Disruption of Congress or Corruption of Congress--Single Payer Trial for the Baucus 13

The Congress is in bed with the Insurance industry and the WH goes along with this CORRUPTION.

THE TRUE heroes are below--they get handcuffed while congress enjoys its health benefits.




http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/05/27-4

Published on Wednesday, May 27, 2009 by CommonDreams.org


Disruption of Congress or Corruption of Congress?
Single Payer Trial for the Baucus 13

Single Payer Action

Seven of the Baucus 13 were arraigned in Washington, D.C. Superior Court this morning.

The Baucus 13 are doctors, nurses, lawyers and other single payer advocates who stood up before Senator Max Baucus and the Senate Finance Committee during hearings on May 5 and May 12 and demanded that a single payer advocate be allowed to testify.

Senator Baucus called 41 witnesses over three days of hearings on health care reform – not one of which was a single payer advocate.

The Baucus 13 were handcuffed, arrested, and now face charges of “disruption of Congress.”

Seven of the thirteen – Dr. Margaret Flowers, Dr. Pat Salomon, Dr. Carol Paris, Russell Mokhiber, Kevin Zeese, Mark Dudzik, and Adam Schneider – pled not guilty this morning.

The remaining six – Katie Robbins, Dr. Judy Dasovich, Dr. Steve Fenichel, Sue Cannon, DeAnn McEwan, and Jerry Call – will be arraigned later this week and next month.

A status hearing for the Baucus 13 was set for June 22 before Judge Harold L. Cushenberry.

The Baucus 13 are being represented by criminal defense attorneys Ann Wilcox and James Klimaski.

If they go to trial, the Baucus 13 will probably face a trial date sometime in the early fall.

Prosecutors this morning asked that the Baucus 13 be ordered to stay away from the Dirksen Senate Office Building – the scene of the single payer actions on May 5 and May 12.

But after objections from Klimaski, the presiding DC judge ordered the defendants to stay away from Dirksen “except for formal business – meaning other than protests.”

“Senator Baucus is charging us with ‘disruption of Congress,’” said Russell Mokhiber of Single Payer Action. “We are charging Senator Baucus with corruption of Congress. We believe we have a stronger case.”................................................

Should be some kind of award for that, not charges.

asking them to leave. Shameful.

people will help bring attention to the cause and their fight for single payer insurance.

According to a recent survey in The Annals of Internal Medicine, 59 percent of U.S. doctors favor single-payer Medicare for all.

http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN31432035

Billing becomes a nightmare for small firms. Instead of getting paid up front, a set amount that is documented prior to the service, they have to chase both insurance companies and the private people to pay their bills, and there is no telling when they will get paid. Bundle that in with insurance premiums they pay for practicing, you got a mess on your hands.

Its really tough for medical firms to project profits and costs, and allocate funds accordingly. They may be able to estimate how many people need Operation A a year, they do not know what the average compensation they receive will be for Operation A (since each payer may have an agreement to pay a different rate, and individuals have all sorts of different payers). One year, they may get half their patients come in with one type of insurance that pays rate 1 and another company that pays rate 2, and the next year maybe only 30% of the operations will receive rate 1. Administrating private and public facilities alike becomes a nightmare under a multiple provider/multiple rate system where providers may even choose not to pay at all.

he has the nerve to arrest those folks who just want to be heard!!

...............http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/05/27-4


According to a recent analysis by the public interest group Consumer Watchdog, Senator Baucus, the leading architect of health reform in the Congress, has received more campaign contributions from the health insurance and pharmaceutical corporations than any other current Democratic member of the House or Senate.

According to the report, Senator Baucus received $183,750 from health insurance companies and $229,020 from drug companies in the last two election cycles.

During recent Senate Finance Committee hearings on health care reform, Baucus has refused to allow even one person to testify on behalf of a single payer health care system.

According to recent polls, single payer is supported by a majority of Americans, doctors and health economists.

Baucus has been repeatedly asked over the past months to allow a single payer advocate to testify.

He has steadfastly refused

And it's 100% correct.

Senator Baucus is doing a disservice to his constituents by not investigating ALL OPTIONS.

He is an example of why our government no longer works for the people paying the bills. He should be removed from office at the earliest opportunity.

even allowing single payer to be heard.