NEWPORT NEWS
U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott was cheered, jeered, told in so many words that he is a liar and hailed as a great fighter for health care during a two-hour meeting Tuesday.
One day after Scott's Republican colleague, Rob Wittman, earned standing ovations at a forum for his opposition to a House health care bill, Scott came out just as forcefully in favor of the legislation.
Before an overflowing crowd of 350 in the Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center, the Democrat first explained that health care costs are skyrocketing, leaving many Americans no longer able to afford proper medical care.
He then outlined the House bill, HR3200, which would establish a government insurance plan to compete with private insurers and would spend hundreds of billions to provide insurance to people who cannot afford it.
He sought to reassure the crowd that if they're satisfied with their coverage, they can keep it. And he defended proposed taxes on wealthy Americans to help pay for health care, saying, "Everybody's gotta kick in a little bit."
Then he turned the floor over to Suzanne Vanderpool, who spoke about a friend who's gone bankrupt trying to pay for her cancer treatment. Recently, Vanderpool's friend told her the struggle was too much to bear.
"My friend is choosing an earlier death because she can't afford health care," Vanderpool said. "This is criminal... We're not asking for a bailout. All we want is the basic right to affordable health care."
Others were not convinced that the changes are necessary.
Dawn Thomas, a registered nurse in Portsmouth, questioned what in the Constitution gives Scott and other legislators the authority to control health care.
"Can you explain to me why we as Americans should bear the cost of funding of health care as a right?" Thomas said. "Is that not socialism?"
Scott countered that the Constitution specifically states Congress shall provide for "the general welfare of the United States."
"And to that extent that any of this is unconstitutional, so is Medicare," he said.
Ted Ehrenfried, who is 72 and using Medicare, the government-run health care program for the elderly, said he would like everybody to have health care but he doesn't trust the government.
"Who's going to ensure that there's going to be checks and balances?" Ehrenfried said. "I'm just afraid."
Several in the audience urged Scott to push for reform.
"The poor person can't get health care," said one man. "There's no reason for that."
While the debate was lively, it also was civil, and Scott praised the audience for avoiding the kind of rancor that has marred meetings in other parts of the country. Some speakers questioned Scott's motives and whether he was telling the truth.
Richard Levy, a retired Navy captain and Williamsburg resident, said he's read the House bill several times and didn't find any of the details Scott presented.
"One of the problems we have with any of these bills is the credibility of Congress," Levy said. "The things you put out there are not there... None of it's there."
Scott said he stands by the legislation and his explanation.
"If you don't believe what I said, fine."
Scott said he is optimistic that when Congress reconvenes next week, some version of health care reform will be passed. In addition to the House bill, Senate committees also are proposing legislation.
"We'll try to combine them so Congress can have something and try to do something," he said. "One of the reasons we've been having these town hall meetings is to see who has better ideas than this, so we can incorporate them into our plan."
Bill Bartel, (757) 446-2398, bill.bartel@pilotonline.com
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Obama has no health care plan
Actually Obama has no health care plan. He allowed the liberal wing of the democratic party to write one in the House and so far nothing from the Senate. This issue is not about Republicans. Moderate democrats are against the liberals health care plans as well.
Dont blame this one on the Republicans. This is a result of the lack of leadership exhibited by President Obama.
afer reading all of these comments
After reading ALL these comments, I think many of you need to get a clue. There are so many WRONG assessments of President Obama's Health Care Plan that it's very sad. I don't know what news media you are watching, but you have got to keep an open mind, and understand you are being feed a bunch of bull. I dare say that those of you who have your own health care have NO idea what would be covered if you had a dire health emergency.
We also have to keep in mind that republicans are not going to like ANYTHING President Obama does, be it Health Care or anything else. That is a fact! Some of you are so tied to you political party you can't see the trees for the forest.
President Obama needs to take control and get this bill passed. Waiting for republican approval will never happen.
An open mind?
Like yours presents on any given post?
Understatement..
"and understand you are being feed a bunch of bull"
Problem is, we know who the "bull" is coming from.
BULL? what BULL. I don't see a BULL. Do you?
From some of there statements I honestly believe some of the posters wouldn't know a BULL if it bit them on the butt. Stop listening/watching all the stations and channels. If you have the ability to read then try reading it for yourself and then try to convince yourself how GREAT it really is.
Medical Take Over
Obama's Medical Care take over gives way too much power to the government. People should have the power to make their own medical decisions.
blinded by a glib tongue
All you people on here bashing big pharma really should keep up with news....your man Obama jumped in bed with them long ago and let them off the hook and is going to extend their patent protections. Even Pelosi and Reid have said Obama's deals don't mean anything to them. He his just one more glib tongued politician out to consolidate power, he doesn't care one bit what happens to all us peasants.
public option is union shill
The public option is nothing but a shell game for unions. If a public option is crammed through it will be the biggest exansion of government unions in the history of the world.
Government programs off all types are bankrupt and full of corruption. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, bankrupt and corrupt. Medicare, bankrupt and full of fraud and abuse. Social Security, bankrupt and through its "social equity" programs for drunks and drug addicts pay people to stay addicted.
If you really believe that putting health care further in the hands of government you just want to believe in daisies and fairy elves.
You can have reform without adding a public option. People that want a public option just think they are going to get something for nothing and get "rich" "white" people to pay for their necessities so they can still buy that new Lexus and the next video game machine.
AND
You left out their Wonderful handling of "Cash for Clunkers"......the majority of car dealerships have still not been paid. At least this program only involves Cars.....not heart surgery or chemo treatments?
Scary to think what the Wait Time and mounds of paperwork would be for medical treatment Approval?
Why do my post never get displayed in a reasonable time?
Am I on the Pilot bad boy list?
This comment is awaiting staff approval.
Submitted by Mark Burns on Wed, 09/02/2009 at 3:51 pm. Why must my income and assets be taken away just to pay for YOUR health care? If you want health care then go buy your own.
Since we brought up socialized medicine
I found this article in a UK paper
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6127514/Sentenced-to-death-on-the-NHS.html
Sentenced to death on the NHS
In a letter to The Daily Telegraph, a group of experts who care for the terminally ill claim that some patients are being wrongly judged as close to death.
Under NHS guidance introduced across England to help doctors and medical staff deal with dying patients, they can then have fluid and drugs withdrawn and many are put on continuous sedation until they pass away.
But this approach can also mask the signs that their condition is improving, the experts warn.
And it goes on..
The warning comes just a week after a report by the Patients Association estimated that up to one million patients had received poor or cruel care on the NHS.
Or Canada.... needing help from the " private sector "
Doctors support parallel private health system at CMA meeting in Edmonton
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2005/08/17/Doctors_support_private_care20050817.html?print
The Canadian Medical Association threw its support behind a parallel, private health-care system at its annual meeting in Edmonton on Wednesday.
In a historic vote, delegates decided by a two-to-one margin that patients should be able to go outside the public health-care plan and use private insurance if they can't get necessary medical care quickly enough.
It's a major change for the association, which until now has been unequivocal in its support for a strong public system. The last time the CMA voted on such a motion was in 1996.
But times have changed, said those who supported the motion during the public-private debate, which was supposed to end on Tuesday but was carried over to Wednesday.
Supporters of the motion said too-long waiting lists are an urgent problem, the system is faltering and it needs help from the private sector.
right
The poor in this country already receive health care - at no cost. Doctors, insurance companies, and the rest of us, are paying for it. I don't know what people think will improve by giving government more power in health care. Take a close look at government-run organizations that exist today: social security, medicare, medicaid, fanny mae, freddy mac... need I go on? Because I can - for pages and pages! If you think government health care will make anything better, you're fooling yourself. Government already has WAY too much on its plate, and when you're that overburdened, you're going to handle most things very poorly - just like our government. Everyone loves to chant "change" in every country about every health care system. Why would we want to be more like other industrialized (spelled socialized) nations in Europe and the rest of the world? Our economy trumped theirs long ago - until we started credit-based government, and credit-based living - that's our downfall. We don't need more big spending. Health care can't get much better than it is now. If you want an MRI or a CTSCAN in the US, you can get one SAME DAY. Try that in any other country. Illegal immigrants
The Private FOR "PROFIT" OPTION
Did I just read that someone thinks you can get a MRI the same day with the health insurance I have? My doctor ordered a MRI & an EEG done to find out why I was passing out. The insurer ruled it not medically necessary and put the burden on my doctor to send them a brief showing in her opinion why it was, there-by delaying the procedure for 3 weeks while their private insurance death panel pulled filibustering tactics. And this is the kind of service I pay $11,600.00 a year for. I guess FOR PROFIT HEALTH CARE value their bottom line profit $$$ more than the health service they a supposed to pay for. This system is broke and these agents of greed need to be held accountable for it.
Your doctor doesn't make sense-
This should have been an emergency situation and she should have written the brief right then. You could have passed out again and hit your head or broke something, or had a severe episode that may be irreversible! If you are still having trouble, call back and ask for an emergency appointment. If you don't get it, go to the ER and get it there. Refuse to pay the copay and get a lawyer if needed, they are risking your life!!
Do tell their name so others who have had similar treatment can come together and stop the bureacracy.
Best of Luck!!!!!!!!!
Gee, you should take your business elsewhere
Oh, that's right, you can't BECAUSE YOU AREN'T THE CUSTOMER, your employer is.
And why is that? Because the government interfered in the marketplace by giving employer sponsored plans an overwhleming tax advantage during WW2 as a way of mitigating the earlier interference in the marketplace of wage and price controls. And you can't get a group plan to replace your insurance through your church or professional organization due to later interferences by the State.
So, considering the problems you face finding better insurance are the result of government meddling in the free market, why would you think more meddling will fix it?
Of course, you don't have these problems with your car insurance, but that's because the government hasn't messed with that as much.
I'd love to take my business else where
Oh, contraire, I am the customer because it is my money (to much of it) going into the employers plan. After all a customer is defined as the one who pays the fee. You sound as if you would like to take a step backwards and dismantle the whole employer/government based ERISA Health and Pension system. A rather odd opinion considering you are a DDS and it would have a negative effect on your business and create lot more toothless smiles out in the public sector. Or is it that you own stock in one of these for profit health insurance companies, where stock holder earnings and profits come before health care services and doing the right and honorable and compassionate thing
facts please, not demagoguery
If health car companies and hospitals are such money machines, why are their profit margins, for the latest quarter, bumping along around 3%, while brewers are at 18%, cigarettes at 16%, distillers at 13%, education services at 11%, utilities at 9%, etc? I know this is a leftist talking point, but factual comparisons destroy the myth of rampant greed in this industry.
and those healthcare facilities..
Healthcare facilities are at number 3, making 24.3% profit margin. hmmm...
Again I say that part of the reform should be a cap for charges on services, for Doctors, Hospitals and Pharma. I agree with a profit, but a reasonable one. To me, 24.3% is not reasonable.
How about these facts...
I saw the article you got that information from, and now I'd like to share this according to the recently released HCAN report: In the past 13 years, more than 400 corporate mergers have involved health insurers, and a small number of companies now dominate local markets but haven’t delivered on promises of increased efficiency. According to the American Medical Association, 94 percent of insurance markets in the United States are now highly concentrated, and insurers are thriving in the anti-competitive marketplace, raking in enormous profits and paying out huge CEO salaries. These mergers and consolidations have created a marketplace where a small number of larger companies use their power to raise premiums—an average of 87 percent over the past six years—restrict and reduce benefit packages and control and cut provider payments. A pretty good example of rampant greed.