Lobbyists Spend Millions to Influence Health Care

Interesting how all these players have this kind of extra cash to throw around. If that doesn't tee up the need for reform, how about all the extra cash pharmaceuticals have to throw around on expensive advertising designed to make the consumer run to a doctor and beg for some medicine that will make them cool and hip like the people in the commercials.

I'd take the list and use it as a template for who most needs to be targeted in the reform effort. They gamed the system and of course they want to game the reform. Health care in America needs to be more about health care and less about profit.

Republicans need to help or get out of the way.

WHY DO CERTAIN SENATOR'S OPPOSE PRESIDENT OBAMA'S PUBLIC HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN?

DO THEY THINK IT REALLY IS BAD FOR AMERICA - OR IS IT BECAUSE OF THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THEY HAVE ACCEPTED FROM THE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY!!!

WHAT DO YOU THINK???

These are the bribes that have been paid by the health care industry to these Senators. I guess their money is more productive than the will of the American voters.

Senator Wyden - $1.2 million

Senator Nelson - $1 million

Senator Landrieu - $1.3 million

Senator Specter - $4 million

Senator Feinstein - $1.4 million

Senator Baucus - $3 million

STAND UP AMERICA BEFORE WALL STREET, BIG BUSINESS AND THE HEALTH INDUSTRY WITH THE HELP OF THEIR REPUBLICAN CRONIES KEEP 50,000,000 WORKING AMERICANS FROM GETTING HEALTH CARE!!!!

THE FACTS ARE THE REALLY POOR AND WEALTHY BOTH HAVE HEALTH CARE, BUT THE WORKING POOR CANNOT AFFORD THE 1200 TO 2400 A MONTH INSURANCE COMPANIES CHARGE FAMILES!!!

The US has the most expensive healthcare system in the world. It is almost twice as expensive as every other developed nation. This is largely due to administrative costs which account for 19-25% of healthcare costs, and up to 34% at for-profit hospitals.

Other than South Africa, America is the only developed country in the world that does not provide healthcare for all of its citizens.

Yet, the US ranks 26th in infant mortality and 24th in the number of healthy years a person can expect to live - putting America’s healthcare system in the company of Cuba and Slovenia rather than Canada and Western European nations.

And, despite ludicrous right-wing anecdotal claims of high dissatisfaction among those who live in countries with universal healthcare, the reality is that, with the exception of Italy, Americans are more dissatisfied with their healthcare than are the citizens of every other developed nation, including England, France, Germany, and Canada. Moreover, US doctors spend less time with patients that do doctors in other nations.

PLEASE CHECK OUT THE FACTS AT THESE LINKS:

http://dll.umaine.edu/ble/U.S.%20HCweb.pdf

http://news.ucsf.edu/releases/comparison-study-shows-us-low-in-primary-care-physician-visits/

For any business, a dollar spent is expected to bring in more than a dollar for profits. Where will these health care companies make their profits? US.

Our senators and house reps are supposed to represent our interest. Unfortunately, many of them are closer to these lobbyists than to US. Perhaps we need to consider the following measures:

1. Set term limits of 12 years for the Congress.

2. Set time limits of 7 years between holding an elected office and joining a lobbying firm.

3. Lobbyists are not allowed to interact with any elected officials or aids directly. They can post any ideas online, but they cannot call or talk with our reps or senators.

Just my 2 cents!

How wonderful. You have health insurance corporations, Big Pharma, Big Hospital corporations and medical device manufacturers spending millions on lobbying so they can keep the same system running.

The same system that forces American patients toward bankruptcy.

The same system that has insurance and hospital executives receiving eight-figure incomes.

The same system that denies medical coverage to critical ill patients.

The same system that denies insurance to people with pre-existing medical conditions.

The same system that is crippling our nation's economic future.

I love these people who tout the wonderful glories of these countries with universal health care for all their citizens. Guess what? IT'S NOT FREE!!!!!!! THE CITIZENS ARE PAYING FOR IT IN TAXES!!!!! BUT NOT GETTING ANY CHOICES!!!!! WAKE UP! DON'T FALL FOR THIS BS! Why do you think so many people come to America? They're sick of their governments taking everything they have. I don't see people racing towards retirement so they can get on Medicare. Have you ever had to talk to a Medicare employee? It's futile! They don't even know what's in their own manuals, they put people on hold for endless hours, and people are told contradictory information. I also don't see Americans racing to other countries for their health care.

we have got to be the most gullible people on the face of the earth if you and i are going to see a universal health in this country.reason#1 the people who are in charge of medicare have no clue to the corruption in the medicare system,every politician in dc is taking money from the medical lobbyist,and the people who hurt us the most is the supreme who made it LEGAL to bribe our politicians,until this corrupt law is repealed we are never going to have an honest government.writ and call your representitives because they get awful nervous when you call and write to them.

What else is new! People with money get wonderful health care in this country, the BEST.

This mess is a result of both the Democrats and Republicans. Obama's "Change We Can Believe In" is a broken promise as well. It the same old sh*t inside the beltway. His health care plan is a disaster as well. Cap and Trade, another mess in the waiting. Special interest groups and lobbyist spread their money to both sides of the fence and the gift of giving continues. Until the Congress puts "Term Limits" on themselves and puts "True Limits" on acceptance of cash from lobbyists and special interests, things will not change with either party.

85% of our elected officials are more interested in staying in office then truly looking out for what is best for "all" of their constituents.

Any Senator or Congressman who is visited by ANY lobbyist should be voted out of office at his/her next election. Those in office have enough resources available to make a logical, educated decision without them.

This is why lobbyists must be reformed:

1. Outlaw lobbying "firms".

2. ALL lobbyists must be w2 employees of a SINGLE employer.

3. Employers may hire one (1) lobbyist.

4. Lobbyists must be forbidden from making campaign contributions. Those who wish to contribute may do so on their own - NOT through a lobbying firm.

We retained the ridiculous notion republicans scream about that their money is their speech, while removing the power of lobbyists to bring in a big check to a politician.

The US has the most expensive healthcare system in the world. It is almost twice as expensive as every other developed nation. This is largely due to administrative costs which account for 19-25% of healthcare costs, and up to 34% at for-profit hospitals.

Other than South Africa, America is the only developed country in the world that does not provide healthcare for all of its citizens.

Yet, the US ranks 26th in infant mortality and 24th in the number of healthy years a person can expect to live - putting America’s healthcare system in the company of Cuba and Slovenia rather than Canada and Western European nations.

And, despite ludicrous right-wing anecdotal claims of high dissatisfaction among those who live in countries with universal healthcare, the reality is that, with the exception of Italy, Americans are more dissatisfied with their healthcare than are the citizens of every other developed nation, including England, France, Germany, and Canada. Moreover, US doctors spend less time with patients that do doctors in other nations.

PLEASE CHECK OUT THE FACTS AT THESE LINKS:

http://dll.umaine.edu/ble/U.S.%20HCweb.pdf

http://news.ucsf.edu/releases/comparison-study-shows-us-low-in-primary-care-physician-visits/

END LOBBYING USE PUBLIC CAMPAIGN FINANCING

For many years, I have suggested that lobbying is essentially immoral as it pits former colleagues together to get a better response from members of Congress than the public interest would require. I am not saying that major corporations could not write letters or set up PAC's to promote their goals.

However, the fix for this is make it a Federal Crime to accept payments from a constituent or lobbyist, with all the usual penalties five years in jail, $10,000 fine, etc.

In conclusion, members of Congress should not have to worry about campaign finance. They should also be given a raise to maintain two homes one in Washington and one in their home states. Rumor has it that forty members of Congress sleep in their offices to save money.

The is the HEART of the matter. LOBBYIST! It has nothing to do with, too fast, too soon, too mush... Thats obstructionist BULLSH!T~~~~!!! The politicians are afraid of losing those MILLIONS from the healthcare industry... American be DAMNED!!!

For all those who post - wake up - health care is not free - it is payed for with taxes.

We all know that. Taxes pay for the military, schools, roads, police, fire protection, and all other federal, state and local government programs.

They buy things society deems necessary for quality life that we would not be able to efficiently buy for ourselves.

Oliver Wendell Holmes II stated, "I like to pay taxes. With them I buy civilization."

Most of the civilized world has decided basic health care is necessary to live a civilized life and has become too burdensome for most individuals and that individual companies cannot effectively dilute the risks. Apparently, the United States has finally come to the same conclusion. But we know it will have to be paid for.

Polls show more than 70% of U.S. citizens beleive a public option is needed and more government involvment is needed. I'm betting 99% of those people know they will have to pay more taxes.

I'm also betting they will pay less in taxes to receive better service and more health care than they currently pay for health insurance.

Before you say the government can't run anything (like a good many Senators and Reps say) remember you vote these people in to do just that. Run the government effectively. These politicians that make such claims are soiling their own nest. If the government is not doing a good job it is because our representatives in Washington are not doing a good job and should be replaced.

New disclosure reports that began arriving Monday in Congress showed familiar players at the top of the health-care influence heap, including $6.2 million in lobbying by the dominant Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and $4 million by the American Medical Association.

Isn't this a conflict of interest?
If so isn't it illegal?

And Obama spends even MORE MILLIONS of OUR money, to brainwash us into socialism. We DO NOT want a socialized health care system! Why would we cant Obama to steal billions more from us, and from our children and grandchildren, to pay for his ACORN-type government workers -- to decide who lives or dies -- further increasing our deficit and further deteriorating health care?

To fix our health care problems, we need to go in the OPPOSITE direction in which Obama is taking us. A socialized health care system would be another step to destroy our country, our future and the future of our children and grandchildren!

DianaRay19, and how much is Obama spending to force us into accepting another Ponzy scheme of his -- a socialized health care system that will further destroy our health care system, our economy and our future?

Obama is spending much more than all the Lobbyists combined. And he's spending OUR money!

If you haven’t already done so, please sign the online petition letter that will automatically be emailed to your elected officials asking them to VOTE NO ON SOCIALIZED HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION NOW. Email this website address to everyone you know. Time is running out! - http://www.petition2congress.com/2/2159/go/376754/

Those who want socialized medicine and a socialist/communist country, please move to Cuba or North Korea! You have no right to enslave our country just because you are "dumbed down," as per Pravda: http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/107459-american_capitalism-0

I don't understand why lobbyists are spending one dime! Obama said he would lead a government unaffected by special interests. Could it be he was, uh, lying to get elected and what we're seeing now is just more of the same? Change? I bet he's still laughing at how those gullible voters fell for that. The only change I see is the size (and corresponding spending levels) of government exploding at a rate never before seen in history.

Approval ratings down from 78% in December to 57% and falling steadily. Economy worsening and hemorraging even more jobs. Back-tracking on his promise not to increase taxes to pay for his disastrous health care initiative. But he sure can visit a lot of foreign countries! Go ahead, Obama, everything's fine here!

Four years and out. I'm counting the days.

THIS IS IT!

The healthcare reform bill released by the House Of Representatives is an excellent bill as I understand it. It's a bill with a strong, robust, government-run public option, and an intelligent, reasonable initial funding plan to cover almost all of the American people. It is carefully written, and thoughtfully constructed, informed, prudent and wise. This bill will save trillions of dollars, and millions of your lives. It is also now supported by the AMA.

This is the type of bill that all Americans can feel good about. And this is the type of bill that has the potential to dramatically improve the quality of healthcare for all Americans. Rich, middle class and poor a like. Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and all other party affiliations. This bill has the potential to dramatically improve the quality of life of every American.

The house healthcare bill should be viewed as the minimum GOLD STANDARD by which all other proposed healthcare legislation should be judged. All supporters of true high quality healthcare reform should now place all your support behind this healthcare reform bill released by the United States House Of Representatives, as the minimum Gold standard for healthcare reform in America.

You should all now support this bill with all your might, and all of your unrelenting tenacity. This healthcare bill is a VERY, VERY GOOD! bill for all of the American people. Fight tooth, and nail for every bit of this bill if you have too. Be aggressive, creative, and relentless for this bill.

From this time forward, go BIGGER and DEEPER with the American people every day until passage of healthcare reform with a robust, government-run public option.

FIGHT!! like your life and the lives of your loved ones depends on it. BECAUSE IT DOES!

SPREAD THE WORD

Senator Bernie Sanders on healthcare (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSM8t_cLZgk&feature=player_embedded)

God Bless You

Jack Smith — Working Class

I always laugh when people yell and scream that, holy cripes!, they will be taxed to pay for universal health care. First of all, deduct everything you're paying now for your present private for-profit health care plan: annual premiums, deductibles, co-pays, 80-20 payments, etc. etc. etc. Then realize that we have almost 50 million uninsured in the United States who are and will continue to receive health care -- and who do you think is paying for the health care for those uninsured when they go to the emergency room? We all are, through our taxes. So deduct that. And who do you think pays for the health care of all those people who ignore taking care of their health because they can't afford the doctor visits or the medications until it's too late and they have some dire condition that now can only be treated through supremely expensive measures? We all do, through our taxes. Yes we're paying for all that now. And now realize that universal health care, which exists in every other developed nation on earth save one, is not only cheaper in the long run for all of us, but it is the only morally accountable way for a country to deal with the health of its citizens.

I find it curious that the trial lawyer lobbyists are not listed, but I guess they already paid their dues to get Obama and his legal aides into office. I guess they have nothing to worry about since they already paid their protection money, so why should they be lobbying? It's not like mega million lottery judgments for pain and suffering mal practice awards could be misconstrued as wasteful, right?

STAND UP AMERICA BEFORE WALL STREET, BIG BUSINESS AND THE HEALTH INDUSTRY WITH THE HELP OF THEIR REPUBLICAN CRONIES KEEP 50,000,000 WORKING AMERICANS FROM GETTING HEALTH CARE!!!!

THE FACTS ARE THE REALLY POOR AND WEALTHY BOTH HAVE HEALTH CARE, BUT THE WORKING POOR CANNOT AFFORD THE 1200 TO 2400 A MONTH INSURANCE COMPANIES CHARGE FAMILES!!!

Posted by: WVUWEIRTON | July 21, 2009 7:09 AM | Report abuse

50 million? How bout you STOP factoring in the illegals, those that don't want to bother to pay now that they realize its free and they can get it for free.

heck i heard a story today about a woman that owns two homes, went to the ER without health insurance and gave a fake name and got treated ON US ALL.

How about you work out the waste and inefficencies in the system and then come talk to me about your reform.

And while your at it i'd believe Obama's change if he wasn't bought and paid for by the labor unions and trial lawyers.

I guess big pharma, docs, insurance industry just got on the wrong side in the election and they're about to pay along with 177 million americans that are happy with their coverage.

I will warn him now, IF and WHEN he destroys the private system the democrats WILL PAY and will never see the light of day again.

Any reform that passes will have to reduce the influence of health insurance companies, fix the more damaging laws (ERISA 514a and 502i, for instance) or it will fail to either cover more people or reduce costs. Insurance companies, pharma and the AMA like the current legislation because they know it will increase costs and would love it even more without the public plan. Either way they are neither liberal or conservative plans, because they use government powers to feed one segment of our economy.

They will also predictably run way over their estimated costs and be unsustainable.

Shareholders expect ever increasing profits; not better health care.

If the Insurance Companies don't deliver then they'll pull their money to punish them.

For profit care does not work.

The House Health Care Bill, 1,018-page document, released this week (July 14th, 2009) reveals some concerns as noted by http://www.dentalinsuranceutah.net and http://www.selecthealth.biz Mike Oliphant serves as health care consultant with these two popular websites in Utah. He also is a serving board member with Utah Association of Health Underwriters. A provision within this bill would indeed outlaw individual private coverage. Under the Orwellian header of "Protecting The Choice To Keep Current Coverage," the "Limitation On New Enrollment" section of the bill clearly states:

"Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day" of the year the legislation becomes law.
This translates into those who currently have private individual coverage won't be able to change it. It is likely that those same people will suffer abnormally high rate increases over time which would force them out of coverage. Nor will those who leave a company to work for themselves be free to buy individual plans from private carriers.
From the beginning, www.dentalinsuranceutah.net warned that if the government gets into the business of offering subsidized health insurance coverage, the private insurance market will wither. Drawn by a public option that will be 30% to 40% cheaper than their current premiums because taxpayers will be funding it, employers will gladly scrap their private plans and go with Washington's coverage. The nonpartisan Lewin Group estimated in April that 120 million or more Americans could lose their group coverage at work and end up in such a program. That would leave private carriers with 50 million or fewer customers. This could cause the market to, as Lewin Vice President John Sheils put it, "fizzle out altogether."
What wasn't known until now is that the bill itself will kill the market for private individual coverage by not letting any new policies be written after the public option becomes law. The legislation is also likely to finish off health savings accounts, a goal that Democrats have had for years. They want to crush that alternative because nothing gives individuals more control over their medical care, and the government less, than HSAs. With HSAs out of the way, a key obstacle to the left's expansion of the welfare state will be removed.
http://www.SelectHealth.biz states that the public option won't be an option for many, but rather a mandate for buying government care. A free people should be outraged at this advance of soft tyranny. Washington does not have the constitutional or moral authority to outlaw private markets in which parties voluntarily participate. It shouldn't be killing business opportunities, or limiting choices, or legislating major changes in Americans' lives.

Guess what? People that are rich will still get the best healthcare because they can go to the front of the line with this plan as usual. It will be the elderly who will suffer when they tell them they are too old to invest thousands on their care when their life expectancy is only 10 years max. Obama's parents and grandparents have already passed away so I don't see that he has a real interest in the elderly personally. I believe he sees this as a trade off to get his bill passed. I have many years experience in healthcare and every life is precious to someone. There are too many flaws in this plan for me to jump on board. Since when does government have more intelligence about these matters than the people working in the trenches??

I read all of these comments ..some good..some bad and realize that everyone has forgotten the reasons for wanting the reform in the first place. COSTS,COSTS,COSTS. The insurance industry is running this country. The insurance companies are also banrupting this country and it's citizens. If you think that you have any say in what goes on as voters and citizens, think again. Lobbyists make the decisions by buying a politician. Insurance companies decide who lives and who dies. Make lobbying illegal. It's liken to treason when a politician is bought. It should be outlawed and maybe our government will finally be run by the people, for the people. Wake up and lets live the way our Founding Fathers meant for us to live.

Health insurance companies not only dictate medical decisions, but also have major influence on our politicians and the reforms that could change our lives, such as healthcare reform.

Major healthare interestes have spent 1.4 million per day lobbying Congress this year. And, the majority of this lobbying money is going to those congressmen and women serving on the committees and subcommittees dealing with health care reform.

want to know more about health interests' influence on our political futures? the full report can be found here: http://www.commoncause.org/healthcare2009

Has it occurred to anyone that if the healthcare lobby averaged $1.4 million a day from Jan-Mar, and that this increased in the second quarter, that we are talking AT LEAST $252 million spent on lobbying.

How about all these groups start giving just half that back to the consumers and their insured customers?

People need to quit complaining about how much a gov't health plan is going to cost and maybe Obama needs to invite pharma, insurance, and the trades to contribute their lobbying $$ to a fund to pay for this mess we are in.

Thanks BCBS, Glaxo, Novartis, PhRMA, J&J, Bayer, MetLife, Allstate, AMA... for nothing.

In order to be accurate, and to counter the ignorance of our capslock friend, it is important to realize that republicans take almost twice the amount of money from big pharma than democrats.

This is nothing surprising, and probably nothing almost anyone who reads this does not already know. but lets be honest for honesty's sake.

ALL of washington is corrupt, and it is time to remove them from our lives.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2009/01/08/GR2009010800559.html