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Healthcare
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Diana Thottungal, reporting on Healthcare Issues
Since it is always nice to know what we’re talking about and helping to support, here’s a handy-dandy list of definitions of some words bandied about in discussions of the health care mess.
Socialized Medicine: used most often as a scare word by right-wingers who really wish they could get away with saying “communist”. Really just means that the health care professionals are employees of the government. The big downside is when the government is not sympathetic to the health care needs you are concerned with: anti-choice, experimental drugs for terminally ill, “too old to treat” etc...
Single Payer: sort of shorthand for getting the insurance companies out of the health care business, with the single payer usually being state or federal government. The reason it is not called “socialized” is that the doctor can still work directly for the patient unless rules prohibit them from giving the patient certain information about options.
National Health Care: reducing the number of the health care programs to one as opposed to having Medicare, Medicaid, VA, Bureau of Indian Affairs and umpteen different insurance programs, HMOs, etc...
Heath Care Insurance: often used as a synonym for access to health care, assuming that the insurance companies are necessary middlemen; which they are not.
Medicare: health care access for old people and disabled people.
Medicaid: health care access for poor people.
Job/Doctor lock: can’t change jobs or, sometimes, doctors because of insurance issues. Also, sometimes a forced change if employer changes plans.
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Peace
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Elaine Wynne, reporting on Peace Issues
On Feb. 4, 2009, Truthout reported “Obama seeks Russian Deal to Slash Nuclear Weapons” (http://www.truthout.org/020409A). One of Pres. Obama’s first initiatives in the Senate was to co-sponsor with Sen. Chuck Hagel “The Nuclear Weapons Threat Reduction Act.” Barack pledged during his campaign to secure all nuclear weapons to a safe place in four years. Call the President and our Congresspeople su pporting Obama’s swift leadership.
In 1962, U.S., China and Russia were doing atmospheric testing of nuclear bombs. We knew the devastation of bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki; these new nuclear bombs were hundreds of times more powerful. The Mpls. Star Tribune told us fresh milk wasn’t safe for our children; specific wind patterns carried the fallout of Chinese bomb tests to MN.
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UPCOMING EVENTS:
Special Conversations Series
More Details Coming Soon...
Newsletter Editor: Teri Reitan
The views expressed in the newsletter are those of the authors and are not necessarily the views of District 44 DFL
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Environment
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J. Muggli, reporting on Shades of Green
A brief profile of the new Energy Secretary Steven Chu
The recently confirmed Energy Secretary, Steven Chu, repeatedly has said “Coal is my worst nightmare.” This statement alone does not define the Obama administration’s stance on powering our nation, but does provide some insight on Secretary Chu’s direction for the Department of Energy.
Secretary Chu is an outspoken proponent of alternative energy and energy conservation. This advocacy comes from his beliefs that global warming is occurring and is human induced. He believes the reduction in CO2 emissions from using alternative energy and energy conservation is paramount to curbing the effects of global warming. He is also pragmatic and understands coal will be part of the U.S. and World’s energy supply. In his Senate nomination hearing Secretary Chu said, “Even if we turn off coal, China and India will not.” He also committed to continue working on developing clean coal technology and stated the U.S. must learn how to capture carbon dioxide emissions from coal fired power plants.
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Economy
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Teri Reitan, reporting on the Economy
It is time for a Bailout! Amidst corporate recipients of bailout packages who are side-stepping requirements and recommendations around use of bailout funds, millions who’ve lost their homes to foreclosure, and millions who’ve lost their jobs, there is HOPE.
And there is ACTION. Tax relief for year 2008 is already being realized. Bailout dollars are already creating new jobs. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is gaining support nationally.
The following, from whitehouse.gov, is an outline of President Obama’s economic agenda for the next 4 years:
- Doubling the production of alternative energy in the next three years.
- Modernizing more than 75% of federal buildings and improve the energy efficiency of two million American homes, saving consumers and taxpayers billions on our energy bills.
- Making the immediate investments necessary to ensure that within five years, all of America’s medical records are computerized.
- Equipping tens of thousands of schools, community colleges, and public universities with 21st century classrooms, labs, and libraries.
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Affirmative Action
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John Martin, reporting on Affirmative Action
The long-range goal of the commission is to recruit, train, retain and empower members of underrepresented constituencies. This effort should be directed to those constituencies including low and moderate-income persons, youths, seniors, and persons with disabilities, African Americans, Asian-Pacific Americans, Chicano/Latino Americans, Native Americans, lesbians, gays, and all other underrepresented groups. Members of these groups will be encouraged to ac tively participate in party affairs and to seek election, both as party officers, and elected officials. The commission will keep up to date on openings on City Commissions in the three cities within SD 44, so that qualified members of these constituencies may apply for them.
Please consider the needs of these constituents when planning events.
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HEALTHCARE article, continued:
Here is a table of the problems and possible solutions:
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PROBLEM
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factors affecting the problem
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possible solutions
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costs of acute serious illness
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insurance limits, including Medicare
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national catastrophic fund
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costs for minor illness
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needing a doctor’s note for employer
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greater use of nurse practitioners for this, unions
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going to dr. for minor stuff
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patient education
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choice of doctors
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some won’t take patients with medicare, medicaid or insurance that has low payment rates to doctors
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doctor union
national minimums
uniform compensation
minimums
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insurance companies have limited number of “approved” doctors, or employer changes insurance co.
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any system that gets insurance companies out could help
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costs of chronic illnesses
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Lack of early detection
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patient education
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new expensive procedures
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newer technology can be very expensive
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new expensive meds
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research costs
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federal and state subsidies for research
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overuse of ERs
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can’t refuse treatment, available 24hrs for low income folk
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attach walk in 24 hr clinics staffed by triage nurse practioners and mds
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lack of primary care practitioners
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low prestige, low compensation
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improve compensation
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unnecessary middleman
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insurance companies need to make a profit, because of economy don’t want to cut them out right away
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make changes gradual
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overlapping programs
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BIA, Medicare, Medicaid, VA, state programs
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uniform codes and forms, possibly combine agencies
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high administrative costs
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insurance companies and multiple agencies need profits
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phase out middlemen
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ECONOMY article, continued:
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Expanding broadband across America, so that a small business in a rural town can connect and compete with their counterparts anywhere in the world.
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Investing in the science, research, and technology that will lead to new medical breakthroughs, new discoveries, and entire new industries.
How to Help:
· Community outreach
· Recovery Act conversations and house parties
· Submit concerns and ideas to the White House Public Liaison through whitehouse.gov
ENVIRONMENT article, continued:
Although not a big proponent of the continued use of coal, Secretary Chu is a proponent of nuclear power. During his nomination hearings Secretary Chu said, “The point here is that nuclear power, as I said before, is going to be an important part of our energy mix. It’s 20% of our electricity generation today, but it’s 70% of the carbon-free portion of electricity today. And it is baseload. So I think it is very important that we push ahead.” A more detailed explanation of his thoughts on nuclear power can be found in a letter written by the directors of the Department of Energy National Laboratories in August 2008, but it appears based upon his statements that he believes nuclear power will play a significant role in reducing CO2 emissions in the U.S.
Some environmentalists may not agree with Secretary Chu’s stance on the use of nuclear power, but he said shifting away from fossil fuels is needed to reduce the effects of global warming. So, research into developing celluslosic ethanol, reducing the impact of other biofuels, and developing transmission lines to transport wind and solar power will be part of the Department of Energy’s plans.
Please let your representatives know your thoughts on powering our nation, developing further nuclear power and how that fits into your shade of green.
PEACE article, continued:
I joined a group of women social work students and at-home moms in the Twin Cities to start a chapter of Women Strike for Peace. This organization became known for the startling poster of an ailing sunflower with the words “War is Not Healthy for Children and Other Living Things. Between meetings, marches and fundraisers, we fed our toddlers the oldest powdered milk we could find. Many people ignored the warnings in spite of the danger. We worked vigorously, along with WILPF (Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom) and other peace organizations to achieve a Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Senator Hubert Humphrey worked tirelessly in Congress to pass this first Treaty. President Kennedy signed the bill into law one month before his death, in October, 1963.
In the 1980’s the number of nuclear warheads had risen to 80,000. The Nuclear Freeze Movement worked with Congress so that we began to reduce the number. Now there are ONLY 20,000. Roger Hale, a Mpls. man is Chair of Ploughshares, an organization strongly supporting nuclear Arms reduction; he says now it is like two guys in a vat of gas, one with 5 matches, one with 3, and asking ourselves which one is more dangerous. He gave a talk and sermon with his pastor at Plymouth Congregational Church recently. Pastor Gertmanian said,”it is common sense to say that anyone valuing human life would never use nuclear weapons.” But he went on to say “extremist Christians who support the coming of Armageddon and the literal fulfillment of Biblical Prophecies, as well as extremist Muslims, don’t necessarily support that value.”
The Bush Administration “put Russia on alert by abandoning the bilateral U.S.-Russia strategic arms control framework and strained relations with Russia.” (Google “Change Nuclear Weapons Policy? Yes, we can.” By Foreign Policy in Focus ) Even though Nixon and Reagan reduced nuclear weapons, Bush, with his rare blend of incompetence and malevolence, went ahead to plan development of more powerful nuclear weapons.
Another piece of good news is that the powerful nuclear warheads can be transformed and the uranium can be placed in low fissile containers which are used to run nuclear power plants. Those plants could stop creating new low fissile uranium until the nukes were transformed. Nuclear stockpiles have reached such a state of danger that George Schultz, Wm. Perry, Henry Kissinger, Sam Nunn, and 24 other former Republican and Democratic officials wrote an article in the Wall Street Journal saying we are at a “Nuclear Tipping Point”. We will need 66 votes to ratify a treaty. The swift action of our new President is heartening. HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT HIM: Call the President & Congress. Tell them to reduce the number of nuclear weapons and help us build a nuclear free world.
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