Is anyone listening?

[Frosty1]

I received this from my daughter this morning.

"I believe all Rosa Parks had to do to start a revolution, was SIT down. My husband has to work 18 hr days to support his family.
$1200. House payment. $1200. Medical ins payment. Plus Gas, food, electric. etc. We have paid about $65,000. Within the... last five years for medical expenses our health insurance would not cover.
When he lost one of his jobs we lost our insurance. They said we did not qualify for health insurance because my daughter HAD cancer. How do they sleep at night?"

WE are tired.

[Brickbat]

1. Sure, we're all listening.

The problem is, all we do is listen to see when the other person is done talking, so we can tell our own sob stories. There is never any connection, any realization that our success is bound up in each other's stories. We're all just blah-blahing at each other, hoping the other person will goad us into revolution. It's hard work, organizing and working together.

[tridim]

2. Considering even the flawed HCR Bill will help your daughter dramatically..

Yes, someone is listening.

[Frosty1]

4. That is the point isn't it?

[Winterblues]

5. There is no Health Care Bill yet

There is still Ben Nelson to worry about

[tridim]

7. I'm well aware of that..

But the fact still remains, provisions in either bill will help the OP's daughter solve the specific problems she mentioned.

The one thing that will NOT help her is keeping the status quo.

[Winterblues]

9. Is there ANY Democrat suggesting that?

What I am suggesting is Ben Nelson sold his soul long ago and his vote will not come cheap..

[tridim]

12. There are lots of DU'ers suggesting that.

The jury is still out if they are actually Democrats.

I thought the reconciled bill only requires 50+1 votes? If so, Ben Nelson and the other conservadems can blow me.

[Winterblues]

15. You thought wrong

When the reconciled version comes back to the Senate it needs to be put "on the table", and for that to happen a Senate vote must take place and that vote can be fillibustered. Once the Bill is allowed "on the table" it only takes a Majority to pass..

[TornadoTN]

6. Maybe, possibly in 4 years

And they are still on the hook trying to figure out who will give them coverage and at what rate. There will still be co-pays, deductibles, red-tape and hoops to jump through.

Of course, that is better than nothing, but is it really the best we can do?

[tridim]

8. Pre-existing conditions happens immediately

Yes, it is the best we can do considering the republicans were 100% obstructionist and we needed 100% of the Democratic vote to pass ANYTHING.

[TornadoTN]

10. I certainly hope that aspect comes to reality

I'm still not certain it will, but if it does, it will help some people.

[laughingliberal]

13. People who can already afford the outrageous premiums but who have been denied due to preexisting

conditions will be able to purchase a policy. Of course, with the loophole that still allows rescission in the bill there's no guarantee they won't be canceled as soon as they need some sort of expensive care.

[TornadoTN]

14. As always, plenty of wiggle room and loop holes for the insurance scam

It really is unreal that we are being sold this thing as being a "major reform" and "historic".

[tridim]

16. If the insurance industry exploits the new system they get fined.

Have you read the bills?

[TornadoTN]

17. Yes, actually, I have

I'll believe all of the "fines" and "repercussions" when they actually happen.

[laughingliberal]

18. I believe I have established in multiple posts that I have read every bill passed out of every

committee during this entire process. The loophole is there and it will be exploited. Some token regulations are in the bill but no enforcement mechanisms. Left up to the same states that are swamped and unable to ride herd on the criminals, now. And that's not counting the states where the insurance commissions are in the pocket of the industry.

Wendall Potter was asked about the existence of any federal agencies or personnel who might have the knowledge base to investigate these corporations and enforce the conditions against them and his answer was: "I don't know of any, no. Jay Rockerfeller's team would be the only ones who could come close but there really isn't anyone."

You'll excuse me if I think he has a far better grasp on this industry and the ways they will manipulate this new law than you. Your loyalty optimism is admirable but, IMO, misplaced.

[tridim]

19. You're assuming the worst, while ignoring the fact that exploitation of the system..

will be AGAINST THE LAW for the first time in American history. That's what regulation is, and what it should be. The dems did good, at least with that part of the bill. Just because you apparently don't understand the legislation doesn't mean the new regulations don't exist.

Obviously there's nothing I can do to convince you that you're wrong, just watch what happens after passage.

[laughingliberal]

20. No, you can not convince me because I have worked with this industry my entire adult life and know

exactly how they get around existing laws and see no enforcement mechanisms that will prevent them continuing to do the same. Wendall Potter knows far more than even I about the crooks and he has confirmed what I have thought since the toothless regulations were written into it.

I think you are ignoring the fact that the 'Dems' left a loophole which still allows rescission.

I have no choice but to watch what happens after passage. Sort of like a trainwreck from which you can't look away.

[laughingliberal]

21. Here is a post which just went up where the California Nurse's Association is speaking out

about the many problems with the bill and in which they, also, highlight the loopholes which will allow the health insurance industry to continue the same behaviors. You must, at some point, ask yourself why so many of those who have been on the front lines trying to provide health care to the American people are opposing this bill.

It's like a train wreck heading straight for us and no amount of warning will convince people to get off the tracks.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7414484&mesg_id=7414484

[laughingliberal]

3. Yes, they are listening. Just not to the American people

I'm so sorry. There are so many of us out here with the same scenario. I write all the time about the fact that my husband and I had a $1200 per month premium for our health insurance but I don't think people who haven't seen premiums like this can really imagine.

[midnight]

11. Frosty, this makes me so feedup..... Can you imagine if wall street worked

eighteen hour days? Then we would see real change..... I bet your tired. My thoughts are with you and your family. Your story can not overstate how far wrong the direction of this country is being taken.

[butterfly77]

22. You are not ..

the only ones who are tired but,we all have these days and I and my friends find ways to get back up and get started again because they are counting on us getting tired...