McCook Daily Gazette: Column: Sen. Ben Nelson: Health care reform puts Nebraskans on the edge of the seats

After meeting with several thousand Nebraskans statewide during a half dozen public meetings in August, I came away with a number of thoughts that I will take back to Washington with me, not the least of which is Nebraskans are on the edge of their seats over health care reform.

Anxiety over what to expect is why passions often run high surrounding the issue of health care reform, especially since people have heard a lot of myths and twisted facts during this debate. That said, most Nebraskans I have heard from want the same thing -- cost containment without undermining the health coverage they now have or ending up worse off.

Protecting Your Interests

At each public meeting I carried my dog-eared copy of the six hundred-plus page bill so I could answer questions. People applauded when they found out I had read the bill, but they certainly didn't need to because, after all, it's my job to carefully analyze legislation. However, I was pleased it gave them a sense of comfort that I was following the process closely in order to protect their interests.

Most of the Nebraskans at the public meetings did not want to see an increase in taxes or the deficit, they would like to see a slowdown in the rise of insurance premiums, and they don't want socialized medicine.

Incentives to Improve Health

One part of the HELP Committee bill that the majority who attended public meetings did favor dealt with wellness. They liked the idea of incentives to encourage individuals to lead a healthier lifestyle which in turn reduces costs.

One of my favorite examples of this involves a large Nebraska-based company that is self insured. A survey showed that 51 percent of its workers smoked. To reduce that number they started offering incentives that lowered insurance premiums if they stopped smoking and did other things to improve their health. It worked. The number of smokers went from 51 percent to 11 percent and their insurance premiums went down.

Tort Reform

Many people at the meetings around Nebraska were interested in tort reform to reduce the number of medical malpractice lawsuits which would help reduce costs. This is something near and dear to my heart because Nebraska has what is arguably the toughest laws in the country. It happened in 1976 under the direction of then Governor Jim Exon, when I was his state insurance director. I helped craft the legislation that has held down costs for patients and physicians, reduced frivolous lawsuits and helped recruit top-quality health care providers to our state. Nationally, something needs to be done but it should not weaken Nebraska's law.

I didn't hear from anyone who favored reconciliation, which would jam a bill through Congress using a one-party majority, and I agree. Whatever bill finally emerges should have bipartisan support in order to provide relief for every American.

Something does need to be done to reform our health care system, if for no other reason than to control costs that are rising at an unsustainable pace, so I'll keep fighting on behalf of Nebraskans and encouraging a bipartisan process which incorporates the best of all reform ideas.

Dear Senator,

Sadly, the reason so many people are hysterically screaming against Health Care Reform is because the Health Insurance Industry and the Pharmaceutical Industry and the For-Profit Hospital Industry have hugely funded "citizen's groups" to spread non-stop lies.

EXAMPLE -- the 2003 GOP Congress Medicare Reform Act, signed into law by George W. Bush, providing for Medicare Payment for Doctors' Consultations for elderly patients asking for the Doctor's counsel in their personal End of Life planning.

THAT EXACT SAME WORDING, presented by Republicans for inclusion into multiple versions of the proposed Health Care Reform legislation this year -- suddenly became "OBAMA'S DEATH PANELS" in the hands of the professional liars.

In my business life, I have negotiated numerous employers' Group Health Insurance programs.

Without exception, every FOR PROFIT health insuror insisted upon rationing services, limiting coverage, denying coverage for any pre-existing condition, establishing annual and lifetime caps for total payments, imposing high deductibles and co-pay requirements.

THE WORSE IN A MAJORITY OF POLICIES -- Determining what doctors may be used to receive policy benefits.

Currently, THE ONLY PROGRAM which imposes no requirement as to which doctor or other medical practicioner is chosen by the patient -- IS THE SOCIALIST MEDICARE SYSTEM.

Every For Profit Insuror I know of requires patients to accept the company's selection of doctors and/or hospitals at some point.

With one business, to obtain adequate health and medical coverage for my employees, I was forced to incorporate in another state, establish an official corporate headquarters in that state, and negotiate a corporate-wide policy with an insuror in that state, where user friendly insurance codes were in force.

The irony, with the full coverage and adequate state regulation in place, the costs were reduced 30%, with complete coverage. The business recovered all costs for incorporation within 90 days.

With those costs recovered from the employer paid premiums, I was able to raise wages 10% for employees with twenty-four months tenure.

The National Health Care Insurance industry had a $2.5-BILLION Net Profit in 1998.

Their net profit for 2008 was $12.5-BILLION.

How are they paying for the incredible media "Fear Campaigns" this year.

Pfizer this week accepted a TOTAL $2.3-BILLION combined penalty for criminal business practices of virtually every description.

Here in my community, pharmaceutical company employees and contractors have screamed and ranted through Town Hall meetings, telling TV reporters they are just average citizens opposed to socialism, big government and every other lie they can invent.

The TV stations which feature the handful of noisy demonstrators, refuse to broadcast the true identities of those drug company shills, when confronted with the facts.

Not so amazing, when considering the individual stations and their networks are receiving hundreds of millions in advertising revenue from the Medical Profiteers' front groups.

Here in this small town, some of us old vets are helping an Iraq War widow and her two children. She is left with a pre-existing condition from a difficult childbirth, the baby with a problem from that difficult birth, an older child -- and no health insurance, because she has been denied repeatedly because of pre-existing conditions.

The military hospitals do not know her, she is not eligible for VA Medical Services and the super-patriot opposition to Health Care Reform could care less.

So as members of the local O.F. Club, we are digging into our retirement incomes and footing the bills.

I might add, we asked for help from several well-known Nam draft-dodgers, who profited mightily from staying home and building family businesses.

SURPRISE -- without exception, they declined the honor. The cowardly, inglorious B--t---s!!

-- Posted by HerndonHank on Fri, Sep 4, 2009, at 1:30 PM