The Blue State

Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act

There's a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act which will require Insurance Companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. It's about eliminating the 'drive-through mastectomy' where women are forced to go home just a few hours after surgery, against the wishes of their doctor, still groggy from anesthesia and sometimes with drainage tubes still attached

Lifetime TV (I know "guys", Lifetime hates "us"...but this is a good cause) lays out this issue very well 'The Re-Introduction of The Bipartisan Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act'.

This bill has been introduced during each Congressional session since 1997 (1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2005). Each time, unfortunately, the bill dies in committee. It has been submitted again during the current legislative session as "The Breast Cancer Protection Act of 2007"   

Lifetime does have an online petition (much like an email petition),   however, there is no way to verify signatures or prevent multiple   "signings". A more productive approach to getting this, or any   legislation passed would be for interested voters to contact their elected representatives   directly. Click the following links for contact information for SENATORS   and REPRESENTATIVES.

 

Those interested in tracking the progress of this latest attempt at   passage, can click HERE   for Senate action, and HERE   for the House version.

The above information came from HERE, and in my opinion does not dilute the importance or effectiveness of Lifetime's petition, it's additional "insurance" and "assurance" of getting the JOB done. Our elected officials are getting the best care available, yet when it comes to us "commoners", it's a crap shoot on the crap table of the insurance companies. 

Harry Reid Responds to Bush

Harry Reid responded to President Bush's invite to a White House sit down.

Transcript from Crooks & Liars

The president is inviting us down to the White House withpreconditions," Reid said. "Things are not OK in Iraq.  As thePope said on Easter Sunday, a slaughter is taking place in Iraq.  The Popefurther said nothing good is coming from Iraq. The president must realize that. He has to deal with Congress. We are an independent branch of this government,and by our Constitution we have equal say that he has.  And he's got tolisten to us.  Because we are speaking for the American people; heisn't." (Transcript below the fold)

Reid: "He wants to go down there and say, 'I want a clean bill.' That's not negotiating. I mean, I am — prided myself on being a pretty goodlawyer, trial lawyer.  I've settled lots and lots of cases.  But younever settle a case going in saying, 'You can come and meet with me, but here'swhat the result's going to be before we meet.'  That doesn't work. And thepresident has to realize it doesn't work in the practice of law, it doesn't workin the business world and it doesn't work in government."

Bush probably wants to brow beat, tongue lash and remind them he's the decider.

The Disturbing Truth About Medicare Part D

Once upon a time on an enchanted Hill there was The pharmaceutical industry,the congressmen and the lobbyists, but this isn't a fairy tale. This is thestory of how the Medicare Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003(better known as MedicarePart D) was passed.

The bill made it to the house in the morning, but wasn't voted on until 3:00AM so it wouldn't attract any media coverage. It was supposed to have been a 15minute vote, but voting was left open for almost 3 hours until it received thevotes it needed.

60 Minutes did a story on this UnderThe Influence.

(CBS) If you have ever wondered why the cost of prescriptiondrugs in the United States are the highest in the world or why it's illegal toimport cheaper drugs from Canada or Mexico, you need look no further than thepharmaceutical lobby and its influence in Washington, D.C.

Referring to the frenzy to pass the bill, Representitive Walter Jones (R NC)said "I've been in politics for 22 years, and it was the ugliest night Ihave ever seen in 22 years."

15 of the staffers and politicians that worked on this bill to get it passed,were eventually employed by pharmaceutical companies making as much as $2million salaries.

 

 

The Center for Public Integritydigs deeper into what they call PushingPrescriptions. There is a lot of information on their web site.

Harkin and Murkowski take bold approach to nutrition at public schools

Democratic Senator Tom Harkin and Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski are introducing a bill called the Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act.  The measure would make school venders obliged to follow the Department of Agriculture's nutrition standards.  As the latest edition of Newsweek said, "Move over, French fries. Fruit cups may soon be the side of choice—during school hours, at least."

In a press release two weeks ago, Senator Murkowski announced her motivation in co-sponsoring this bill:

“As a parent of school-age children, I know first-hand of the poordietary temptations that are readily available to children each day atschool.  We all know the problem, and we all know that eating the right amountof healthy foods and getting enough exercise are the answers topreventing overweight, obesity and all the related serious healthproblems and costs."

Senator Harkin, who wrote the bill, agreed:

“Selling junk food in schoolsundercuts our investment in school meal programs, and steers kidstoward a future of obesity and diet-related disease. Congress can'tstand idly by while our kids are preyed upon by junk-food marketers."

From the perspective of a college student that not too long ago ate cafeteria food in high school, I noticed that the classmates of mine who ate candy and pop for lunch were the same individuals who had trouble paying attention in class.  The more we let chemicals like sugar reduce the learning potential of our children, the less output our society will get in our investment in public education.  Obesity is a whole other concern, and a serious one.  But when the foods we feed students are minimizing their learning potential, a bill like the one Tom Harkin and Lisa Murkowski are proposing is needed.