Wednesday, May 03, 2006

FIGHT Senate bill S.1955 TODAY


Image courtesy of DGTraining. A coalition of natl orgs is sponsoring a natl call-in day today May 3rd. Please take a minute to call your Senators, toll free 800-828-0498 or look their info up here and tell them to vote NO on the Enzi bill. I had previously posted about this vile Senate bill on April 12. I am now asking you to run NOT walk to the phone and tell your senators to NOT VOTE for this bill dubbed the "Enzi Bill" in honor of the soul-less prick Sen Enzi (R-WY) who vomited out this piece of trash. Bill S.1955's actual name is the the so-called Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization & Affordability Act, and although the bill’s alleged purpose is to make insurance affordable for small businesses, its real purpose is sinister: This bill would take away nearly all state laws that require coverage for important medical rts currently given by states. This is just a small list of what this bill threatens to take away (via PDF): Cervical/Prostate cancer screenings, bone marrow transplants, alcohol/ drug abuse treatment, emergency services, mental health services, breast reconstruction, minimum maternity stay, provision of diabetic supplies, direct access to your OB-GYN, well-child visits, continuity of care during pregnancy, mammography, contraceptives, infertility diagnosis & treatment. Notice how many of these services will directly impact women/ children's healthcare and send it back to the Stone Age? S.1955 also prevents states from enforcing their own benefit protections. If states try to enforce their own insurance laws, insurance companies would be able to sue states in fedrl court, even though patients would have no such recourse. That's right folks - the insurance companies could sue your state if they try to enforce their laws protecting your right to access to decent health care. We can't sue the isurance companies for w/holding coverage - but the insurance companies can go after our state for trying to stick up for us. What will result? People will have to choose between accepting barebones policies and paying higher rates for the more comprehensive coverage they need, while small business will see their health care costs skyrocket as the bill pits the young and healthy against the sick and old. The LATimes asked: Who will pay for those knocked out of the system by these rising costs? State and local taxpayers, that's who. At least 39 state attorneys general, 3 governors, 16 state insurance regulators, and AARP object to the legislation. But will that stop the GOP who wants the insurance companies to be allowed to sue states that do not comply? No b/c the insurance lobbyists own the GOP. And by the way, Enzi is the Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee. With a diabolical plan like this, this bastard shouldn't be left in charge of a lemonade stand. CALL YOUR SENATORS.
Posted by Tina :: 12:56 AM :: 13 Comments:

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