The AMA comes out in support of the House health-care reform bill as freshman Dems like Polis oppose it
By John Amato Friday Jul 17, 2009 4:00pmThis came as a shock to me and I'm still not sure what to make of it.
Jonathan Cohn: AMA Endorses House Bill.
Via Health Care for America Now: The American Medical Association just sent a letter to House Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel, endorsing the health reform proposal put forward by three House committees.
This is unexpected. Or, at least, I wasn't expecting it. Recent signals from the AMA suggested they were reluctant to embrace reform, in no small part because they believed a public insurance option would underpay them. But the AMA letter contains no caveats. It is a straightforward endorsement.
And that makes it a pretty big deal. No, the AMA is not as powerful, nor as representative of the medical community, as it once was. But an unqualified endorsement for the most liberal plan out there has large symbolic value, given the role AMA played in killing health care reform for most of the 20th Century...read on
Yesterday the dependably conservative AMA came out in favor of the House compromise on health care reform. It doesn't include single payer but the robust public option it does include seems like the best deal working families can expect from a political system as corrupted by corporate money as ours is. In a letter to Charlie Rangel, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, the AMA's Michael Maves pledged to work with the House leadership to help build support for the bill with the public. (Presumably that would mean combatting Republican and Blue Dog efforts to diminish the 70-80% support for the public option already showing up in all polling on the subject.)
Just as shocking is that a bunch of freshman Democrats have written a letter to Nancy Pelosi against raising taxes to help pay for the bill.
Twenty-one freshman Democratic House members have signed a letter opposing their leadership's plan to raise taxes to finance a healthcare overhaul.
Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) circulated the letter, saying that the income surtax on the wealthy would place an undue burden on small businesses, some of which pay taxes in the same way as an individual. The letter had 22 signers, all freshmen except for Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.), who is in his second term.
“Especially in a recession, we need to make sure not to kill the goose that will lay the golden eggs of our recovery,” the letter said. “We are concerned that this will discourage entrepreneurial activity.”
Polis voted against the plan at the Education and Labor Committee markup Friday as a protest against the tax. But the letter itself did not threaten that its signers would vote against the bill. Instead, it asks for a different source of money to be found, and says more cost savings should be found so that less money is needed.
What the heck is this? Why is Jared Polis on board? Here's his press release attacking the funding of the House plan. Please contact him here:
Washington, DC Office 501 Cannon House O. B., Washington, DC 20515
p. 202.225.2161f. 202.226.7840 Frisco Office West Main Professional Building, 101 West Main Street, Suite #101D, P.O. Box 1453, Frisco, CO 80443
p. 970.668.3240
f. 970.668.9830Boulder Office, 4770 Baseline Rd, #220, Boulder, CO 80303
p. 303.484.9596f. 303.568.9007
Thornton Office, 1200 East 78th Avenue, Suite #105, Thornton, CO 80229
p.303.287.4159 f. 303.287.4385
His press contact is Lara Cottingham at lara.cottingham@mail.house.govJared's also on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jaredpolis
Tell Jared Polis to stop blocking health care reform.
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The AMA likes it? OK, now I'm *really* worried.
Obama, in his speech today, pushed his dealine from August until "the end of the year". The final bill (if there ever is one) will be, plainly speaking, a piece of crap. "Reform"? What a joke.
Why can't they pass health reform with the same urgency (3 days) they embraced when bailing out the criminals on Wall Street? $700,000,000,000 for the banker theives - NO PROBLEM! You got it! Its all yours. Please take good care of it, and make sure you lend it out to keep the economy going. Yeah right? Can see how that worked out.
Healthcare for the American people who have been getting hosed for 50 years? "Why we gotta take our time, it could cost $100,000,000,000 a year."
I hope every bluedog gets smoked next year. They are absolutely useless. If we are gonna have dickheads working against the American people and selling out to the corporate fascists, I would prefer they have an "R" next to their name.
With the shape this country has been put in by the corporatists, you would think a freaking democrat would have more sense than to repeat idiotic GOP talking points.
Taxes kill jobs? What a dumbass! The rich NOT paying taxes and having 50% of the total wealth is the main problem with our country and economy. Nobody has any money execept the RICH!
What a maroon!
but don't know a single one that would be hurt by a surtax on the rich.
If a particular "small business" is making enough money a year in PROFIT that the owners will be dinged by the surtax, it's hardly going to be a undue burden on that small business. wtf is Polis smoking?
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The new president of the AMA endorses the concept of a Government funded option for Americans.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/1563...
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that most everybody wants the single payer system save for a few delusionals and it's the insurance company/pharma sponsored media that is going to destroy our chances of getting it.
They've created their own reality again and again on all sorts of topics to favor large corporations, hence the name, "Corporate Main Stream Media"
Did anybody notice a while back the poll that said 76% of the people want some form of Government run single payer? That is the exact dividing line of the same dead enders (fooled by the propaganda) that still supported Bush at the end. Go figure.
the media has one job: to help the corporations screw you.
is that a allegedly liberal Democrat like Jared Polis is against this.
Is it any wonder we're working so hard to push for a public option? Can you imagine how hard getting single payer would be right now when even the idiots that are supposed to be on our side won't sign off on the milquetoast minimal alternative?
there is good reason that an allegedly liberal Democrat opposes this. Perhaps what is being pushed really isn't healthcare reform, but merely insurance reform?
Take a look at his statement. He thinks we're taxing small business owners too much.
It's straight out of the GOP talking points playbook.
But if you listen to economists, they all point out that when times are tough, it's small business that really aids in the rebound. An extra burden on those people, could really hurt. Personally, I don't get it at all. Apparently elected government in the US doesn't want to listen to it's citizens, regardless how loud you scream. It's sad considering all the other nations on the globe that have real universal healthcare.
Think they're not paying health care costs now?
They'll save money with the public option. They get more buying power through the government for a smaller percentage of their income.
many small businesses can't compete with medium to larger companies. they can't compete with big box stores that sell products from china. if a small business of 15 people that offers healthCare insurance as part of it's pay to employees all it takes is a serious/prolonged medical condition of one employee to make it unsustainable. medium to larger businesses in my opinion don't want small business competition. so consequently there are more losers in the capitalism/consumerism game. i prefer a single payer system but we're not going to get it this round. my hope is that a strong public option will instill competition that healthCare insurance don't want...... to bring down cost.
They're buying it for themselves.
That's the goal of the public option--to bring down the costs overall because of the competition--which is why even though its not the ideal of single payer, organizations like HCAN are pushing for a robust public option on this first level of reform.
this example that comes to mind. the healthCare insurance co. wellpoint. they insure 71% of the state of iowa. they basically have no competition/monopoly. that way they can control variables/cost fix. the healthCare ins. giants don't want competition. obama's intentions are to instill competition.
insurance companies controlling their own territory. Upstate NY? BCBS. South Carolina? BCBS. And on, and on. Remember this: No one gives up power. It has to be taken from them. The insurance companies now have all the power. BHO says he wants to make them competitive, but talk is cheap and usually meaningless.
I'm willing to accept the public option. For now.
I feel that if no one made a big stink about single payer. We would have ended up with something alot worse than this bill.
But by no means am I happy about it.
This is just a stepping stone for the future.
Not by a long shot.
But I've long since given up hope of having a truly representative government. You have a HUGE majority of Americans clamoring for this, sweeping majorities in the elections and yet the best we can get is this milquetoast alternative?
Sad. Gutless. Spineless. Dumb.
But that's what I've come to expect from Congress.
That we're not happy about this. I feel that they also know that we'll be back.
In fact, we're not going away. We have no where else to go.
If they want to keep their jobs in 2010, they'll pass this bill.
Then we go right back to work on them. We have no where to go.
They have to deal with us. And I say this for all Americans.
Because surely there are some moderate conservatives that are siding with this.
The thing is, this has to work. It has too.
Knowing how govt' has worked in the past, ...just call me a skeptic.
But for now, I'll take this. But this isn't over by a long shot.
I just saw your long shot remark.:)
Please say you haven't.
Any tax of this sort will be only on personal income. Meaning that small business owners will be able to deduct all their customary business expenses.
Robt Reich debunks this canard on his blog yesterday.
This SB canard is the equivalent to the typical Chamber of Commerce refrain about how raising the minimu wage costs jobs.
they will try real hard to get people/small businesses to VOTE against their own best interest. large businesses/corporations/financial elites don't want small businessesto compete but at the same time they say small business is the economic engine. it's BS, corporations want high profit margins/no rules and paid for/subsidized infrastructure. like they have in china
It's all about 2010.....
Whether it is freedom from tyranny or from disease.
That's why reasonable people don't mind paying their taxes.
Frosh Dems are against the bill because the majority of "small" businesses are taxed as individuals and their taxes would go up to help finance a public health care option. So, they're not against the single payer option, just against how small businesses are taxed. Why don't they work on small business taxation, something which the Repubs screwed up over the last 8 years.
And, why hasn't anyone pointed out that small businesses would be relieved of very expensive private insurance plans, in effect, saving them money?
That's the starting income figure! That's about $30,000 income - AFTER DEDUCTIONS - per month.
And it really doesn't get steep until it hits $1 million income - AFTER DEDUCTIONS - which is over $83 thousand per month.....
I'm not crying crocodile tears, economics or not.
The public option may be robust - although I'm not sure. But the exchange, which allows people to access the public option, is not a good deal. It keeps enrollment low until 2015 when there will be a study released to determine if eligibility should be expanded.
Since the Health Plan won't go into effect until 2013, that's only a two year phase-in. Not bad.
Just heard Walter Cronkite passed away. :(
"....and that's the way it is Friday, July 17, 2009. Good night everybody."
Will never forget Walter signing off. Seared into my young brain. Same with Huntley/Brinkley.
"News" in the days before the corporate fascists took control. Never realized how important it was back then.
I was looking forward to someone interviewing him about that fateful day. :(
one of the primary reasons china is implementing universal healthCare is to stimulate consumerism. the u.s. economy is based on 70% consumerism. although i don't agree with that high % to fuel our economy it's reality. if we are to reduce our economic dependency on consumerism (as of now it looks like that's where it's going) we need to get back into manufacturing not only technology.in order to compete globally and export products we're going to need to compete with the likes of china. that's tough competition. WHY? unlimited people,infrastructure and NOW universal healthCare. this is a economic necessity. we need to continue to call our state representatives and pressure them about the necessity of the public option.
Necessity for the little people, or millions in bribes from my corporate overlords. Hmmmmmm, let me see......., yep, f**k the people, I'm going to Disneyland.
Fill in name of Congresscritter______________________
Anything less then a strong Single Payer Plan is like putting a band-aid on a sucking chest wound. In order for America to once again become a strong healthy nation Americas workers MUST have good healthcare to be strong and healthy. The current system of for-profit "insurance" doesn't do that and is a travesty of greed, corruption and fraud. In todays economy the American workers can no longer afford to support the parisites of the healthcare industry that do not contribute to actual healthcare but only exist for profits. When you talk of profits in any healthcare system what you are talking about is money that is siphoned away from actual healthcare. It borders on the insane for such a system to exist in a civilized nation. And such a system will eventually bankrupt the nations workforce. Well bankrupt the ones left alive that is.
The public option is a joke, that the house bill is reform is a joke.
The joke is on all of us.
Single payer, don't take your eye off the ball.
bloggers and fellow progressives who now support this insurance scam, have taken their eyes off the ball, in the hopes that a little reform now, could mean more in the future. But the chances of that happening is pretty slim if everyone thinks about it. This is nothing more than the healthcare insurance industry getting a bailout sadly.
But don't worry. Congress will "rush" this through just in time for the next election, regardless how crappy it is. "Vote for us, we reformed healthcare" would be a great slogan and just think of the political donations from healthcare insurance companies!!
Alice, don't you see that we can't even get all our damn Democrats to support the public option? How many more will drop away with single payer?
Don't get me wrong, I think single payer is the smartest, most economical and most efficient way to go. I wish to the deity of your choice that our government worked in smart, economical and efficient ways, but history has shown that they don't.
That's why I keep telling you this: this is a game. Tactically, the only way we win is by getting incremental victories until we've won the war.
We WILL win the war. But we're not going to do it in one fell swoop. We've got too much inertia, stupidity, money and ideology to fight against.
I'll sponsor you to move into my area Nicole :-) Our governments aren't much different, but you'll get real healthcare!
The drugs that my doctors prescribed for me to treat my asthma have worsened by health significantly--my blood pressure is high and with a heart murmur, that's a dangerous thing.
My husband actually lived in Toronto for two years, working on his masters at UT.
I love Vancouver, been there many times.
But my preference if we were to move to a country with single payer is to go back to Scandinavia. I lived in Sweden as a child and my husband is Danish. We could be quite comfortable in either place.
The corporations will only dig in further if they win this one. So by conceding to them, by giving in to them, they have already won. The only thing we are going to get from this is screwed again. Punishment is imminent. BTW, we don't need all the Dems. We cannot keep excusing the bad behavior of these people. It is not a game--it is life and death for many. We MUST win this one. I do not care what their political affiliation may be, they are either with us on single-payer or they are against us. Then let the chips fall where they may.
Watch Ron Christie make an outrageous statement about being more concerned about cost of health care reform, and less concerned about people dying.
This is insane.
http://progressnotcongress.org/?p=2194
Something not right here. IF the lobbyist at the AMA support this bill then it's not good. The AMA is a shallow group. They opposed both Medicare and Social Security. Not looking good for us.
We need a bill that the AMA opposes for it to work for us.
I know quite a few doctors that are very much in favor of a single-payer plan. And almost every one of them says the same thing - the dealing with the insurance companies is what is dragging them down. They're spending ridiculous amounts of time and money to deal with the paperwork, and they'd rather be spending their time (and their employees' time) actually doing something that's apparently novel....treating patients.
Has passed away.
The last real ,honest voice in the media.
is sad. Another nail in the journalism coffin.
That's damn near the last.
With the exception of Bill Moyers (and young upstarts Amy Goodman and Rachel Maddow), can you think of a journalist that you can honestly say you trust as we all did with Cronkite?
No one compares to that man. No one.
Rest in Peace Mr Cronkite.
You will be missed.
I will never forget when he told us that John Kennedy had just died. The memory of that is seared into my brain.
Rest in peace, Walter Cronkite. You were a true journalist and wonderful human being. We mourn your loss.
...is the look on his face just after Apollo 11 landed on the Moon (go to the 7:50 mark).
Cronkite loved the space program, and he really was responsible, imo, for selling it to the nation.
Godspeed, Uncle Walter.
the greatest liar in the history of media.
I've sent Rep. Polis' office the following link showing just how much of a boondoggle the wealthy have enjoyed since the Bush tax cuts:
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=69
As well as an excerpt from Robt Reich's blog which specifically addressing the "small business" myth.
Implementation is delayed for 3 1/2 years and we are mandated to pay insurance companies whatever they want to charge in the meantime.
Sure, supposedly insurance companies can't deny coverage for "pre-existing conditions," but it's not like that's the only trick in their bag. And what if they don't comply with even the specified regulation?
Can we sue them for consequential damages (i.e. death)? I'm not aware of any provision for enforcement by those who get screwed. If can't sue, you have no protections, and the carriers have no fear.
The "robust" public option seems anything but. If you like the insurance you have you can keep it, but what if you don't and want to change? Sorry, you can't.
Rates for the public option are apparently legislated to remain high so that insurers can "compete." (BTW an insurance company has never had to compete in the history of this country).
I'm leery of any argument that uses "small businesses" as a victim because it's usually a smokescreen for giant corporations, but just what is a small business supposed to do if it's rates get tripled or more? That's ok, like the rest of us they appear to be mandated to pay them.
OK, let's trust the AMA; let's trust the whores in Congress and their insurance junkets to Tahiti for a "speaking engagement"; let's trust the White House.
Notice how the goal of quality health care for everyone is now no where to be found? No. The "goal" we're told is "cost control." Who's costs? The insurance companies' cost. Sounds profitable to me.
http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5...
The health care overhauls released to date would increase, not reduce, the burgeoning long-term health costs facing the government, Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf said Thursday.
If this was truly about cost, or universal coverage, there would be no insurance companies involved. Period. I don't pay an insurance company for my coverage in Canada. My money goes to the government, who in turn, channels the funds into healthcare. What the heck is so hard about that? These Congress Critters really all need their asses booted to the curb.
If you want to sell your farm produce at a state farmers market you will be charged a market fee at the entrance. This helps defray the costs of maintaining the market. If you want to sell your goods at a flea market you're charged for a spot. Again part of that fee represents maintaining the market. Kiosk at the mall same principal. How is it that foreign manufacturers are not charged for selling their goods in our market? The fee woulds be the difference between the foreign wage and the U.S. wage times the man hours in manufacturing. No prices will not go up. China started taxing exports 20% and you saw no rise at Walmart. Enforcement is simple. Let U.S. trade associations sue for draconian damages. If no payment then the goods from that factory are forever barred. They won't dare cheat. There are long term gains resulting from this but the short term revenue will solve our immediate problem.
All we gotta do is get rid of ALL the republicans, and ALL of the bluedogs. Then have Obama dump ALL the DLC Clinton flunkies he hired.
Methinks we are screwed!
But I think the Republicans are really nothing but a "shiny object" distraction. They have no power in government and seem to be used by the MSM (and even, unwittingly, by the netroots) as a bogeyman which provides a scary alternative to a very conservative agenda that the Dems wish to pursue anyway.
To defeat a Democratic bill, you need Democrats - and not just Bluedogs, but most Democrats. I've heard this 60 vote nonsense since we elected these liars to a majority in 2006.
When have the Republicans filibustered in the last 3 years? To my knowledge, they haven't. The sixty vote crap is nothing more than an excuse for Democrats to do what they want to do anyway and at the same time blame it on someone else.
Now, we've got 60 senators and we're still fearmongered about the Republicans. Of course, those who can count know that that's just B.S. So now we hear about seldom named, "centrist" Democrats. The trouble is: there never seem to be enough to matter.
The math is simple. We don't need sixty votes; we need fifty plus Joe. So called "centrist" Dems are going to filibuster? Let them. But they won't; they don't need to. The 60 vote excuse is still being used.
Which "centrist" Dem is going to support an actual filibuster against a program that commands 70-80% public approval? The answer is none, because the Democratic Party would never put them on the spot just as they wouldn't put Republicans on that spot.
They're only the excuse for doing what the Democratic party wants to do anyway.
if there's anything I hate like I hate repuglyKKKans, its the DLC/DSCC/DCCC.
What is it with politicians and the thought of raising taxes? Our economy is in the tank, federal, state, and local governments have serious revenue shortfalls and are starting to cut vital services.
It would seem to me that the logical course of action is to raise taxes. Any businessman knows you can only cut so much; you can't cut your way to profitability. Revenue solves a lot of problems.
Costs increase almost every year. Why would anyone expect taxes to stay the same or decline? We need infrastructure and services that only government can provide, therefore we should selectively raise taxes to increase revenue. Selectively as in raising taxes on those who can afford to pay more, and on products such as gas, cigarettes, alcohol, etc. People will bitch about it, but they'll get over it.
we're already paying plenty in taxes and "hidden taxes". this is more propaganda to scare people. if we don't make the INvestMent now healthCare insurance is going to double in cost(again) in less than 10 years. these are people who can't think beyond themselves or in to the future. a "free market" does NOT exist regarding healthCare. we need competition and we may need to spend money to make money.
ending tax cuts for the wealthy.
Betcha 50 bucks you don't drink or smoke? A pack of cigarettes costs way less than a dollar to produce yet smokers have to pay $5 to $12 a pack. And the overwhelming majority of smokers are in the bottom of the wage earners.
How about taxing children? They gobble up resources and provide little or nothing in return.
But no, we have to tax based on Establishment morality (e.g. don't tax anything that might affect the very wealthy - or anyone who can fight back). Sure, raise taxes by hundreds of dollars a year on those who smoke, or drink beer, or have to drive to work. What are they gonna do about it?
But don't touch capital gains; tax those less, much less. Sure, mention them as one possibility among a host of other dramatically regressive taxes and pretend you're being fair, but keep the focus on taxing the poor.
I mean they'll bitch about it, but they'll get over it.
Please don't talk about "people who can't think beyond themselves" while advocating taxes you will probably never have to pay.
I specifically said raise taxes on those who can afford to pay the most.
As far as cigarettes go, they directly contribute to over 400,00 deaths a year, and billions in health care costs, so as far as I'm concerned, they can add a $100 per pack tax on them! It's a win - win..........if it causes you to stop, you'll be better off for it. If you decide to pay the tax, society wins.
Same with alcohol........that's a nice to have, not a need to have. Unfortunately we need gas, but we also need to stop using so much.
Ultimately, my point is, everyone wants roads, bridges, water and sewer, social security, Medicare, as well as a strong military, but most bitch about the tax revenue it takes to provide such services. I think we've made enough cuts........we have to raise taxes. In fact, I'd advocate taxing consumption rather than income.
Amazing that you start by saying "raise taxes on those who can afford to pay the most," and then end by saying "I'd advocate taxing consumption rather than income." Because the two statements are complete opposites.
Ignore the fact that our economy is consumer-driven. Taxing people based on what they buy would be like driving a stake in the heart of our economy, which I'm pretty sure wouldn't be so good.
But a consumption tax is one of the most regressive taxes around, and hits the lowest income bracket the hardest. Why? Because the lower your income, the higher the percentage of your income that you spend. A family of 4 with an income of $25K a year is probably going to spend every dime of that just to get by. A single person with an income of $25K a year, on the other hand, might have money left over to put in the bank. Start talking about people with 6 figure incomes - or more - and you're talking about people that can spend just a fraction of what they make in a year.
"Tax everyone but me!"
Just how is it that's it's win/win? Because you don't have to pay?
Forget that smokers spend the productive years of their lives paying into the system then often die (far more cheaply than the fat) before they collect the majority of benefits. Forget that smokers are the victim of a heavily government supported tobacco industry that has invested billions upon billions making sure that a nicotine addiction is less likely to be overcome than a heroin addiction.
But you don't like smokers, and you don't want to pay taxes yourself. So you advocate a $300,000 yearly tax on a group that overwhelmingly consists of members the lower classes. Classy.
Love the consumption tax... any more right wing tripe to throw out there?
let's not forget the the millions of people exposed to second hand smoke that developed a related health condition that was not only hard on the individual but has cost us billions of dollars. let's not forget the multi billions of dollars we have spent in the private and government healthCare system on patients with tabacco smoking related disease/condition. smoking has cost all of us multi billions of dollars.
than an ex smoker to tell us what we can or cannot do, is there?
I'm not a huge fan of tobacco Nazis, my mom turned into one.
No more corporate welfare, and that goes for factory farms. That alone will pay for single-payer. No off-shore accounts for corporate profits. If you sell it here, you pay taxes here. No more importing uninspected and filthy crap from China to be used to "manufacture" goods (vitamins and drugs) in the US or to be "distributed" by US companies. Does that work for anyone? I could go on. You would think that some of the geniuses in DC could work things out, wouldn't you?
Obviously Amato will do and say anything to get some kind of health care reform passed, even lie by saying "Tell Jared Polis to stop blocking health care reform" as though opposing, on perfectly valid merits, the source of funding is the same thing as blocking health care reform. If it required virgin sacrifices to get health care reform, I wonder if Amato would accuse their defenders of blocking health care also.
The sheer idiocy of suggesting that the only valid way to reform health care is through raising taxes is striking. Reform does not equal taxes.
if they went to straight single payer, they wouldn't have to raise taxes one cent. we could just use the money we used to send to the greedy insurers for it.
That is why single payer is off the table.
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