Hot Topic

MoveOn’s excellent new ad in favor of the public health insurance option:



Need a Lift?

Levana and I were just in the elevator at work talking about a mutual “friend” when a random man chimed in and made me laugh so I’m sharing:*

Me: She’s not a very nice person. She’s cold. People don’t really like her.

Man: I’m sorry to interrupt, but do you work with my wife?

*events may not be as funny as they appear in my head

Pearl of Wisdom


Read Ian Pearl’s story now featured on the front page of HuffPo:

Our lawsuit uncovered insurance company documents that confirmed my suspicion that I’m a target of discrimination. The documents revealed Guardian had compiled a “hit list” of its costliest members, including patients with muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, brain injury, and paralysis. Guardian executives referred to us all as “dogs” and “trainwrecks,” and they debated how and when to dump us from the rolls. Laws prohibited the cancellation of the individual members with serious chronic health problems, so Guardian opted to cancel the plan for all members of this specific health plan in New York, an action that violates federal law.


Ad It Up

A day without a new HCAN ad is like a day without sunshine:

Full press release here.

Unlikely Source

The front page of Drudge Report is featuring a picture from one of our anti-insurance ‘crime scene’ actions. There’s no relevant story attached, but no complaints here. The image says it all:


Way To Go

Another new HCAN ad campaign starts today (I told you I was busy).

We’re taking on the excise tax on higher premiums health insurance plans. Click through to read the press release.

To break it down in the simplest of terms:

The Senate Finance Committee bill pays for part of reform by taxing so-called “Cadillac” plans. So for plans costing more than $8,000 for a person or $21,000 for a family, the insurance company gets taxed on the money ABOVE that threshold at a rate of 40%. But we all know – and insurers have said – they will pass the burden of that tax on to the policyholders by jacking up premiums even more or changing how much people have to contribute out-of-pocket. (b/c they certainly aren’t going to take a hit on their own profits).

So this tax is really just a tax on the insured -not insurers. And it will hit certain workers especially hard – those in high cost cities (where the cost of living is higher so even middle-of-the road insurance plans cost more), those who are part of an older workforce (so again, insurance costs more), those who live in states with few insurers so they have little choice but to pay for what’s offered, or those who have negotiated better health care plans in lieu of pay raises over the years.

The alternative we suggest is an extra surcharge on individuals making more than $250,000/year or households making more than $350,000. And like the tax on higher cost plans, the surcharge is only on the money you make ABOVE the threshold. So if a married couple makes $351,000/year, they pay 1% of $1000 or $10. Is $10 too much to ask?

Doesn’t that make a lot more sense? Here’s the TV ad:



Eye Stye

My eye was bothering me yesterday, and as expected, I woke up this morning with a small stye. Good times.

I tried to take a picture of my actual stye, but it’s hard to see on a blackberry camera. It’s like a little bump on my left upper eyelid. I’ve done some internet diagnostics and have discovered warm compresses may do the trick, but if it doesn’t clear on its own, I’ll have to find an eye doctor.

Incidents like this make me think about health care reform opponents who claim people just need more “skin in the game.” That health care spending will go down if people are just more responsible consumers.

Who are all these people running off to the doctor just because? Bored rich housewives? Because I can’t think of anything I’d rather do less right now than take time out of my busy day to find an eye doctor, haggle to get an appointment, sit in a waiting room for an hour, and go fill some eye drop prescription – all of which will probably cost me more than it should because it will be impossible to find someone on my insurance plan.

None of this sounds particularly game-like to me. It definitely doesn’t sound like fun.

Your Add Here

It’s late. I’m still at work. Feel free to chat amongst yourselves.

I’ll try to be a better blogger tomorrow.

Taking Care of Business

Senate Finance passed its bill out of committee today 14 to 9. Senator Snowe (R-ME) was the only Republican to vote yes.

Here’s the HCAN statement:

“The end of the Senate Finance Committee’s process marks the beginning of the next phase – crafting a strong bill that goes to the Senate floor. The HELP Committee bill offers a better path forward in the Senate than the Finance Committee bill.

The Senate Finance Committee bill falls short on making insurance affordable to America’s families, gives employers a “free ride,” and does not create meaningful competition in the insurance market with a strong national public health insurance option. The HELP bill makes health insurance affordable to families through subsidies, lowers the cost of insurance with a public health insurance option, and promotes shared responsibility with an employer requirement to contribute to coverage.

We’re closer than ever to achieving a guarantee of good, affordable health care for America’s families and businesses, and we’re counting on Senators to put their constituents ahead of the big insurers and vote for real reform.”


Here We Go

As you might have guessed, I’m watching the Senate Finance Committee pre-vote coverage on C-SPAN right now.

I did manage to escape work for most of the long weekend, but then yesterday, AHIP made a most bizarre strategic (?) decision and released a bought and paid for bogus report claiming – basically – they would be raising premiums under reform.

Our official statement is here.