If you live in or know anyone in a state with a Democratic Senator, it's time to make your voice heard. Here's a list for easy reference: http://www.chiefexecutiveboards.com/files/demsenators.xls
In a recent Chief Executive Boards International survey of small and mid-size businesses, 72% of CEOs and owners agreed that the US health care system needs some type of reform. That same audience, however, polled overwhelmingly against most of the provisions in the current legislation (public option, "pay or play", required coverage, etc.). In general, the respondents doubt that Government can, in fact, reduce costs or improve delivery of anything, health care included. And they surely don't want to bet almost a trillion dollars to find out. View Survey Results
What this audience wants is:
- Eliminating or restricting exclusion of pre-existing conditions in private (non-group) plans
- Subsidies for low income people who want coverage
- Portability -- coverage follows the patient
- A "risk pool" for small businesses (Chambers of Commerce, trade groups, etc.)
- Consumerism -- make costs visible to patients and let them benefit from cost containment
- Tort Reform -- reduce "defensive medicine" motivators (and excuses) by physicians and hospitals
- Competition among insurance carriers across state lines
Passage
of
this
legislation
in
something
like
its
current
form
has
become
a
party
line
issue
--
Senate
Republicans
squarely
against,
almost
unanimously,
and
Senate
Democrats
inclined
to
support
their
party
leader,
President
Obama.
The
question
is,
what
do
the
American
people
want?
The
fact
that
this
legislation
has
drawn
so
much
public
attention
to
date
might
be
an
indication
this
isn't
what
they
want.
If
Democratic
Senators
band
together,
something
will
get
passed.
It's
not
likely
to
be
a
scaled-down
version.
Legislation
has
a
way
of
taking
on
baggage.
These
bills
started
out
at
only
1,000
pages!
Odds
are
that
what's
passed
will
be
even
larger,
more
complex,
and
more
expensive
than
current
estimates.
If,
on
the
other
hand,
Democratic
Senators
from
more
conservative
States
hear
a
different
message
from
back
home,
the
impending
2010
elections
may
provide
enough
of
a
motivation
to
block
this
behemoth
from
passing.
My
own
two
Republican
Senators
will
vote
against
this
legislation
--
I
have
no
more
votes
to
cast
personally.
Only
people
represented
by
Democratic
Senators
can
make
a
difference
in
this
specific
case.
So,
if
you
live
in
any
state
with
a
Democratic
Senator,
please
take
a
moment
to
let
him
or
her
know
where
you
stand
--
either
way
--
for,
or
against
this
legislation.
Emails
are
worth
something.
Snail
Mail
is
reputedly
more
impactful.
To
make
this
convenient,
here's
an
Excel
file
with
names,
mailing
addresses
and
email
addresses
for
all
Senate
Democrats.
If
you
live
in
one
of
these
states
and
make
your
voice
heard,
you
can
perhaps
make
a
difference
in
the
course
of
this
legislation:
http://www.chiefexecutiveboards.com/files/demsenators.xls
