GOP amendment bars Government from using research comparing medical treatments' effectiveness

[JohnWxy]

You can DO the research, just DON'T USE IT!

The use of research comparing medical treatments' effectiveness is one of the major features of Obama's health care reform strategy to improve quality and reduce waste of resources.

The Republicans say they are worried about he cost of Obama's reform plan - this is one of it's important tools in reducing costs. Apparently, Big Pharma told Republican's this is "OFF THE TABLE". What we need is to get Republicans off the table - and out of the way of progress.



http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090730/ap_on_go_co/us_health_care_overhaul


WASHINGTON – Health care legislation advanced slowly Thursday in the last of three House committees to consider the measure as the Senate's top Republican accused Democrats of cutting Medicare to finance a "massive new government-run plan."
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Another controversial Republican amendment passed by voice vote, over Waxman's objections. Backed by Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., it would bar the federal government from to deny or ration care.
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Republican's are in favor of denying effective, needed care to increase profits but not to avoid wasting money on procedures shown to NOT be effective - in favor of those procedures that ARE shown to be effective. ...(i.e. they are protecting those procedures involving expensive new drugs made by Big Pharma.)


If you find this bit of hypocrisy disgusting, maybe you might let your officials know. Health care reform will not happen without pressure from the people. The Lobbyists (those declared and those identified as Republican Senators and Representatives) will rewrite any bill getting out of committee so it will have the name "Health Care Reform" on it, but it will be the "Health Care Reform" in NAME only.

Congress.org "Find your official"

[redqueen]

1. They are shameless. (nt)

[opihimoimoi]

2. The GOP is evil and dispicable....shameless and w/o empathy

Not worthy of saving...triage time...

[ejpoeta]

3. you know, if i didn't know any better.....

i'd say the republicans don't care about protecting the citizens or doing what's best for the citizens

[Newshues]

4. Your position kills my mother

Seriously.

My mother is a medical basket case. Standard treatment options generally speaking, do not work for her. More specifically, the 3 most effective medications for blood pressure have all come close to killing her. Her doctor goes out of his way to prescribe the lowest dose of any medication for her because she has so many adverse reactions. I'm not sure what happens next spring when her coverage drops the medication she is currently taking because it isn't as effective as newer stuff.

Mom is a medical basket case. The standard and statistically more effective drugs often do not work for her and frequently make things worse.

Whether the amendment is designed to protect folks like my mom or pharma companies is something we can only tell by reading the text of the amendment but given that a Republican put it forward I'll go with pharma companies 'till I read the amendment.

[JohnWxy]

6. Quite often the "newer stuff" is no more effective than meds with which doctors have lots of

experience with. Big Pharma is behind this because it means Big MOney to them.

I don't know what the statistics are but insurance companies make a practice of dumping the people who are the sickest and denying treatments as "experimental". The result is people who thought they had insurance find out they don't just when the need it. Here's a short article on the case of Nataline Sarkisyan:

Family of 17-year-old Nataline Sarkisyan has filed a claim against Cigna insurance company. The company initially refused to pay for a life saving liver transplant for Nataline. Four medical experts from Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA Medical Center continuously appealed to the insurance carrier claiming they believed the transplant to be beneficial for the 17 year-old girl. Cigna kept arguing the procedure was experimental and continuously denied the claim. The insurance company eventually approved the transplant after Sarkisyan’s family held a rally outside Cigna’s Los Angeles office.

........Nataline Sarkisyan died hours after the approval was granted.


http://www.justicenewsflash.com/2009/01/06/cigna-insurance-denies-medical-treatment-young-girlfamily-files-death-lawsuit_20090106550.html

then there's the case of Tracy Pierce who fought 16 months to get his insurance company to approve life saving cancer treatment for him. After 16 months Tracy Pierce gave up the battle. He was dead.

DEATH BY DENIAL
Tracy Pierce Sr. 1968-2006. My husband spent the last 16-months of his life fighting and begging for his right to receive life saving cancer treatments due to denial after denial from our Health Insurance and Plan Administrators. I promised my husband that I would not let this go. Thank You Jim Flink-KMBC 9 News for caring and sharing "Our" story from the beginning,end and after. Thank you Michael Moore for making your movie "SiCKO" and sharing Tracy's story with the world!

http://juliepierce-sicko.blogspot.com/


heres a link to a Bill Moyers interview of Wendell Potter, former Head of Corporate Communications - CIGNA who Reveals How Insurance companies have fought health care reform and that it is common industry practice to deny care which is covered (they know most people don't have the wherewithal to sustain a long expensive legal battle) and drop the sickest people.

I'm sure your mother is high on their list of people to drop.

As I said I don't have any numbers off hand but I'm sure the number of people dropped or denied coverage is considerable.

IT'S JUST NOT PROFITABLE TO COVER SICK PEOPLE.

Here is the link to the Energy and Commerce committee where the amendment was carried BY VOICE VOTE (by roll call means those who voted for it are identified) -they used voice vote so nobody could be identified, but you can be sure all the lobbyists (the GOP memebers) voted for the amendment: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/committees.tt?commid=hcomm


I suggest to anybody who wants to see a Public Option approved that REALLY IS A PUBLIC OPTION and will still be able to keep costs under control while insuring quality care to email everybody on this committee and tell them NO VOICE VOTES ON ANY AMENDMENTS THAT AFFECT ESSENTIAL ASPECTS OF ANY HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL.

MORE EXPENSIVE TREATMENT DOES NOT MEAN IT'S BETTER TREATMENT.

[JohnWxy]

7. Comparative Effectiveness Research will not lead to rationing. More Republican HORSESHIT.

You gotta realize virtually every time a Republican Lobbyist opens it's mouth the truth comes out backwards.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x468725

[BlueIdaho]

5. GOP favors money over partiotism and the well being of America's citizens.

Nothing much new here...