Stimulus Bill

[Pitt2005]

If you would like to see an interesting article about what is hiding in the stimulus package, check out the link. Scary to think what might happen to medical care.............


<http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_mccaugh\
ey&sid=aLzfDxfbwhzs>

 

[pal215]

Its scary how fast the President and Nancy Pelosi are trying to push this thing through. They seem to be hoping that it will get through so fast, that not too many people will read it and see what wastes it has in it.

 

[JSF_Dreamer]

Government getting the final say of my medical treatments? Sorry, but ifI have some serious illness, I don't want the government chastising (sp?) my doctor for not giving me the "cost effective" medicine.

This bill doesn't cease to amaze me. They need to pass a bill banning HUGE bills to be thrown at congress and the senate and then have people run around yelling "the sky is falling! pass the bill!"

This isn't the first administration to do it, but I don't think any others were ballsy enough to do it their first month in office.

 

[HercDriver]

What is really scary is how people can read an opinion piece with incorrect info and take it seriously.

From the bill (emphasis, mine):

SEC. 3001. OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL COORDINATOR FOR HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.
"(a) Establishment-- There is established within the Department of Health and Human Services an Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (referred to in this section as the 'Office'). The Office shall be headed by a National Coordinator who shall be appointed by the Secretary and shall report directly to the Secretary.
"(b) Purpose-- The National Coordinator shall perform the duties under subsection (c) in a manner consistent with the development of a nationwide health information technology infrastructure that allows for the electronic use and exchange of information and that--

"(1) ensures that each patient's health information is secure and protected, in accordance with applicable law;
"(2) improves health care quality, reduces medical errors, reduces health disparities, and advances the delivery of patient-centered medical care;
"(3) reduces health care costs resulting from inefficiency, medical errors, inappropriate care, duplicative care, and incomplete information;
"(4) provides appropriate information to help guide medical decisions at the time and place of care;
​

You can see the language in the House bill that she referenced does not establish authority to "monitor treatments" or restrict what "your doctor is doing" with regard to patient care, but instead addresses establishing an electronic records system so that doctors would have complete, accurate information about their patients "to help guide medical decisions at the time and place of care."

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi...=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h1eh.txt.pdf#page=441

 

[keeper28]

If I recall properly, I read today that 30 million dollars is going straight to Pelosi's district. I believe I read that on World Net Daily. Maybe they could use some of that money to make more statues of dogs having sex and other important needs- ugh

 

[Flash]

If I recall properly, I read today that 30 million dollars is going straight to Pelosi's district. I believe I read that on World Net Daily.

If you got a fact, link it......to something reliable, not World Net Daily.

 

[keeper28]

Sorry- I'm not sure exactly how to link, so I hope I'm doing this right:

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/12/earmark-less-bill-gives-pelosis-mouse-cookie/

The article is similar to the one I read this morning, but not the exact one. My understanding is that 30 million is going towards this project of wetlands conservation in Pelosi's district that is all about saving the Salt Harvest Mouse.

Or did I misunderstand? If so, sorry!

 

[Flash]

Sorry- I'm not sure exactly how to link, so I hope I'm doing this right:

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/12/earmark-less-bill-gives-pelosis-mouse-cookie/

The article is similar to the one I read this morning, but not the exact one. My understanding is that 30 million is going towards this project of wetlands conservation in Pelosi's district that is all about saving the Salt Harvest Mouse.

Or did I misunderstand? If so, sorry!

Don't be sorry, that is exactly what I meant.

 

[Spekkio]

On principle, the government shouldn't be passing a stimulus bill at all. This whole mess started with government intervention via low interest rates and tax breaks to banks who gave out risky loans to people who couldn't pay them. Then they go ahead and give those same execs billions of dollars for their poor decisions. That didn't work, and Republicans got voted out for it. Now the Democrats decide to do it again???

Yea, it'll suck for a while, but the government needs to bow out and let the downturn run its course. The more they get involved, the worse it's going to get.

 

[PropAddict]

This whole mess started with government intervention via low interest rates and tax breaks to banks who gave out risky loans to people who couldn't pay them.

That's one theory. I would say it's more a a contributing factor than the out and out cause. If it were just home loans, making a fair stimulus to correct that would be cake.

There's another side of the aisle that sees the collapse as having been rooted in the relaxing of banking regulations during Reaganomics. That it's not really the ripple of home foreclosures that nailed us; it's all the money leveraging and paper market securities (backed by fractions of mortgages) that failed as a result, at high ratios up to 40:1, that made the whole thing really start snowballing. Basically, the lack of intervention allowed the greedy, evil bankers to do shady things.

Not saying it's right or wrong, just saying it's out there.

 

[coxjc05]

Here's your change...

I thought I would bring some humor into the situation... Saw this yesterday and laughed about how true it is.....

 

[Flash]

I thought I would bring some humor into the situation... Saw this yesterday and laughed about how true it is.....

Because I always want to know what Focus on the Family thinks. :icon_roll

 

[Spekkio]

That's one theory. I would say it's more a a contributing factor than the out and out cause. If it were just home loans, making a fair stimulus to correct that would be cake.

Yea, it's an oversimplified version of it, but I think it's probably one of the most significant contributing factors.

 

[The Chief]

SEC. 3001. OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL COORDINATOR FOR HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.
"(a) Establishment

Donno about the stimulus package as a whole, but it does seem like we are going to have more people riding on the wagon than that are pulling the wagon. I agree it is amazing that we have adult folk who cannot think for themselves but need "a source" to tell them what to think.

What I do know is that the "national information technoloogy health database" is a stupid idea; it will not work. Who ever thought this idea up has their finger up their nose or some other orifice. Clearly it was designed to line the deep pockets of someone. $19 Billion?

 

[HercDriver]

SEC. 3001. OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL COORDINATOR FOR HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.
"(a) Establishment

Donno about the stimulus package as a whole, but it does seem like we are going to have more people riding on the wagon than that are pulling the wagon. I agree it is amazing that we have adult folk who cannot think for themselves but need "a source" to tell them what to think.

What I do know is that the "national information technoloogy health database" is a stupid idea; it will not work. Who ever thought this idea up has their finger up their nose or some other orifice. Clearly it was designed to line the deep pockets of someone. $19 Billion?

Well, the office was actually established in 2004 by President Bush.

http://www.hhs.gov/healthit/onc/background/

And having medical records on an electronic database is projected to save billions every year in duplicate records and ease of use, improve a physician's access to critical information, reduce the variabilty of care and a host of other things.

I don't know. It will save money overall, get the medical records field to enter the modern era (good by triplicate!), and make it easier for my doc to see all of my medical history quickly. This almost seems like a (wait for it, wait for it)...
Good Idea!

To be honest, the author takes cash from big Pharma and is trying to kill anything medical in nature that will be coming out of congress. Look for more of her error-laden editorials as congress takes a look at universal health care.