Subject: [big campaign] FW: MarkUpdate: 400 Ways To Say "No" To Reform; Coburn Plan Would Keep Insurance Companies In Charge
From: "Adam Jentleson (CAPAF)" <[email-masked]>
To: "[email-masked]'" <[email-masked]>, Adam Jentleson <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:19:34 -0400
List-Id: <bigcampaign.googlegroups.com>

Fyi -- our pushback on Day 1 of the HELP markup.

-Adam

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From: Progressive Media [mailto:[email-masked]]
Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 3:02 PM
To: Adam Jentleson
Subject: MarkUpdate: 400 Ways To Say "No" To Reform; Coburn Plan Would Keep Insurance Companies In Charge

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June 17, 2009
MARKUPDATE

GOP Senators Introduce 400 Ways To "Just Say No" To Reform

 *   Senators Coburn, Enzi, McCain and other obstructionist senators today introduced nearly 400 ways to "just say no" to health care reform that will lower costs and increase choice for hard-working Americans.

 *   Playing politics instead of pursuing reform, they are introducing ridiculous amendments whose sole goal is to delay and obstruct the process. For instance, they have introduced:

    *   Two separate amendments that would force doctors to spy on each other (Coburn 11, 87).

    *   "Name-calling" amendments that do nothing except make silly title changes - like an amendment to rename the prevention and public health investment fund - the "Slush Fund for Special Interests" (Coburn 18).

    *   For more examples, see the illustrative list below.

 *   At a time when health care costs are crushing hard-working American families, businesses and dragging down our economy<http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/12/health_imperative.html> - is this really a productive use of time?

 *   By contrast, today a bipartisan group led by former Senators Tom Daschle, Bob Dole and former Secretary of State Howard Baker released<http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hL8Vyx9jlIHpOKVVVGk0V62TgrRwD98S9ADO0> a good-faith, intellectually serious effort at crafting a bipartisan solution to our health care crisis.

The Coburn/Burr Alternative Unravels The Employer-Based System And Keeps Insurance Companies In Charge.

 *   The Coburn/Burr plan does not provide sufficient protection for patients against abusive insurance company practices - like denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.

    *   Today, insurance companies use the flimsiest reasons to deny people coverage - for instance, a woman in Los Angeles was denied coverage for her breast cancer because she failed to disclose that she had visited a dermatologist<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=22926&elq=FF7F3164F1874AF8B288CE0B3CDC1A75>.

    *   Under the Coburn plan, insurance companies could continue this practice - called "rescission," which "has left thousands of Americans burdened with costly medical bills despite paying insurance premiums<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=22926&elq=FF7F3164F1874AF8B288CE0B3CDC1A75>," according to the L.A. Times.

 *   The Coburn/Burr plan would unravel the employer based system, and replace it with an insufficient tax credit that doesn't even cover half of the average family's medical costs.

    *   The $5,700-per-family tax subsidy<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=21614&elq=FF7F3164F1874AF8B288CE0B3CDC1A75> proposed in the Coburn plan is less than half of the $12,680 that the average American family paid for health care in 2008<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=21615&elq=FF7F3164F1874AF8B288CE0B3CDC1A75>.

Bipartisan Group Proposes Health Reform That Mirrors Many Obama Principles

Baker And Dole Agree The Time For Reform Is Now. According to the Bipartisan Policy Center website, Howard Baker noted that the "the time for health reform had come." [Bipartisan Policy Center, accessed 6/17/09<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=22927&elq=FF7F3164F1874AF8B288CE0B3CDC1A75>]

Baker And Dole's Proposal Calls For A Mandate. The Associated Press reported: "A summary of the plan calls for an individual requirement to carry health insurance." [Associated Press, 6/17/09<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=22928&elq=FF7F3164F1874AF8B288CE0B3CDC1A75>]

Baker And Dole's Proposals Calls For $1.2 Trillion Plan. The Associated Press reported: "Democrats Tom Daschle and George Mitchell are set to join Republicans Bob Dole and Howard Baker on Wednesday to release a $1.2 trillion proposal that would be fully paid for with a combination of spending cuts and tax increases." [Associated Press, 6/17/09<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=22928&elq=FF7F3164F1874AF8B288CE0B3CDC1A75>]

Republicans Are Standing In The Way Of Real Health Care Reform: A Sample Of Proposed Republican Amendments<http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=22929&elq=FF7F3164F1874AF8B288CE0B3CDC1A75>.

 *   Coburn 17: To clarify the intent of the prevention and public health investment fund - would rename it the "Public Health Earmark Fund."

 *   Coburn 18: To clarify the intent of the prevention and public health investment fund - would rename it the "Slush Fund for Special Interests."

 *   Coburn 19: To restate the purpose of the Prevention and Public health Investment Fund - would insert the following: "It is the purpose of this section to circumvent the regular budget process in order to ignore revenue constraints and other spending priorities ..."

 *   Coburn 43: To rename the community health program subtitle IV - would rename it the "Federal Takeover of Local Communities."

 *   Coburn 51: To prohibit the use of funds to build football stadiums.

 *   Coburn 111: To prohibit the Department of Health and Human Services from providing funding for fashion shows.

For more information, contact:
Adam Jentleson, 202.682.1611
[email-masked]

Center for American Progress Action Fund | 1333 H Street NW, 10th Floor | Washington, DC 20005

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