CCHC Health Care News
Citizens' Council on Health Care www.healthcarefreedom.us Thursday, March 4, 2010
President Obama, standing yesterday in the midst of a bunch of turncoats — er..."white coats" — claimed the government takeover bills had already passed. He said the debate is over. Not so fast. If he has to actually declare it's over, it isn't. He's using a technique (ad nauseum) to try to make you believe a falsehood is a fact...and to shut down opposition. President Obama wants the Senate bill passed by the House by March 18, the day he leaves for vacation (isn't it amazing he's leaving so early!), or by Congress' Easter break - Monday, March 29. Then he promises to sign a "fix-the-Senate-bill" bill to please House Demcrats. This would be if and only if the fix-it budget bill would be passed by a 51-vote majority under "reconciliation" rules (no 60-vote requirements). BUT, Pelosi does not yet have the votes. It's up to freedom-loving Americans to make sure Members go home EMPTY-HANDED! The bill should be buried, not resurrected! Call Congress every day. Contact YOUR OWN MEMBERS and the 10 Members who have told the Associated Press that they may be willing to switch their previous 'No" vote to a "Yes" vote: Brian Baird of Washington - not seeking reelection Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121. Ask to be connected to each office you wish to speak to. More contact info at http://www.contactingthecongress.org ObamaCare threatens freedom, patient lives, rights, pocketbooks and medical ethics - Sign the Declaration of Health Care Independence Tea Party Patriots seem to be brewing another rally in D.C. and elsewhere. Stay tuned! The White House website claims, "The health insurance exchange is a marketplace that will offer affordable high-quality health insurance option." In a White House briefing today, press secretary Robert Gibbs admits, "health insurance exchanges...would take over that regulatory role." Hmmmmm...... Markets do not regulate! Please comment now. Deadline: Monday, March 15, 5:00 EST (11 days left). The Federal Government wants all doctors to report patient data to the Federal government. They call this, "meaningful use" of electronic medical records. Health officials are seeking the public's comments on their 169-page proposal to require doctors to electronically report private data on ALL patients...or be financially penalized. Officially, this is called the "Electronic Health Record Incentive Program." Unofficially, this is HillaryCare. The CBO says it will cost $17.7 billion during 2011-2019, adding $15.8 billion to the deficit. Doctors who fail to report patient information to federal officials will be penalized, initially by receiving no compliance "bonuses" and later by direct financial penalties. Public Comment Process: A) Go to http://www.regulations.gov/ BOTTOM LINE - You will become a subject of government research for the purpose of rationing care. Your data will be used to build government "evidence" of what medical practices are "effective" (and paid for) and which ones are not. Private health plans will likely follow these rationing rule for ALL private pay patients. There are 25 things your doctor will be required to do, if he or she want their piece of the 5-yr Medicare compliance "bonus" pie authorized by the 270-page HITECH Act of the Stimulus bill. After five years, if your doctor still hasn't taken the "bonus bait" and is not reporting data, physician pay is docked through financial penalties. (THIS is just one more reason why physicians should STOP participating in Medicare, take cash, and let senior citizens deal directly with Medicare) SUGGESTION: At your next clinic appointment, ask your doctor whether he or she intends to comply with the "meaningful use" rule, whether he or she has agreed to report information from your private medical record to the federal government. Have a frank discussion. Look at alternatives together. Let us know what happened: info@cchconline.org (CCHC Surveillance Card Link below) Your Fractured Pinky Under Surveillance? It could soon be. A centralized trauma registry has been proposed in SF 2866 (Sheran (D-Mankato) and HF 3098 (Loefler (D-Mpls) and Abeler (R-Anoka)). Last night, CCHC president, Twila Brase, testified at the Senate policy hearing saying, "the [Health] Department’s vision for the trauma system is full integration into the public health system, which this bill will do. Our organization does not believe that residents of Minnesota want their medical records, their treatment regimes, and their physical and mental status to be fully integrated with the state health department. The bill will expand the current MN Trauma Registry from a limited database for Brain and Spinal Trauma patients (for the sole purpose of verifying that post-hospital services were offered to them, according the Sen. Berglin) to a comprehensive CENTRALIZED Trauma Registry that would catalog almost every injury this side of Texas...including detailed information on each injured patient. The new surveillance system will also be used to conduct research without consent, and to build "evidence" for government-issued rationing protocols. If passed, the term "Major Trauma" for the purpose of data submission would be defined as follows (note there are no definitions for these terms) "Sudden severe injury OR damage to the body caused by an external force that results in potentially life-threatening injuries OR that could result in the following disabilities: Senators were not pleased to hear opposition to the Department's newest surveillance proposal. Liberal Sen. Paul Koering (R-Fort Ripley) tried to shut down Sen. Hann's many good and targeted questions by moving to pass the bill. The acting Chair, Sen. Torres-Ray (D-Mpls), said she wished she could, but she said someone (CCHC) was signed up to testify against the bill. While many of DFL Senators feigned to ignore CCHC president Twila Brase as she testified (walking around, chatting with each other), Sen. David Hann (R-Eden Prairie), the only other Republican in the room, listened. (Where were Sens. Michelle Fischbach and Debbie Johnson?) When Brase was done testifying, the acting Chair didn't even ask Members if they had questions for her. Senator Torres-Ray moved to pass the bill to the next committee, and the hearing was over. CCHC Testimony and 1-page handout CCHC's "Minnesota Has You Under Surveillance" card - a list of many of the State's databases/registries (available as a double-sided glossy 9x4 rack cards for distribution with donation to CCHC of at least $10) Schools are beginning to measure and report student Body Mass Index (BMI) to state governments. CBS News reports a story about New York parents who got perturbed after the school sent them a letter calling their son "obese." Despite CCHC's efforts, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) succeeded in getting $47 million to implement a Statewide Health Improvement Plan as part of the government-empowering 2008 health care reform bill. Praising the plan, Governor Tim Pawlenty said, "The Statewide Health Improvement Program will improve the health of Minnesotans and also help contain the spiraling costs of health care.” Although Rep. Mary Liz Holberg attempted to prohibit MDH from conducting BMI surveillance, her prohibition was stripped out in the final bill. Thus, the Minnesota Obesity Plan, developed by the MN Dept. of Health, states on page 53: Surveillance and Measurement 3.2.1 Review and learn from other state models to determine successful strategies for The MN Legislative Session is in Full Swing! Give your legislators and the Governor a call! House Info - 651-296-2146 Senate Info - 651-296-0504 Gov. Tim Pawlenty - 651-296-3391; 1-800-657-3717; tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us Find Your Representatives (right side) |