WH posts statements from groups endorsing health care reform

[ProSense]

American Diabetes Association (ADA): “The Bill Makes Health Care More Accessible And Affordable…We Urge You To Advance The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act...” In a letter to U.S. Senators, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) wrote, “On behalf of the nearly 24 million Americans with diabetes and the 57 million more with pre-diabetes, we thank you for your tireless commitment to reforming our nation’s health system. We understand the tremendous amount work that has gone into H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and are grateful for your efforts. The progress that has been made thus far has brought us closer than ever to achieving the goals of health reform. Specifically, the bill makes health care more accessible and affordable to the millions of Americans who are currently uninsured and underinsured, including those with diabetes who have been denied coverage or charged exorbitant amounts due to their preexisting condition. The bill also includes many important provisions in terms of prevention, insurance reform, and the delivery of quality and affordable health care. These are but a few of the long overdue improvements to our broken healthcare system…We urge you to advance the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and look forward to working with you and members of the House of Representatives in Conference to make certain that our country receives a final Health care package that will make a real and positive difference in the lives of people with diabetes. (American Diabetes Association Letter to U.S. Senate, 12/19/09)

American Cancer Society (ACS): Health Reform Bill’s Provisions Banning Coverage Limits Would “Afford Patients With Serious Health Conditions The Strong Financial Protections They Deserve…We Thank The White House And Senate Leaders For Hearings (Our) Concerns.” In a statement, the American Cancer Society (ACS) said, "We are enormously pleased that the manager's amendment bans annual coverage limits after 2014 and ensures that any annual limits in plans issued before then are set high enough to cover essential health benefits for patients. That language, coupled with the amendment's immediate ban on lifetime coverage limits, would afford patients with serious health conditions the strong financial protections they deserve in the face of major medical expenses. We thank the White House and Senate leaders for hearing the concerns of cancer patients and strongly strengthening these important provisions." (American Cancer Society Statement, 12/19/09)

Small Business Majority: “It’s Clear That (Senators) Have Heard The Voices Of Small Business Owners…Many Of The Recently Proposed Amendments Contribute To An Overall Bill That Will Be Even More Helpful To Small Business Owners And The Self-Employed.” In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Reid, Small Business Majority CEO John Arensmeyer wrote, “We appreciate the tremendous amount of work that you and your colleagues in the Senate have put into crafting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act so that it will both meet its original goals and gain enough support for passage. Although the necessary compromises have been disappointing and frustrating for some, it’s clear that you and your fellow senators have heard the voices of small business owners, who so desperately need relief from an unfair, overly expensive health insurance system. Many of the recently proposed amendments contribute to an overall bill that will be even more helpful to small business owners and the self-employed. Small Business Majority will continue to support the effort to bring this measure to the Senate floor for a final vote and passage…Again, thank you for your continuing hard work on this vital issue. You can count on Small Business Majority to work to get this bill to conference committee and ensure that final legislation is passed that meets the needs of America’s small businesses and the economy.” (Small Business Majority Letter to Senate Majority Leader Reid, 12/19/09)

Doctors For America: “We Wish To Express Our Support For Senate Passage Of The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act…(It) Represents A Historic Step Toward Improving The Health Care System For Us And Our Patients.” In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Reid, Doctors For America President Vivek Murphy wrote, “On behalf of Doctors for America and its 16,000 physician and medical student members across all 50 states who are committed to building a better health care system for our patients, we wish to express our support for Senate passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This landmark piece of legislation provides increased access to affordable health coverage, implements market reforms to protect our patients, invests in the primary care physician workforce and public health system, and begins to reform the payment and delivery systems so doctors can focus on providing high quality care for our patients…As doctors and medical students, we see the urgent need to fix our broken health care system first hand every day – which is why a majority of physicians support health reform this year. We are fighting to ensure that all Americans receive access to high quality care - the kind of care that we, as physicians, want for our patients. While we know that this legislation will not fix all the problems of our broken health care system, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act represents a historic step toward improving the health care system for us and our patients.” (Doctors For America Letter to U.S. Senate, 12/19/09)

Community Catalyst: “We Strongly Encourage Passage Of The Bill Because We Believe It Will Positively Impact The Lives Of Millions Of Americans.” In a statement, Community Catalyst said, “Today, the U.S. Senate has brought us even closer to the finish line of passing landmark health reform legislation that will improve access to quality affordable health care for millions of Americans. As a national advocacy organization actively working in more than 40 states to ensure consumers have a strong voice in improving America’s health care system, we are very pleased 60 Senators from states where we have focused our efforts have pledged their support for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. We thank these Senators for hearing the concerns of consumers across the country and allowing this important process to move forward. The Manager’s amendment released today builds on the strengths of the bill through critical consumer protections such as programs to contain health costs and make insurance policies more affordable, greater accountability from health insurance companies, improved choice and competition, and better access to quality affordable health care for vulnerable populations. We strongly encourage passage of the bill because we believe it will positively impact the lives of millions of Americans. As the only national consumer organization that has on-the-ground experience implementing comprehensive health reform at the state level, Community Catalyst understands the benefits of this bill and the important ongoing role consumer advocates will need to play to ensure its success. We encourage the Senate to pass this critical legislation, and to continue to work with the House to ensure that all Americans have access to quality health-care they can afford.” (Community Catalyst Press Releaee, 12/19/09)

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO): “We Applaud (The Senate’s) Recognition Of The Importance Of Preserving Quality, Compassionate And Cost-Efficient End-Of-Life Care.” In a letter, the National Hospice And Palliative Care Organization (NHPC) wrote, “On behalf of hospice and palliative care providers and the more than 1.5 million patients, and their families, served by hospice each year, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) would like to express our strong support for the national effort to enact health care reform. We acknowledge the enormity and complexity of the task facing Congress, and we applaud your recognition of the importance of preserving quality, compassionate and cost efficient end-of-life care as a critical component to the nation’s health infrastructure.” (National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization letter, 12/19/09)

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[Cha]

1. Thanks, Pro Sense.

[mother earth]

2. "disappointing and frustrating" barely covers it, it is NOT

reform, it's catering to industry and campaign donors. They didn't "fight" for this, they lamely walked away and took crumbs to present to us as tho it's some kind of win. They did not represent the people, they had a real shot at creating a good system, instead they lost credibility with the base.

I'm not surprised, single payer was not even an option from the beginning, why would that be? It was the one thing that the people wanted, and it would've actually been the one thing that was worthwhile to achieve.

I have lost a lot of respect for Obama and the dems, the blue dogs & Lieberman must GO, but this deal was over before it ever started. Money is money, you can't say the lobbyists and the corporations did not win in HCR. You just can't, they will now have every man, woman and child in this country as a customer, that's what they won, they lost nothing.

[MNDemNY]

3. More tripe .

Why do you continue to cut and paste this bullshit?

[bigwillq]

4. FTGOGDAGDP

:rofl:

[Top Cat]

7. WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?

[bigwillq]

9. For the good of

General Discussion and General Discussion Presidency!!! :rofl:

[ProSense]

5. "Why do you continue to cut and paste this bullshit? "

To give you a headache.


:rofl:

[Top Cat]

6. K&R

[IndianaGreen]

8. PhRMA, Aetna, Blue Cross, WellPoint, etc

The largest middle class tax increase in decades!

[POAS]

11. Can you get me a link to the

information about the "largest middle class ax increase in decades"?

[ProSense]

10. President Clinton on Health Reform: "America Stands at a Historic Crossroads"

President Clinton on Health Reform: "America Stands at a Historic Crossroads"

President Bill Clinton adds his voice to the urgent need for reform:

At last, we are close to making real health insurance reform a reality. We face one critical, final choice, between action and inaction. We know where the path of inaction leads to: more uninsured Americans, more families struggling to keep up with skyrocketing premiums, higher federal budget deficits, and health costs so much higher than any other country’s they will cripple us economically. Our only responsible choice is the path of action.

Does this bill read exactly how I would write it? No. Does it contain everything everyone wants? Of course not. But America can't afford to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. And this is a good bill: it increases the security of those who already have insurance and gives every American access to affordable coverage, and contains comprehensive efforts to control costs and improve quality, with more information on best practices, and comparative costs and results. The bill will shift the power away from the insurance companies and into the hands of consumers.

Take it from someone who knows: these chances don't come around every day. Allowing this effort to fall short now would be a colossal blunder -- both politically for our party and, far more important, for the physical, fiscal, and economic health of our country.”

[IndianaGreen]

12. Like we did when Clinton pushed for NAFTA

That's the winning track record!

[ipaint]

13. Clinton and the DLC should know about "crossroads".

That's the same tired meaningless cliche they used to push NAFTA through, accompanied of course by the usual lies.


"The debate over the NAFTA brings Americans to a crossroads in the post Cold War era. One path President Clinton's choice leads to the progressive opening of world markets to trade and investment, on the view that America can and must win in global competition to generate good jobs and rising incomes at home. The other path urged on Americans by an unlikely alliance of "America First" conservatives, special interest groups, and Ross Perot leads to single reliance on protection for U.S. industries on the assumption that we cannot, for all our strengths, compete against the cheap labor of developing countries or even developed nations like Japan.

Progressives should follow President Clinton on the first path the path of confidence about Americas' ability to face and master change. Fears of cheap-labor nations are grossly exaggerated. If low labor costs were all that mattered, advanced countries' industries would have decamped long ago for the Third World. Other factors that determine plant locations the education of the work force, technology, transportation and other infrastructure, a tradition of entrepreneurship, political stability and, above all, worker productivity give America a decisive advantage over Mexico and most other countries."

http://www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?contentid=1784&kaid=108&subid=127



Liars then, liars now.

[IndianaGreen]

14. Their road; our cross!

The investor class profited from NAFTA. The workers saw their factories shut down, and their jobs go overseas.

[MNDemNY]

15. .

:thumbsup: