June 18, 2009
Senator Kay Hagan rumored to be holding up health reform in key committee
Kay Hagan is on the US Senate’s Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). This is one of the two key committees in health reform in the US Senate. This committee was expected to release a health reform plan this week, but rumor is that Senator Kay Hagan and another Senator are insisting on holding up consideration of the health reform bill because of the inclusion of a public plan option.
Why Hagan would not want to give her constituents another option for health insurance when the only place most of them can go is one NC company – North Carolina Blue Cross Blue Shield – is beyond me.
NC Blue insures 3.7 million people out of the 5 million with private health coverage in NC – and has a near monopoly on individual and small business coverage. We need more health insurance competition and options in NC, including a public option.
Search
Previous Posts
- Private HMOs taking over NC Medicaid Program?
- NAMI-NC: Fearing unintended consequences
- An open letter to Larry Kissell
- State Health Plan responds to university faculty
view full archive » subscribe to feed
Web Links
- BlueNC
- Capital Beat (Greensboro News-Record)
- Capital Commentary (Wilmington Star News)
- Capital Letters (Asheville Citizen-Times)
- Deathwatch (Death penalty updates)
- Equality NC blog
- Exile on Jones Street
- Isaac Hunter’s Tavern (WUNC Radio)
- Leftyblogs
- Let’s Talk Politics (Hickory Daily Record)
- NC Conservation Network Blog
- North Carolina Economics
- Orange Politics
- Public Policy Polling
- Say Ahhh!
- Stop NCAR (Realtor’s Assn. watchdog)
- The Arc of North Carolina Policy Blog
- The People’s Business (Fayetteville Observer)
- This Old State (Charlotte Observer)
- Triangulator (Independent Weekly)
- Under the Dome (News & Observer)
- Watauga Watch
21 Comments Add yours »
[...] North Carolina’s Senator Kay Hagan is on the US Senate’s Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). This is one of the two key committees in health reform in the US Senate. This committee was expected to release a health reform plan this week, but rumor is that Senator Kay Hagan and another Senator are insisting on holding up consideration of the health reform bill because of the inclusion of a public plan option. Why Hagan would not want to give her constituents another More: Senator Kay Hagan rumored to be holding up health reform in key committee [...]
I heard she was a good listener. I guess that all depends on who’s talking.
What a disappointment.
Tragic if this is true. Who has backed her campaign that she is so willing to sell out so soon? Anyone know if she’s received money from the Blues? How tragic for North Carolinians!
her investments in the medical sector can be downloaded in .pdf at Legistorm, transparency’s sidekick.
[...] with many interests in the health care-industrial complex. The right-wing pundits hate it too, and reportedly a Senator from North Carolina is holding up its [...]
I think it is ridiculous how much we, as state employees are forced to go with blue cross as a monopoly that can charge whatever they want. The state is wondering why they are loosing money and it is right in front of their eyes! Let me spell it out for you, GET RID OF BCBS BEFORE THey DRAIN US DRY AGAIN>! and also get rid of people like rand who take money from them and pass laws to make them more money and hurt the employee and their families!
Wait, if 40% of North Carolinians get their health insurance from a company other than BCBSNC, how is that a monopoly? Pretty big market share, sure, but hardly a monopoly.
The post says that Blue Cross has a near monopoly on individual and small business coverage, not on health insurance in general. The Blue Cross share of the individual market is probably better than 90 percent.
MR needs to check his math. 3.7/5 = 74%. So overall, 74% of people privately insured in NC get their insurance from BCBS of North Carolina. Adam L is right – that figure is much higher in the individual and small business markets. Looks like a monopoly to me.
I’ll buy the individual market maybe, but not small business. That’s much more competitive. The problem in that market is that it’s shrinking as many of the smallest companies drop coverage for cost reasons.
It’s a good idea for this bill to be stalled for any reason. When searching the Bill text for what I felt were key Social Security Act mandates, I noticed a number of healthcare services that I felt should be in the Bill were left out. From my perspective as a healthcare provider, there seem to be a number of healthcare policy problems in the proposed Bill. For example, sections of the Social Security Act related to some vital heathcare services currently provided to children have been left out. This Bill needs to go through much more scrutiny before it gets out of committee. The Bill is also full of typos. A comma left out of a Federal Law quite a few year back screwed a generation of disabled people out of some important Medicare benefits. It takes a long time, if ever, to fix these types of errors, especially when a comma or typo saves the government a lot of money.
The CEO of N. C. BCBS only made over 3 million last year! Apparently he wants an increase in salary! And this is supposed to be a non-profit group?????What is Hagan’s problem? I worked hard for her campaign. Let’s hope and pray she doesn’t sell us out.
R Long
“Why Hagan would not want to give her constituents another option for health insurance when the only place most of them can go is one NC company – North Carolina Blue Cross Blue Shield – is beyond me.”
Let me help you, it’s because we can’t afford it….
Thank God that Senator Hagan has finally remembered where she comes from and who she works for. I hope she continues to look out for us in NC instead of blindly following Obama, Shumer, Reid and company. Keep standing up for us Kay and maybe I’ll really start to believe we have 2 Senators from NC.
HAGAN IS PROTECTING HER OWN $180,000 INTEREST:
June 16, 2009
Top of the morning
Posted at 6:50 AM by Chris Fitzsimon
http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2009/06/16/top-of-the-morning-120/#comment-38103
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.
If this is true, I am extremely disappointed in Senator Hagan. I worked hard for her, stood up in meetings and talked about her when she was little known in my neighborhood.
She needs to understand she was ELECTED TO MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN . Stop listening to the Insurance Lobbist and give the people of N.C. an insurance program that will work for EVERYONE, Senator. A Public Option needs to be in the plan a
as well as choice of other Insurance Companies.
Senator Hagan has endorsed the public option health plan put forward by the Senate Health Committee. This isn’t the end of the road – just the start of the negotiations – but Senator Hagan is clearly hearing from her consitituents! See our latest post:
http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2009/07/06/pharma-senator-hagan-and-the-public-option-health-plan/
Go to Canada or the UK and find out what type of health care we are headed for. Get ready to wait for healthcare. Also, some government agent will be making a decision to determine if and when you see a doctor. Senator Hagan is using common sense, instead of walking in lockstep with the president.
The answer to the health care debate is not a government option, which will only lead to rationing and worse care down the road. In Britian and Canada, dogs getting much better treatment than people.
The answer is more competition. Yes, Blue Cross has a monopoly in NC. Let’s allow people to shop for insurance nationally. Allow smaller businesses and self-employed to form co-ops for greater purchasing power. We don’t want to destroy the highest quality health care in the world simply because it cost too much.
The Obama Deception HQ Full length version
Get the DVD @
http://infowars-shop.stores.yahoo.net/obdedvd.html
The Obama Deception is a hard-hitting film that completely destroys the myth that Barack Obama is working for the best interests of the American people.
The Obama phenomenon is a hoax carefully crafted by the captains of the New World Order. He is being pushed as savior in an attempt to con the American people into accepting global slavery.
We have reached a critical juncture in the New World Order’s plans. It’s not about Left or Right: it’s about a One World Government. The international banks plan to loot the people of the United States and turn them into slaves on a Global Plantation.
Covered in this film: who Obama works for, what lies he has told, and his real agenda. If you want to know the facts and cut through all the hype, this is the film for you.
Watch the Obama Deception and learn how:
- Obama is continuing the process of transforming America into somethi… more
Just look at this and just remember elections in Nov. 2010.
U.S. House & Senate have voted themselves $4,700 and $5,300 raises.
1. They voted to not give you a S.S. Cost of living raise in 2010 and 2011.
2. Your Medicare premiums will go up $285.60 for the 2-years and
You will not get the 3% COLA: $660/yr. Your total 2-yr loss and cost is
-$1,600 or -$3,200 for husband and wife.
3. Over 2-yrs they each get $10,000
4. Do you feel SCREWED?
5. Will they have your cost of drugs – doctor fees – local taxes – food, etc., increase?
NO WAY . They have a raise and better benefits. Why care about you? You never did anything about it in the past. You obviously are too stupid or don’t care.
6. Do you really think that Nancy, Harry, Chris, Charlie, Barnie, et al, care about you? SEND THE MESSAGE– You’re FIRED.
IN 2010 YOU WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO GET RID OF THE SITTING CONGRESS:
Up to 1/3 OF THE SENATE, AND 100% OF THE HOUSE.
MAKE SURE YOU’RE STILL MAD IN NOVEMBER 2010 AND REMIND THEIR REPLACEMENTS NOT TO SCREW UP.
It is ok to forward this to your sphere of influence if you are finally tired of the abuse.
Maybe it’s time for the……..
Amendment 28
“Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United
States that does not apply equally to the Senators or Representatives,
and Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators or
Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the
United States.”
Let’s get this passed around, folks – these people in Washington have brought this upon themselves!!! It’s time for retribution. Let’s take back America.
Al Gore looks like an idiot with egg on his face all the way to the bank as this Climategate deal has made him multiwealthy. As the Global temperatures continue to decrease (on the weather in one part, the temperatures are 22% cooler than a few years ago. In other parts, they had white Christmas for the first time in a decade or more), he still continues trying to con people with his lies. The photos that he shows of the melted ice are 15 years old. More recent photos (and honest scientists) show the ice back and refrozen. How gullible are we going to get before we learn all of this is a con game?