October 31st, 2011 by Dr. Val Jones in Health Policy, News, Opinion
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9.9.9 And Pizza-Themed Cupcakes
Today I attended a sold-out, National Press Club luncheon where Herman Cain was the featured speaker. When I signed up for the luncheon 4 weeks ago I had no idea that rumors of a sexual harassment ”scandal” would suck the air out of the packed ballroom. While Cain convincingly diffused the scandal, I was there primarily to hear what he had to say about healthcare. In fact, I had submitted a question for his consideration a month in advance.
Interestingly, Mr. Cain stated that he decided to run for office the day that President Obama signed Obamacare into law. He said that he was so disappointed in Obama’s leadership on this policy in particular, that he was moved to step up to get America back on the right track. Cain argued that the American people didn’t want Obamacare, and the way that the president forced it upon them against their will was emblematic of his poor leadership skills. He went on to say that America’s healthcare system is the best in the world, and that he wouldn’t have beaten colon cancer without the great care he received. “We don’t have a healthcare quality problem, we have a healthcare cost problem” he quipped. He then suggested Read more »
November 3rd, 2009 by Dr. Val Jones in Health Policy, News, Opinion, Quackery Exposed
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Today the LA Times described a bizarre and troublesome healthcare reform bill provision that would require Medicare to pay for Christian Science Prayer as a medical treatment:
…a little-noticed provision in the healthcare overhaul bill would require insurers to consider covering Christian Science prayer treatments as medical expenses.
The provision was inserted by Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) with the support of Democratic Sens. John F. Kerry and the late Edward M. Kennedy, both of Massachusetts, home to the headquarters of the Church of Christ, Scientist.
The measure would put Christian Science prayer treatments — which substitute for or supplement medical treatments — on the same footing as clinical medicine. While not mentioning the church by name, it would prohibit discrimination against “religious and spiritual healthcare.”
Of course, I had warned about this very thing over a year ago on KevinMD’s blog – something I wish the LA Times had picked up on then. Read more »
July 25th, 2009 by DrWes in Better Health Network, Humor
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Once again, I have to thank Dr. Val Jones for setting up the Putting Patients First event at the National Press Club in Washington DC on Friday. For a full summary of the pagentry, Dr. Rich does a much better job summarizing the whole event than I ever could, though I was uh, surprised about what he said of me (thanks, dude).
But one thing he forgot to mention was the moment when our moderator asked us what struck us most about what Congressman Paul Ryan had to say in his speech to us. I, being ever soft-spoken, piped up that I was struck that no one had read the bill and it was already on its way to the floor after being completely “marked up” early that very same morning.
So, while we might not have been chasing windmills at this event, I couldn’t help but wonder if it might come to this (with appologies to GA Harker, whose illustration I couldn’t help but Photoshop):
Click image to enlarge
-Wes
*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Wes*
July 25th, 2009 by Emergiblog in Announcements, Better Health Network, Health Policy, Opinion
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This is Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, speaking at the Better Health “Putting Patients First” event in D.C.
I should talk about how passionately he spoke about health care reform (he did), about why he does not believe government should be running health care (he doesn’t) or that he took the time to come and speak at 8 am even though he had been up until 2 am working on the health care bill (he did) or that he spoke right up until he – literally- had to run back to the House to vote (he did).
And I will talk about these things.
But first, let me state the obvious and get it out of the way so that I can go on to discuss the serious nature of the health care reform debate before us.
Whoa.
Seriously, is it just me or are politicians getting better looking?
There. Now I can move on to the meat of the matter.
(I had to say it because you all know I was thinking it!)
*****
This event marked my first time in Washington, and just being there is awe-inspiring. Seeing the White House from the car window took my breath away, literally. I felt like Ellie May Clampett marveling at the ce-ment pond. The National Press Club is a museum in and of itself. Mother Jones and I were hoping we’d catch a glimpse of Sanjay Gupta, but he must have been off doing neurosurgery or something.
*****
By now, you’ve probably read who was on the panel (Dr. Wes, DrRich, Dr.Rob, Dr.Kevin, me, and Better Health contributors Dr. Alan Dappen, Valerie Tinley, NP and “token” – his words, LOL – surgeon Dr. James Herndon).
I will tell you straight up that I learned much more than I contributed.
The panel shot from the hip and spoke from the heart. Some of us had notes, some of us illustrated our comments with anecdotes and one of us (*cough*) had no clue what was going to come out of her mouth until that moment.
I’ll give you a hint….it wasn’t Valerie…..
*****
For the record, those of us on the panel were not told what to say, how to say it or what to believe, nor were we chosen based on what we do believe. Some discussed concepts that should be taken into account no matter what plan we end up with, others were definitely against a single payer plan run by the government (*raising hand*).
The inefficiencies of national health plans of other countries were illustrated/discussed. This hit me later: we should look at what works in those plans, not just what is wrong with them. We don’t have to emulate them, just learn from them, and that includes the good and the bad. It also applies to any universal form of coverage, not just a government-run plan.
Wish I had said that at the time.
So much for thinking on my feet (or on my butt, as the case may be).
*****
There was some controversy about not having any patient bloggers on the panel. There should have been. I hope that, as a nurse, I spoke for patients, but it was not the same as having someone there who navigates the system as a patient every single day.
The patient bloggers were in the audience, though, and if you go to Twitter you can find the live tweeting at “#patientsfirst”. There was a pretty healthy debate going on in the Twitterverse while the panel was up on the dais.
Here I am with Lisa Emrich (Brass and Ivory) and Kerri Morrone Sparling (Six Until Me). Duncan Cross was also there, but my pic was blurry!
*****
While health care reform has been a hot topic for awhile, it was especially acute this week as the President was actively promoting a government run health care system and there seemed to be a huge sense of urgency to get what is called “Americas Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009″ passed ASAP.
The bill is over 1000 pages long.
I just downloaded it.
And Congress has not read it.
Folks, our representatives are being asked to pass legislation they have not had a chance to read.
While I will admit to being a bit unsure of exactly what happens in the Beltway (Civics classes and Schoolhouse Rock’s “I’m Just a Bill” notwithstanding), that can’t possibly be business as usual.
Can it?
*****
I’ll say one thing: no matter what we believe, why we believe it or what our role is in the health care system, it is a conversation rife with strong opinions and passionate debate.
And, in the end, because we are all patients in one form or another at some point in our lives, the conversation is about us.
So, when you hear the phrase “putting patients first”, think of it as “putting me first”.
That may help you get a foothold in the morass of information that is the health care debate.
It worked for me.
*This blog post was originally published at Emergiblog*
