Just got an email from Nancy-Ann DeParle (White House.Gov)

[SHRED]

Director of the White House Office of Health Reform

Telling me how wonderful health reform is going.
Talk about pouring salt on the wound.
Wow.

I trust her about as far as can throw-up.
:puke: :puke: :puke:

Dear Friend,

After months of debate this year, and decades of gridlock before, our country is closer than ever to passing the single most important piece of domestic legislation since Social Security. This is no small feat. There's a reason that presidents from Truman to Nixon to Clinton have called for, but been unable to achieve, health reform: it's incredibly difficult.

The current legislation in Congress includes many of the protections found in the bipartisan Patient’s Bill of Rights that has been repeatedly defeated by special interests. President Obama addresses that, as well as the broader substance and fierce urgency of health reform, in his latest weekly address.

There are some great elements of this bill that will take some time to set up, such as the new insurance marketplace -- the Exchange -- that allows people without insurance and small businesses to compare plans and buy insurance at competitive prices. But there are a lot of other benefits for families that will kick in during the first year if we get this passed:

* In the first year, we will make it illegal for insurance companies to drop coverage for Americans.
* In the first year, more of your money will start going where it belongs: towards your care instead of excessive insurance company profits or TV ads. We will start forcing insurance companies to report the proportion of premium dollars that are not spent on medical care -- including profits. If a company isn’t spending enough of its premium dollars providing benefits for families, it will have to issue rebate checks to its customers to make up the difference.
* In the first year, all insurance plans will have to begin covering preventive services, helping to shift our health care from just sickness to wellness. If you purchase insurance on your own, you will receive preventive care from your doctor without paying a co-pay.
* In the first year, seniors will see major relief in paying for prescription drugs. The gap in coverage with Medicare, the so-called "donut hole," will start to close for good.

This bill will reduce premiums for your family, shifting the balance of power from your insurance company back to you.

Health reform extends coverage to 30,000,000 Americans without adding a dime to the Federal deficit. In fact, it represents the largest reduction to the deficit in well over a decade.

The final bill hasn't taken shape yet. There are several more steps in the process, and the President is committed to making it the best bill possible to provide security for those who have insurance and affordable, quality coverage for those who don't.

It is important to look past the bickering and cable chatter and remember that we are on the verge of providing real benefits to Americans who can’t wait any longer.

Thanks, and have a great weekend.

Sincerely,

Nancy-Ann DeParle

Director, White House Office of Health Reform

DeParle has drawn criticism for her lucrative service on corporate boards after her tenure in the Clinton administration. Msnbc.com reported that she was paid more than $6 million, and served as a director of half a dozen companies that faced federal investigations, whistleblower lawsuits and other regulatory actions. Many of these companies have a stake in the health care reform that she is leading.<7>

She served as a director of Accredo Health Inc., Boston Scientific, Cerner Corp., DaVita, Guidant, Medco Health Solutions, Speciality Laboratories, and Triad Hospitals. She was a managing director of CCMP Capita.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy-Ann_DeParle#Corporate_connections

[jeanpalmer]

1. There's been a concerted effort

to get people to take their eye off the ball. And it's worked. And this email is just more of it.

When we started this debate about HCR, everyone knew what real HCR would look like. The problem was high costs associated with big inefficiencies in our system that resulted in high per person cost. There are 300 million people in the US, and the total health care bill is $2 to $2.4 trillion. That's a per person cost of between $6,666 and $8,000. Other countries like UK are spending $2,900 person. Canada is spending about $4,000 per person. So the challenge was, how do we get rid of the inefficiencies and bring down the overall cost per person, so all people can afford healthcare and get it.

The debate went from single payer to public option to trigger to medicare buyin and finally to mandated insurance for all with the same exorbitant overall costs we have, only extended to more people. The $6600 - $8000 overall cost will not be reduced. Instead, by stealing from Medicare and bringing younger people into the system and raising a few taxes, they plan to reallocate part of the high costs from one group of people to another. This is HCR?

It's a fraud. But the politicians need a health care bill at any cost. You'd like to give people the benefit of the doubt, but this was a completely dishonest effort by the politicians. By Democrats. They've used all kinds of mind manipulation techniques to distract people from what real HCR would be to the sad excuse they're about to pawn off on us.

[dave29]

2. ironically, pouring salt on a wound can be good healthcare

http://www.ehow.com/how_5610223_use-salt-wound.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art

It might be painful, but it can start the healing process.

[treestar]

3. What specifically do you find to be untrue?

:shrug:

[SHRED]

8. "left out" would be more accurate

[lunatica]

4. I unsubscribe when I get this crap

And I will subscribe again when they give us something that's beneficial to us

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x74445

[IndianaGreen]

5. Nancy-Ann DeParle is a corporate whore and a crook to boot!

Nancy-Ann DeParle, President Barack Obama’s health policy czar, served as a director of corporations that faced scores of federal investigations, whistleblower lawsuits and other regulatory actions, according to government records reviewed by the Investigative Reporting Workshop at American University.

Several of the companies were investigated for alleged kickbacks or engaging in other illegal billing schemes, while others were accused of serious violations of federal quality standards, including one company that failed to warn patients of deadly problems with an implanted heart defibrillator. Several of the cases ended with substantial fines paid to the federal government, even though the companies admitted no wrongdoing.

Since leaving her government job running Medicare for the Clinton administration, DeParle built a lucrative private-sector career. Records show she earned more than $6.6 million since early 2001, according to a tally by the Investigative Reporting Workshop.

Much of that corporate career was built at companies that have frequently had to defend themselves against federal investigations. After leaving government, DeParle accepted director positions at half a dozen companies suspected of violating the very laws and regulations she had enforced for Medicare. Those companies got into further trouble on her watch as a director.

Now she’s back in government as a leading voice in deciding the shape of health care reform. Named by Obama in March as director of the White House Office of Health Reform, making $158,000 a year, DeParle is the point person in pushing for the administration's plans for changing health care and the ways Americans pay for it — changes in which her former companies have a great deal at stake.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31566399/ns/health-health_care/

[AzDar]

6. Kick (for exposure)

:kick:

[IndianaGreen]

7. Kick to your kick

:kick: