The push for health care reform is moving fast and furiously, so I thought it’d be helpful to have semi-daily “Health on the Hill” updates that should help you keep track of the reform debate and get to the meat of the issue. Enjoy!
Today’s Updates – 10/26/09
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is making news today by announcing his merged Senate bill is ready and includes a public option. It is on its way to the Congressional Budget Office to be scored for cost, revenue and savings. That’s when we’ll know more about whether this bill will be the one to go to the floor to be voted on by the entire Senate. Once the bill is scored and more information on the legislation is released, we’ll also know more about the public option that is included. It is a public option that will allow states to “opt out” of offering it to their residents. Depending on who will make this decision for the state and when they would have to opt out by, this may be a decent compromise (except for those in the states that will be opting out of course). However, it seems the President is advocating for a “trigger” option, which is basically only implementing a public option if necessary down the road. Why he would advocate for that instead of this opt-out option, which contradicts his initial message surrounding health care reform, is a bit suspect since the “trigger” option has more support from the insurance industry.
In the House, the word is that their merged bill may be released this week after all.
Fueling the push for a new government insurance plan, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said today that his chamber’s healthcare bill would include a compromise that would create a nationwide public option but give states the right to opt out.
The White House is looking for a political victory on health care, and if a public option looks unlikely or impossible to pass, Obama is unlikely to waste political capital on it. But his support may be the deciding factor. The White House blog insists that the administration backs Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid’s public option push, but not everyone sees action behind the words.
House Democratic leaders are hoping to unveil health reform legislation this week so they can vote on the package by November 6. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Maryland) has warned Members of Congress to be available Saturday November 7 and possibly the Monday and Tuesday before Veterans Day so that the House can vote on healthcare. Moving that quickly would certainly put the House out in front of the Senate on healthcare.
On Saturday, people in over 181 countries gathered in solidarity for the International Day of Climate Action. With nearly 5,200 events taking place around the world, most news sources credit it to be “the most widespread day of environmental action in history”.
The international day of climate action was coordinated by 350.org, an international campaign dedicated to resolving the climate crisis. 350 represents the amount of CO2 emissions that scientists have identified as the safe limit for our atmosphere—we are currently around 390.
The event in our nation’s capital began at Malcom X Park where performers and speakers, including Reverend Yearwood of the Hip Hop Caucus, Danish Ambassador to the U.S. Friss Peterson, and Mike Tidwell, the Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, spoke out on the crisis facing our environment and the need for action by our leaders. Despite the pouring rain, hundreds of people marched from Malcom X Park to Lafayette Park to show their support, declaring “Rain or Shine, Now’s the time, We got 350 on our mind”.
At Lafayette park, the hundreds to supporters rallied by forming a circle of hope with a banner signed by 1,200 students from across the country. While this began as a grassroots movement, the time has come to demand action by our leaders. As mentioned in the post below, a conference will take place in December in Copenhagen where world leaders will determine solutions to the climate crisis and hopefully craft a new global treaty. The next step is to make sure that President Obama attends the conference and is one of the leaders in resolving the current climate crisis.
When we heard news that our coalition partners at Health Care for America Now and the AFL-CIO had plans to host a protest against America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), which represents the health insurance industry and recently released a false report attacking health care reform, we grabbed our “Youth for the Public Option” signs and joined them.
After a galvanizing speech by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, over 400 people marched to the Capitol Hilton where lobbyists from America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) were meeting to discuss their despicable views on health care reform. The protesters picketed all along the block where the Hilton was located, chanting up and down the sidewalks on both sides of the street.
Seven families with heartbreaking stories of abuse by insurance companies flew into DC from all over the country in hopes of meeting with top insurance officials, including AHIP CEO Karen Ignani. But the big shots wouldn’t come out to hear their mistreated consumers’ stories.
Still, morale was strong, with people shouting chants like, “AHIP, get off it! People over profit!”
The rally demonstrated citizens’ dedication to achieving effective health care reform. Amidst clamorous applause, Trumka entreated protesters to “call those senators, and let them know that it’s not OK to have the insurance companies happy unless the American public are healthy… We’re going to have to redouble our efforts, we’re going to have to make more calls, we’re going to have to write more letters, and [we] will not stop until the health care bill that families desperately need, and desperately deserve, is signed by President Obama.” We support that 100%.
No, the purpose of the trip is not to convince the Olympic committee to reconsider Chicago for the Olympic bid. I am going to Copenhagen in December because the United Nations is convening a conference to decide the fate of our climate and the next steps for the Kyoto Treaty.
Interesting fact #1: The United States is the only developed nation never to have ratified the Kyoto treaty.
Young people from throughout the world will be convening to make the case for climate justice and show the faces of the people who will be affected the most: our generation. I will join these climate activists and provide support to their efforts.
Interesting fact #2: The United States has one of the highest per-capita emissions in the world, especially when you exclude small petroleum exporting countries.
In Copenhagen I will bring the energy, enthusiasm, and ideas of the Campus Progress Network, I will be blogging on Funding Our Future to let you all know about how progress is looking on the ground, and I will be working with fellows from the Center for American Progress to try to influence the direction of the negotiations.
If you have any ideas, thoughts, or questions about the trip, please leave a comment. I will be convening a conference call for Campus Progress Network members as we get closer to my departure, hope to see you all there!
The push for health care reform is moving fast and furiously, so I thought it’d be helpful to have semi-daily “Health on the Hill” updates that should help you keep track of the reform debate and get to the meat of the issue. Enjoy!
Today’s Updates – 10/21/09
This week, while key Senate Democrats and White House officials have been in discussions about merging their health care reform legislation into one bill, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has been hard at work trying to meld the House pieces of legislation together, focusing specifically on ensuring that a “robust” public option will be included. Pelosi and her team are not only working to include this in the House plan, but are putting pressure on the Senate to include a “robust” public option in the final Senate bill. In the Senate’s bill-merging discussions, Harry Reid has said that “We’re leaning towards talking about a public option”. Leaning towards talking about it…how’s that for commitment? Anyway, if that lean turns into a discussion and that discussion turns into a solid commitment to have a public option in the final Senate bill, it will make it easier to ensure a public option is included in the bill that comes out of the House and Senate merge of legislation, called “conference”, which is the last step before the President signs reform into law.
What does a “robust” public option mean? Basically it all comes down to how the insurance plan pays the health providers. Private insurance plans negotiate their own rates for payment, which are often high and run up costs. Medicare, on the other hand, has set rates that keep costs low. The public option being endorsed by Speaker Pelosi and gang would pay providers at the same rate as Medicare plus 5%. This is what the House is calling a “robust” public option. Other public options would negotiate their own rates like a private plan does. The Congressional Budget Office has given a $871 billion cost score to the House plan that includes the “robust” public option and says that it will reduce the deficit.
Meanwhile, health reform supporters around the country continue to show their demand for reform. Yesterday’s national day of action generated over 300,000 calls to Congress, with the message that it is “time to deliver” on health care reform. This kind of grassroots action is key, especially when the pharmaceutical and health insurance industries are spending record amounts on lobbying against health reform (see below).
Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Democrats Tuesday night that she wants to move forward with the more liberal version of a House health reform bill that would peg government-run coverage to Medicare – setting up a clash with moderates in her caucus who oppose the plan.
The public plan is among the most contentious issues to be worked out between Senate Democrats and the White House ahead of floor action this fall. President Barack Obama has said he thinks a public plan is the best way to ensure competition in the health-insurance market, while adding that he is open to other ideas.
.. insurers, drugmakers and hospitals continue to spend millions to attempt to sway the emerging legislation, according to new disclosure reports filed with Congress.The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the drugmakers’ main trade group, shattered records again by spending nearly $7 million on lobbying from July through September..
In May 2008, a civil action suit was filed in Nebraska when concerns arose that Nelnet, which is a higher education lender, was illegally coercing students to apply for federal student loans. This lawsuit has reemerged after sealed court documents proved these concerns to be true.
JPMorgan and Citigroup conspired with Nelnet to allegedly receive financial student loan subsidies by making false claims and illegally recruiting more borrowers.
The lawsuit is currently underway against JPMorgan, Citigroup and Nelnet for violating laws against offering financial inducements under the federal Higher Education Act.
The lawsuit claims that Nelnet hired telemarketers to aggressively push the government product and use false advertising to get more applications, such as telling students they would save thousands of dollars in interest by applying to their loan program. From this illegal practice, Nelnet has obtained millions of dollars in federal subsidies on student loans.
This was not the first violation of the federal subsidy that Nelnet has faced. In 2007, the U.S. Department of Education agreed on a settlement which allowed Nelnet to keep $278 million in disputed profits after it faced a similar lawsuit. After this incident, the company signed agreements with state authorities promising not to offer incentives to students in need of loans. With the recent lawsuit filed in Nebraska, it is clear that they had no intentions of keeping their promise.
The government could have intervened in the suit, but declined. If the government won’t do something about this reoccurring issue, it is time for students to do something. You can get involved in our Student Over Banks campaign by going to: http://www.studentsoverbanks.org/
“I’m very concerned about health care in our nation. I’m worried that once I’m out of the safety net of my parents’ [health insurance plan], I won’t be able to keep up with my health expenses. My name is Joe, I’m 19 and I’m voting for health care.” – Joe, October 2008.
“Both of my parents are social workers, so [universal health care] is dinner table conversation for us. They will come home and talk about all of these people who are not insured, who don’t have health care, and who are sitting [at home] wondering how they are going to pay for their medication. It just affects so many people. I don’t think people even realize how many people are out there that really need help. I’m Kaitlyn, I’m 18 years old and I’m voting for universal health care.” – Kaitlyn, 18, October 2008
“My mom went into the hospital complaining of back pains, two days later she had a stroke. My family was [told] that the only providers that could help were either out-of- state or out- of- network. My mom died a year later. My name is Shauna Harris and I’m voting for health care reform.” – Shauna Harris, October 2008
Joe, Kaitlyn, and Shauna are young voters who shared their reason for voting during the Campus Progress Action “I’m Voting For” project in 2008.
These are the words of young voters from across the country spoken just weeks before they, and thousands like them, hit the polls in record numbers to usher in change for the 2008 presidential election. The demand for health care reform was the motivation for casting their votes and now, one year later, it is time to deliver that change.
October has proved to be a step in the right direction, with health care reform legislation making its way through the fifth and final Congressional committee in charge of writing a reform bill. However, there is a long road ahead and we, as young adults impacted by the health care crisis and motivated by the hope of universal health care, have to keep up the pressure and ensure that our legislators deliver on what we voted for.
Tuesday, October 20th, millions of people across the country will be doing exactly that. There will be events, rallies and a national call-in day to generate thousands of calls to Congress with the message that now is the “time to deliver” on health care reform.
This effort will be spearheaded by Organizing for America and other large groups across the country including the Health Care for America NOW coalition, AARP, The American Cancer Society, and FamiliesUSA.
On Wednesday, October 21st, Rock the Vote will be engaging young Americans on the issue of health care reform through an online forum with Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz.
Finally on Thursday, October 22nd, there will be a large protest outside of the America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) conference in Washington, D.C. AHIP represents America’s health insurers and hundreds of reform supporters are going to be there to protest their bad practices like denying care.
There are so many things we can do as young Americans in support of health care reform, and we will have to keep up the pressure until a bold piece of legislation lands on our President’s desk, but this week holds many opportunities to take a step further than casting our vote last year. So get out and take part in some of these actions and remind Congress and President Obama why you voted and that you’d like to see change delivered now.
“A Woman Is Not a Pre-Existing Condition.” So declared the T-shirts sported by several of the (mostly female) audience members at Thursday’s Senate hearing addressing the urgent problem of gender-based discrimination in the health insurance system. During Congress’ struggle over the past months to pass effective health care reform, this is one vital issue that has been falling between the cracks. Stopping unequal treatment of women by health insurers seems like a no-brainer initiative – one that we should have dealt with years ago – but it has not gotten the public attention it deserves.
In thirty-eight states, it is legal for insurance companies to charge women astronomical premiums compared to those for men, and to treat pregnancy and domestic violence as “pre-existing conditions.” A 2008 report published by the National Women’s Law Center shows that “insurers who practice gender rating charged 40-year-old women from 4% to 48% more than 40-year-old men.” Additionally, in eight states plus the District it is legal for insurers to refuse coverage to a woman because she has been/is being domestically abused. This practice especially, in which women are punished for being victims, is a horrific measure of how unjust our current system is.
Yesterday morning Campus Progress attended the House Subcommittee for Education and Labor hearing on “Ensuring Student Eligibility Requirements for Federal Aid”. The hearing addressed how colleges and universities administer and enforce student eligibility requirements for federal financial aid.
In recent years, the Department of Education has begun auditing recipients of financial aid in order to ensure that the eligibility requirements are being enforced. They discovered that this was not the case and there were several incidents of fraud.
Testimonies at the hearing were given by Harris Miller, CEO/President of the Career College Association, Mary Mitchelson, Acting Inspector General of the Department of Education, and Robert Shireman, Deputy Undersecretary of the Department of Education. Mr. Miller set the tone of the discussion by stating that “there is no room for cheating in the rules of higher education”.
Cases of fraud [PDF] were found to be most common in ATB (Ability to Benefit) testing. The ATB test is administered to students who did not receive a high school diploma but wish to pursue a secondary education with federal financial aid. Mr. Miller presented evidence of cases where test administrators have given answers to students to ensure that they pass the test. Mr. Shireman argued that “this lack of oversight has resulted in fraudulent access to federal aid which questions the integrity of higher education”. The issue of online coursework was also of concern. Mrs. Mitchelson argued that fraud is common among students who take online courses, stating that the “online context has a lot of ambiguity of who is participating for what purpose”.
Federal financial aid plays a very important role in the ambitions of students, especially those students who don’t have the resources to attend college. The issue with ATB testing and online courses, however, is that they are often provided by for-profit schools which means they are profit driven and their intentions are not in the best interest of the student. These schools are constantly in trouble for aggressive recruiting practices. They make tons of money by recruiting as many people as possible while the students who don’t finish their courses end up in enormous amounts of debt.
Campus Progress is currently working to fight issues like these in our Students Over Banks campaign. If you want to learn more about this campaign, go to http://www.studentsoverbanks.org/
The winner of this year’s Solar Decathlon was just announced today and for the second year in a row, it’s the Germans.
If you haven’t been following this amazing event, the Solar Decathlon is amazing and probably the only fun thing that comes out of the Department of Energy (mind, I said fun, not ‘not nerdy’). Every 2 years, 20 schools from around the world challenge each other to build the most energy and water self-sufficient house. Participants build the homes in their own communities, disassemble them, and rebuild them on the Capitol Mall for the week-long event where they are judged on 10 categories:
If you are in D.C., go down to the Mall this weekend and check them out. If you aren’t you should check out the pictures and the website.
As Adam Siegel argues at Get Energy Smart Now!!!, Germans had it easy due to the impressive renewable-friendly policies* that they are subject to at home. Feed-in Tariffs especially have been responsible for rapidly increasing the market viability of solar panels (feed-in tariffs force utilities to pay a fixed rate above market price for unused power produced by renewable energy). This gave the German team an incentive to cover their house with solar panels, whereas teams from the United States had to decide whether to prioritize solar production (”Net Metering”) or cost of the house (”Market Viability”).
It is time to set up similar renewable energy incentives in the United States to promote decentralize energy production, put more money in our pockets, create millions of domestic jobs, and reduce our carbon emissions.
* Check out this map of solar energy potential in the United States and Germany. It doesn’t make any sense for Germany to be the world leader in solar energy production when we have so much more potential than they do.
Funding our Future is a campaign to pass a progressive federal budget for 2010 and ensure that our nation.s key economic choices invest in our education, spark reform of our health care system, and address climate change through cap and trade and clean energy investments. Click here for more info.
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for October, 2009.
The push for health care reform is moving fast and furiously, so I thought it’d be helpful to have semi-daily “Health on the Hill” updates that should help you keep track of the reform debate and get to the meat of the issue. Enjoy!
Young people from throughout the world will be convening to make the case for climate justice and show the faces of the people who will be affected the most: our generation. I will join these climate activists and provide support to their efforts.
The push for health care reform is moving fast and furiously, so I thought it’d be helpful to have semi-daily “Health on the Hill” updates that should help you keep track of the reform debate and get to the meat of the issue. Enjoy!
In May 2008, a civil action suit was filed in Nebraska when concerns arose that Nelnet, which is a higher education lender, was illegally coercing students to apply for federal student loans. This lawsuit has reemerged after sealed court documents proved these concerns to be true.
“A Woman Is Not a Pre-Existing Condition.” So declared the T-shirts sported by several of the (mostly female) audience members at Thursday’s Senate 
The winner of this year’s 