Update on my SIL

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7426396

Just FYI - it felt so bitter sweet!

Susan

I just can't believe an insurance company would deny chemo - that is absolutely insane!
The wackos talk about death panels??? My god - we already have them!

Thanks for keeping us updated :hug:

the hormone therapy? How evil can they be? Well, we know already, don't we?

But I'm with you on the disappointment in the current Bill -- hopefully the House can make some much-needed improvements.

The need is urgent and so many are suffering, while politicians play their stupid little games. It is absolutely disgusting.

it does all seem like a game to them!

regardless of the consequences. Sometimes it doesn't even seem to be about personal gain as much as it is about defeating ones opponent. I know politics has always been messy, but I've never seen things this bad before.

they really should have made this more about the moral issue of healthcare.
yeah, yeah, yeah - I know that Reid and Durbin and the rest were always mentioning stories about this one and that one...
they just didn't let that become the story. In my opinion the whole debate should have been framed around "how dare you wanting to deny healthcare" and they should have made anyone who got in the way of true HCR look like a Heartless ass.
I mean - how could an insurance company be allowed to deny chemo and get away with it and at the same time have Congress critters say that's okay? ugh - maybe it's time for a woman President. We need someone with some balls!

weren't reading the pulse of the nation very well. At a different time, making health care reform a moral issue wouldn't have worked - "damn bleeding heart liberals". Now it is an issue that is affecting so many people and it crosses traditional party lines.

The "moral issue" aspect has been mentioned, even by Obama, but it did not dominate the conversation. Obama needs to be a leader on this. It is an issue that affected his own life. He should have known better.

I mean, I understand why he didn't "send" legislation to the hill, we've been there done that on health care. But, IMHO, he should have been out there talking about REAL stories and to REAL people affected by this broken system. Imagine if he had held SEVERAL town halls to counter Republicans who told folks who were truly suffering to "look to your neighbors" (or some such BS). Imagine if he had hammered home the moral imperative to make health care available and afordable to all. Plus, he never once talked about how it would make us more competitive int he world. Even with Republicans behaving badly they STILL dominated the debate and used the same ole tax and spend, death panel etc scare tactics. Instead he was virtually silent, until now, where he is out there defending the taxation of so-called "Cadillac" plans (BTW - I'd love to be a fly on the wall when he meets with Union leaders on Monday - they will be pissed as this is a major campaign promise broken).

I'm disappointed in his handling of health care, and that is a huge issue to me, possibly my number one. For now I withhold judgment on the rest, but I give him a D- on this one.

BTW - one puzzler for me was Biden. I REALLY liked his plan during the primaries. Basically it was open up Medicaid to all kids up to 24, and families at or below poverty. Expand Medicare or the plans available to fed gov employees by allowing a buy in for those under 65 (with rates increasing the younger you were) and FINALLY a having the government take over ALL catastrophic care (you know anything over $500,000-$1 mil cap). It was simple, would have covered virtually everyone. The catastrophic care would eliminate the BS of insurance companies denial of someone like my sister-in-law ('cause if you add it all up, her insurance, co-pays etc, etc have probably hit over $500,000 in the last 6 years). And it would have lowered premiums for all of us, 'cause you know what my insurance company always gives as a reason for increased rates, too many catastrophic cases in the pool had to be paid out.

I just didn't see Biden's "stamp" so-to-speak on the debate. I did on Afghanistan (thank you sir), but not on this very important issue that he spoke so passionately about. I know, he can't do it all, so I forgive my favorite politician.

Cheers!

Susan

and I rated Obama highly on foreign affairs, as I think he has improved our image in the world - not to happy about more troops to Afghanistan however. Overall, I gave him a decent report card, except for health care and I explained my disapproval in the comment section.

Biden's plan looks really great in retrospect, doesn't it? I'd forgotten about that. I'm sure Joe tried to interject his opinion but was probably outnumbered big time on this one. I wish Obama would use Joe more as a public face for the White House. Joe communicates better with the average American. I saw him speaking to union members in Detroit, talking about the stimulus and he was very affective. People loved him. He should have been holding town hall meetings on health care.

As time goes by, Joe is still my favorite politician!!!

they have in France. France is ranked #1 in healthcare.

I can't help but wonder if Obama didn't want his input on this issue....just his help to try and get it thru.

What I really don't like is how much we paid for votes. (Nelson, Landrieu, LIeberman - and more). Yeah I understand that negotiating should be part of it, but millions of $$$$$ - sorry that's bs.
There's alot more I don't like about this bill, but buying votes is the cherry on the cake.

If this whole debate was handled correctly from the beginning, anyone that was against reform would've been made to look like a heartless butthead & would've been shamed into voting for it. But no. Instead we got a watered down bill with millions that should have gone into reform going to DINOs.

I was just thinking what might have been a great campaign for healthcare...to find people that don't have it yet are in real need of it, and would be willing to be the "poster" of healthcare reform. The DNC could've made posters, commercials with these people telling there story - and naming names of those pols that don't think these people should have healthcare, asking why. Kinda like what Jerry Lewis does without the telethon. He makes us look at those kids, knowing how hard it would be to say no when you put a face on the problem. Like Sarah McLaughlin in those animal rights ads. The Democrats never played on peoples emotions. That's where they f-ed up.

senators like Nelson, Landrieu, and Lieberman had that much power. Nelson was out there speaking against a public option when he was negotiating behind closed door FOR government run health care for his own state! What the hell???

I've been thinking for quite some time that maybe insurance reform and a public option should have been separate issues. Perhaps congress tried to do too much in one bill and could have started off with regulating the insurance industry and made expanding government health care a separate issue. Regulating pharmaceutical companies could have been another separate issue, with its own bill. It seems like they wanted this to be really, really BIG and in the process they ended up with a watered down version of what they'd envisioned. Perhaps too many politicians put their big egos first and real reform last.

American health care crisis during the Los Angeles Remote Area Medical event last August. But he was silent.

He should have first asked, "Why are so many in the US, in such desperate need of these services that they would travel thousands of miles?" And second, he should have pointed out that single payer would be similar to the event, only better -- you could go to your own doctor & the bill would be paid by the government.

But he was silent.

I've been off the internet for a few days & it has been bliss not knowing what's going on! I hate to say that, but it's true. I came back today & read the Ensign amendment, or whatever - & how it might be the loophole the health insurance companies need to bypass pre-existing conditions. I still don't know enough about the issue, but I would not be surprised. :grr: Every time we get an update on the bill, it's stinks more. :grr: Honestly, I didn't realize there were so many levels of stink. :grr:

About August - I still cannot believe how silent this administration was during all that craziness.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7428413

:grr:

I'm not even sure what it all means. I'm too busy right now to spend time checking it out. And frankly, it's been nice not spending so much time on DU, getting all bummed about the state of the world. That whole ignorance thing has some merit!

The only people that think our healthcare system is "fine" are those that haven't tried to use it for something critical and must live in a cave. And yes, Obama needs to use his wordy talents to work his magic on Congress and the public on this issue, the economy and Afghanistan.

Obama got dumped with a load of crap from day one but we know he has the smarts to do the right thing if he stops and thinks and doesn't listen to Wallstreet.......