In October, former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) broke with his party to argue that health care reform “is not socialized medicine” and suggested that he could have voted for the bill. “You hear a lot of people on the extreme say that socialized medicine is going to come in and control everything. Socialized medicine is where the government owns the hospitals. They own the doctors and they decide how much people are getting paid. And that’s not what’s in these bills,” Frist told Washington Journal.

Yesterday, during a panel at the American Hospital Association with Tom Daschle, Frist again characterized the new law as a moderate measure that he “sort of likes.” From Emily Walker of MedPage Today:

Frist, a thoracic surgeon, told Time magazine back in October that if he were still in Congress, he would vote for the bill. And his support apparently hasn’t wavered. On Monday afternoon he said he would give an “A” grade to the provisions in the law aimed at expanding insurance to an additional 32 million people. Cost, however, is another matter. While most Republicans would likely slap a failing grade on the cost aspect of the law, Frist said he’d rank it a “C.”

“I like the bill,” Frist said during a panel discussion with former Democratic Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle at the American Hospital Association’s (AHA’s) annual meeting. “I think it’s got lots of positive stuff in it, other than the costs.” CONTINUED

Wonk Room » Bill Frist On Health Care Law: ‘I Like The Bill,’ ‘I’m Very Proud Of This Administration’

A User’s Guide to Health Care Reform

By: Patricia Barry | Source: From the AARP Bulletin print edition | May 1, 2010

HEALTH CARE REFORM UPDATE

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YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

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A User’s Guide to Health Care Reform – AARP Bulletin Today

  (Reuters) – Shortly after they were diagnosed with breast cancer, each of the women learned that her health insurance had been canceled. There was Yenny Hsu, who lived and worked in Los Angeles. And there was Patricia Reilling, a successful art gallery owner and interior designer from Louisville, Kentucky.

Neither of these women knew about the other. But besides their similar narratives, they had something else in common: Their health insurance carriers were subsidiaries of WellPoint, which has 33.7 million policyholders — more than any other health insurance company in the United States.

The women paid their premiums on time. Before they fell ill, neither had any problems with their insurance. Initially, they believed their policies had been canceled by mistake.

They had no idea that WellPoint was using a computer algorithm that automatically targeted them and every other policyholder recently diagnosed with breast cancer. The software triggered an immediate fraud investigation, as the company searched for some pretext to drop their policies, according to government regulators and investigators.

Once the women were singled out, they say, the insurer then canceled their policies based on either erroneous or flimsy information. WellPoint declined to comment on the women’s specific cases without a signed waiver from them, citing privacy laws.

That tens of thousands of Americans lost their health insurance shortly after being diagnosed with life-threatening, expensive medical conditions has been well documented by law enforcement agencies, state regulators and a congressional committee. Insurance companies have used the practice, known as "rescission," for years. And a congressional committee last year said WellPoint was one of the worst offenders.

Exclusive: WellPoint routinely targets breast cancer patients | Reuters

This week I wrote a small piece relative to Healthcare Reform corroborating an excellent letter from another resident of my district. It is important that those who have the facts and numbers on their side write to the editor of your local paper to inform those grossly misinformed by FoxNews, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, and all the other immoral misinforming hacks that are putting our entire country at risk.

If I did not hear this with my own ears I would think it was comedy. This is what the GOP is becoming. WHERE IS THE PARTY OF LINCOLN? How much further can they fall? Will the country follow them to the abyss?

Now that we’ve won health care reform, it’s up to us to make sure the law hold the insurance industry accountable and fulfills its historic promise of health security for all.

Thanks to the new law insurance companies will have to spend more of our premiums on health care instead of soaring profits and executive pay, and they’ll have to defend their outrageous rate increases. States will get the resources they need to regulate insurance companies, and insurers that violate the rules will be punished.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is asking for comments from the public on how to move forward on regulating health insurance premium increases. Click here to submit your comment.

The insurance companies and other opponents of reform are trying to weaken and repeal health care reform.²  They’ll do whatever it takes to game the system and gut the law so it works for them, not us.³ We cannot let this happen.

Click here and tell HHS that you support tough rules to stop insurance companies from ripping off Americans who depend on their products as a matter of life and death.

We fought hard to win this landmark legislation.  This is our law.  This is our opportunity to shape the future of health care reform and break the insurance companies’ stranglehold on our health care.  As consumers we must have a strong voice in the process.

Click here to have your say.

We will deliver your comments along with thousands of others to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in the next few weeks as we work together to make health care reform a reality.

In Solidarity,
Melinda Gibson
Health Care for America Now

Deborah Mowrey of Kingwood, TX got her facts together and sent a letter to her local newspaper detailing how the local Congressman’s NO vote could have impacted her district with verifiable and factual information devoid of the ignorance based rhetoric perfected by those opposing healthcare reform. It is important that between now and the elections in November, the population at large is informed and educated about the real impact of the healthcare reform bill so they can make an educated vote.

Nancy Pelosi Threatened: California Man Arrested For Health Care Reform Threats

DEVLIN BARRETT | 04/ 7/10 04:26 PM AP

WASHINGTON — The FBI arrested a northern California man Wednesday for allegedly making threatening phone calls to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over health care reform, law enforcement officials told The Associated Press.

Charges against the man have yet to be disclosed, but they are expected to be filed in federal court in California.

Several federal officials said the man made dozens of calls to Pelosi’s homes in California and Washington, as well as to her husband’s business office. They said he recited her home address and said if she wanted to see it again, she would not support the health care overhaul bill that since has been enacted.

One official said the man is believed to have spoken directly with Pelosi at least once.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case publicly.

A call to the FBI office in San Francisco was not immediately returned, nor was a call to a spokesman for Pelosi.

Nancy Pelosi Threatened: California Man Arrested For Health Care Reform Threats

Life Long Republican Says Obama, Reid, Pelosi deserve our thanks!

By Lynn M. Hansen (Guest commentary)

Last Edit: Apr 5 2010 – 2:31pm

As an American and a resident of Weber County, I salute President Obama, Sen. Harry Reid, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi for pushing the health care reform bill through the legislative process. Until the administration of George W. Bush, I was an avid Republican and served in the Reagan and Bush (senior) administrations as a political appointee. But I will not allow Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh to define conservatism for me, nor will I accept the half-truths and invectives with which they pollute the airways.

Those who listen to these hate-mongers should realize that they have become millionaires by peddling the views they do. I recall Limbaugh frequently stating that he hoped Obama would fail. That is tantamount to wishing America would fail for Obama is our freely elected president.

What has happened to civility in this country? I did not vote for Obama but we, the American people, did. I consider myself an American, not a Utahn. I served 23 years in the United States Air Force and repeat the Pledge of Allegiance to one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

For as long as he is president, I will respect the office of president and the person who occupies it. It is pure hypocrisy or worse for those who legislate (many, if not most of whom are millionaires) to try to deny basic insurance coverage to middle- and lower-class Americans. We must understand that each member of the House of Representatives and each senator — Republican and Democrat — has health insurance with the major portion of their premiums being paid by the taxpayer. I know because I having worked in the government also have such a policy. Where is the "justice for all" in this? CONTINUED

OBAMA/BIDEN 2008: Life Long Republican Says Obama, Reid, Pelosi deserve our thanks!