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Special Report
Ostracized by Obama
(Page 2 of 2)
"Nobody seems to get it there," she said. "They want to pretend to reinvent health care when they clearly have not been listening to the patients."
Others related similar experiences.
Ralph Weber, who designs free-market health insurance plans, attended a meeting in Paso Robles, California, where he and his wife described how their horrific experiences with government-run health care prompted them to flee from Canada. While living in Canada, his wife became crippled after waiting two and a half years for foot surgery. Then his son had a bike riding accident in which he smashed his head against the windshield of a car. After a four-hour wait in the emergency room, his son received an x-ray, but the government wouldn't allow him to obtain a CT Scan to determine whether there was any brain injury.
After hearing Weber's experiences, the group sent feedback to the Obama transition team suggesting that the new administration do a comprehensive study of other health-care systems to look at the consequences of government control.
While the group received a thank you email in response, they weren't asked to participate in the process any further, according to Dee Hinds, who organized the meeting and owns an employee benefits firm with his wife. Hinds said the lack of follow-through by the Obama team stood in stark contrast to the account he got from a woman he met at a nearby health fair. According to Hinds, she had attended a different meeting in Los Osos, California.
"Their consensus had been that there should be a program that everybody has to participate in that is run and paid for by the government," he recounted, "and they got a very nice email back thanking them for their participation and asking if they'd like to be involved in further discussion."
Entering the White House during last Thursday's summit, attendees passed large flat screen televisions showing images of average Americans participating in the various community discussion groups. The White House also passed out a 120-page color booklet produced by the Department of Health and Human Services reporting on the meetings. "This extensive and intense engagement of the public in policy development by the Federal government is unprecedented and historic," the executive summary boasted.
Much of the book was used as an opportunity to promote Obama's own ideas for health care reform, such as creating a government-run insurance exchange and expanding the use of information technology.
In a section on the role of government versus the market, it described a meeting in Middletown, Virginia, that concluded that the health-care systems' problems were caused by excessive regulations and that additional government interference would make things worse. But the book summarized, "This opinion was in the distinct minority."
The same section of the book devoted a special box to single-payer health care, for which HHS claimed to have received "numerous reports, in part due to the encouragement of advocacy groups..."
The White House did not return a call seeking comment for this story.
Michael Tanner, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, had a chuckle when asked about the administration's failure to reach out to free-market advocates.
"It's honest in the sense that there's no way the Obama administration is going to pursue free-market health-care reform," he remarked. "On the other hand, it's a bit of play acting to say they're reaching out and open to all ideas and that sort of thing. They're not."
Philip Klein is The American Spectator's Washington correspondent.
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Rocco| 3.11.09 @ 6:40AM
No surprise here. Merely ratification by the usual suspects of the socialization of healthcare. If you thought Britain's NHS, or Brazil's INPS was bad, wait til Obama's Americare comes to town. By the same people who brought us a solvent Social Security, Medicare, etc........
Deborah| 3.11.09 @ 7:03AM
Where's the mainstream media? Oh, that's right -- in the pocket of the Obama administration. Thanks for speaking truth to power, ABC, NBC, CNN, CBS, NYT, Wash. Post. No wonder people no longer look to you for information. You don't provide any.
Thanks, for the heads up, Mr. Klein. I'll pass this info to my friends and family so they can see, once again (unfortunately), that this president doesn't give a rat's patootie about his country.
Trackback| 3.11.09 @ 7:43AM
The American Spectator : Ostracized by Obama, on PunditKix, links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Son Of Sam| 3.11.09 @ 10:21AM
Gee, a bunch of goose-stepping, Kool Aid chugging ObamaNazis crushing dissent and imposing their solution as the only "choice" -- who would have thought? When I say we need to "shake off the slave mentality", part of what I mean by that is we need to stop assuming that Obama and his supporters are "well-meaning" or have "good intentions". Given everything that we've seen from this regime, they've forfeited any presumption of innocence, and its high time we said so. From this point forward, let THEM prove to US and the American people that they "mean well". Every day and in every way, we need to drive home the point that Obama, and liberalism in general is nothing more than an attack on the middle class
"until freedom dawns"
Son Of Sam
http://www.geocities.com/samadamssos
Brian Lorentzen| 3.11.09 @ 10:36AM
Out of touch with the Middle-class..
In our foundation days, the local Medical Practitioner (GP) would visit a remote farmhouse and would do an annual checkup on four people plus attend to one sick child. For those five 'consultations' he would charge 5 chickens.
That's the equivalent of 15 meals - or 3 child-meals per consultation.
Today, the average American can feed a child for one dollar. (If you couldn't possibly feed your Children for a dollar - then maybe you are hopelessly out of touch with the average American?)
Today's GP charges (believes he deserves) 70 child-meals for one consultation! That's 20 times more than the "adjusted for inflation" value of our fore-fathers!
Some specialists (Eg. anesthetists) charge 200 child-meals! It is little wonder that we have a Health care crisis!
(Yes, there are twenty other contributing factors to the obscene costs of health care!)
The fact that our politicians do not protest at these obscene costs to the average American hints at the controlling power of the lobbyists employed by "Big Medicine"!
Geoff| 3.11.09 @ 10:58AM
The CHANGE continues to come, It makes me think of the article the other day discussing how with freebies comes the end of democracy. (Accuracy is Desirable 3-9-09) Then comes the stimulus and all the welfare ingredients, then the budget and further government additions and now health care. What does it take to get people to ask questions about what THEIR government is doing for and to them. I guess as long as it is cheap or free its good.. I was at an apartment complex the other day and many of the tenants were from other countries. They had housing (paid for) car (paid for) schooling, food and healthcare alll paid for by guess who….. How do I get on this program… And what about all the folks that have a nice car and big screen tv but choose not to have health care? I’m sure they will tell you they can’t afford it. I guess merit raises for teachers is good but support for the Americans that pay their bills and act responsibly is bad..
Luonne Dumak| 3.11.09 @ 11:28AM
It's nice to point out the Doctor's fees but not some of the reasons for those fees. High costs of malpractice insurance is one reason. Tort reform is needed,opening the markets for purcashing insurance, and stopping the Goverment from mandating what Insurance companies need to insure. More transparency on the cost of procedures so that people have choices on were to have test or surgerys done. I fear socilaized medicine more than another attack on this country . an attack we can rebuild from, socialized medicine will destroy this Country and kill more people.
Bozena| 3.11.09 @ 11:50AM
No wonder they don't allow free market ideas. Obama never learn about free market. I find it funny that so called "intelligentsia" is so surprised that he is not a "moderate", like they thought he would be (they did not do their homework, like always). For those who are for "nationalized healthcare"-if you think that HMOs were bad wait until government runs your healthcare. I came from former socialist country and they still have goverment run healthcare, when you are really sick you go to a "private practice" care and pay out of your pocket, always was and still is the case. Poland is trying to change it to a privately run health care, but the socialists and progressives are not allowing the "change"...they are advocating "more of the same". I guess Obama sides with "more of the same" of the socialists.
Larry C. Roberts, MD, MA| 3.11.09 @ 2:19PM
One is sadly mistaken if he thinks that Obama's health care reform is really about health care. Not one person in the White House cares the least little whit about you, me and ours. It is all about power. The power to control every aspect of our lives, including those most intimate and private. The electronic medical record will come to be like the secret police files of the KGB and Gestapo, containing anything and everything that could be used to manipulate, blackmail or deny benefits. Physicians will either be forced to comply with these government dictates or be excluded from the practice of medicine. The experience in Nazi Germany is a sad and relevant case in point. I suggest reading William Shirer's The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. Even now the Obama administration is seeking repeal of the Freedom of Conscience Act which prevents discrimination against physicians who refuse to perform procedures that are repugnant to their beliefs. We are witnessing the rapid emergence of the totalitarian state and the destruction of American medicine.
Michele San Pietro| 3.11.09 @ 2:22PM
This Obama must really be out of his mind. America simply doesn't exist without free market.
Country Boy| 3.11.09 @ 2:27PM
What health care crisis? Just open up the yellow pages and go to Health Insurance. Dial the phone. They answer, you buy health care.
Oh, Oh, you don't want to pay. You want me to pay. That's a different problem. Sooo... the problem is that I have some money and you want it.
The sale of information| 3.11.09 @ 3:39PM
Larry C. Roberts
You have smelt the coffee. They plan to sell all your medical records to who ever is willing to pay so you can get junk mail every day, each fill will be sold for at least 20 US dollars, each one to each organisation, it's a money spinner.
Dustoff| 3.11.09 @ 3:46PM
When we (America) can get the same Health care that Ted Kennedy gets. Then and only then would I say vote for it.
yet I know, not likely.
Richard| 3.11.09 @ 4:40PM
There is only one thing the Administration wants: complete control of health care so they can control the population. They are the party of death and population control fits in with their love of abortion.
gene hauber| 3.11.09 @ 4:42PM
monkey boy needs to be stopped and who gives a s*** how....asap
george| 3.11.09 @ 4:53PM
If you're in prison, in the military or government you have single payer health care. Little people have to pay.
Greg| 3.11.09 @ 5:07PM
Geez, this is really, really bad stuff! For the life of me I cannot understand why any American would want the Federal (and/or State) government involved with something as precious as the financing of their healthcare purchases when they've shown time and again they cannot live within their economic means and, worse yet, don't care as much for what is 'best' than what saves the most money. At age 50, I don't suppose I'd ever seen free-market health care again once they start down this slippery slope.
EW / NH| 3.11.09 @ 6:05PM
@ Son Of Sam| 3.11.09 @ 10:21AM
"Son of Sam / the .44 Caliber Killer, is an American serial killer and arsonist.
Shortly after his arrest in August 1977, S-S confessed to killing six people and wounding seven others in the course of eight shootings in New York City between 1976 and 1977. He has been imprisoned for the crimes since 1977. His crimes had terrorized New York for a year.
Son of Sam subsequently claimed that he was commanded to kill by a demon who possessed his neighbor's dog....and was a member of a violent Satanic cult..."
Ah, now I understand the 'nom de plume' and corresponsding rants from you and others who belong to the same cult o' Limbo-racula. Makes sense, makes perfect sense.
jack| 3.11.09 @ 6:10PM
This clown who is our President,only experience in life is as a person who facilitates payments from productive people to unproductive people. Before that he was a comm organzer, a person who bribes people with smokes and beers to vote for dems. How could he know anything about free markets. I dont even think he knows what a profit is. This low class moron gave a Blockbuster Movie set to the PM of Great Britain!!!! How did this fool get into college? How did he graduate? He never appears to have a coherent thought unless he is reading it from his teleprompter.But as the great world historian Sean Penn says,he is an elegant man. Huh??? What hath our media wrought ?
this guy is Ted Baxter from the MTM show.
macHagus| 3.11.09 @ 6:47PM
Hey jack off et al /
got HATE?
stmichrick| 3.11.09 @ 11:14PM
Interloper;
The people using concierge doctors ARE among the targeted. When fully implemented, 'single payer' will OUTLAW that kind of thing. Ask Hillary.
It's about freedom, comrade.
phone insurance| 3.12.09 @ 1:42PM
If you're in prison, in the military or government you have single payer health care.
Health care for all| 3.12.09 @ 2:58PM
Prisoners are doing the work that free people should be doing, that's where some of the jobs have gone, it adds to the new slavery in America, modernised for the new age.
They have got to have healthcare too.
Health is important| 3.12.09 @ 3:06PM
Let's face it, how many health insurance companies, want to insure a nation of obeast people. Their insurance will always be more because they will have more illness.
Take it while you can, because Next week the dollar will fall in value, and oil will increase in price. Food will also go up so here is a chance to diet lose weight get healthy.
Stocks will fall in the next two weeks and gold will start to climb again. Dump the dollars while you can.
John Kulits, JD, MD| 3.12.09 @ 8:31PM
The stimulus bill included provisions about electronic health records and nationalized health care that had nothing to do with stimulating the economy. (Not that the bill did, in general, either.) Most notable, and ominous, were the provisions requiring all medical practices to eventually employ electronic or computerized charting. After HIPPA, which was designed to protect patient confidentiality, we now have the stimulus bill mandate for computerized records, which will only threaten confidentiality of health records by increasing access to patient records and their loss to hackers. (Witness the loss of a laptop computer 3 years ago in suburban DC by a VA employee that compromised the health records and social security numbers of 30 million veterans.)
A greater threat to the physician-patient relationship and an attack on the Hippocratic Oath itself, are the provisions in the stimulus bill mandating national practice standards dictated by a board of "experts". Failure to comply by well-meaning physicians interested in the well-being of their patients will bring fines and sanctions, likely including loss of hospital privileges and even medical licensure.
The greatest threat to personal liberty--and even survival--posed by nationalized health care will become evident when quality of life decisionmaking and cost-benefit analysis is imposed to limit access to health care for the elderly and very ill. The end result of increased government involvement in health care will be a disaster for America.
DrD| 3.13.09 @ 11:40AM
The electronic record is a bad idea that obliterates patient privacy for everyone. As of now anyone with medicaid and medicare has no protection from government review of their records and physicians have no say in this. There is no need to make a new electronic medical record, the VA system has a state of the art system, why are we paying a corporation to reinvent the wheel?
S.L. Toddard| 3.13.09 @ 12:03PM
JEREMIAH AND BOB: FYI - I haven't been posting here in over a month, since maybe Feb 2nd. There is a troll here who adopts other people's names and posts as them. I never called Bob "blow-bob" or whatever. I saw you also got into some scraps with him, Jeremiah. None of it was me. I don't use terms like "lib" or whatever else this clown said.
Imagine doing that - being that pathetic? Logging on and pretending to be someone else you only know through the internet? It's sad and the sort of thing one would expect of a stalker.
Anyway, none of the posts under my name - S.L. Toddard - have actually been me since the first couple days of February. It's been that same, sad, lonely troll.
TJK| 3.14.09 @ 8:37PM
It is good to see some doctors here speaking up against the movement toward government-controlled health care. The mainstream media loves to seek out doctors who are advocates of single-payer, and subsequently present them as being the voice of all physicians. With Obama going on the offensive next week to activate his network to promote his budget, we need to rally our troops now. Since he isn't listening to us, we need health care professionals to speak up for us. Unfortunately, anything that gets to the Senate will probably pass- Reid only needs one or two turncoats like Snow, Collins and Spector to avoid a filibuster. We are in the fight of our lives.
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