"September 27: Flawed Legislation
Last week Sen. Max Baucus released his Senate Finance Committee's long-awaited version of health care reform. Regrettably, it is a deeply flawed bill which fails to meet the criteria set forth by President Barack Obama for meaningful reform.
There are some very troubling key provisions in this bill which would place an enormous and unfair burden on working people and older Americans, while letting insurers and employers off scot-free
The excise tax on certain "high-cost" health plans makes a lie of the promise that people will be able to keep the coverage they have now. There is virtually no employer responsibility to provide coverage or pay into a fund so their workers can get a subsidy when purchasing coverage on their own. The only employer requirement is minimal, calling on employers to pay up to $400 for any worker who has to obtain a subsidy to get insurance.
The Baucus bill fails to provide a public health insurance plan as was included in the House bills. The problem with state and regional co-ops is that they would not have enough market "clout" and absolutely no ability to drive down overall health care costs.
Now, during the "mark up" of the bill, is the time for rational, thoughtful citizen involvement in the legislative process. The demagoguery, misrepresentation and fear-mongering should be behind us. Now is the time for each of us to call on our senators to support a robust public health insurance option; to dump the excise tax or drastically change it; and include a "pay or play" requirement on employers.
Shane Fox
Executive Board, Alliance for Retired Americans
Vice President, Texas Alliance for Retired Americans"
Pressure Baucus to get HR 676 enacted into law and also to get the prescription benefit fixed and placed into Medicare Part B.
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I have the solution to too much company influence over legislation.
Boycott some of those companies en masse and make them get it
for us. Yes, we will need to get at least 100,000 people to act on
these. With these actions you can help limit corporate power.
See our web site at http://DEMOCRATZ.ORG
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Make these phone calls and spread the word.
Boycott Tyson Foods of Arkansas who gave Mike Ross D-Arkansas
$37,000 for his campaigns. Call lobbyist for Tyson Foods Chuck
Penry 202 393 3921 and tell him politely that you refuse to
buy Tyson chicken until Mike Ross D-Arkansas the leader of the
Blue Dogs on health care gets the entire house and senate
conservative Democrats to help get HR 676 enacted into law.
Tell others to call. Send me email after you call to
info@democratz.org
Boycott American Express who gave Max Baucus $50,000 for his
campaigns. Call Joanna Lambert at 212 640 9668 and politely
tell her you will not use any American Express cards until
Max Baucus gets HR 676 enacted into law. Email me after you call.
Call GOP contributor Rite Aid Pharmacies at 800 325 3737 and
tell the person to get the CEO to get congress to enact HR 676
Single payer health care and enact a new Medicare Prescription
drug benefit in Medicare Part B covering 80% of the cost of
drugs with no extra premiums, no extra deductibles, no means
tests, no coverage gaps, and remove the means test for Medicare
Part B and until that happens, you won't buy ANYTHING from
Rite Aid Pharmacies.
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Posted by: www.democratz.org | 10/05/2009 at 06:41 AM