They’re bringing out the firepower
The health care industry is firing up its engines to fight health care reform.
According to economist and former US Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich, The five largest private insurabce companies and their trade group America’s Health Insurance Plans (check our link to them on our home page to see what they’re up to) spent a total of $6.4 million on lobbying in the first quarter of this year, up more than $1 million from the first quarter last year, they’re ready to spend even more.
Read Reich’s entire blog entry here: robertreich.blogspot.com/2009/06/healthcare-war-is-now-official.html
It’s going to take some real muscle to fight them, but we have to do it.
Patient Pals & Family Friends
Life o' Mike has a peer support program for people with one or more serious or chronic medical issues or disabilities.
We aim to reduce isolation and fear among people who have conditions, including psychiatric illness, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, mild dementia or other cognitive disorder or disability, thereby reducing depression and complications as people learn to improve self-management of their medical conditions.
Patient Pals help alleviate feelings of isolation and frustration. They can help people develop a list of questions to ask the doctor and then accompany the person to the doctor to make sure all the questions are answered, taking notes to be sure the person understands the doctor’s answers.
Our trained volunteers also accompany their “Pals” to art exhibits, movies and walks outdoors, meet for coffee, call to check in and more.
Our Pals have experienced weight loss, improvement in diabetes, HIV, psoriasis, depression and more, just because they have someone who cares about them. Some relationships develop into longer-term friendships; other Pals move on to more independent lives.
Family Friends are there to help caregivers and other family members grow into their new role.
We need volunteers, who are asked to donate a minimum of one hour a week. Training is free and includes information on active listening, ways to help and when to know more help is needed.
And of course, we need funding.
To learn more, call Leslie Boyd at 828-243-6712 or e-mail lifeomike@gmail.com.
Life o’ Mike honors Joe Eblen
Life o' Mike presented its first Michael T. Danforth Community Service Award to Joe Eblen at a luncheon on June 8, in the Friendship Hall of First Congregational Church, 20 Oak St., Asheville.
Joe, seen here with Leslie Boyd, left, and his wife, Bobbie, has spent his life helping children and families, both as a coach and game official for more than 60 years, and as founder of Eblen Charities.
Start From Seed
Life o' Mike has a new program- Start from Seed (SFS).
SFS is a volunteer doula program aimed at providing non-medical, comprehensive support to low income, high-risk women and families of Buncombe County focusing on three areas:
1. We help new doulas with certification and training in return for their participation as a volunteer doula for SFS
2. We mentor volunteer doulas with their first few clients
3. Our volunteer doulas provide birth and postpartum doula services to low income, high risk moms, providing support and tools to empower them as a new parent.
A birth doula is a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; a postpartum doula provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.
Start from Seed clients are referred to us from the Buncombe County Department of Health’s Nurse-Family Partnership Program, Western North Carolina Community Health Services, and Mission Hospital. The Program is intended and designed for growing clients’ inner strength and helping them gain empowerment to help them cope with the emotional, physical and mental challenges of childbirth, labor, and motherhood.
Our new moms and their infants have many needs. If you would like to help them get off to a good start, please visit our Start from Seed web site: Start from Seed, or call Program Director Chelsea Kouns at 804-814-9946.
Wow?!!!
I’ve read absolutely horrid and biased quotes on this blog. I’ve read information rehashed from activist sites(2/3rds of Americans support single payer?) That last one came from a blog as well; not facts just propaganda. Now you quote Robert Reich as though he’s a non-biased individual. This blog claims to be non-political and fact driven. All I’ve read is a bunch of angered quotes by people with political agendas. I’m truly sorry for anyone that would have to endure what happened with you or your son, but obviously it’s more important to you now to propagate your own political views, than to do something that helps others. Please explain how any of this ranting and griping and name calling is going to help anyone. what are you doing to help people today? I guarantee you could do more without having a political agenda and just want to help people.
First, I do not call people names.
Second, the number of people who would support single-payer is 76 percent, according to an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll — the same poll that showed Obama’s approval rating dropping five points.
To answer your questions about what we’re doing:
We have letter-writing parties where people can write to their legislators. We do not tell them what to write and we don’t read the letters. We’re just encouraging people to get involved in the process so legislators know big business isn’t the only thing talking to them
We are seeking funding to start Patient Pals and Family Friends, a companionship program of volunteers who will be there for people in medical crisis.
We help people who call us to find medical care. A lot of times there’s nothing we can do, but we can send them to free clinics or agencies that can help them get what they need.
We’re doing what we can, but we can’t change this broken system without the help of others.
Surveys do show two-thirds of Americans would support a single-payer plan. That doesn’t mean they’re working actively for it, but if it was passed, they would be happy about it. I’m one of them, but I refuse to exclude any solution that would work.
What I want is decent health care for everyone, and the big corporations are trying to block it. What interested me most abouit the Reich post was the amount of money being spent by the health care industry to try and block even a public plan option. The corporations will not fix this themselves. History has proven that. If I get ranty, it’s because I want this system fixed. It already took my child. I want better for other people’s children.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/17/obama-boost-new-poll-show_n_217175.html
The reason the numbers sound conflicting is because they are. I’m guessing that’s why they weren’t sited. In the article you’ll read that the polling data is obviously flawed or fudged. Mathematicaly it is impossible for 76% of people to support something that 32% of the public are in complete opposition to.
The article has also been characterized as misleading by ending with saying that 55% supported it at the end. That was a quote that 55% of the 30% undecided were swayed to it. These are bad numbers either way. This could seriously hamper credibility. I love everyone involved with this movement and am always willing to be of help to it, but this is now actively condoning and sponsoring something that I morally disagree with.
We can’t be raising arguments with numbers that haven’t been vetted for accuracy.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/120890/Healthcare-Americans-Trust-Physicians-Politicians.aspx
Here’s a much better poll….
Different polls say different things because of the way the questions are asked. Frankly, yours does sound more realistic.
As I said, whatever works to cover everyone is fine with me. I still believe the public plan is the best option we have right now, although I would take the single-payer plan if that’s what passed. That’s incredibly unlikely. You and I disagree on what will be the best solution, but that’s OK. I will continue to say I support the public plan as a choice for people. After all, plenty of people still support the post office, which will take your piece of mail and get it to someone on the other side of the country for a mere 44 cents.
Love you.