Quad-City Times

Grassley objects to Health and Human Services Web site

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, says the Obama administration may be illegally using government money to spread “propaganda” about health care reform.

In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Grassley complained about the agency’s Web site.

The site includes a button called “State Your Support for health reform this year.”

The link leads to a form letter calling for reform in which people can leave their name and contact information.

“The use of the official HHS.gov Web site for activities that seem to be nothing more than government propaganda raises serious questions,” he said in the letter..[...]

Political Grapevine -Bret Baier

Grassley warns: “Any possible misuses of appropriated funds by the executive branch to engage in publicity or propaganda in support of an administration priority is a matter that must be taken seriously.” He references House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s argument in 2005 that the use of official funds for similar activities were “underhanded tactics” that “are not worthy of our great democracy.”

An HHS spokesman told Roll Call newspaper that officials look forward to discussing the issue with Senator Grassley.

Lets have a look at what Senator Grassley is speaking of. The pledge to Obama and democrat health care reform at Health Reform.gov (Which is BTW “An official U.S. Government Web site managed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services”)

The form letter:

State Your Support

Dear Mr. President,

We strongly support your commitment to comprehensive health reform.

This is not a luxury. The continuing, sharp escalation of health care costs for families, businesses, and government is unsustainable. Reform is imperative.

We believe that health reform must be enacted this year.

Reform is needed to help America’s families struggling with rising costs and those who are losing their insurance. At the same time, real health reform is crucial to keeping American businesses competitive in the world economy and for the country’s long-term economic viability. As our country faces economic challenges, the time for reform is now.

We support health reform that follows these principles:

* Protect families’ financial health
* Assure affordable, quality health coverage for all Americans
* Provide portability of coverage
* Guarantee choice of doctors
* Invest in prevention and wellness
* Improve patient safety and quality of care
* End barriers to coverage for people with pre-existing medical conditions
* Reduce long-term growth of health costs for businesses and government

During these extraordinarily challenging times, we need to put aside past differences and address the health and economic crisis. Our shared interest must come before narrow interests so we can achieve a health system that is affordable and provides high quality for all Americans. We will support your budget with its reserve fund dedicated to achieving health care reform in a fiscally responsible manner. Each of us must be prepared to contribute to achieving this fundamental goal.

By signing this statement we affirm our commitment to work with you and our Congressional leaders to enact legislation this year which provides affordable, high quality coverage for all Americans.

Now let’s compare the plans above as posted on Health Reform.gov to Obama’s plan.

Health Care

The President’s Plan

The Administration believes that comprehensive health reform should:

* Reduce long-term growth of health care costs for businesses and government
* Protect families from bankruptcy or debt because of health care costs
* Guarantee choice of doctors and health plans
* Invest in prevention and wellness
* Improve patient safety and quality of care
* Assure affordable, quality health coverage for all Americans
* Maintain coverage when you change or lose your job
* End barriers to coverage for people with pre-existing medical conditions

Can you say (damn near) verbatim? Yes you can!

HHS has responded(pdf.) to Grassley

The “State your Support” link urges no one to contact Congress. Instead, it offers citizens the opportunity to tell the President whether they agree with his position. Thus, the “State your Support” link does not violate this aspect of the law, either.

quarterback

“Instead, it offers citizens the opportunity to tell the President whether they agree with his position.”

This statement in the Sibelius letter appears to be untrue or misleading at best. As I understand it, the site gives the public the option only of “telling” Obama it supports him.

It is also at best an evasion for Sibelius to defend the site on the ground that it doesn’t directly ask the public to lobby Congress. First, of course, they obviously hope and expect it will lead people to lobby Congress, and the site was set up in conjunction with the astro-turfing effort of the Obama political operation which expressly is asking people to call Congress. Second, the obvious goal is to have Obama supporters express their support to the White House, which will then cite the number of supporting replies to Congress. Unless someone is going to suggest Obama is actually doing this to see what the public actually thinks. Who wants to suggest that is what he is doing? Why, then, is the only option to reply with one’s support?

Exactly…

Case in point:

By signing this statement we affirm our commitment to work with you and our Congressional leaders to enact legislation this year which provides affordable, high quality coverage for all Americans.

Keep it up Team Obama you are inspiring less of America with each passing day.

Hope is sinking like a stone…

Now this is a lawsuit I back 100%! And so should you.

God Speed.

Healthcare IT News

WHITE PLAINS, NY – A class action lawsuit claims the stimulus act jeopardizes the privacy rights of the 65 percent of Americans who aren’t on Medicaid or Medicare by requiring healthcare providers to create an electronic health record of every person in the United States.

…..

Lead plaintiff Beatrice M. Heghmann, a healthcare professional who has never been covered by Medicare and Medicaid, says because Title XIII of the stimulus act aims to have everyone’s medical histories in the system by 2014, their personal health information would be a “mouse click away from being accessible to an intruder.”

Heghmann has sued Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, White House Office of Health Reform Director Nancy-Ann Deparle and Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Charlene Frizzera.

…..

The lawsuit claims that the stimulus act gives authority to Sebelius, instead of a doctor, to release medical information. It also allows government officials to link a person’s medical information with other forms of personal identification, such as a driver’s license number or Social Security number, Heghmann says. [...]

H/T lsaldanamd