Expose Obama » Healthcare Plan

Welcome to the Herd

NewsEditor — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:13:31 +0000

By Heather McCauley, American Thinker

While the health care debate rages on, few seem to have noticed a functioning American health care system that has operated successfully for decades. Patients enjoy a spectrum of choices ranging from plain vanilla to cutting-edge. Practitioners openly discuss expected outcomes, complication rates, benefits, and costs ahead of time. Fees, established entirely by the marketplace, are reasonable enough so that everyone who truly seeks care can obtain it, and the lifespan and quality of life are excellent and improving every day. This system is veterinary medicine.

It is important to recognize the two major divisions of veterinary medicine.

In companion animal medicine, care is paid for with the pet owner’s discretionary income. Owners — the clients — make decisions regarding the pet’s care — the patient — based on finances, emotional attachment, and their personal philosophy about pets. For some, it’s "just a dog," while for others, the family dog is considered a member of the family. More than a few spouses are careful not to probe too deeply about their own rank in comparison to a beloved pet.

Large animal medicine takes a different tack. These animals are used for industry — food production, breeding farms, racing, and so on. (The lines are blurred in some cases, such as horses that are really pets, and greyhounds used for racing.) "The client" here is the manager, producer, or trainer, while the "patient" is the dairy herd, the swine operation, or the overall breeding potential of a winning stallion. While humane treatment is an important factor, the goals are maximizing performance, productivity, and profit. Large animal medicine focuses on designing a Herd Health Program, where the outcome of an individual case takes a backseat to the cost and benefit for the overall group.

Was Obamacare designed for 'distribution of wealth'?

NewsEditor — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:47:08 +0000

World Net Daily

Obama Planned to use Healthcare to distribute wealth?

A convicted felon and political consultant with close ties to the Obama administration helped provide a blueprint for the president’s health-care legislation, a recently released book exposes.

The book reveals Robert Creamer, husband of Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., who was one of Capitol Hill’s most visible cheerleaders for Obama’s health-care bill, later wrote his health-care platform and declared strategies are not about “policies” – “they are about the distribution of wealth and power.”

Creamer also recommended the president “create” a national consensus that the country’s health-care system is in a state of crisis in order to push a radical new health-care plan…

Bureaucracy created by Obamacare

NewsEditor — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 16:55:03 +0000

Below is a list of new boards and commissions created in the bill:

1. Grant program for consumer assistance offices (Section 1002, p. 37)

2. Grant program for states to monitor premium increases (Section 1003, p. 42)

3. Committee to review administrative simplification standards (Section 1104, p. 71)

4. Demonstration program for state wellness programs (Section 1201, p. 93)

5. Grant program to establish state Exchanges (Section 1311(a), p. 130)

6. State American Health Benefit Exchanges (Section 1311(b), p. 131)

7. Exchange grants to establish consumer navigator programs (Section 1311(i), p. 150)

8. Grant program for state cooperatives (Section 1322, p. 169)

9. Advisory board for state cooperatives (Section 1322(b)(3), p. 173)

10. Private purchasing council for state cooperatives (Section 1322(d), p. 177)

11. State basic health plan programs (Section 1331, p. 201)

12. State-based reinsurance program (Section 1341, p. 226)

13. Program of risk corridors for individual and small group markets (Section 1342, p. 233)

14. Program to determine eligibility for Exchange participation (Section 1411, p. 267)

15. Program for advance determination of tax credit eligibility (Section 1412, p. 288)

16. Grant program to implement health IT enrollment standards (Section 1561, p. 370)

17. Federal Coordinated Health Care Office for dual eligible beneficiaries (Section 2602, p. 512)

18. Medicaid quality measurement program (Section 2701, p. 518)

19. Medicaid health home program for people with chronic conditions, and grants for planning same (Section 2703, p. 524)

20. Medicaid demonstration project to evaluate bundled payments (Section 2704, p. 532)

21. Medicaid demonstration project for global payment system (Section 2705, p. 536)

22. Medicaid demonstration project for accountable care organizations (Section 2706, p. 538)

23. Medicaid demonstration project for emergency psychiatric care (Section 2707, p. 540)

24. Grant program for delivery of services to individuals with postpartum depression (Section 2952(b), p. 591)

25. State allotments for grants to promote personal responsibility education programs (Section 2953, p. 596)

26. Medicare value-based purchasing program (Section 3001(a), p. 613)

27. Medicare value-based purchasing demonstration program for critical access hospitals (Section 3001(b), p. 637)

28. Medicare value-based purchasing program for skilled nursing facilities (Section 3006(a), p. 666)

29. Medicare value-based purchasing program for home health agencies (Section 3006(b), p. 668)

30. Interagency Working Group on Health Care Quality (Section 3012, p. 688)

31. Grant program to develop health care quality measures (Section 3013, p. 693)

32. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (Section 3021, p. 712)

33. Medicare shared savings program (Section 3022, p. 728)

34. Medicare pilot program on payment bundling (Section 3023, p. 739)

35. Independence at home medical practice demonstration program (Section 3024, p. 752)

36. Program for use of patient safety organizations to reduce hospital readmission rates (Section 3025(b), p. 775)

37. Community-based care transitions program (Section 3026, p. 776)

38. Demonstration project for payment of complex diagnostic laboratory tests (Section 3113, p. 800)

39. Medicare hospice concurrent care demonstration project (Section 3140, p. 850)

40. Independent Payment Advisory Board (Section 3403, p. 982)

41. Consumer Advisory Council for Independent Payment Advisory Board (Section 3403, p. 1027)

42. Grant program for technical assistance to providers implementing health quality practices (Section 3501, p. 1043)

43. Grant program to establish interdisciplinary health teams (Section 3502, p. 1048)

44. Grant program to implement medication therapy management (Section 3503, p. 1055)

45. Grant program to support emergency care pilot programs (Section 3504, p. 1061)

46. Grant program to promote universal access to trauma services (Section 3505(b), p. 1081)

47. Grant program to develop and promote shared decision-making aids (Section 3506, p. 1088)

48. Grant program to support implementation of shared decision-making (Section 3506, p. 1091)

49. Grant program to integrate quality improvement in clinical education (Section 3508, p. 1095)

50. Health and Human Services Coordinating Committee on Women’s Health (Section 3509(a), p. 1098)

51. Centers for Disease Control Office of Women’s Health (Section 3509(b), p. 1102)

52. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Office of Women’s Health (Section 3509(e), p. 1105)

53. Health Resources and Services Administration Office of Women’s Health (Section 3509(f), p. 1106)

54. Food and Drug Administration Office of Women’s Health (Section 3509(g), p. 1109)

55. National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council (Section 4001, p. 1114)

56. Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health (Section 4001(f), p. 1117)

57. Prevention and Public Health Fund (Section 4002, p. 1121)

58. Community Preventive Services Task Force (Section 4003(b), p. 1126)

59. Grant program to support school-based health centers (Section 4101, p. 1135)

60. Grant program to promote research-based dental caries disease management (Section 4102, p. 1147)

61. Grant program for States to prevent chronic disease in Medicaid beneficiaries (Section 4108, p. 1174)

62. Community transformation grants (Section 4201, p. 1182)

63. Grant program to provide public health interventions (Section 4202, p. 1188)

64. Demonstration program of grants to improve child immunization rates (Section 4204(b), p. 1200)

65. Pilot program for risk-factor assessments provided through community health centers (Section 4206, p. 1215)

66. Grant program to increase epidemiology and laboratory capacity (Section 4304, p. 1233)

67. Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (Section 4305, p. 1238)

68. National Health Care Workforce Commission (Section 5101, p. 1256)

69. Grant program to plan health care workforce development activities (Section 5102(c), p. 1275)

70. Grant program to implement health care workforce development activities (Section 5102(d), p. 1279)

71. Pediatric specialty loan repayment program (Section 5203, p. 1295)

72. Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Program (Section 5204, p. 1300)

73. Allied Health Loan Forgiveness Program (Section 5205, p. 1305)

74. Grant program to provide mid-career training for health professionals (Section 5206, p. 1307)

75. Grant program to fund nurse-managed health clinics (Section 5208, p. 1310)

76. Grant program to support primary care training programs (Section 5301, p. 1315)

77. Grant program to fund training for direct care workers (Section 5302, p. 1322)

78. Grant program to develop dental training programs (Section 5303, p. 1325)

79. Demonstration program to increase access to dental health care in underserved communities (Section 5304, p. 1331)

80. Grant program to promote geriatric education centers (Section 5305, p. 1334)

81. Grant program to promote health professionals entering geriatrics (Section 5305, p. 1339)

82. Grant program to promote training in mental and behavioral health (Section 5306, p. 1344)

83. Grant program to promote nurse retention programs (Section 5309, p. 1354)

84. Student loan forgiveness for nursing school faculty (Section 5311(b), p. 1360)

85. Grant program to promote positive health behaviors and outcomes (Section 5313, p. 1364)

86. Public Health Sciences Track for medical students (Section 5315, p. 1372)

87. Primary Care Extension Program to educate providers (Section 5405, p. 1404)

88. Grant program for demonstration projects to address health workforce shortage needs (Section 5507, p. 1442)

89. Grant program for demonstration projects to develop training programs for home health aides (Section 5507, p. 1447)

90. Grant program to establish new primary care residency programs (Section 5508(a), p. 1458)

91. Program of payments to teaching health centers that sponsor medical residency training (Section 5508(c), p. 1462)

92. Graduate nurse education demonstration program (Section 5509, p. 1472)

93. Grant program to establish demonstration projects for community-based mental health settings (Section 5604, p. 1486)

94. Commission on Key National Indicators (Section 5605, p. 1489)

95. Quality assurance and performance improvement program for skilled nursing facilities (Section 6102, p. 1554)

96. Special focus facility program for skilled nursing facilities (Section 6103(a)(3), p. 1561)

97. Special focus facility program for nursing facilities (Section 6103(b)(3), p. 1568)

98. National independent monitor pilot program for skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities (Section 6112, p. 1589)

99. Demonstration projects for nursing facilities involved in the culture change movement (Section 6114, p. 1597)

100. Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (Section 6301, p. 1619)

101. Standing methodology committee for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (Section 6301, p. 1629)

102. Board of Governors for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (Section 6301, p. 1638)

103. Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund (Section 6301(e), p. 1656)

104. Elder Justice Coordinating Council (Section 6703, p. 1773)

105. Advisory Board on Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation (Section 6703, p. 1776)

106. Grant program to create elder abuse forensic centers (Section 6703, p. 1783)

107. Grant program to promote continuing education for long-term care staffers (Section 6703, p. 1787)

108. Grant program to improve management practices and training (Section 6703, p. 1788)

109. Grant program to subsidize costs of electronic health records (Section 6703, p. 1791)

110. Grant program to promote adult protective services (Section 6703, p. 1796)

111. Grant program to conduct elder abuse detection and prevention (Section 6703, p. 1798)

112. Grant program to support long-term care ombudsmen (Section 6703, p. 1800)

113. National Training Institute for long-term care surveyors (Section 6703, p. 1806)

114. Grant program to fund State surveys of long-term care residences (Section 6703, p. 1809)

115. CLASS Independence Fund (Section 8002, p. 1926)

116. CLASS Independence Fund Board of Trustees (Section 8002, p. 1927)

117. CLASS Independence Advisory Council (Section 8002, p. 1931)

118. Personal Care Attendants Workforce Advisory Panel (Section 8002(c), p. 1938)

119. Multi-state health plans offered by Office of Personnel Management (Section 10104(p), p. 2086)

120. Advisory board for multi-state health plans (Section 10104(p), p. 2094)

121. Pregnancy Assistance Fund (Section 10212, p. 2164)

122. Value-based purchasing program for ambulatory surgical centers (Section 10301, p. 2176)

123. Demonstration project for payment adjustments to home health services (Section 10315, p. 2200)

124. Pilot program for care of individuals in environmental emergency declaration areas (Section 10323, p. 2223)

125. Grant program to screen at-risk individuals for environmental health conditions (Section 10323(b), p. 2231)

126. Pilot programs to implement value-based purchasing (Section 10326, p. 2242)

127. Grant program to support community-based collaborative care networks (Section 10333, p. 2265)

128. Centers for Disease Control Office of Minority Health (Section 10334, p. 2272)

129. Health Resources and Services Administration Office of Minority Health (Section 10334, p. 2272)

130. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Office of Minority Health (Section 10334, p. 2272)

131. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Office of Minority Health (Section 10334, p. 2272)

132. Food and Drug Administration Office of Minority Health (Section 10334, p. 2272)

133. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (Section 10334, p. 2272)

134. Grant program to promote small business wellness programs (Section 10408, p. 2285)

135. Cures Acceleration Network (Section 10409, p. 2289)

136. Cures Acceleration Network Review Board (Section 10409, p. 2291)

137. Grant program for Cures Acceleration Network (Section 10409, p. 2297)

138. Grant program to promote centers of excellence for depression (Section 10410, p. 2304)

139. Advisory committee for young women’s breast health awareness education campaign (Section 10413, p. 2322)

140. Grant program to provide assistance to provide information to young women with breast cancer (Section 10413, p. 2326)

141. Interagency Access to Health Care in Alaska Task Force (Section 10501, p. 2329)

142. Grant program to train nurse practitioners as primary care providers (Section 10501(e), p. 2332)

143. Grant program for community-based diabetes prevention (Section 10501(g), p. 2337)

144. Grant program for providers who treat a high percentage of medically underserved populations (Section 10501(k), p. 2343)

145. Grant program to recruit students to practice in underserved communities (Section 10501(l), p. 2344)

146. Community Health Center Fund (Section 10503, p. 2355)

147. Demonstration project to provide access to health care for the uninsured at reduced fees (Section 10504, p. 2357)

148. Demonstration program to explore alternatives to tort litigation (Section 10607, p. 2369)

149. Indian Health demonstration program for chronic shortages of health professionals (S. 1790, Section 112, p. 24)*

150. Office of Indian Men’s Health (S. 1790, Section 136, p. 71)*

151. Indian Country modular component facilities demonstration program (S. 1790, Section 146, p. 108)*

152. Indian mobile health stations demonstration program (S. 1790, Section 147, p. 111)*

153. Office of Direct Service Tribes (S. 1790, Section 172, p. 151)*

154. Indian Health Service mental health technician training program (S. 1790, Section 181, p. 173)*

155. Indian Health Service program for treatment of child sexual abuse victims (S. 1790, Section 181, p. 192)*

156. Indian Health Service program for treatment of domestic violence and sexual abuse (S. 1790, Section 181, p. 194)*

157. Indian youth telemental health demonstration project (S. 1790, Section 181, p. 204)*

158. Indian youth life skills demonstration project (S. 1790, Section 181, p. 220)*

159. Indian Health Service Director of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment (S. 1790, Section 199B, p. 258)*

*Section 10221, page 2173 of H.R. 3590 deems that S. 1790 shall be deemed as passed with certain amendments.

Democrats will ignore public and pass Obamacare

NewsEditor — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:44:41 +0000

By Donald Lambro, Washington Times

Queen Nancy Pelosi has the votes and she will pass Obamacare

Public support for the Obama administration’s sweeping government health care reforms is declining as opponents continue to pack congressional town-hall meetings with some analysts suggesting the president may have to settle for more modest legislation.

Public-policy analysts say that nearly two weeks of intense and often angry town-hall debate back home during August recess has thrown the White House on the defensive and turned its hopes for a full-blown overhaul of the health care system into a steeper climb.

"Publicity attached to town halls has kept the administration from framing the debate to its advantage. They have their work cut out for the rest of the month," said Thomas E. Mann, senior analyst in governance studies at the liberal Brookings Institution.

But Mr. Mann said he still believes "a modest health reform bill, passed exclusively by Democrats, with [Maine Sen. Olympia J.] Snowe the only possible Republican vote in support, will clear Congress by the end of the year. But there will be many ups and downs before getting there."

Obama lies again, here’s proof he supports single payer system

NewsEditor — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:08:48 +0000

Obama Thugs Attack Citizens at Health Care Town Hall in Tampa

NewsEditor — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:19:46 +0000

FoxNews.com

Union thugs attack citizens concerned about Obamacare

A town hall meeting to discuss President Obama’s health care reform descended into shouting and violence in a Tampa, Fla., suburb Thursday as angry opponents clashed with event organizers.

Close to 1,500 people came to Ybor City to attend the session on health care and insurance reform featuring Democratic State Rep. Betty Reed and U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor before the event exploded into a near riot.

According to local media reports, the larger-than-expected crowd gathered outside the Hillsborough County Children’s Board building, where several hundred people, mostly in opposition to government health care, began to loudly chant and scuffle with organizers posted at doorways after the auditorium filled to capacity.

A freelance videographer was roughed up in an altercation, which damaged his camera equipment and glasses, and at least one man was treated for minor injuries after a scuffle left his shirt partially torn from his body.

Thugs March to Obama’s Orders: Hit Back Twice as Hard

NewsEditor — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:15:18 +0000

By CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN, Politico

David Axelrod and Jim Messina direct new Obama offensive

Top White House aides gave Senate Democrats a recess battle plan on Thursday, arming the lawmakers with tips for avoiding disastrous town hall meetings while showing them polling on popular aspects of the reform effort.

Senior White House adviser David Axelrod and deputy chief of staff Jim Messina told senators to focus on the insured and how they would benefit from “consumer protections" in the overhaul, such as ending the practice of denying insurance based on preexisting conditions and ensuring the continuity of coverage between jobs.

They showed video clips of the confrontational town halls that have dominated the media coverage, and told senators to do more prep work than usual for their public meetings by making sure their own supporters turn out, senators and aides said.

And they screened TV ads and reviewed the various campaigns by critics of the Democratic plan.

“If you get hit, we will punch back twice as hard,” Messina said, according to an official who attended the meeting.

NBC will carry Obama press conference; time shifted for Susan Boyle Interview

NewsEditor — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:54:32 +0000

By James Hibberd, The Live Feed

After some hesitation and a time shift, three major broadcast networks have agreed to carry Barack Obama’s latest primetime news conference.

The event was announced Friday afternoon as Obama battles to bolster congressional support for an ambitious health-care overhaul while facing dropping approval ratings.

But broadcasters are struggling with falling approval ratings of their own; Nielsen’s audience measurements show viewership in a summertime slump.

The conference will mark the president’s fourth primetime press event since he took office six months ago. Such interruptions tend to wreak havoc with network schedules and can cost millions in lost advertising.

CBS, which airs only repeats that evening, agreed early Monday to cover the conference.

But for NBC, Fox and ABC, the decision was tougher. During a summer that’s otherwise strewn with repeats, Wednesday includes all of their top-rated reality programs.

Fox declined outright to air the news conference. NBC and ABC fell into line late Monday after the White House shifted the event’s time from the previously announced 9 p.m. to the lesser-watched hour of 8 p.m.

The stakes were particularly high for NBC, which airs the most-watched show of the summer, "America’s Got Talent," at 9 p.m. This week, the reality hit includes a heavily promoted interview with "Britain’s Got Talent" singing sensation Susan Boyle.

By James Hibberd, The Live Feed

After some hesitation and a time shift, three major broadcast networks have agreed to carry Barack Obama’s latest primetime news conference.

The event was announced Friday afternoon as Obama battles to bolster congressional support for an ambitious health-care overhaul while facing dropping approval ratings.

But broadcasters are struggling with falling approval ratings of their own; Nielsen’s audience measurements show viewership in a summertime slump.

CBS, which airs only repeats that evening, agreed early Monday to cover the conference.

But for NBC, Fox and ABC, the decision was tougher. During a summer that’s otherwise strewn with repeats, Wednesday includes all of their top-rated reality programs.

By James Hibberd, The Live Feed

After some hesitation and a time shift, three major broadcast networks have agreed to carry Barack Obama’s latest primetime news conference.

The event was announced Friday afternoon as Obama battles to bolster congressional support for an ambitious health-care overhaul while facing dropping approval ratings.

But broadcasters are struggling with falling approval ratings of their own; Nielsen’s audience measurements show viewership in a summertime slump.

CBS, which airs only repeats that evening, agreed early Monday to cover the conference.

But for NBC, Fox and ABC, the decision was tougher. During a summer that’s otherwise strewn with repeats, Wednesday includes all of their top-rated reality programs.

OBAMACARE WILL REDUCE YOUR CHOICEs

NewsEditor — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:59:19 +0000

By Robert E. Moffit, NY Post

AT the White House’s urging, Congress is going to try to overhaul Ameri ca’s health-care system — a sixth of the entire US economy — in the next three weeks. The 1,018-page House bill and the 615-page Senate bill are now available for your reading pleasure.

Plenty of juicy and unpleasant details will come dribbling out over the next few days, as analysts and reporters plow through the mind-numbing texts and parse the fine print. But the basic picture is clear — and it’s ugly.

If President Obama signs either bill into law, he’ll be breaking a host of promises. Neither the House nor Senate would guarantee that you can keep your private health plan if you like it. Or that patients will retain their relationships with their doctors.

By Robert E. Moffit, NY Post

Obamacare Organizational Chart

Obama Open to Taxing Health Benefits, Although He Campaigned Against It

NewsEditor — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:38:19 +0000

By Erica Werner, Associated Press

President Barack Obama is leaving the door open to taxing health care benefits, something he campaigned hard against while running for president, according to senators who met with him Tuesday.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., raised the issue with Obama during a private meeting with the president and other Democratic senators and later reported the president’s position: “It’s on the table. It’s an option.”

The White House said later that Obama did not want to go that route.

“The president made it clear during the campaign that he has serious concerns about taxing health care benefits,” Obama spokesman Reid Cherlin said in a statement. “He stated again his belief that health reform can’t wait another year, and that while all options should be considered, those options should include the revenue proposals that he included in his budget.”