MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WITH DIABETES WILL BECOME UNINSURABLE

[berni_mccoy]

Thanks to some IDIOTS in the Senate.

If you can, please READ THIS THREAD in General Politics AND THEN KICK AND NOMINATE IT. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2519183

I will be DIRECTLY affected by this legislation... I work for a small company and my son has type-1 diabetes.

Thank you in advance.

[berni_mccoy]

1. Kicking to keep this up...

[cantstandbush]

35. Do the Freeps a favor and post at Free Republic...please

I do not have posting privileges over there. But even our opposition needs to know about this as many of them are diabetic. Since Rush doesn't discuss any really important issues, they won't know about this unless it is posted on their site. They really need to know about this and they need to understand exactly why we loath their elected representatives in Congress.

[KT2000]

2. Not just diabetes

but AHP's are designed to avoid all state laws covering insurance. This would amount to a disaster for people expecting insurance coverage as they have known it.
This does away with consumer protections.

[BlueEyedSon]

3. I'm shocked.... NOT

[nascar55]

4. ADA link

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetesnewsarticle.jsp?storyId=11760914&filename=20060315/comtex20060315pr00003347dcadahelpcommitteeEDIT.xml here is a link to were the ADA stand....

[berni_mccoy]

10. Thanks, I was so upset when I read this that I forgot to add that link...

as well. Thank you very much.

[BiggJawn]

5. Cheaper to pay my Death "Benefit" than another 50 years of insulin..

Mother fuckers. That useless turd Eyebeen Baught is hearing from me on this, for sure!

[LisaLynne]

6. This makes me want to set loose a string of expletives!

These people have NO conscience!

[brokensymmetry]

7. K&R n/t

.

[mzmolly]

8. I'm volunteering with a local food shelf and was just told that the new

Bush budget will completely eliminate funding to feed the poor.

My husband is a diabetic so this hits close to home, thanks for posting.

[caligirl]

9. Its worse, not only diabetics, others are adversly affected too read...

Washington, DC: Today, the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee continued its negotiations of a Republican plan that would raise the premiums and lower the benefits for millions of Americans who already have health coverage today. Although the bill has been presented as legislation for small businesses, the effects of this bill go far beyond the "small business plans" and would sweep away important protections for patients in every state-regulated insurance market. Senator Kennedy opposes the plan and will offer amendments to improve it, including one that would strike the language relating to state benefits. Kennedy and his colleagues have offered an alternative bill to give small business real help and assistance to provide meaningful health coverage. "Unfortunately, the bill before us includes damaging provisions to repeal existing laws that make healthcare coverage more affordable for millions of Americans. It sets up the barest of bare bones standards for benefits -- sweeping aside requirements to cover cancer screening, well baby care, immunization, access to specialists and many other needed services." Senator Kennedy said. "In the name of helping small businesses afford health insurance for their workers, the Republican plan is a blank check for the insurance industry and a bad deal for patients, resulting in higher premiums and lower benefits for millions of Americans with reliable health coverage today." Kennedy offered amendments to help solve the health care crisis in this country such as fixing Medicare Part D, offering Medicare for all Americans, and allowing small businesses to buy drugs at the same price that the Veterans Administration does. He also offered an amendment that would strike the preemption language in the bill and allow states to choose whether or not to adopt the rating rules, benefit package, and harmonization standards promulgated under the Act. Below is a summary of the Republican plan, Senator Kennedy's statement on state choice, and summaries of his mental health parity amendment, his Medicare for All amendment, his Part D Fix amendment and his VA drug prices amendment.

Also attached is the lengthy list of groups that oppose the Republican bill.


>>>This bill includes damaging provisions to repeal existing laws that make health care coverage more affordable for millions of Americans. The bill says that it is fine to charge one group of people more than another because of their gender, or because they have a history of illness or work in a particular industry. It sets up the barest of bare bones standards for benefits -- sweeping aside requirements to cover cancer screening, well baby care, immunization, access to specialists and many other needed services. But through all this, the supporters of the bill claim it's all optional, since they're not really preempting State laws. They claim States have the right to choose whether to adopt the bare bones benefit package or not. They say States have the ability to choose to accept the rating rules that abolish standards that have helped millions of Americans afford coverage. That argument ignores the fact that the bill before us uses the word "preempt" or "supersede" 21 separate times, nullifying good laws on essential medical services. Let's look at just a few examples. On page 57, the bill says, "This part shall supersede any and all State laws insofar as such laws relate to mandates relating to covered benefits, services, or categories of provider in the health insurance market." That sentence alone strikes down laws requiring coverage of well-baby care, cancer screening, access to specialists, and many other vital services. On page 59, the bill denies states the ability to require insurance companies to offer needed benefits. It gives the insurance industry unprecedented rights to sue States that try to enforce their own laws requiring good coverage,,,,,,,,,,,,

http://kennedy.senathttp://help.senate.gov/Maj_press/2006_03_08_c.pdfe.gov/~kennedy/statements/06/03/2006315443.html

[caligirl]

11. Need to get some attention focused on Sen Enzi, the bill is in his

hands now. He has control over where it goes from here. Please take some time to share your opinion on this with him. My husband and i will be writing him a lketter tonight that we will also send out to newspaper opinion pages. Dems won't likely support this, except Nelson, so some attention to vulnerable republicans would be helpful.

[quiet.american]

12. Kick. n/t

[caligirl]

13. Kicked, again. BD ( testing supply comp) is working against this as well

well. Spoke to a company governmental affairs person, she said they have advocated for diabetics, against this bill with the ADA.

[berni_mccoy]

14. Many people who work for the Diabetes-specific companies HAVE diabetes

I know several people who have provided care for our son's diabetes have diabetes. Many people who live with it go into fields focused on curing it.

[caligirl]

15. Like our doctors nurses, CDE's with diabetes 1. Canada jut got the

advanced pump with CGM. Was thinking of moving there, maybe sooner now? My husband came home from the office to see if I was alright, I was horribly upset by this. That straw thing and my kid.

[berni_mccoy]

16. CGM is not yet available for children in U.S. ... Is it available for

Children in Canada now? U.S. is about 18 to 24 months away from that.

From what I've learned about it, combining CGM with pump can bring HbA1c into the low 5% range.

We've been successful getting our son's down to 6% using the pump... but it requires 10-12 blood glucose checks per day and constant tuning of his basal and bolus ratios.

[caligirl]

18. Here a couple links, sons likely to due a study with this

again this year. He did the CGMS study a couple years ago at Stanford. The only thin kid who could wear it and keep it attached, bulky equipment but I think what they have now is slimmer. Looks like kthis pump won't be here until sometime next year.


www.minimed.ca.


http://community.diabetes.org/n/pfx/forum.aspx?nav=messages&tsn=1&tid=3426&webtag=adaparents

[blondeatlast]

22. I got the Paradigm in August and my trainer said the CGM upgrade

should be available within the year.

She said existing Paradigms will only need a software upgrade to accept the CGM.

I truly know your worry, though--this bill scares me like crazy. I've been IDD since age 7 (that makes FORTY years), and there is no way in hell I can afford meds without group insurance.

[caligirl]

23. Thats good to know, sons pump warranty expires in sept. and

getting a new pump then causes us to miss this new system, would like to upgrade after its out. If he joins the study for this at Stanford I'll post about it, its later this year.

[Gelliebeans]

17. another k&r

:kick:

[Gelliebeans]

19. Cross post

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x689517

[Coexist]

20. kick

[blondeatlast]

21. Kick from an insulin pumper...

This affects someone you know directly, I guarantee it.

Any chronic condition will be impacted by this.

I've called both my Sens (both R hacks; Kyl and McCain).

Usually I don't even bother with them, but this is critical to save lives.

[caligirl]

24. and another from one more pumper.

[Ilsa]

25. Wait until they get slammed with the racial discrimination from

this. Diabetes affects Hispanics and African Americans disproportionately in the US, last time I checked.

And Berni, I am very sorry you could be affected by this. And that your son already has to deal with such a disease. My cousin's daughter died at age 43 from complications of type 1.

[Pathwalker]

26. Kicking , because this is important!

:kick:

[Liberty Belle]

27. Thanks, I forwarded this to leaders of progressive groups

all over California, as well as to some activists in other states.


:kick: :kick: :kick:

[caligirl]

32. Thank you Liberty Belle, I can always count on you . Awesome.

[left of center]

28. Healthcare, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid- all these things

are going to be crashing down on us within a few decades!

[Cobalt Violet]

29. They are intentionally trying to reduce the life expectancy of Americans.

They have got to be. Everything they do leads to it. I suppose they won't need to "fix" social security. I suppose they won't need to round us up and gas us. We can go back to the middle ages when there was a life expectancy of 30-40.

[caligirl]

33. In my view they are targeting my childs life, and I told them that.

They don't value diabetic children, they are trying to kill my child and thats just how I view this.

[Cobalt Violet]

36. Only the top 3% -1% will be able to afford real health care...

When the repugs are done with their destroying of the poor, lower and middle class saftey nets. That what is happening. I have no doubt that they are targeting groups of people. I don't doubt you , I don't doubt you at all.

[Cleita]

30. OMG! How awful

:kick:

[Cleita]

31. OMG! How awful

:kick:

[bliss_eternal]

34. Kick

:kick: