Senator Mark Leno

Since I have been a little negative in trashing Anthem, I thought I would focus on the positive side of health care reform.

The article Single payer, here we come is one of the best articles I’ve read on Single Payer health care system. This article details the pros and cons of converting California over to a state funded health care system quite objectively. As we all know SB810 (the bill that would become law introducing California into a single payer system) has been vetoed twice by Arnold Schwarzenegger and probably will be again.

“Leno doesn’t expect the bill to pass this year, but said it lays the groundwork for two things: first, possible approval of the bill should a governor friendly to the concept be elected this November; and, in lieu of that, placing the bill on the ballot as an initiative and letting the people decide.”

Yes, letting the 35 million California decide on their form of health care, is a great idea. Senator Leno also describes what Single Payer is;

“It’s not socialized medicine,” Leno said. “It is a public/private partnership—publicly funded, privately managed. Your doctor does not change, your clinic, your hospital does not change. What changes is who pays, and rather than waste a third of our health-care dollars on administrative waste—current system—with single-payer, as with Medicare, we will have a 5 percent administrative cost.”

Who can argue with a 5 percent administrative cost? Currently administrative costs are about 25 percent. The article goes on to talk about the cost of this system, who would be responsible for it, who is for single payer (support for SB810 out number opponents 3-1) and who is against it. It seems the two Republican candidates for govenor don’t share Senator Leno’s passion or concern for health care reform. Steve Poizner

“said he would greatly expand the fee-for-service “doc-in-the-box” clinics in Target and Wal-Mart stores “and other places where they actually post their prices and they provide a lot of the routine care that some people now go to the emergency rooms for.”

I love shopping at Target and that’s what that store is for, shopping, not a doctor visit. Steve Poizner does have a few more ideas about health care reform, but after suggesting that Wal-mart and Target are solutions to the health care system do you even want to hear them? Horrible idea.

Please read the entire article. There are so many aspects that make sense in detailing the obstacles of trying to implement a single payer system.

I have to say my favorite part of the article is the title, “Single Payer, Here We Come.” Now that is what I find positive.

Thanks for reading.

As I have mentioned before Anthem is a for-profit health insurance corporation. They are a corporation that prioritizes shareholders profits before their customers, hence the proposed 39% increase of monthly rates for almost 800,000 Californians, myself included. And if a proposed hike increase isn’t enough, it now seems that Anthem has broken the law up to 700 times. In the LA Times’ article, Anthem Breaks the Law 700 Times, it seems that,

“California’s largest for-profit health insurer violated state law more than 700 times over a three-year period by failing to pay medical claims on time and misrepresenting policy provisions to customers.”

Another troublesome note from California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner,

“We believe there evidence to suggest there are serious issues with how Anthem Blue Cross pays claims,” Poizner said at a Sacramento news conference. “Most disturbing to us is that they don’t even respond” to the Department of Insurance “in a timely way.”

Of course Anthem released a statement of how they plan to comply with the investigation,

“As the largest insurer in California, our responsibility is to pay the many millions of claims on behalf of our members each year fairly, fully and promptly.”

Anthem Blue Cross could face up to fines of $7 million if these violations are true. Would a $7 million fine make Anthem change their ways of paying claims and how they treat their customers? I highly doubt it. $7 million is the cliche, drop in the bucket, for Anthem and their parent company Wellpoint. In 2009 Wellpoint increased their profits by $2.3 billion over the previous year. So it’s safe to say that Anthem and their parent company can afford a $7 million fine.

Since there aren’t regulations of any kind imposed on insurance corporations, Anthem can keep raising premiums, fail to pay claims and treat their customers like ATM machines. I wonder what else Anthem will do in their quest for another year of record breaking profits.

And remember Anthem = Assholes

Thanks for reading!

It’s super easy, just click on the link below and you can send your senators faxes regarding health care reform. As of 12:20 pm, there were 747,000 people who have taken action. Please take the two minutes out of your day and become another person who stands up for health care reform.

MoveOn.org Political Action: Democracy in Action.

Thanks for reading and Thank You MoveOn.

First of all, I never thought I would quote George W. Bush and sincerely mean it. But I do mean it when I say to my health care corporation “You’re Either With Us or Against Us.”

From my interactions with Anthem, it’s apparent that this health care corporation is not with me or the 34 million of Americans they supposedly insure. Anthem does not help us when we are sick and they do not help us become and stay healthy. Anthem is, a for profit health care corporation, but what they really are, are corporate terrorists. They are terrorizing millions of Americans by denying proper health care and fleecing us out of our money. Clearly they are against us.

Second of all, I started blogging about health care reform because I wanted to be proactive about this issue. Another reason I started blogging was I knew that Anthem would increase my premiums (In 2008 they raised my rate 20%, then in 2009 another 20% and now in 2010 an extra greedy amount of 39%) and I wanted to document my protests in standing up to this corporation.

My first action was filing a grievance with Anthem. I had to register with Anthem and filled out an online form. The process took about 10 minutes. Anthem claims that I will receive a letter of acknowledgment within five days of receiving my complaint.

The second action of the day was filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau at Golden Gate BBB. Again there was an online form to fill out and took no more than five minutes. My complaint will be forwarded to Anthem within two business days. The company will be asked to respond within 14 days, and if a response is not received, a second request will be made. I will be notified of the company’s response when the Better Business Bureau receives it (or notified that they received no response). Complaints are usually closed within 30 calendar days.

The compliant with Department of Managed Health Care. will have to wait. They require 30 days after you file a complaint with your insurance company. No problem, I won’t forget.

For those of you who have Anthem and will be affected by this premium raise, I urge you to file complaints as well. Haven’t we been held hostage by this terrorist corporation long enough?

Thanks for reading.

Yes 39 is the magic number for myself and about 800,000 other Californians. Anthem, my health care corporation, is going to raise my monthly rate (premium) 39%. I currently pay $410.00 a month and as of March 1, 2010 I will be expected to pay $570.00. This is ludicrous, enraging and insulting. This arrogant display of greed by Anthem should be the wake up call to politicians (that are toying with legislation) that health care reform needs to happen immediately.

I have much to say on these proposed rate hikes and do not take kindly to the fleecing that Anthem is trying to do me and other Californians. More posts to come

Thanks for reading.

Ok the State of the Union did raise hopes for 300 million Americans that the President was not giving up on health care reform, which did leave me some what satisfied. However the following update from californiaonecare.org, actually made me hopeful.

Leno’s Single Payer Health Insurance Legislation
Wins Senate Vote 22 to 14
California OneCare Campaign
Reveals Massive Netroots, Grassroots Campaign

• By a vote of 22 to 14, the California Senate today passed historic reform legislation, SB 810, that calls for sweeping changes in the financing of health care.

  Under the bill, authored by Senator Mark Leno (SF), all residents would be covered by a true universal health care system, which would pay for all needed health services utilizing a “single payer” insurance system. Most residents would be required to pay into the system and all would be covered, with no additional co-pays, deductibles or exclusions for pre-existing conditions.

  Comprehensive reform. Under SB 810, private insurance companies would be replaced by one non-profit health insurance fund. All services, including prescription medications and equipment would be paid by the single fund – hence the term “single payer”.  All California residents will be covered with comprehensive, universal coverage for all necessary health care including doctors, hospital, medications, mental health, medical equipment, dental, eye care and more. Under the SB 810 legislation, hospitals anddoctors would continue to operate privately, while insurance would be financed publicly..

  SB 810 is expected to be revenue neutral to the state and cost most businesses and residents less for the most comprehensive health care reform plan ever offered Americans.

  A strategic Plan to WIN. Sponsors of the bill applauded the Senators who supported this victory and outlined coalition plans for a massive multimedia grassroots educational campaign to pass the bill through the Assembly later this year.

  One key component of the campaign will be an historic multimedia advertising campaign that will feature a new 30-second TV spot every day for a year starring celebrities, political leaders, health care activists and victims. Some 60 spots have already been produced, featuring Lily Tomlin, Paula Poundstone, Elliot Gould, Ed Begley, Valerie Harper, Connie Stevens, Tracy Newman, Ken Howard, Ed Asner, Sheila Kuehl and more. Supporters will be invited to submit their own versions.

  Massive Grassroots Education. Kicking off on March 1, the 365-day ad and grass roots organizing campaign will gain momentum during the most tumultuous political period in decades, including a key state primary and the November election for Governor, Senate and Assembly seats. The goal of the campaign is to achieve passage and approval of the legislation by a two-thirds super majority of legislators in order to pass the financing legislation to implement the legislation. Similar single payer bills were passed twice by a 62% majority of the California legislature only to be vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger.
  
  Californians will be invited to get active on line or join neighborhood events to educate others about the benefits of this major reform of our health care system. Leaders expect that California’s success with a single payer system will lead other states to adopt it as well.
  
  California OneCare and the 365 Ad Campaign are a project of Health Care for All-California and supported by single payer advocacy groups nationwide.
  DONATE TO GET SINGLE PAYER, UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE IN CALIFORNIA. Please support the California OneCare 365 Ad Campaign. Help us produce a new thirty-second ad supporting single-payer health care on websites and television throughout California every day for one year. Click here to donate.

  
  

This is the time to pay attention! The following was sent to me from MoveOn.org. A rally will be held at the San Francisco office of Senator Dianne Feinstein at 1 Post St. Tuesday, January 26, at 6pm. About 350 people have registered for this rally; which is an encouraging sign. However, this rally and other rallies that are happening on Tuesday need as many people in attendance to force Democrats to find their backbone and stand up for their constituents. This cowering and retreating has to stop, no one likes a dog with their tail between their legs, or at least I don’t.

Thanks for reading!

After one bad Senate election, most Democrats in Washington are on the verge of full-fledged retreat.Everything we’ve fought for together hangs in the balance. President Obama has signaled he’s open to dramatically scaling back health care reform.¹ The chairman of the Senate Banking Committee says he might gut the financial reform bill to appease Republicans.² And on top of all that, the Supreme Court just opened the floodgates of corporate cash on politics!³

We need to show Democrats that we’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore. So MoveOn members are organizing an emergency rally in San Francisco on Tuesday to urge Democrats to show some backbone—starting with passage of a real health care reform bill.

We need a big turnout to show Democrats we’re still waiting on them to deliver the change we voted for—on health care and everything else. Can we count on you to attend?

Yes, I’ll be there on Tuesday at 6:00 PM

Sorry, I can’t make it

The lesson from Massachusetts is that voters are angry and it’s time for Democrats to stand up to corporate interests and fight for working families by passing health care reform and taking on Wall Street.

And make no mistake: Democrats still have the ability to pass health care reform and other progressive legislation. They have a larger majority in Congress than Republicans ever did under George W. Bush—and even in Massachusetts, polls show that voters continue to support a bold, populist agenda.⁴

But it took an unprecedented grassroots movement to elect this President and Congress—and it’ll take all of us standing together now to get their attention, and get them to show some backbone.

Thanks for all you do.

The following message was posted by Democracy For America

Rally For Single Payer In Sacramento

My last post was about an upcoming rally for Single Payer on Monday the 11th in Sacramento. I didn’t think the rally or single payer would get much coverage from the mainstream media. I was right. However, the progressive blog site Daily Kos: State of the Nation featured the rally and it became the number 1 blog on the site. That is great news. The rally was documented by Shockwave; please read his dairy of the day, The Future of Health Care Reform Came to Sacramento.

Points of interest;

* Senator Mark Leno speaking about Single Payer and SB810.

Health care is not a privilege for the fortunate few, but a basic fundamental human right.

* The Republican Senator Dave Cox debating with a group of medical students over the merits of SB810.

He started his own argument against SB 810 by saying that Single Payer is “crazy” because it cannot be afforded.  He said that Medi-Cal was broke and so were the health care systems of all countries that had Single Payer.

To watch a summary of the day please do so at Single Payer Rally

There are many who think that if one state can get Single Payer passed the other 49 states will hastily follow. I am with that particular mind set and the sooner the better.

Thanks for reading.

Come and bring as many single payer supporters and signs as you can
Buses available at Towns and Phone Numbers below
Call your Senator to urge passage of SB 810 in 2010

In California’s first health care reform action of the New Year, the California Health Professional Student Alliance (CaHPSA), supporters of single payer SB 810 (Leno), are staging a public March, Rally and Lobby Day this Monday, January 11th, 11AM to 1:00PM in Sacramento. Our historic legislation for true single payer reform in California is expected to be moved from the Appropriations Committee next week or soon thereafter, enroute to passage in the Legislature later this year.

This Rally is co-sponsored by many coaltion organizations including Health Care for All-California and our CaliforniaOneCare campaign.

Please pass along this flier to your friends.  If you have questions, today you can email CaPA.Fellow@PNHP.org or Rally Day organizing team leader Candice Rugg.

10:45 – 11:00   Gather for march outside Embassy Suites Hotel
11:00 – 12:00   March through Downtown Sacramento to CA Capitol Building Rally
12:00 -  1:00   Giant Rally on north steps of California Capitol Building

BUS SPACES STILL AVAILABLE–CALL TODAY.

California Association of Retired Americans (CARA) and other coalition organizations are sponsoring buses from several locations in Northern CA.  Bus riders will get a box lunch on the way home. Donations will be accepted to help cover costs.  Call to reserve a seat on a bus/ carpool from one of these cities and get pick up times and locations.
Berkeley/Richmond/Vallejo: Call 415-550-0828
Rocklin / Placer:  Call 916-435-9760
San Francisco: Call 415-810-5826
San Jose:  Call 408-984-8708
Stockton: Call 209-951-0499

URGE YOUR SENATOR TO SUPPORT (OR CO-AUTHOR) SB 810.

There are 40 Senators.  We need 21 votes to pass. There are 15 Co-authors. That means we need 6 votes out of the following 10 Democrats.

Calderon, Ron District 30 (916) 651-4030 Previous Yes
Correa, Louis District 34 (916) 651-4034 Previous Yes
Ducheny, Denise District 40 (916) 651-4040 Previous Yes
Kehoe, Christine District 39 (916) 651-4039 Previous Yes
Liu, Carol District 21 (916) 651-4021 Previous Yes
Negrete McLeod, Gloria District 32  (916) 651-4032 Previous Yes
Oropeza, Jenny District 28 (916) 651-4028 Previous Co-author
Simitian, S. Joseph District 11 (916) 651-4011 Previous Yes
Wolk, Lois District 05 (916) 651-4005 Previous Yes
Wright, Rod District 25 (916) 651-4025 NO

DONATE TO GET SINGLE PAYER, UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE IN CALIFORNIA. Please support the California OneCare 365 Ad Campaign. Help us produce a new thirty-second ad supporting single-payer health care on websites and television throughout California every day for one year. Click here to donate.