Vocal Crowd Packs Health Care Forum In Abingdon
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Boucher Town Hall Meeting
Hundreds of people packed a town hall meeting in Abingdon, Virginia hosted by U.S. Representative Rick Boucher (D Virginia 9th District).
Photo by: Dana Wachter, 11 Connects
Rep. Boucher says he hasn’t decided how he will vote on the five bills in Congress, and he doesn’t think the so-called “public option” is necessarily the right way to go. He’s drawn toward the newly discussed member owned cooperatives.
Abingdon, Va.—More than a thousand people packed the hall at the Higher Education Center in Abingdon Thursday morning, for a health care reform town hall meeting.
Some applause, but a chorus of boos welcomed Virginia’s Ninth District Congressman, Democrat Rick Boucher.
Groups from unions, and individuals listened to Rep. Boucher, and then representatives from local health care organizations speak about current health care options.
Boucher says he hasn’t decided how he will vote on the five awaiting bills in Congress, but that he isn’t convinced the so-called “public option” is the way.
He does think reform is necessary for millions of uninsured Americans, because now, the public pays for those uninsured patients.
“My sense is that it’d be more economically feasible for us to find a direct solution for everyone to have access to health insurance then to continue to bear these very high costs indirectly,“ said Rep. Boucher.
Perhaps the biggest concerns voiced by voters at the town hall is the prospect of a government take-over of health care, and the future debt for America.
Boucher hosted another meeting drawing crowds like the one today, earlier this week in Dublin, Va.
Click on the icon above to hear more from Rep. Boucher and his constituents.
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As of 9:45 a.m.
A town hall meeting on health care in Abingdon, Virginia drew a capacity crowd.
The meeting hosted by U.S. Representative Rick Boucher (D Virginia 9th District) is going on at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center. 11 Connects digital journalist Dana Wachter is at the meeting and reported through Twitter: “Wellmont CEO Mike Snow asked rhetorically, ‘What are we arguing about anyway?‘ Crowd yelled, ‘Government control!‘ Lots of verbal response here.“
Look for updates here on TriCities.Com, and you can follow Dana Wachter on Twitter: @danawachter
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Reader Reactions
Bbart “ If they succeed in their goal to deny health insurance to all Americans, they and their families will be the losers. One of these days their friendly insurance company will drop them like a hot potato after they have their first cancer or heart attack.“
What is the difference between a private plan dropping me or a public plan dropping me because it would not be worth it to provide me the coverage. This Obama care you want to force on people will only remove their choice.
“The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.“ Winston Churchill
Instead of trying to forge a partnership with a bunch of snakes, Obama and the Democrats should have just rammed the through.
His biggest mistake?
Trying to work with the Republicans.
Here is a list of the “Bi-partisan” sponsors of H.R.3200. Mr. DINGELL, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. GEORGE MILLER
of California, Mr. STARK, Mr. PALLONE, and Mr. ANDREWS. We are suppose to believe this is a non-partisan bill.
The dems would have us believe we have “choice” under their plan (It is their plan).Here is a definition of a “qualified Health benefit plan” from H.R.3200.
(20) QUALIFIED HEALTH BENEFITS PLAN.—
5
The term ‘‘qualified health benefits plan’’ means a
6
health benefits plan that meets the requirements for
7
such a plan under title I and includes the public
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health insurance option
Now who will determine what a qualified plan will be? Who will define the requirements? I thought we would have “choice”. I guess “choice” is what the dems tell you it is.
kdr1.
Here’s the answer I promised “NO”.
bbart.
Thanks for the advise, you are absolutely right, I’ll do just that. Not worth my time because it’s like talking to a brick wall isn’t it.
Next?
Don’t waste your time arguing with these paid vocal/local RNC/insurance company goons. They are copying responses from scripts prepared by their Wall Street Bosses.
If they succeed in their goal to deny health insurance to all Americans, they and their families will be the losers. One of these days their friendly insurance company will drop them like a hot potato after they have their first cancer or heart attack.
BTW, no one I know expects any “freebies” in health care reform. We can pay for what we get, but we do not need to contribute 30% of our premiums to the $12 million per year salaries of the insurance CEO’s and their corporate flunkies.
Next? “Next. Deregulations: Insurance Companies, Health Care Providers, Banks, Lending Institutions, Oil and Gas Industries etc.etc.etc. the list is endless”
This is just liberal garbage, nothing more. You have to show me specifically what Bush did to cause the economic problems. The dems won the house and senate in 2006, did they just let this happen?
Neat? “Next. I’ll not attempt to answer the question you ask of me in your forth paragraph. You failed to answer some of mine, either you didn’t know the answer because you were telling a lie or quoting from something that someone else told you, therefore you could not backup what you said. Remember that part about “INVESTIGATING” the truth.“
First of all, i am not a liar. But that is a liberal tactic used to draw attention away from the subject at hand. If you will notice i leave the personal attacks out.
This is the last question i asked of you.“If medicare is so good , then why do insurance companies sell supplemental insurance to seniors to cover what is deemed by medicare to be reasonable and customary charges.“
The answer is medicare does not cover everything. People have to cover charges they incurr. Now the problem i have is if the government pushes out competition through its healthcare system, how will i be able to make my own choices about my medical needs. There will be no competitors to use and if there are it will be extremely expensive.
Next?“Thanks to kdr1 and those here that I’ve corresponded with. An agreement on Health Care Reform will be another Abortion and Gay Rights issue. There will never be an end to the subject. There will always be those for and against, we can only hope to be civil in our beliefs.“
I guess you consider civil calling me a liar. And yes, I will never agree with or accept abortion as a “civil” act.
It is the most heinous act ever permitted by a government. It is not even barbaric, there are no words to describe the slaughter of innocent helpless human beings. Now Obama used presidential order to overide Bush’s order to withdrawl from the Mexico city act(we give money for foriegn abortions). If he cares that little for life, i certainly would’nt trust him with mine. He doesnt even know when life begins, so should we let the dems decide when its to expensive to save other lives?
Now i will get my wife to explain to me what “reasonable and customary charges” and “premiums” are if can get someone to explain to you what facts are, because you did’nt answer several of my question either.
No this obamacare is not going to free. It will destroy competition, choice, and quality care.
Everyone should listen to this 5 minute NPR show from the morning of 8/28 entitled, “IN HEALTH CARE DEBATE, FEAR TRUMPS LOGIC.“
http://tinyurl.com/mschm6
Every time national health care has come up, the big money boys have stoked the fires of fear and sent their paid goons to spread the word, just like they are now doing. Here are some quotes from the written version of the show:
“Jonathan Oberlander, a political scientist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, says he’s not at all surprised to see recent claims — all thoroughly debunked — that suggest, for example, that bills under consideration would encourage senior citizens to commit suicide when they become ill or infirm.“
In 1915: “They said that national health insurance was a plot by the German emperor to take over the United States.“
In the 1940’s: “They said if we adopted national health insurance, the Red army would be marching through the streets of the U.S.; they said this was the first step toward communism,“
In the 1990’s: “the health insurance industry. It ran ads using an ordinary looking couple, named Harry and Louise, to raise doubts among middle-class Americans about how the Clinton plan might hurt rather than help them.“
All of this back in forth has gotten off of the real point of issue. Health Care reform does not meet true reform. We need to go no further than in any of the proposed versions they all exclude law suits against the government, but that exclusions is not extended to private insurance companies. Is that fair competition? Further, we now have the former head of the DNC Dr. Dean saying that the reason for no Tort reform is because when you add to many things to a bill that it creates to much opposition. So does that mean since trail lawyers support the democratic party that they get a pass? If they are allowed to sue the insurance companies then with true competition they should be able to sue the government for the very same reasons that they would sue the insurance companies.
But this will not happen, again all this bill is about is government control in every sector of our life. We talk about funding abortion which they say is not in the prosposed bill, but yet in one version it goes as far to say coverage is only available in intervals of pregnacy. So what happens when a woman becomes pregant and that coverage does not fall within the specified time frame. Abortion!
I cannot believe that these bills are being written by our lawmakers. And for the first time I am really starting think that Beck is not all show and is providing some very good points that all of us should look further into.
We all want to continue our freedom, is there some issues that need attention? most likely, but not at the expense and power grab that is coming our way.
Nuff said
kdr1.
This will be my final attempt to help you comprehend what I have written.
First of all I have Health Care Insurance. I pay a deductable and a co-pay for every medical service I recieve. I do not nor have I ever complained about paying either of my contributions for services rendered. However, I have stated in the past my concerns for the rapidly raising cost of Health Insurance Preminums. Do you know and understand what a preminums is?, you’ll have to get someone else to explain that to you.
Next. If a Doctor, Clinic or Hospital will not accept you INSURANCE, YOU CAN NOT PAY YOUR CO-PAY FOR SERVICES RENDERED. Why do you have a problem understanding that. That did’nt equate in any way, fashion or form that I expected “FREE HEALTH CARE”, you got that, can’t make that any plainer. I had to pay the entire bill instead of paying my co-pay and my Health Care Insurance Provider paying their part. Man you are hard headed!
Next. Customary and Reasonable charges are this… An Insurance company has a formula they use to calculate what they will pay any Doctor and Hospital for a particular service. The Doctor and or the Hospital, which ever is the case, agrees to accept what the Health Insurance Companies will pay. Now the Doctors and or Hospitals have a few options they can choose from. They can accept the Insurance Companies formula for the entire service. Or they can tell the patient the patient will have to pay any fees tha insurance companies will not pay. Or they can NOT ACCEPT THE INSURANCE ALL TOGETHER, THEREFORE THE PATIENT HAS TO PAY THE ENTIRE AMOUNT. That’s what I had to do. GEEEES!
Next. I’ll not attempt to answer the question you ask of me in your forth paragraph. You failed to answer some of mine, either you didn’t know the answer because you were telling a lie or quoting from something that someone else told you, therefore you could not backup what you said. Remember that part about “INVESTIGATING” the truth.
Next. Deregulations: Insurance Companies, Health Care Providers, Banks, Lending Institutions, Oil and Gas Industries etc.etc.etc. the list is endless.
Next. The reason and answer you seek to your last question can be found, if you can comprehend what you read, in my third and forth paragraph. I’ll do this for you, if you get this one right, and I don’t believe you will, I’ll write back to say “Yes” if you did or “No” if you didn’t, if you write back with your answer.
If anybody else didn’t understand what I’ve said on this Blog please let me know and I’ll write back and converse with you. If not I know that kdr1 is the only one that has a problem here.
Thanks to kdr1 and those here that I’ve corresponded with. An agreement on Health Care Reform will be another Abortion and Gay Rights issue. There will never be an end to the subject. There will always be those for and against, we can only hope to be civil in our beliefs.
Next?
next? quote “Now I state this again you said in your Aug. 25th post “I don’t understand why people (what people??)are under the assumption that healthcare should be free?“ Where did you read that in any of the versions of the Health Care Reform Bill. That’s a simple enough question,“
I’ll show you were i get that idea, from you. Here are your words from August 27, 2009 at 11:20 am.
Next?both “insurance Companies told me they would pay what was “customary and reasonable charges” if either of the hospitals would accept the insurance, they declined. I paid dearly out of pocket for both operations.“
They told you they would pay what was “customary and reasonable” and that means you had to pick up the rest of the charges. I guess it should have been FREE, how dare you have to pay for any kind of medical service. I have had to pay for doctors visits out of pocket when i did not have insurance. There is no free lunch, someone has to pay. Are you telling me that everyone in the national plan under Obamacare will have to pay. Show me were it says that.
Next? quote “Can you pronounce d-e-r-e-g-u-l-a-t-i-o-n-s. That word could answer many of you misguided believes.“
deregulation of what? What specifically caused the economic crisis? Deregulation is nothing more than a liberal buzz word. Show me the specifics instances your talking about.
If medicare is so good , then why do insurance companies sell supplemental insurance to seniors to cover what is deemed by medicare to be reasonable and customary charges.
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