Day by Day Nutrition

Recently I attend a Memorial Service for Radio Talk Show Host Francene Cucinello on Monday, Jan 18.  She died suddenly of a heart attack and brain aneurysm at age 43.  Francene was a local talk show host for WHAS Radio, a Clear Channel station.  My weekly radio show is also on a Clear Channel Station in Louisville even though my show is in the evening, I knew Francene and used to listen to her show.

John Yarmuth, US Representative from KY and a Democrat, was at Francene’s Memorial Service. I took the opportunity to ask him some questions about health reform. I know that was tacky but I know Francene would have taken advantage of the situation as well!

Yarmuth had been appointed by Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, to be the spokesperson on health care for the House.  I have actually seen him interviewed on Fox News a number of times.  However, he always stays on the Democratic House message. I got to know Yarmuth when he was publisher of LEO.  I told him I had attended the Health Care Reform Town Meeting at Central High School when Francene was the moderator.  I thought he took a lot of heat that night from angry citizens.  He should have understood at that meeting Louisvillians were steamed about what the federal government was doing behind closed doors. He has been quoted in several local newspapers as saying he was for the single payer system, so I knew deep down he was interested in a complete government takeover.

Yarmuth asked me what I thought would be a good plan for Health Reform.  I told him to read the 7 letters I have faxed him over the past 7 months about some suggestions that would be effective ways reform health insurance first before the Congressional Democrats dramatically change health care and the dynamics of America forever.

I explained to him that I didn’t feel Americans could get any reliable information on health reform from the government, the politicians or the media.  Both have lost credibility with me and most Americans.  Each entity seems to have  their own agenda!  He actually agreed to that observation.

I explained to him that middle America needs to understand the nuts and bolts of the new health plan and how it would affect us and our families.  No one can assure us that new health care plan will indeed be better and cost less.  Both bills in the Senate and House have been piece-milled together in order to get votes either by their members or by their voters.

It’s no big secret but in the past, government entitlement programs have always cost more and accomplished  less. I fear this plan will allow more Americans access to health insurance policy but will not have access to care because there are not enough health care professionals to take care of the patients that are on the books today.  The current plans on the table force Americans to pay for the programs for 4 years however the new health plan won’t begin to cover taxpayers until 2014.   Some special interest groups like unions don’t have to pay in to the program until 2018.

Get Politicians Out of the Health Care Business!

For one thing, I suggested getting the politicians out of the health reform business should be the first step.  Having the actual architects of health care reform include people who are involved in the day-to-day management of health care. Politicians are trying to re-design health care based on lobbyists and bribes to them and their members which can’t make for a very effective sustainable reform.

Politicians need to consider what is best for the American people rather than what is best for the DC politicians.  Most Americans have lost faith in politicians in Washington, DC as a result of the three-ring circus that is playing out in Congress.

States Should Demand Fair Treatment

States should demand fair treatment!  Yarmuth said the House is very irritated at what the Senate is doing. Unfortunately he must have forgotten what the Rep from Louisiana got from Pelosi for her vote.  Isn’t that always the way it is between the House & Senate?

Yarmuth also indicated to me that Nelson from Nebraska recently suggested he wants the same deal he got for all the states.  (Like he thought I didn’t know about this situation).  How in the world could the Federal government afford to do this?  I know – tax Americans more and cut services!

What about TORT Reform

One of the ushers from Southeast Christian Church was on hand for the discussion with Yarmuth as well.  He said his son was a family practice physician. The usher wanted to  know specifically about  TORT Reform.  Yarmuth said that the House bill has TORT reform included.  Really?  We asked him what were the stipulations.  He said that the House stance on  TORT reform is that it should be State regulated not at the Federal level.  Congressional Democrats typically have their campaigns financed by trial lawyers so of course they do not want to vote for TORT reform at the federal level.

I wanted to ask him, then, why based on his answer about TORT reform, health insurance reform not a state issue rather than a Federal issue.  Health reform, is my opinion,  is more about the federal government’s control rather than providing health care to Americans.  It’s a no brainer, just because someone has a health insurance policy doesn’t mean they will actually have access to care.

Yarmuth said as far as TORT reform was concerned when studies looked at how effective TORT reform was at lowering the cost of health care, he said they all indicated TORT reform didn’t lower the costs.  He said there were a least 6 studies done and all of them determined TORT reform didn’t save any health care dollars. I asked him about who complied the studies.  One study was done by a newspaper, according to Yarmuth, which in my opinion was probably biased and not reliable.  I explained to him that I had worked in research.  And, to make sure these studies were legitimate, they should have appeared in peer reviewed journals before the Democrats started using them as the basis for discounting TORT Reform as a way of decreasing health care costs.

Yarmuth also indicated that physicians who over-ordered tests just in case they might get sued was unlawful and he cautioned the father to let his son know that he could be prosecuted as a result.

Paying for Health Reform Is the Challenge But Taxing Tanning Beds!

For example, putting a 10% tax on tanning beds to help finance health reform is ridiculous!  Politicians are not smart enough to understand that tanning is one of those items you can do without especially when one’s personal budget is at risk due to the economy.  The tax will be effective at forcing those type of business out of business meaning more job loss.  There was a discussion about a Botox tax. How ridiculous!  What these proposals suggest to me is that these people in DC are completely out of touch with Americans.