Nurses Say Senate Bill Entrenches Chokehold of Insurance Giants

[kpete]

Source: The Nation

Nurses Say Senate Bill Entrenches Chokehold of Insurance Giants
posted by John Nichols on 12/21/2009 @ 7:14pm

...............

Ask a nurse.

"It is tragic to see the promise from Washington this year for genuine, comprehensive reform ground down to a seriously flawed bill that could actually exacerbate the health-care crisis and financial insecurity for American families, and that cedes far too much additional power to the tyranny of a callous insurance industry," says National Nurses Union co-president Karen Higgins, RN.

"Sadly," adds Higgins, "we have ended up with legislation that fails to meet the test of true health-care reform, guaranteeing high quality, cost effective care for all Americans, and instead are further locking into place a system that entrenches the choke-hold of the profit-making insurance giants on our health. If this bill passes, the industry will become more powerful and could be beyond the reach of reform for generations."

The 150,000-member NNU, the largest union and professional organization of registered nurses in the U.S., condemned Reid's bill -- which is expected to gain Senate approval this week -- as a deeply flawed measure that grants too much power to the nation's largest private and for-profit insurers.

Read more: http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat/508471/nurses_say_senate_bill_entrenches_chokehold_of_insurance_giants

[Tansy_Gold]

1. It's an echo, isn't it? I'm hearing my own voice coming back to me.

My daughter-in-law is a nurse.




TG

[pleah]

2. K&R

[lapfog_1]

3. Glad to see someone look at it honestly

rather than just from their own perspective. The other large nurses association, the ANA, has decided to support this, most likely because someone there realized that the MLR (medical loss ratio) provisions of the act garauntee that nurses will make more money because of this.

(85% of premiums to be spent on costs, like nurses, and 15% for profit for insurance. raise the cost i.e. give the nurses some more money - and it raises the profits... and the premiums)

[Heddi]

14. Nurses aren't going to be making more money from this. Nurses are a cost-loss for the hospitals

nurses are the last to get raises in the hospital setting.

Nurses are seen as cost losers in a hospital because we don't "techincally" bring money in. Yeh, we perform chargable tasks, but we, as employees, do nothing positive for the bottom line.

Right now, every hospital I know of and have worked for is dangerously understaffed. *dangerously* understaffed. But at the same time the hospital CEO and COO's are getting their year end bonuses, and we're laying off RN's even though we're at critical staffing levels. Why? Because we're money losers. Get rid of someone making $25 an hour for 36 hours a week plus benes and shift differetnials and you've saved the hospital a whole bunch of money.

They seem to forget that having ONE more nurse can cut down on falls, and improper procedures, and procedure errors, and medication errors....doesn't matter. Those amounts are already figured in as the "cost of doing business". The hospital admins know that a small amount of sentinent events (a fall, a death, a bad thing happening at the hospital) actually make it to court, and that they can throw the RN under the bus, get her liability insurance (here's hoping he or she has any) to pay the claim, fire the RN and the hospital is just dandy. They figure those amounts into their yearly budgets.

THey don't care about nurses. THey SAY they will hire more nurses, but they won't. Or they'll hire more nurses to staff a newly opened wing of the hospital, and have it just as understaffed as the other areas. They'll say they give us raises, but they don't. Or it will be $0.25 more an hour for night shift.

[dflprincess]

15. The only ones making more money off this scam

are insurance company executives and their shareholders.

[freddie mertz]

43. And the politicians who are their hired shills.

[freddie mertz]

45. And WTF is up with Sen. Boxer?

She is spinning overtime today.

[earcandle]

19. Seems we are being downsized in every important job in the country! Sorry this is also happening

to nurses. 

[SharonAnn]

30. I know. That's why during my husband's last 2 stays in the hospital, I was there most of the time.

He had major surgery and was barely mobile. I got him up to use the bathroom every time since he was very unsteady on his feet and had to drag along the IV stand. I showered him every day, sometimes twice. I changed the bed every day, sometimes twice if it had gotten soiled. I went to the nurse's station on his behalf any time he had a problem that I couldn't solve.

And the nurses were wonderful, they really were. There just weren't enough of them or nurse's aides and that's not their fault. And they have many professional, medical duties besides the personal caretaking that I could handle.

I just wanted to be sure my husband didn't suffer and was as comfortable as possible.

[HuckleB]

16. Hardly.

It's not hard to find people of every profession that support and oppose a piece of legislation. I am surprised to see Mr. Nichols this type of sophistry in his article.

I am a nurse; a nurse practitioner, at this point in my life. While I see the huge problems with this bill, I see even bigger problems with failing to pass this bill.

Where's my headline?

:shrug:

[tavalon]

41. Write an article for that stupid rag the ANA puts out

They will be happy to use it.

[AllyCat]

18. Really? I'm going to make more money? Is that before or after my employer

cuts my benefits? And raises prices for patients? And consolidates care and demands nurses take more patients at a time (patient safety be damned)?

I don't really care if I make more money (I won't), but I do care that my patients have access to care without worrying about bills they can't afford.

[tavalon]

42. Yeah, hilarious, isn't it?

A nurse who is good at what she (he, occasionally) does is inexpensive at twice the cost, but we aren't going to get any more money and in fact, they would love to get rid of some of us if only they could get around those mandatory staffing ratios (and yes, I know that not all states have them and yes, I know they aren't as helpful as we hoped, but.........).

And, I agree completely - I don't want more money, I want my patients to have my undivided attention and enough of it. I am the eyes and ears that keep them safe, but there isn't enough of me for them to get the care I want them to have.

[tavalon]

40. I despise the ANA

Unfortunately, when I joined my state's union, some of my dues went to ANA.

[cadmium]

4. ANA supports it and they were for single payor

http://www.nursingworld.org/FunctionalMenuCategories/MediaResources/PressReleases/2009-PR/ANA-President-Letter-Senator-Reed.aspx

The NNU and the ANA are of two minds. Both support single payor. NNU feels this bill makes things worse and ANA sees it as progress.

I personally agree with ANA on this issue. I dont always.







December 18, 2009


Senator Harry Reid
Senate Majority Leader
S-221 Capitol Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-7020

Dear Senator Reid:

On behalf of the American Nurses Association (ANA), the only full-service professional
organization representing the interests of the nation’s 2.9 million Registered Nurses
through its 51 constituent member associations, I am writing to urge you to keep the
democratic process moving in the Senate by voting to end debate on H.R. 3590, the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Nurses across this country have waited decades for this historic moment and the time is at
hand. While political maneuvering delays reform, our patient’s needs are not on hold.
The uninsured and underinsured continue to delay or forgo much-needed care; they
continue to arrive in the emergency rooms across the country for conditions that could
have been easily prevented with access to primary care—we are paying a high price for
inaction. Quality health care for all should not be a partisan or political issue.

While we realize that no piece of legislation is perfect, we also realize that doing nothing
is not an option. We know that passage of H.R. 3590 represents our only hope for much-
needed, comprehensive, and meaningful reform of our nation’s healthcare system.
America’s nurses understand the cost of inaction—we cannot afford to wait—it must be
done before the end of the year.

Once again, the need for fundamental reform of the U.S. health care system is critical.
ANA and nurses around the country are ready to work with you. We are almost there.
Please vote YES to end the debate on H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act and move the process forward towards a final vote of passage.

Sincerely,


Rebecca M. Patton, MSN, RN, CNOR
President

[tavalon]

48. I'm of the other mind

I've found the ANA to be quite unsupportive of nurses and patients many times in years past and I think this is yet another whorish suck up to the powers that be. And what the hell is a full service professional organization? I keep hoping my state nurses association will drop them as a number of other states have (so did the American Journal of Nursing).

Nice false dichotomy in paragraph 3. It's really too bad logic 101 isn't part of the prerequisites for getting a nursing degree.

[swilton]

5. A Grand K&R

[Bette Noir]

6. I'm a nurse, and I approve this message.

[dana_b]

34. me too n/t

[fascisthunter]

7. of course it does...

that's what the corrupt politicans in DC wanted.

[Wizard777]

8. Forcing Americans to buy private insurance violates freedom of contract.

It's considered a fundamental right and will be subjected to strict scrutiny. It will not survive strict scrutiny. It contracting at gun point. It contracting under duress. That is valid reason to invalidate a contract. The ACLU should sue over the provision the second it's signed into law. I wouldn't even wait for the ink to dry.

[pattmarty]

9. Oh and I'm sure someone will sue. The problem with that is the............

...........Federal courts have been "stocked" with conservatives for over 30 yrs. So I think you already know the way that will turn out. I'm of the "kill the bill" crowd, by the way.

[Wizard777]

23. That is the exact reason Cynicism will get you no where. In this case literally.

I think they should pass the bill as is. It has a real Tar baby potential. Once this bill passes the Insurance industry will have to stop spending hundreds of millions on lobbyists and start spending money on lawyers to preserve what the lobbyists have won for them. A legal fight they can't possibly win. While the insurance industry is tied up in court. The Democrats can pass some REAL health care reform. This bill is a great distraction to their major distraction.

[tavalon]

50. Can pass is not the same as will pass

I think it's fairly obvious that the Republicans are not the only ones with a vested interest in lining the insurance companies pockets.

[kirby]

11. Repub Sen. Ensign is raising a point of order

on just that issue.

[Wizard777]

22. Good man! He's obviously been paying attention.

[V_Byl]

13. I'm with you...

I honestly was skeptical that the public option and mandating people to buy insurance was constitutional, but I can't understand how this would fly at all. Single payer, publicly run insurance, yeah, makes sense in a variety of ways including the general welfare clause - and yes someone will sue, I doubt it will be the ACLU, but I think a whole host of lawsuits are coming on this, and I don't think they will be able to hold this together, conservative judges or not.

I think the best bet is to allow state single payer, I think it clears up a whole host of constitutional issues, and it will only take *1* model out of 50 to work for a future model for the entire country... Seems like legislation that would have been much easier to pass, and then follow it up with funding incentives from the federal gov't to get them off the ground... I'm sure it's more complicated than that, but WTF, this bill is a mess.

[Wizard777]

24. Yes it's a great mess! That will tie up the insurance industry in court straightening it out.

While they are doing that the democrats can enact REAL health care reform. But in SCOTUS this will be subjected to strict scrutiny because it involves a fundamental right. The freedom of contract. In order to overcome the freedom of contract they will have to demonstrate a Compelling Government Interest. That will force the opposition to argue that providing health care to America is a Compelling Government Interest. If they do that. Then Congress Seizes the entire Liability Pool. Welcome to Universal Health Care for every American.

[V_Byl]

25. Ooorrr...

Couldn't they just enact REAL health care reform in the first place?

Even if they demonstrated a compelling gov't interest, that doesn't make universal health care the next step, it still needs to be legislated, and honestly, it was hard to get this POS bill - what makes you think it'll be legislated down the road, like, say, within the next couple of decades? I have my doubts the dems pic up any more seats in the Senate...

[Wizard777]

27. No! The insurance industry won't allow it.

That is also exactly why it's been so hard to get this POS bill passed. But if you can use this POS bill to get the opposition out the legislatures hair and into court so they can enact real health care reform. Then do it! If you make them spend all their money on lawyers. The Lobbyists disappear. Congress switches from reprobate whore mode to rational discourse mode.

[Odin2005]

31. It's FASCISM, pure and simple.

[sabrina 1]

37. Five states have already pre-empted this bill

by introducing legislation protecting them from having to participate in certain provisions of the bill. It will probably start with Libertarians. They are working on nullifying the Marijuana laws in several states and now also Health Care laws.

Conservatives are also questioning the Constitutionality of mandated insurance. But it's not just those two groups, Liberals are also concerned about it. I wouldn't be surprised if the A.C.L.U. gets involved. So, the first time someone refuses to buy Insurance and is willing to go to court over it, Constitutional lawyers will be ready to defend them.

I think it's interesting that the mandated part of the bill is not discussed much in the MSM. And I think the reason is it has already aroused a lot of anger across the political spectrum.

This is what some states are doing, I think in preparation for the passage of the bill:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Commerce_clause

The Tenth Amendment Center

National health care nullification – As of October 2009, five states have introduced legislation which would declare certain provisions of any proposed national health care bill to be null and void within the state. <9>Such provisions include mandatory participation in such a system as well as preserving the right of a patient to pay a health care professional for treatment (and for the professional to accept it) outside of a single-payor system. Arizona's legislation passed as a proposed constitutional amendment, to be submitted to the voters in 2010. <10>

[newspeak]

53. I find it so humorous that Ensign would question the

constitutionality of the bill--because when the Patriot Act first came around after OKC bombing, all of those repukes were fighting it because it went against the constitution--when a repuke president steps in, they were falling over themselves to pass it. It's the same with this bill--to me, this is a repuke bill, that if a repuke had introduced it, they'd be all over themselves to pass it. Hypocrites, one and all!

[debbierlus]

10. Former RN here - and I approve this message

[etherealtruth]

55. This former RN agrees!

[Heddi]

12. Emergency Room RN here...Husband is ER RN as well and we both agree with the message above

This is a bullshit give away that will do *nothing* to decrease the number of people who are forced to use the ER as their PCP. This will only increase the plethora and mounds of paperwork that RN's have to do on every patient just to satisfy some bean counter at Blue Cross/Blue Shield. It's even worse for floor nurses---the paperwork I had to do when I was on "the floor" was fucking astounding. Chart the vitals in the computer. Then write them on the chart. Then write them on the clipboard that hung on the patient's wall. THen chart the blood sugar on the blood sugar form. Then chart it on the computer Then verify the lab that you just drew for the blood sugar. Then chart it in the computer again that you verified it....

Nurses have NO time to spend with patients because we're doing so much unnecessary bullshit paperwork that is REQUIRED for insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, JHACO....I got into nursing to be a NURSE....not a fucking scribe. But if I don't fill out X paper stating that the blood sugar on 12/21 at 0600 was 98, then there is a very good chance that a large portion of the patietn's stay will not be paid for by insurance or Medicare/caid because of "improper charting".

Trust me, general public, they look for ANY reason to deny your claims or payment. If they can't find a reason from you personally (the insured), they go to the hospital records and scour them. Wonder why it took your RN 4 hours to get you a glass of water? Charting. We have to chart to make sure that YOUR claim is paid, that YOUR operations are approved.

Insurance doesn't care about YOU or about ME or about MY JOB TO HELP YOU. It cares that I didn't chart a blood sugar on day 14 of a 40 day stay, and find that as reason to deny YOU getting 1/4 of your hospital stay paid for.

Seen it done a million times. Listen to some Case Managers or Discharge Specialists at hospitals once and hear the shit that insurance and medicare/caid try to pull to get out of paying for life saving shit. It's ridiculous and a less talked about part of "healthcare".

Healthcare reform---not. This bill is not about reforming health care. It's about making my job of saving your life, or making you less sick, or helping your wounds heal a whole fuck of a bunch harder to do....

[Pithlet]

38. I don't think anyone was under the illusion that insurance cares about us.

Or that insurance wasn't a huge pain in the but to deal with, to put it mildly. But that isn't a reason to kill the bill. I need more than that. Look I wanted a heck of a lot more than what we're getting. But I'd still rather have insurance that makes my nurse have to do more charting, than no insurance at all. I'm sorry.

[AllyCat]

17. Oh us nurses again. We must not know what we are talking about

After all, we have no first hand knowledge of what goes on out there.

(do I need the little sarcasm thingy?)

[laughingliberal]

32. +1

from another of those pesky, know nothing nurses :)

[Vidar]

20. K&R.

[pleah]

21. K&R!

[phasma ex machina]

26. +1 K&R nt

[rollingrock]

28. Glad to see Obama is listening to the nurses and doctors

oh, wait...he isn't.

[donheld]

29. k & R

[slipslidingaway]

33. knr nt

[Quantess]

35. Damn commie nurses!

Those nursing programs are teaching communism.

[Enthusiast]

46. No sarcasm thingie necessary.

[tavalon]

51. Not my nursing school

They taught how to be a good house slave. It didn't take so well with me but I was smart enough to keep my mouth shut while in nursing school. Ah, the memories! I think one of the reasons I keep stalling on getting a masters is that, twenty years down the line, I'm not sure I would be able to hold my tongue anymore. I've also thought about going into teaching (after a masters) but, well, see my last comment.

[Quantess]

54. Really, I just needed a sarcastic one-liner to kick the thread.

Just an idea: Have you considered being a college instructor in a nursing program?

[tavalon]

56. Hee hee, that's great!

Yet another kick!:headbang:

[Quantess]

57. I never seem to get it right.

I try to give career advice, and it always misses the mark.

People try to tell me how to revive my own dying career, which I let die. I got a Masters degree in a particular professional discipline, and I gave it up out of frustration and anguish because I hated it.

I tried to ressurect my career out of an offshoot of my specialty. I sent out so many resumes, and I had a couple of interviews. I never got a good job offer. I deeply regret not taking the low-paying, crappy job offer I got several months ago.

[tavalon]

58. Actually, you got it dead on with your comment to me

When I said going into teaching, I was thinking about teaching nursing students but I would never make it because I would tell them things that would get me run out on a rail.

[leftstreet]

36. K&R

[golddigger]

39. K&R

[katkat]

44. hospitals shit on nurses

They lay off the RNs, who know what they're doing, catch medicine mistakes, know signs of patient difficulty, and hire lower paid LPNs or less who often barely speak English.

No, I am not a nurse, just someone who's seen the results of this.

[tavalon]

52. I am a nurse and you are right

Sort of. LPNs do not have the extensive book learning that RNs get but a good nurse with some years under her belt, no matter what her letters after her name, is priceless. But, honestly, LPNs who are good usually find a way to go back and get the RN.

Every time the bean counters get money obsessed (every fiscal year end), they look at getting rid of nurses, even though we save patient lives. It really gives lie to belief that hospitals give a damn about the patients. Nurses do and we are tired, damned tired of the bullshit that keeps coming down from on high labeled "fine fertilizer".

[freddie mertz]

47. K & R. Nurses are on the front lines.

I know, I worked in hospitals and have nurses in my family.

If they are against it, folks should listen.

[orbitalman]

49. callous insurance industry is correct...

This should be OBVIOUS, a LOGICAL CONCLUSION and TURNED COMPLETELY OFF. That's why we should have started with single-payer and NEVER compromised. The EXCUSE that we would have to start "all over" never held ANY water after years of rape and death.