Thank you Dr. Andy Moore. Your are truly an American Hero. Since 2005, Dr. Andy Moore's Surgery on Sunday has provided free surgical care to more than 3,100 uninsured patients. Dr. Andrew Moore practices General Surgery and Plastic Surgery in Lexington, Kentucky.
LANGUAGE WARNING: Today’s story is uncharacteristically blunt, and from this moment forward we will be using lots of inappropriate language in making our points.
It is by now fairly well known that Rahm Emanuel, President Obama’s White House Chief of Staff, had a bit of a blow-up with liberals who were ready to start running ads against “blue dog” Democrats who were working very hard to shut down the health care reform effort.
Now we’re not gonna get in the middle of that argument today; instead, since we’re finally getting a chance to talk, I figured me and Rahm could get a few other things out of the way that have been on everyone’s mind for the past year or so.
Brown Bag Vigil Host: West KY Citizens for Health Care Reform Date: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm Location: Front of Sen. Mitch McConnell's Office Street: 2320 Broadway (Professional Arts Bldg.) City/Town: Paducah, KY Face Book Page:
Health Care Now The five largest U.S. health insurance companies sailed through the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression to set new industry profit records in 2009, a feat accomplished by leaving behind 2.7 million americans who had been inprivate health plans. For customers who kept their benefits, the insurers raised rates and cost-sharing,and cut the share of premiums spent on medical care. Executives and shareholders of the five biggest for-profit health insurers, UnitedHealthGroup inc., WellPoint inc., Aetna Inc., Humana Inc., and Cigna Corp., enjoyed combined profit of $12.2 billion in 2009, up 56 percent from the previous year. It was the best year ever for Big Insurance. The 2009 financial reports from the nation’s five largest insurance companies reveal that: The firms made $12.2 billion, an increase of $4.4 billion, or 56 percent, from 2008. Four out of the five companies saw earnings increases, with CIGNA’s profits jumping 346 percent. The companies provided private insurance coverage to 2.7 million fewer people than the year before. Four out of the five companies insured fewer people through private coverage. UnitedHealth alone insured 1.7 million fewer people through employer-based or individual coverage. All but one of the five companies increased the number of people they covered through public insurance programs (Medicaid, CHIP and Medicare). UnitedHealth added 680,000 people in public plans. The proportion of premium dollars spent on health care expenses went down for three of the five firms, with higher proportions going to administrative expenses and profits. Read more.
I was supposed to begin the long-delayed series of PTSD stories I’ve been planning, but before we begin, I need to tell y’all about something that just happened in my house.
For us it wasn’t a matter of life or death, but it is the kind of story that explains, perfectly, why we need to reform the health care system we have today—and for that matter, it’s also a great explanation of why a single-payer system would be a giant step forward for everyone in this country, whether you’re insured today or not.
It’s also hilarious and sad and frustrating, all at the same time—which makes today’s story a pretty good allegory for the current American way of doing health care.
So follow along, have a good laugh…and at the same time, take a minute to consider what could be, and how much less irritating things should be.
(Great music Bill. Thanks - promoted by Hillbilly)
Hope you enjoy this selection of youtube presentations that support an economical and effecient Single Payer, Medicare for All healthcare system. Pass them on to your lists.
Barack Obama inherited one of the biggest messes in the history of the
United States of America. Two wars and a collapsed economy, just to
mention a few. When Barack Obama was running for President he said
change wouldn't come easy and he would need help. So what have we done
to help him and cover his back? I ask this question because I've
watched the progressive community allow the Tea Party folks to own the
streets and take over the Town-Hall meetings during the spring, summer
and fall of 2009. I was on the streets and at Town-Hall meetings to see
this first hand. Not only did I see it, Mike Watt and I shot photos and
videos of these events and Richard Dillon wrote about them eloquently.
The Final Call Alicia said the priest would order her to perform oral sex on them and tell them to beat her if she refused. He would threaten to have her and her siblings removed from school if she refused to comply with his deviant sexual wishes. “They would penetrate me sometimes with objects, they would anally rape me,” said Alicia. “Sometimes, they would take all of my clothes and hang me out of the second floor window of the clubhouse and threaten to drop me and say ‘who is going to miss your n----r ass if we drop you?' and my life was just flashing before me,” Alicia said.
I had the opportunity to shoot video of Congressman John Conyers May 30, 2009 and he warned us that Barack Obama was back tracking on his Health Care reform commitments. John Conyers was right. It's too bad we didn't listen. I quote Congressman Conyers: "What kind of Healthcare are we going to get?" I'm here to predict you get the kind of healthcare you deserve, not the kind you ought to have, not the kind that you want, but it's all going to depend on you."
That video is after the hump
Conyers had this to say about Barack Obama: " We seem to be getting an inordinate amount of reverse advice giving." "Well, listen to Amy Goodman." She's got the tapes of him making some of the most brilliant remarks in Support of HR 676 that anybody has ever made, but he ain't making them now." Watch The video below.
Health Care Poll - Posted 12/22 Results as of 6:50 pm EST As you may know, the Congress is considering major changes in the country's health care system. Based on what you have read or heard about the Senate bill, do you generally favor it or generally oppose the legislation? Favor 191 Oppose 578
Purposely or accidentally Barack Obama sit back for nearly a year and allowed the US Senate to debate Health Care reform. If it was accidentally, I'm thankful it occurred. If it was allowed to occur purposely by Barack Obama, it was a stroke of genius. In any event the US Senate has been exposed for what it is, a dumping ground for corporate money and corporate influence that supersedes elections. Many people new to watching the US Senate debate the issues are still scratching their heads, while those of us that follow politics closely, with cynicism, have had our views of the US Senate reaffirmed. I suggest that the 2009 US Senate Health Care reform debate will make the history books and will be a turning point in American history. The battle lines have been drawn and the United States of America will never be the same.The US Senate has been exposed.
