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10/27/2010
Shown: Kagen's Failure on Health Reform
The barrage of attack ads emanating from Congressman Steve Kagen's campaign and various well-financed outside groups, like the public sector employees union, lead me to believe that they know Kagen is in danger of losing his seat. Among the top reasons for his unpopularity at home is his support for the health care reform. The reform is not popular with voters – and when you look at some of the details you can see why.
Representative Chris Van Hollen chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign and recently tried to reassure voters that any cuts to Medicare in the health reform came primarily from the Medicare Advantage plans. At Kagen's listening session last August at Green Bay's Southwest High School, he tried to reassure voters that he was fighting hard to keep those very same plans intact. Guess he lost that fight.
All is not lost for Kagen, though, since Van Hollen's account is simply not accurate. The majority of $500 billion in cost changes to the fees paid to doctors for services are from traditional Medicare and not the separate Medicare Advantage plans.
Democrats are quick to point out that these are not cuts, they are changes to Medicare intended to strengthen it. I'm happy to concede that a reduction in the fees paid to doctors for Medicare services are not cuts, but this really doesn't matter since they are never likely to take effect anyway. Since the late 1990's the law of the land has dictated Medicare reimbursement rate cuts – and every time the cuts are imminent, Congress steps in and temporarily blocks them. This is the "doc fix" that you hear reported in the news all too frequently.
So even though Congress has proven it is unwilling to reduce payments to doctors, Kagen claims this very same mechanism will be used to make Medicare more sustainable in the long run; it’s no wonder voters are skeptical.
And if by some rare chance, the fee reductions go into effect, I still won't call these cuts, but the American Medical Association will. Following the last "doc fix" vote in the summer, the AMA issued a statement warning that doctors have already begun to limit their number of Medicare patients because of, "the ongoing threat of future cuts and the fact that Medicare payment rates were already too low.”
Concerns about health care weighed heavily in voters minds in 2008, and for good reason. The response from Kagen, Obama and the Democrats has done little if anything to address those concerns. What we got was a bill that increased coverage, but was sold to voters as one that addresses costs. Increasing coverage may be a worthy goal, but it has been done in such a way that makes it likely we will be addressing this question again sooner rather than later.
Having failed to deliver on this front once, I don't see any reason to give Steve Kagen a second chance at it by voting for him this time around.
Jeremy Shown blogs at Rhymes with Clown and frequently hits on politics and economics in Wisconsin and the U.S.
COMMENTS
>>> "Concerns about health care weighed heavily in voters minds in 2008, and for good reason."
Of course, and if the R's take control it will get worse rather than better. They are in the pocket of the insurance industry (too!) and nothing can happen (or did happen) under those circumstances.
The majority of citizens support a Medicare-for-all system (except for right wingers), but that matters to neither party. And the more they learn of it the more that come on board.
But remember Winston Churchill who said: "America will always do the right thing, but only after everything else fails."
Jack Lohman (Wed Oct 27 07:03:56 2010)
Jack, what makes you think The Democrats aren't in the pocket of the insurance companies? Take a look at some of the federal campaign financing lists and see who some of the big donors to the Democrats are. I can assure you that insurance companies of all kinds are stuffing Dem war chests full of cash.
Maybe you want to be under the care of the feds but I.Do.Not. I want them to stay the hell as far away as possible. Everything they touch they ruin. They made healthcare as mixed up and onerous as possible and when it almost ground to a halt very bravely stepped forth and said, "I'm from the government and I'm here to help!"
This is Everyman's time to bolt like a deer and run screaming into the night!
The only cure I can see for it is to put not only term limits on our legislators but to shorten their sessions at work (with a cut in pay, I might add) I think two 6 week sessions per year would work out just about right with a mandate that they have to return home to their districts. It would keep them very busy for during those sessions and out of our hair for the rest.
C. R. Stevenson (Wed Oct 27 08:41:13 2010)
Jeremy, do you support a Medicare-for-all system?
Dean Weichmann (Wed Oct 27 08:46:50 2010)
C.R., you are 100% correct about the Dems being corrupted by campaign cash, but so are the R's. Obama took $20 million of the $125 million given by the insurance industry bribes. But of course, that's why I argue for public funding of campaigns to eliminate this corruption. One day I think you'll agree.
But you are wrong about Medicare. It is the most successful public-private relationship ever put together by the government. It's 95% run by private doctors and hospitals, and IT WORKS! So well that the insurance industry wants to kill it. (Or "privatize it, if they can do so at their price.)
I just wrote about this at Should we privatize Medicare?
And I could buy term limits: ONE four year term... period. It is the second and subsequent terms that fuel the corruption... gathering cash for re-election.
Jack Lohman (Wed Oct 27 08:57:05 2010)
Unless you pay for your own care like I do you have no right to criticize the reforms. Put your money where your mouth is and you will see how these reforms have been a Godsend.
dave allen (Wed Oct 27 09:00:39 2010)
Dave, I don't know what insurance you have, but unless you have gotten very sick and needed it, you don't know whether it is good. I'd take a good look at these definitions to see.
Jack Lohman (Wed Oct 27 09:09:23 2010)
What happened to Jeremy's reply to my question? It was up earlier.
Dean Weichmann (Mon Nov 01 08:05:43 2010)
HEY...have you seen the newest ad on TV. It is on several local channels. It is done by and PAID FOR BY Dr. Yeatman himself...not a PAC. He really is putting is money and reputation on the line for what he believes in. CONGRATULATIONS and THANK YOU to Dr. Yeatman. In case you were not at the recent debate at FVL between Kagen and Ribble, there were about 15 doctors standing out there in the cold with tee shirts stating..Doctors for Ribble. I also noted a full page ad in the PC this weekend by doctors against Dr. Kagen. Looks like Dr. K. you're not popular with fellow doctors. I hope he gets the message loud and clear TOMORROW night.
bhm (Mon Nov 01 15:40:39 2010)
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