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Top of the morning

Post on June 16, 2009 by 1 Comment »

North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan made the Washington Post this weekend as one of 30 lawmakers playing a key role in health care reform who have significant investments in the health care industry.

Hagan is a member  of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor, and Pension Committee that will begin its health care debate today on Capitol Hill.  The Post says Hagan owns at least $180,000 in investments in health care companies.

The 30 members of Congress who will draft the reform proposal combined have between $11 million and $27 million of personal investments in the industry that will be directly affected by what Congress decides.

It is not against the law or Congressional rules for lawmakers to have large financial interests in the industries they regulate.

But it doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence.

Possibly related posts:

  1. Corporate interests pushing Hagan to cut unemployment benefits?
  2. Finally, some good news on wage standards
  3. Actual earthquake v. health policy earthquake
  4. One million young adults now have health coverage because of the Affordable Care Act

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Comments (Closed):1

  1. Marsha V. Hammond, PhD
    June 20, 2009 at 1:29 am

    Wednesday, June 17, 2009
    http://madame-defarge.blogspot.com/: NC Mental Health Reform

    NC Senator Kay Hagen is opposed to Public Option/ Medicare accessibility: affects mental health also

    Some people might think that not having access to Medicare does not affect mental health but you’d be dead wrong.

    What does Medicare do that is useful?

    *provides for expanded CPT billing by Mental health care providers (Humana, sneaking around and re-naming itself, it appears, as ‘Lifesynch’, only pays for 90806 or 45-50 minutes of psychotherapy: the problem with this is that interaction w/ medical providers for the many mental health clients who have impacting physical illnesses is not billable)

    *does not ask for all the session notes (yes, Willis, Humana does that and will ask for their money back if you do not send in those confidential notes)

    *Medicare has an efficient administrative system in place as well as electronic billing (Humana, for instance does not).

    *Medicare automatically wraps around to Medicaid if the client is dually eligible; Medicare also wraps around to AARP’s complementary insurance (Humana does not)

    Yet, here is the DEMOCRATIC party senator Kay Hagen who is in a key position on the Seante Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee who is opposing the public option which would allow people to opt for Medicare.

    Here is some information sent via Democratic Party channels: Democrats.com Local Announcement List.

    “…..Sen. Ted Kennedy is being treated for cancer so he cannot vote on health care bills before the committee he chairs, the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee.
    That makes Sen. Kay Hagan’s vote crucial. But she secretly OPPOSES the public option that Sen. Kennedy and President Obama are working so hard to pass. She is so ashamed she won’t even admit it publicly.

    Call Sen. Hagan’s offices with a simple message:

    Support a Full Public Option – Medicare For Anyone.

    DC 202-224-6342, Greensboro 336-333-5311, Raleigh 919-856-4630.

    Be sure to provide your North Carolina voting address.”
    posted by Marsha V. Hammond, PhD
    http://madame-defarge.blogspot.com/