allies on a poison pill. Sometimes change in America has to come one step at a time.

While many in the public don't know the details of the reform bill (blame the president and Democrats for not doing a better job of explaining things in simple terms) it is pretty clear most Americans are either for it or against it. Not many undecideds out there. But today's report from the Congressional Budget Office that healthcare reform will actually cut the federal debt should nudge some Americans and just enough congressmen to win the bill's passage. Didn't hear about the CBO report? How does a $138 billion reduction of the deficit over the next ten years sound?

Sure, healthcare reform may become a hot issue in the 2010 elections, but by then the deal will be done. Once off the front page, issues of jobs and the economy will take center stage and healthcare reform will be a bit of an afterthought. Even if the issue remains hot, Democrats should have great opportunities selling reform as deficit reduction package and as helping small businesses to create jobs. The GOP will also be talking jobs, but without much of a program to produce any.

The politics of healthcare reform is changing before our eyes - President Obama is winning the public opinion war, the nonpartisan CBO acknowledges the budgetary benefits, the GOP can't quite shed the "party of No" label, and the tea party wingdings are running short of steam. Healthcare reform will pass. As the programs go into effect there will be adjustments. Medicare for all will happen - but, maybe not before I'm on Medicare the old fashioned way.

In league with liars

It isn't just Senate Republicans who are engaging in a systematic campaign of lies and fear mongering about healthcare... various front groups are right there spreading much of the same garbage in TV ads in local markets. One of those front groups, the League of American Voters (are they deliberately trying to confuse us by sounding like the very responsible League of Women Voters?), is running an ad attacking Rep. Tom Perriello (VA-05). With their nice name, it sounds like we are all members and Dick Morris, their main ad writer, is speaking for all of us. Nothing could be further from the truth. If the name is a lie, how can we believe anything else they say?

According to SourceWatch, the League of American Voters essentially consists of Morris and one other staff member. They share an address with another ultra conservative front group, Americans for Tax Reform, and have overlap with organizers of Tea Parties. In other words, the league does not represent you and me - it really represents Morris (who is trying to sell his book), big pharma, health insurance companies, and right wing crackpots.

FactCheck.org says the league's ads are filled with buzzwords like "rationing" and "tax surcharge" and include a number of misleading claims - incorrectly stating future costs and asserting there will be a tax increase without saying that very few people make enough to pay it. The ads are running nationwide against Democrats in targeted districts like VA-05, which is represented by a courageous freshman incumbent.

Educate yourself. Tell your friends about the lies in the ads. Tell NBC29 they are airing garbage. And even if you don't live in VA-05, make a donation to Tom Perriello's campaign.

Senator Webb, Senator Warner - VOTE NO!

Like many other Virginians, I support meaningful healthcare reform - ideally, "Medicare for all." Short of that, a robust public option that will bring competition to the markets. Elimination of discrimination against people with preexisting conditions. Lower costs while improving delivery of healthcare services. Real choice for Americans.

The bill before the Senate is a sellout to the insurance companies - their control over the industry will widen and millions of taxpayer dollars will flow into their coffers. Companies will be able to charge older Americans two, even three, times the rates charged to younger ones... age is a preexisting condition! Americans won't get any more choices, but they will get a fine if they don't sign-up with an insurance company. Neither competition nor other steps are taken to end the excessive CEO salaries and administrative waste in the private companies.

There are some good things in the Senate bill - more emphasis on preventative programs, some expansion of Medicare, help for small businesses struggling with health costs and for parents with adult children continuing their education well into their 20s, and more. But, the good doesn't come close to outweighing the bad.

There is lots of blame to go around: Republicans who have never offered any meaningful reform, just obstacles; the insurance companies and their front groups like 60Plus who have spent millions every day and deployed hundreds of lobbyists and slick ad agencies to spread lies and fear; and a media obsessed with headlines promoting conflict rather than consensus. But the real blame falls on Senate Democrats themselves - when given the opportunity to lead they descended into a family feud characterized by fights over side issues, over-sized egos, turf wars, and cowardice.

Senator Jim Webb and Senator Mark Warner.... vote NO! A bad bill that fails to offer real reform should be killed - in this case, any bill is not better than no bill.

Over the mountain

Across Afton Mountain from the Shenandoah Valley we find ourselves in a different political universe. Much of the Valley is strong Republican turf and the congressman from the 6th District, Bob Goodlatte, rarely if ever breaks from his party ranks. Goodlatte, who has a good number of constituents who will benefit from meaningful healthcare reform, was nevertheless a predictable NO vote yesterday.

But, just a few miles across the Blue Ridge, freshman Democrat Tom Perriello of the 5th District voted for the legislation. Last summer, Perriello held 21 town hall meetings on healthcare reform across his sprawling district. He'd been working behind the scenes to influence the legislation so it won't add to the deficit, to protect Medicare, and to assure it will be fair and beneficial to rural areas like much of his district. After the historic vote, Perriello stated:

[The bill is] profound shift away from the status quo towards progress and better, cheaper health care for more Americans. [It] will make health care more affordable for the middle class, provide security for seniors and reduce the federal deficit.

Whether for or against health care reform, most people in the district asked me to fight for deficit reduction, a fair shake for rural doctors, and no federal funding for abortions. I helped to score major victories on all three fronts. Today’s vote on health care legislation came down to a simple choice for me: do we sit back and let premiums skyrocket for middle-class families and small businesses, and watch the cost of prescription drugs bankrupt seniors and the cost of health care bankrupt the federal government? Or do we take this step today to support middle-class families and small businesses by encouraging competition to bring down premiums?

The time to act is now, because Virginians deserve a competitive health care market,” he continued. They deserve access to affordable health care, and they deserve better choices when purchasing insurance.

Perriello has been hammered for weeks in TV ads sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and other conservative/GOP groups. Several potential Republican challengers are on the campaign trail attacking Rep. Perriello. The barrage of misleading litter will continue all the way until November 2010.

Right now it appears unlikely that Democrats will field a candidate against Bob Goodlatte in the 6th District. So, I'd like to make a modest proposal to progressives and Democrats in the Shenandoah Valley - make a "Thank You" donation to Tom Perriello's reelection campaign. It is quick and easy to do online and it will send a message that Democrats across the state are standing with Rep. Tom Perriello because he had the courage to do the right thing for his district and country.

Witch's Cauldron

A scary Halloween from artist Zina Saunders at Drawger...

"Double, double, toil and trouble," chant Michele Bachmann, Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh as they stir up the pot against health care reform.

A few incantations from the trio's trick or treat bag: Congresswoman Bachmann says sex clinics will result from Health Care Reform, Ann Coulter says Obama's plan encourages assisted suicide for the elderly, and Rush Limbaugh says Obama's health care plan is right out of Hitler's playbook.

Boo!

Shot in the arm; kick in the butt

I got my seasonal flu shot at CVS yesterday. Because CVS is the prescription provider with a relationship with my insurance company, I figured it would be covered in full or with a copay. After waiting in line for about 15 minutes I was informed that my insurance (covers lots of people in these parts) wasn't one of those accepted. Seems the company giving the shots was a subcontractor. I went ahead and paid the $30 and made sure I held on to my receipt hoping Southern Health would reimburse me.

The retired Navy veteran in line behind me, nudged me and showed me his Medicare card. He was a talkative and well-informed guy who started the conversation by saying "we should have Medicare for all. Works great." He went on to talk about all the misinformation (he actually said "lies") that had been spread a the town hall meetings. We had a long conversation which ended when it was my turn to get stuck. The last thing he said was, "President Obama promised a public option and said he'd veto anything that falls short. We need to hold him to it."

First we need to get a strong public option to the President's desk. And that means getting it through the Senate. Rachel Maddow has a suggestion for cracking heads and twisting arms:

To wrap up my story, I came home and called the insurance company's customer service. After dancing through the phone tree and listening to messages I finally got to a rep. She was very polite and helpful... and seemed surprised that my card wasn't accepted. She promised to mail a reimbursement form and indicated I should get about $20 back.

You might say "all's well that end's well." Perhaps so. But, why should something this simple be such a hassle? How many similarly situated people would forget to call or would lose the receipt... or worse, not gotten the flu shot? It shouldn't be this tough

The Navy vet had it right. We need Medicare for all.

Follow the money

Who is putting up the big bucks to kill healthcare reform? Who are their allies? Some names won't surprise you. Other names might be new to you. When Rep. Goodlatte holds his town hall meeting on Sept. 5, you can bet Dick Armey, Glenn Beck, Americans for Prosperity, Joe Wierzbicki, and friends will be lurking in the shadows whispering "death panels," "Hitler," and "socialism."

Click here for a large version of the flow chart "Who's Paying to Kill Health Reform?"

On recess, Bob?

National and local news is filled with the drama of the town hall meetings on healthcare reform that have been conducted by President Obama and many representatives across the country. Of course, the media is mostly obsessed with the confrontation and emotion that has erupted at some of the meetings and with repeating the outrageous (and deceitful) things some are saying about "death panels" and socialism. Fortunately a few in the media are exposing the orchestrated campaign by the GOP, drug companies, extremist front groups like FreedomWorks that is designed to shout down rational debate rather than seek bipartisan consensus.

With all these town hall meetings going on, I thought Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R) would have conducted several in the 6th District of Virginia. After all, across the mountain in the 5th District, Rep. Tom Perriello (D) has already held eight "Tom in Your Town" meetings and has about a dozen more in the works. Most of those have seen high turnout and each has attracted groups more intent on disruption than discussion. But, at the "Tom in Your Town" in Charlottesville, residents supporting reform equaled the shouters and a good exchange of ideas took place. I suspect the same is true at many other forums around the country, except you'd never know it from our sensationalized main stream media.

So far, Rep. Goodlatte seems to have taken the word "recess" seriously (skipping rope?) and I'm unaware of any town hall meetings conducted in the 6th District. Now comes word that he'll hold some "tele-town halls" and will announce a series of face-to-face town hall meetings soon. But, don't count Goodlatte among those congressmen really seeking honest input and discussion. He's already called the America's Affordable Health Choices Act "misguided" and has repeated the Republican talking points about eliminating waste and fraud in the current system and medical liability reform. My bet is that the congressman's office is already working with extremists like tea party and Americans for Prosperity to make sure he is surrounded by friendly faces and loud shouting to try and drown out supporters of healthcare reform.

So, keep your eyes open for one of Rep. Goodlatte's town hall meetings near your where healthcare will be "discussed." In the meantime, you can call his D.C. office at 202.225.5431 and tell him you want genuine and meaningful healthcare reform. For email and regional office contact info, click here. It only takes a quick read at his website to see Goodlatte's mind is already slammed shut and he'll hop in lockstep with Republican marching orders. But, that doesn't mean rational and thoughtful voices shouldn't be raised in the 6th District.

Push Back Payoff

Finally some push back against the crazed mobs that have been storming town hall meetings on health care reform hosted by Democratic senators and representatives. You know the story: opponents of health care reform fill the room carrying signs about "socialism" and more hateful ones depicting Obama as some sort of "Hitler." Shouting out lies about things like "death panels" their tactic has been to misinform, confuse, scare.... and if that doesn't work, to simply shout down any reasonable discussion of the issues. This well orchestrated GOP/insurance industry campaign has dominated the news for the past couple weeks. Reminded this bird of the rude and coarse behavior exhibited at the Augusta Co. reassessment hearing earlier this year.

Last night in Charlottesville, that came to an end. The auditorium was again packed for Rep. Tom Perriello's (D-05) town hall meeting. This time though, the audience included many supporters supporting reform who took to the microphone with reasoned, rational statements. When the realization crept over the mob that other opinions would be heard and the debate would be responsible, respectful, and issues-based they simply walked out. That seemed to verify my contention that opponents of health reform aren't interested in democratic debate, consensus building, and compromise - they want it their way or no way and they want to defeat anything they see as part of the "Obama agenda."

Lesson of the story: If supporters of health care reform want to be successful we will have to respectfully but forcefully push back at the town hall meetings citing facts, truths, and turning out in sufficient numbers so as to not be intimidated and shouted down. We can also:

• Call or email our senators and representatives;
• Write letters to the editor;
• Post on blogs;
• Talk to friends and family.

Video of the Charlottesville town hall meeting on NBC29.