Former Bush speechwriter tells GOP: Democrats’ passage of health care is actually ‘our’ Waterloo. (click title to entry - thank you)
A huge part of the blame for today’s disaster attaches to conservatives and Republicans ourselves. At the beginning of this process we made a strategic decision:...The Republicans always treat the electorate as if they are manipulative 'head cases.' Peasants. Why bother educating them?
That statement by David Frum, a Canadian American conservative journalist active in both the United States and Canadian political arenas, is correct. The party of 'No' did make a strategic decision. To 'kill the bill' was to sink the Obama Presidency. We heard it over and over again. The Republicans CHRONICALLY place themselves FIRST POLITICALLY before the needs and best interests of the American people. All the time. They don't care about people. They care about money and that does not always equate to the best outcome of 'the peasants.'
In Arizona the State Income Tax is among the lowest in the nation, yet, they are chronically complaining about the cost of illegal immigrants on their health care system and the cost of maintaining State Parks. They have gone so far as to continue to ignore their MORAL OBLIGATION by paying 'enough' State Income Tax to support their responsibilities including the heritage to precious places of nature in their State Parks.
Arizona has the MOST draconian Senators in the country and the most extreme. If the citizens of Arizona were to add a half a percent to their State Income Tax their problems would be solved and their complaining would end. Will they do it? No, they'll wait for the federal government to recognize the problems they face and intervene. What should occur is the federal government should see the neglect of the State government to GOVERN and take them to court to do the right thing for their children.
So, if the Republicans continue to NOT GOVERN rather than take care of citizens it will destroy its own party if it hasn't already.
HOWEVER, the Democrats cannot afford to become lazy after their victory.
One thing that concerns me about the Health Insurance Industry is the potential for a cartel. I hope there is enough interest in that to be sure there is an Anti-Trust clause to prevent that from occurring. Each company is not the same. There is no reason for them to raise rates in unison to exploit the insured.
I am going to go through this section and opt to finish my sleep rather than a cup of coffee. I don't 'do' substances. It is a health care thing I have.
‘(b) Wellness and Prevention Programs- For purposes of subsection (a)(1)(D), wellness and health promotion activities may include personalized wellness and prevention services, which are coordinated, maintained or delivered by a health care provider, a wellness and prevention plan manager, or a health, wellness or prevention services organization that conducts health risk assessments or offers ongoing face-to-face, telephonic or web-based intervention efforts for each of the program’s participants, and which may include the following wellness and prevention efforts:
This is a necessary provision that is intended to bend the cost curve down. If wellness and prevention programs can be competently handled by 'trainers' and/or 'educators' that will cut down on the visits to providers that could charge far more for their services. It is also more economical if the professionals that provide wellness and prevention services hold group meetings and clinics to reduce the cost to the insured/peasants.
The list here are no-brainers. The 'idea' of having professionals that even provide holistic or non-traditional services that are PROVEN effective in patients/peasants increases the job market and improves the tax base of the economy.
‘(1) Smoking cessation.
Imagine having the right to be reimbursed for "Weight Watchers" so long as DOCUMENTED progress can be validated. Nice. "Weight Watchers," by the way is a great and long lived program. It is very vigilant of its participants so far as including necessary nutrients in any one day. There encourage participants to drink anywhere from two to three glasses of milk per day. They derive their recommendations from standard sources.
‘(2) Weight management.
Imagery, massage or other tried and true techniques can all be legitimate under health care coverage. And probably encouraged to be so. Why wait for the need to go to Cancer Treatment Centers of America? Do it before it happens.
‘(3) Stress management.
Health maintenance. If one is going to 'do' "Weight Watchers" the level best thing to do along with the diet is to exercise and then maintain the weight loss by continuing that 'HABIT.'
‘(4) Physical fitness.
This is a counseling sort of thing. Nutrition counseling.
Nutrition counseling (click here) is an ongoing process in which a health professional, usually a registered dietitian, works with an individual to assess his or her usual dietary intake and identify areas where change is needed. The nutrition counselor provides information, educational materials, support, and follow-up to help the individual make and maintain the needed dietary changes.
American Heart Association Guidelines for Primary Prevention of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Beginning in Childhood (click here)
‘(6) Heart disease prevention.
It is all about developing good health habits and diet and exercise.
"Let's Move" (click here)
That would be a more than nice gesture to include the First Ladies initiative in health care insurance policies to the peasants.
‘(7) Healthy lifestyle support.
Living with Diabetes (click here)
‘(8) Diabetes prevention.
‘(c) Regulations- Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Secretary shall promulgate regulations that provide criteria for determining whether a reimbursement structure is described in subsection (a).
On the passage above the Secretary has 2 years to decide whether the benefits within this section are to be included in any information to peasants. Depending on the decision by the Secretary there will be then six months for the GAO review.
‘(d) Study and Report- Not later than 180 days after the date on which regulations are promulgated under subsection (c), the Government Accountability Office shall review such regulations and conduct a study and submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report regarding the impact the activities under this section have had on the quality and cost of health care.
I'll be back later.
