Universal Health Care for America

[Guest tryinghard53]

President Obama I would say the MAJORITY of people DESERVE to be excluded from insurance due to bad lifestyles. Obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes-95% of them is due to life style choices. When they have their heart attacks-DUE TO LIFESTYLE CHOICES-why should I have to pay for this? They usually continue to smoke and eat what they want. NOT a stereotype-it's reality how people are. Giving them FREE health care makes it easier for them to abuse their bodies at our expense.

 

Republican extremists and corporate interests often say how great the American "free-enterprise" system is until it comes to the creation of actual market competition. Those that claim to favour "free-enterprise" the most actually are the biggest stake holders in large monopoly style corporations, and in actual fact they hate competition, especially if comes from government sources. The typical right-wing extremist feels that government is the root of all evil and that business interests should be given a free hand to do whatever they want to. They do not have enough heart and soul to care about those who have to declare personal bankruptcy or lose their home to forclosure because of medical bills. Many such cold individuals are financially secure and do not give a damn about those victimized by the current system. No doubt many of them actually have investments in private insurance and pharmaceutical companies as well as other "free-enterprise" aspects of health care. In other words the loudest voices in this debate profit the most from the suffering of others. Those loudest voices are aided and abeted by corporate interests and big business mouth-pieces in the Republican Party. "Free-enterprise" is far from free.

[Luke_Wilbur]

I just hope that our government leaders are coming up with a plan to take care of all the people that are now without jobs throughout our country. Unemployment raises stress levels, lowers nutritional intake, and leaves families without money to pay for health insurance.

 

Driving America's heartland has shown me the poverty people are going through. I thank God I have insurance and a job.

[Guest tryinghard53]

In addition to losing jobs and businesses, over one quarter of all personal bankruptcies in the U.S. are due to medical bills.

[Guest Norris]

In this challenging context, the president would be well advised to focus more on the economy over the next three years, and to persuade average Americans that the economy is as central to his concerns as is it to theirs. That means taking what he can get on health care and focusing on job creation coming from the stimulus bill.

[Guest tryinghard53]

I diagree . Controlling health care costs is essential to economic recovery. Passing universal basic health care is as essential for our democracy today as was passing social security to our democracy 70 years ago.

[Guest Rakesh Singh]

Most Americans Continue to Support Moving Ahead With Health Care Reform Now Despite Town Hall Fights and Ad Campaigns

 

Concerns Have Grown About Perceived Negative Effects of Reform, Especially Among Republican and Independents

 

Seniors Report They Are Confused About Reform

 

A slim majority of Americans continues to favor moving forward on health care reform now despite an intensifying ad war and a political climate of contentious town hall meetings that coincide with rising concerns about the reform effort, according to the August Kaiser Health Tracking Poll.

 

Fifty-three percent of the public believes that tackling health reform is more important than ever, compared to 42 percent who say we cannot afford to take on health care reform right now. The gap between those points of view has narrowed in recent months as criticisms and doubts about reform plans seem to be registering. Sixty three percent of the public say they are "hopeful" about reform, 41 percent are "afraid" and 46 percent are simply "confused".

 

The August poll was conducted during a period in which politically active members of the public vented their fears and hopes about reform plans in fiery and widely-publicized town hall meetings with elected officials, and at a time when an increasing number of Americans (45% compared to 31% in July) reported seeing advertisements having to do with proposed changes in the health care system.

 

"The August health reform wars about hot button issues have definitely made the public more anxious but they have not caused public support to unravel," said Kaiser President and CEO Drew Altman. "When the Congress returns the debate will refocus on core issues such as how to pay for health reform and meet the public’s expectations for help with their health insurance problems."

 

Better Off/Worse Off for Me and the Country

 

The intensifying debate appears to have impacted some key tracking poll indicators over the last month. One key indicator in the debate is the percentage of Americans who think that they or their families would be better off if the president and Congress enacted major health reform legislation. The largest group (36%) continues to say their family will be better off if health reform passes -- a proportion that has held relatively steady all year. However, the share who believes their family will be worse off has jumped 10 percentage points since July and now stands at 31 percent.

 

Similarly, while a larger proportion of Americans continues to believe the country as a whole would be better off if Congress passed health care reform than think it would be harmed (45% vs. 34%), the gap between those viewpoints has shrunk over the course of the summer. The share of Americans who see negative consequences for the country has climbed and the share anticipating benefits has fallen. Just one month ago, for instance, 51 percent thought the country would be better off if the president and Congress pass health reform, while 23 percent thought it would be worse off.

 

The uptick in fears of negative outcomes is driven in large part by a big jump in concerns among Republicans. This month, 61 percent of Republicans say they would be personally worse off if health reform passes, up 22 percentage points from July. Similarly, 68 percent of Republicans said the country would be worse off if reform passes, up 25 percentage points from July.

 

In addition, for the first time this year, more independents say they personally will be worse off rather than better off if health reform passes (36% vs. 30%). And independents now are roughly divided on whether or not health care reform will benefit the country, in contrast to previous months where optimists outnumbered pessimists in this group. Democrats have remained fairly steady in their perception of how health reform might affect them personally; a majority (53%) say they and their family would be better off if health reform passed.

 

Support for Individual Reform Proposals Remains High, and Expanding and Subsidizing Coverage and Insurance Reform Top the List of Most Important Goals

 

Despite the increasingly passionate debate this summer, public backing for key individual elements of health reform remains steady. Substantial majorities continue to say they support individual reform components designed to expand coverage, including a public plan option (59%), an expansion of state programs such as Medicaid (80%), an individual mandate (68%) and an employer mandate (68%).

 

Asked which elements of health reform are the "most important" to them, members of the public cited expanding and subsidizing health coverage to Americans who have been unable to afford it as their top choice (32%), followed by insurance reform (24%), and strengthening prevention programs (19%). Reining in the amount of money the country spends on health care came in fourth (9%).

 

Attention to the Debate

 

There is heightened attention to health reform, with 33 percent of Americans saying they are following the debate "very closely", up from 27 percent in July. Those who think they personally will be worse off if health reform is enacted are more likely to say they are following the debate "very closely" than those who think they personally will be better off (55% to 30%).

 

Moreover, with the ad wars becoming more intense, there has been a big spike in the share of Americans who say they have seen a health care reform-related ad over the course of the past week. Nearly half (45%) say they have seen, heard or read some sort of message on health reform, pro or con, over the past seven days, up from 31 percent last month and 21 percent in June. So far the pro-reform ads have a slight edge. Of those who saw an ad, 40 percent say the ad they saw was pro-reform, compared to 32 percent who said the ad they saw was anti-reform. Twenty-one percent said they had seen both kinds of ads.

 

Feelings About Reform Range Widely, and Seniors Are Most Likely to Feel Confused

 

As the summer’s debate has heated up, much of the media discussion has focused on the anger displayed at some town hall meetings across the country. But the August survey finds that anger is hardly the only emotion about health reform. Asked which terms described their feelings about health reform plans being discussed in Washington, most said "hopeful" (63%), followed by "frustrated" (57%), "optimistic" (50%), "confused" (46%), "pessimistic" (42%) and "afraid" (41%).

 

Americans’ feelings track strongly with whether they favor passing some sort of health care reform this year or whether they think the country cannot afford to take on the issue during a recession. Among those who want reform now, the dominant emotions are hope (82%) and optimism (70%), while among those opposed the chief sentiments are frustration (69%) and fear (62%).

 

One key demographic group stands out as being most likely to report that they feel "confused" by the debate in Washington: senior citizens. Overall, 62 percent of those over age 65 say they are confused about health care plans being considered by Congress, compared to 43 percent of those under age 65. It is this confusion that may be driving some of the anxiety evident among seniors when it comes to health care reform plans.

 

Much of the recent debate has focused on the concerns of seniors and a discussion of how Medicare would be affected by any reform proposal. Seniors are more likely to see Medicare as worse off than better off under health reform (37% vs. 20%), with 26 percent believing reform will not impact the program and another 17 percent unsure about what reform will mean.

 

The poll does not find that seniors are appreciably more likely than younger Americans to see themselves harmed by reform. Instead, they are less likely to see themselves helped. Overall, 23 percent of seniors say they will personally be better off if health reform passes, compared to 39 percent of those under age 65. About one in three seniors say they personally will be worse off if reform is enacted, roughly equivalent to the views of younger Americans.

 

"Seniors tell us they are confused about health reform," said Kaiser Vice President and Director of Public Opinion and Survey Research Mollyann Brodie. "They are hearing both positive and negative things about how it will affect them and they are not sure what to believe. Whether they will support any final proposal remains unclear -- and may depend heavily on what the specifics are and whether any sweeteners for seniors are included in the bill."

 

The survey was designed and analyzed by public opinion researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation and was conducted August 4 through August 11, 2009, among a nationally representative random sample of 1,203 adults ages 18 and older. Telephone interviews conducted by landline (801) and cell phone (402, including 123 who had no landline telephone) were carried out in English and Spanish. The margin of sampling error for the total sample is plus or minus 3 percentage points. For results based on subgroups, the margin of sampling error is higher.

[Guest Human]

WOW that's going to be news to the democrats that I know of who ARE RETIRING at record speeds, and I can Promise you that they make the democrats that come here LOOK LIKE WALL FLOWERS.

 

When I see the really hardcore democrats retiring "Just to lock in their benefits" before the healthcare bill goes through? It doesn't inspire in me much confidence.

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Most Americans Continue to Support Moving Ahead With Health Care Reform Now Despite Town Hall Fights and Ad Campaigns

 

Concerns Have Grown About Perceived Negative Effects of Reform, Especially Among Republican and Independents

 

Seniors Report They Are Confused About Reform

 

A slim majority of Americans continues to favor moving forward on health care reform now despite an intensifying ad war and a political climate of contentious town hall meetings that coincide with rising concerns about the reform effort, according to the August Kaiser Health Tracking Poll.

 

Fifty-three percent of the public believes that tackling health reform is more important than ever, compared to 42 percent who say we cannot afford to take on health care reform right now. The gap between those points of view has narrowed in recent months as criticisms and doubts about reform plans seem to be registering. Sixty three percent of the public say they are "hopeful" about reform, 41 percent are "afraid" and 46 percent are simply "confused".

 

The August poll was conducted during a period in which politically active members of the public vented their fears and hopes about reform plans in fiery and widely-publicized town hall meetings with elected officials, and at a time when an increasing number of Americans (45% compared to 31% in July) reported seeing advertisements having to do with proposed changes in the health care system.

 

"The August health reform wars about hot button issues have definitely made the public more anxious but they have not caused public support to unravel," said Kaiser President and CEO Drew Altman. "When the Congress returns the debate will refocus on core issues such as how to pay for health reform and meet the public’s expectations for help with their health insurance problems."

 

Better Off/Worse Off for Me and the Country

 

The intensifying debate appears to have impacted some key tracking poll indicators over the last month. One key indicator in the debate is the percentage of Americans who think that they or their families would be better off if the president and Congress enacted major health reform legislation. The largest group (36%) continues to say their family will be better off if health reform passes -- a proportion that has held relatively steady all year. However, the share who believes their family will be worse off has jumped 10 percentage points since July and now stands at 31 percent.

 

Similarly, while a larger proportion of Americans continues to believe the country as a whole would be better off if Congress passed health care reform than think it would be harmed (45% vs. 34%), the gap between those viewpoints has shrunk over the course of the summer. The share of Americans who see negative consequences for the country has climbed and the share anticipating benefits has fallen. Just one month ago, for instance, 51 percent thought the country would be better off if the president and Congress pass health reform, while 23 percent thought it would be worse off.

 

The uptick in fears of negative outcomes is driven in large part by a big jump in concerns among Republicans. This month, 61 percent of Republicans say they would be personally worse off if health reform passes, up 22 percentage points from July. Similarly, 68 percent of Republicans said the country would be worse off if reform passes, up 25 percentage points from July.

 

In addition, for the first time this year, more independents say they personally will be worse off rather than better off if health reform passes (36% vs. 30%). And independents now are roughly divided on whether or not health care reform will benefit the country, in contrast to previous months where optimists outnumbered pessimists in this group. Democrats have remained fairly steady in their perception of how health reform might affect them personally; a majority (53%) say they and their family would be better off if health reform passed.

 

Support for Individual Reform Proposals Remains High, and Expanding and Subsidizing Coverage and Insurance Reform Top the List of Most Important Goals

 

Despite the increasingly passionate debate this summer, public backing for key individual elements of health reform remains steady. Substantial majorities continue to say they support individual reform components designed to expand coverage, including a public plan option (59%), an expansion of state programs such as Medicaid (80%), an individual mandate (68%) and an employer mandate (68%).

 

Asked which elements of health reform are the "most important" to them, members of the public cited expanding and subsidizing health coverage to Americans who have been unable to afford it as their top choice (32%), followed by insurance reform (24%), and strengthening prevention programs (19%). Reining in the amount of money the country spends on health care came in fourth (9%).

 

Attention to the Debate

 

There is heightened attention to health reform, with 33 percent of Americans saying they are following the debate "very closely", up from 27 percent in July. Those who think they personally will be worse off if health reform is enacted are more likely to say they are following the debate "very closely" than those who think they personally will be better off (55% to 30%).

 

Moreover, with the ad wars becoming more intense, there has been a big spike in the share of Americans who say they have seen a health care reform-related ad over the course of the past week. Nearly half (45%) say they have seen, heard or read some sort of message on health reform, pro or con, over the past seven days, up from 31 percent last month and 21 percent in June. So far the pro-reform ads have a slight edge. Of those who saw an ad, 40 percent say the ad they saw was pro-reform, compared to 32 percent who said the ad they saw was anti-reform. Twenty-one percent said they had seen both kinds of ads.

 

Feelings About Reform Range Widely, and Seniors Are Most Likely to Feel Confused

 

As the summer’s debate has heated up, much of the media discussion has focused on the anger displayed at some town hall meetings across the country. But the August survey finds that anger is hardly the only emotion about health reform. Asked which terms described their feelings about health reform plans being discussed in Washington, most said "hopeful" (63%), followed by "frustrated" (57%), "optimistic" (50%), "confused" (46%), "pessimistic" (42%) and "afraid" (41%).

 

Americans’ feelings track strongly with whether they favor passing some sort of health care reform this year or whether they think the country cannot afford to take on the issue during a recession. Among those who want reform now, the dominant emotions are hope (82%) and optimism (70%), while among those opposed the chief sentiments are frustration (69%) and fear (62%).

 

One key demographic group stands out as being most likely to report that they feel "confused" by the debate in Washington: senior citizens. Overall, 62 percent of those over age 65 say they are confused about health care plans being considered by Congress, compared to 43 percent of those under age 65. It is this confusion that may be driving some of the anxiety evident among seniors when it comes to health care reform plans.

 

Much of the recent debate has focused on the concerns of seniors and a discussion of how Medicare would be affected by any reform proposal. Seniors are more likely to see Medicare as worse off than better off under health reform (37% vs. 20%), with 26 percent believing reform will not impact the program and another 17 percent unsure about what reform will mean.

 

The poll does not find that seniors are appreciably more likely than younger Americans to see themselves harmed by reform. Instead, they are less likely to see themselves helped. Overall, 23 percent of seniors say they will personally be better off if health reform passes, compared to 39 percent of those under age 65. About one in three seniors say they personally will be worse off if reform is enacted, roughly equivalent to the views of younger Americans.

 

"Seniors tell us they are confused about health reform," said Kaiser Vice President and Director of Public Opinion and Survey Research Mollyann Brodie. "They are hearing both positive and negative things about how it will affect them and they are not sure what to believe. Whether they will support any final proposal remains unclear -- and may depend heavily on what the specifics are and whether any sweeteners for seniors are included in the bill."

 

The survey was designed and analyzed by public opinion researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation and was conducted August 4 through August 11, 2009, among a nationally representative random sample of 1,203 adults ages 18 and older. Telephone interviews conducted by landline (801) and cell phone (402, including 123 who had no landline telephone) were carried out in English and Spanish. The margin of sampling error for the total sample is plus or minus 3 percentage points. For results based on subgroups, the margin of sampling error is higher.

[Guest Blue Filly]

I think people should listen to the wisdom of their elders. I know that I do. It is unfair that they have worked hard all their lives to now have a chance of losing them. Is this what we do to "America's Greatest Generation."

[Guest Brittanicus]

It's worth pointing out that Medicare was resisted by the Republican party with much the same arguments they are using now. Fellow Seniors: Imagine life without Medicare. I predict that twenty years for now, the idea that we should return to what we have now will be equally unthinkable.

[Guest Jazzy28]

I think people should listen to the wisdom of their elders. I know that I do. It is unfair that they have worked hard all their lives to now have a chance of losing them. Is this what we do to "America's Greatest Generation."

 

Thank you for your concern. I don't think the powers in Washington care about those that built and protected this county.

 

Millions of older people will face smaller Social Security checks next year, the first time in a generation that payments would not rise.

 

The trustees who oversee Social Security are projecting there won't be a cost of living adjustment (COLA) for the next two years. That hasn't happened since automatic increases were adopted in 1975.

 

By law, Social Security benefits cannot go down. Nevertheless, monthly payments would drop for millions of people in the Medicare prescription drug program because the premiums, which often are deducted from Social Security payments, are scheduled to go up slightly.

[Guest Pamela Causey]

For many retirees, Social Security provides the only stable and predictable income in this uncertain economy where shrinking investments, rising food and fuel costs and skyrocketing healthcare expenses make living on a fixed income increasingly difficult. While Social Security remains the bedrock of retirement security, the average Social Security retirement benefit is modest only $13,800 a year , less than the annual minimum wage income of $15,080. Projections that lower inflation will mean no cost of living increases for the next two years has many beneficiaries worried about their ability to keep pace with rising expenses.

[Guest Kim Wright]

Dr. Brian Biles, Professor at George Washington University 's School of Public Health and Health Services, detailed a variety of strategies to trim or eliminate an estimated $150 billion dollars in Medicare Advantage overpayments going to private insurers over the next decade. Other Medicare reforms being considered include: limits on out-of-pocket costs, stronger policies on marketing and advertising, limits on the number of private plans and additional data to support better risk adjustment of payments.

[Guest Janet]

We need to look at what is being applied today. They Mayo, Lahey, Kaiser Permanente and Cleveland clinics employ physicians on salary and use systems-design principles to enable doctors to enjoy more of a "9-to-5" existence. Many of them favor long-term relationships with patients and focus on their health rather than charging for instances of care.

 

Watch Wendell Potter's interview from last night:

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/32484421#32484421

[Guest BraveNewFilms]

FORWARD THIS VIDEO! Join the fight: http://sickforprofit.com What does UnitedHealthcare CEO Stephen Hemsley have to lose if Congress passes real healthcare reform this year? Well, for starters, ...

 

[Guest Human]

What is being applied is HIGHLY disturbing.------> http://www.rihlp.org/pubs/Your_life_your_choices.pdf

 

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We need to look at what is being applied today. They Mayo, Lahey, Kaiser Permanente and Cleveland clinics employ physicians on salary and use systems-design principles to enable doctors to enjoy more of a "9-to-5" existence. Many of them favor long-term relationships with patients and focus on their health rather than charging for instances of care.

 

Watch Wendell Potter's interview from last night:

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/32484421#32484421

[Guest Luke]

I do not think planning my will is disturbing. After reading through this workbook I see nothing wrong on planning out my wishes. Are you implying that people will be forced to write a living will like this done by the Rhode Island Health Literacy Project?

 

I think all people should be educated and have the choice of whether they want to fill out a document like this. Actually, at this stage of life I would put keep me alive in every section :)

 

Spurred by the startling 2004 study by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the Rhode Island Health Literacy Project came together in mid-2005 with a single long-term objective to increase awareness of the health literacy issue both nationally and in our state and to help our citizens to increase their health literacy through better understanding of health information and self-care instructions.

 

That study by the IOM, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, reported that some 90 million American adults 47 percent of the country's adult population are disconnected from the U.S. healthcare system because they are health illiterate.

 

For some, the problem is simply that they have trouble reading. For others though, the reasons range from being older, disabled, overcome by emotions upon learning bad medical news, unable to understand English, or having cultural barriers.

 

After its annual Community Meeting on May 21, 2005 with the troubling U.S. health literacy issue as a backdrop, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island came together with a coalition of the state's top healthcare and literacy figures to work collectively to improve health literacy in Rhode Island.

 

[BlingBling]

The Republicans are calling this a "Death Book." They all know Bush gave a simular document to soldiers. All this mudslinging is mute.

 

The white elephants are now on-board with Health Care reform. Their Health Care Bill is the same as ours. We can all be happy that a deal is being made.

 

http://barackobamaexperiment.com/posts/1502

 

America’s senior citizens deserve access to quality health care and coverage that will not bankrupt them. Republicans believe that reforms to America’s health care system are necessary, but that reform should first do no harm, especially to our seniors.

 

That’s why Republicans are calling for a Seniors’ Health Care Bill Of Rights that will:

 

•PROTECT MEDICARE AND NOT CUT IT IN THE NAME OF HEALTH CARE REFORM: President Obama and Congressional Democrats are promoting a government-run health care experiment that will cut over $500 billion from Medicare to be used to pay for their plan. Medicare should not be raided to pay for another entitlement.

 

•PROHIBIT GOVERNMENT FROM GETTING BETWEEN SENIORS AND THEIR DOCTORS: The Democrats’ government-run health care experiment will give patients less power to control their own medical decisions, and create government boards that would decide what treatments would or wouldn’t be funded. Republicans believe in patient-centered reforms that put the priorities of seniors before government.

 

•PROHIBIT EFFORTS TO RATION HEALTH CARE BASED ON AGE: The Democrats’ government-run health care experiment would set up a “comparative effectiveness research commission” where health care treatment decisions could be limited based on a patient’s age. Republicans believe that health care decisions are best left up to seniors and their doctors.

 

•PREVENT GOVERNMENT FROM INTERFERING WITH END-OF-LIFE CARE DISCUSSIONS: The Democrats’ government-run health care experiment would have seniors meet with a doctor to discuss end-of-life care that could mean limiting treatment. Republicans believe that government should not interfere with end-of-life care discussions between a patient and a doctor.

 

•ENSURE SENIORS CAN KEEP THEIR CURRENT COVERAGE: As Democrats continue to propose steep cuts to Medicare in order to pay for their government-run health care experiment, these cuts threaten millions of seniors with being forced from their current Medicare Advantage plans. Republicans believe that seniors should not be targeted by a government-run health care bill and forced out of their current Medicare coverage.

 

•PROTECT VETERANS BY PRESERVING TRICARE AND OTHER BENEFIT PROGRAMS FOR MILITARY FAMILIES: Democrats recently proposed raising veterans’ costs for the Tricare For Life program that many veterans rely on for treatment. Republicans oppose increasing the burden on our veterans and believe America should honor our promises to them.

 

 

[Luke_Wilbur]

Senator Kennedy would have been a great mediator with Health Care tort reform. He would have been great debating this issue. I personally believe that he would have negotiated putting a cap on non-economic damages in medical liability cases.

 

The United States is sue crazy. There should be sliding scales put on punative damages based on the current value of the dollar. Placing a percentage gap would allow more doctors to practice Preventive Health Care without the fear of losing everything in a malpractice lawsuit.

 

I am with Republicans on this issue. I also agree that our country cannot afford to pay for everyone. We need to make sure that children, young adults, expectant mothers, and those are in life-ending trauma get medicines they deserve.

 

We need to come into agreement with low cost drugs. We need to let people legally puchase drugs from Canada and Mexico. The FDA can select the companies. I am sure the awarded companies would pay a tariff fee.

 

Everyone agrees that we should not have death panels or force living wills on people.

 

No one wants to touch Medicare, but the government needs to adjust payments to seniors and the disable with the cost of living. I also like the idea of the government investing more dollars in American drug companies. We should be better prepared to fight this flu pandemic. With climate change we will see more insect life, bacteria and virus growth. We failed in New Orleans. We are currently failing with vaccines.

 

Cooperatives sound good to me.

 

What really is the problem here?

[Guest Roll Call]

After weeks of loud protests, it's still not clear who's winning the health care debate. President Barack Obama has indicated he may drop an option for government-run health insurance, but liberal groups have begun pushing back. Meanwhile, several key Republicans have made statements that make a bipartisan compromise look increasingly unlikely. The future of Obama's reform plan won't be decided until after the recess.

[Guest United4Change]

THE REAL DEATH PANELS: Insurance Companies That Deny Care

 

[Guest Stephen]

This is right on the mark. Family workers have spent thousands of dollars out of their weekly paychecks to insurance companies for health security. Then one day when a family member really needs an operation the insurance company denies their coverage.

[Guest LAW]

The legal basis for rescission is that when you sign an insurance application, you are warranting that the information on the application is true; if it turns out not to be true, the insurer can get out of your insurance contract.

 

In contract law, rescission (to rescind or set aside a contract) has been defined as the unmaking of a contract between parties. Rescission is the unwinding of a transaction. This is done to bring the parties, as far as possible, back to the position in which they were before they entered into a contract (the "status quo ante").

 

An insurance policy rescission means that the consumer’s coverage is completely gone – as if it never existed. It can spell trouble for consumers in the future as other health insurers consider a policyholder’s previous rescission a black mark on their record. This is similar to a bad credit score.

[Guest Toucan Sam]

I think Michael Jackson's doctor is a good example of health care gone wrong. Hollywood is pill crazy. If you have money you can get anything. The pharmaceutical companies and doctors are legalized crack dealers.

[Guest G. Harris]

Eli Lilly pleaded guilty to illegal marketing charges in 1985 related to its arthritis drug Oraflex, in 2006 related to its osteoporosis drug Evista, and in January related to Zyprexa. In 2004, Pfizer paid a $430 million fine and pleaded guilty to criminal charges that it illegally marketed the epilepsy drug Neurontin, and it now faces similar charges over its marketing of Bextra.

 

A common problem in illegal drug and device marketing cases is doctors’ willingness to delude themselves into thinking that cash, lucrative trips and other kickbacks do not affect them, said Mr. Morris, the chief counsel.

[Guest Human]

Democrats Are FULLY in charge of this BILL. Republicans have NO IMPUT.