Think Yesterday Was Bad? Thought It Was The End Of Socialism On The Agenda?
Think again! Twila Brase from the Citens’ Council Health Care has the details.
“Single-Seller” Minnesota Health Insurance Exchange Proposed!
Secret Deal made???
TOMORROW & THURSDAY – Legislative Hearings on the Health Insurance Exchange (times listed below)!
We have been informed that a secret health care deal has been made between Governor Pawlenty and Senator Linda Berglin (D-Mpls, leading socialized medicine proponent, and author of the 1992 MN HealthRight bill that put managed care in charge). We have also been informed that this deal includes Governor Pawlenty’s controversial Minnesota Health Insurance Exchange proposal that CCHC successfully defeated last year.
The Exchange — a Single-Seller-System to centralize and ration health care — is already in the bills: Senator Berglin’s and Rep. Tom Huntley’s identical bills include the MN Health Insurance Exchange. Senate File 3099 will be heard tomorrow (Wed), and House File 3199 will be heard this Thursday. The proposal would build a single government-established bureaucracy over all things related to the sale and purchase of health insurance…eventually including access to medical care.
Several of the following proposals included in the bills, and associated with The Exchange, mimic the centralized treatment decision-making tools of England’s socialized National Health System:
a “Health Benefits and Design Board” of political appointees to define insurance sold through Exchange
a technology advisory group to recommend limits on access to new medication/advanced treatments
require doctors and insurers to establish “medical homes” to centralize treatment decisions
create universal measures to evaluate physician “performance”(compliance)
a public health access fund paid for by the “health impact fee” (tax)
monitor obesity/body mass index of the population statewide
establish a statewide health improvement program
ACT NOW: Legislators need to hear the other side on the Health Insurance Exchange, government-imposed rationing of care, and public health intrusions. Be sure to sign the CCHC petition against the Exchange.BELOW: Email addresses for committee members, and contact phone number to testify.
If you are available to testify, call ahead to sign up and be sure to ask the hour when you’re scheduled to testify. I’d appreciate it if you’d let me know as well. Please be advised that Senator Berglin announced this morning that there will be a “delete-all” amendment, available this afternoon in her office. That means that the bill could look very different from what is online today. However, the “delete-all” language won’t be online to view until after tomorrow’s hearing. The Exchange will likely still be in it.
I can advise on testimony if requested.
Twila Brase
President
Citizens’ Council on Health Care
651-646-8935WEDNESDAY, February 27, 2009
SENATE Committee on Health, Housing and Family Security
Chair: Sen. John Marty
12:30 p.m. Room 15 Capitol
Agenda:
S.F. 3099-Berglin: Health care reform bill. (same as Huntley’s bill but will be a “delete all” amendment)
Will be continued into the evening if necessary.To Testify: Shannon at 651-296-4151
THURSDAY, February 28, 2008
12:30 PM
Meeting Time Note: The committee will recess at 3:45 p.m. and reconvene at 6 p.m. if necessary.
Committee: HOUSE Health and Human Services
Room: 200 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Paul Thissen
Agenda: HFXXXX (Loeffler) Public health reform (HF 3390)
HFXXXX (Huntley) Health care reform (HF 3391) – same as Berglin’s bill, but could be a “Delete All” amendmentTo Testify: Jennifer at 651-296-3244
EMAIL:
Governor Tim Pawlenty: tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us
HOUSE Health and Human Services Committee:
Paul Thissen – Chair
Patti Fritz – Vice Chair
Laura Brod – Republican Leadrep.paul.thissen@house.mn, rep.patti.fritz@house.mn, rep.laura.brod@house.mn, rep.jim.abeler@house.mn, rep.bruce.anderson@house.mn, rep.julie.bunn@house.mn, rep.tom.emmer@house.mn, rep.brad.finstad@house.mn, rep.steve.gottwalt@house.mn, rep.rod.hamilton@house.mn, rep.tom.huntley@house.mn, rep.tina.liebling@house.mn, rep.diane.loeffler@house.mn, rep.erin.murphy@house.mn, rep.kim.norton@house.mn, rep.maryellen.otremba@house.mn, rep.maria.ruud@house.mn, rep.cy.thao@house.mn, rep.ken.tschumper@house.mn, rep.neva.walker@house.mn
SENATE Health, Housing and Family Security Committee
Sen. John Marty – Chair
Sen. Patricia Torres Ray – Vice Chair
Sen. Paul Koering – Ranking Minority Membersen.john.marty@senate.mn, sen.patricia.torres.ray@senate.mn, sen.paul.koering@senate.mn, sen.john.doll@senate.mn, sen.sharon.erickson.ropes@senate.mn, sen.michelle.fischbach@senate.mn, sen.david.hann@senate.mn, sen.linda.higgins@senate.mn, sen.debbie.johnson@senate.mn, sen.tony.lourey@senate.mn, sen.ann.lynch@senate.mn, sen.yvonne.prettner.solon@senate.mn, sen.betsy.wergin@senate.mn
Sen. Berglin: http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/member_emailform.php?mem_id=1005&ls=85
Unfortunately my legislator Rep. Shelley Madore, one of the people behind the HF2800 transportation boondoogle is ALSO behind this single-payer BS.
She won in the last election by about 80(!) votes….Republicans who stayed home because they were made at Bush or Pawlenty or whatever might want to use this as an example of what can happen with one downticket race.
Fortunately we’re working very hard to make sure her first term is her last term.
She won in the last election by about 80(!) votes….Republicans who stayed home because they were made at Bush or Pawlenty or whatever might want to use this as an example of what can happen with one downticket race.
Yep, I guess they really showed us by staying home.