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The White House wants you to tweet health insurance reform into law
The Obama administration has taken a fresh, new approach to lobbying federal legislators about health insurance laws, and it comes in the form of the Twitter hashtag #hc09.
Obama's new Tweet your Senator page provides a pre-built health insurance-related tweet directed toward one of your Senators, based on your ZIP code. Each time you hit the big blue Tweet button, a Senator will be randomly selected, as will a message telling them to help pass the health insurance laws being pushed by the President.
These items, along with a link to the Tweet your Senator page and the aforementioned hashtags, will be provided for you in a brand new Twitter window, ready for you to tweet on the spot. Also, if your randomly-selected Senator is a Twitterer themselves, their Twitter handle will be used instead of their full name in your tweet.
Comments
39
Subscribe to commentsRocketboyJul 29th 2009 7:21AM
Don't worry Jon, if you have anything really life threatening then they will just send you to the USA. Just make sure everyone in your family has passports. :)
BigDSep 7th 2009 6:41AM
I love how you have been a member since the day this was posted
BigDSep 7th 2009 6:48AM
and this has been your only post since becoming a member.
All I'm saying is that it smells like AstroTurf.
I am an American living/studying in Korea, and my Canadian roommate tells a completely different story. All of the Canadians I've met in my life appreciate the ease with which they receive medical treatment, and often make statements expressing their pity for Americans with regard to our healthcare system.
Fluck! I hate AstroTurf.
iGateJul 28th 2009 9:44PM
Just get medicare for the USA. it'll fix you all up.
ivandurakovJul 28th 2009 10:20PM
The entire Demshevik party can be replaced with a batch file!
BillyRickJul 29th 2009 1:46AM
Wow, for some reason I'd assumed readers of technical blogs would be more informed and intelligent and generally not so hostile to something like healthcare reform.
Our current system is so great that medical debt is the #1 cause of personal bankruptcy in the US. How in the world is that if we all have health insuarance that's so great? Why does everyone else have universal health care?
I bet the wait times would be longer in the US, too, if everyone actually had health care. Instead 45 million don't have insurance (15% of the population) and so they are removed from the lines. Also, those who have insurance still end up in debt so they are way more likely to not go back to the doctor. Less people=smaller line, pretty simple.
So yeah, viva "socialism" (hilarious concept, what with the US being the most hypercapitalist country in the world) and you might want to think twice about who's "taking it in the butt."
And I don't see why this is a problem being posted on DLS. They're using Twitter, that's why it's posted. If you don't support it, don't visit the Twitter site (duh). Besides, I'm sure AOL would prefer a 3rd term from Bush Jr. to any Democrat.
RocketboyJul 29th 2009 7:26AM
I don't think anyone here is saying that our method of paying for health-care is 100% perfect. I don't think you'd get anyone to agree with it. But creating a government ran board the amount of power that this bill would, to penalize people who don't buy health-care, and to set things up that it'll be more cost effective for companies to force people onto gov't health-care is not the way to fix things. Fix the problems that we currently have, don't create new ones, and leave the old problems in place.
Also, I'd rather go bankrupt due to health-care costs (although your numbers are wrong, but hey, why let facts get in the way), then wait in line, or have sub-standard care that was mandated by the gov't.
"There are more than 41,000 patients on hospital waiting lists for treatment at 32 Irish hospitals, according to new figures obtained by RTÉ News."
http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/1002/health.html
Do you want access? It'll cost you money.
Do you want everyone else to pay for it? It'll cost you your health.
HernilJul 29th 2009 9:31PM
My numbers are from pretty decent sources. If you're going to call them wrong, why not back it up?
And let's see, Ireland insures everyone but has 41,000 on the waiting lists. The US has 45 million uninsured... Well no wonder there's no waiting lists here!
Ireland's system is relatively new, has a very high satisfaction rate (between 85-95%), and sees about 90% of people either immediately or within three months. Their system has steadily been getting better, too.
RocketboyJul 30th 2009 9:55AM
Here's some other fun links for you...
10 Facts about health care in the US (with sources)
http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba649
NHS scandal: 'I couldn't find a dentist... Now, aged 21, I've had to have all my teeth removed'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1169764/NHS-scandal-I-dentist--Now-aged-21-Ive-teeth-removed.html#
"Last week, statistics obtained by the Liberal Democrats revealed that the number of people having teeth extracted in hospital has risen by one third in the past four years.
More than 175,000 Britons had their teeth removed under general anaesthetic in 2007/08, up 40,000 on the 2003/04 figure.
Normal, happy teenager: Amy with all her teeth aged 18
The number of children having teeth out has shot up, too. But more pertinent is the fact that the rate of these extractions gathered pace after a deeply controversial contract for NHS dentists was introduced in April 2006.
The year before, the number of extractions was fewer than 150,000. Two years later, it had risen to more than 175,000 - an increase of 16 per cent."
"But it is not just a continued lack of access to NHS dentists that is causing concern.
There is also growing evidence that the new payment system introduced by the contract is discouraging dentists from undertaking more complex, time-consuming work."
Sounds like another winning moment for gov't ran health care.
And let me guess, the VA is the height of good health care as well?
RocketboyJul 30th 2009 9:56AM
(posts are out of order due to comment system)
"My numbers are from pretty decent sources. If you're going to call them wrong, why not back it up?"
"Our current system is so great that medical debt is the #1 cause of personal bankruptcy in the US."
From http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6895896/
"Out-of-pocket medical expenses covering co-payments, deductibles and uncovered health services averaged $13,460 for bankruptcy filers who had private insurance at the onset of illness, compared with $10,893 for those without coverage. Those who initially had private coverage but lost it during their illness faced the highest cost, an average of $18,005."
So, really, the issue is when and how people lose insurance when they have an illness. And people with health insurance who filed for bankruptcy ended up having more out-of pocket costs than people who didn't have health insurance to begin with.
It looks to me that if that issue is going to be corrected, the first thing to look at would be to investigate WHY people are losing health insurance during care for major illnesses. Not to create an entire gov't bureaucracy with taxpayer funded health insurance.
You have an approx right number here, but are finding the wrong solution to the wrong problem.
"Less people=smaller line, pretty simple."
Pure speculation. You are also not taking account of the fact that it's a crime to deny medical coverage. When is the last time you had to cut a check to a hospital before they let you in?
"And let's see, Ireland insures everyone but has 41,000 on the waiting lists. The US has 45 million uninsured... Well no wonder there's no waiting lists here!"
What? Again, not having insurance does not exclude you from getting health care in this country. You are really cool with 41 THOUSAND people waiting in line for care?
Also...
"The plan Obama campaigned on last year would have covered fewer than the House bill, according to analyses from two groups. The Lewin Group and the Tax Policy Center estimated last year that Obama's plan would leave 26.9 million and 25.2 million uninsured, respectively, in 2018."
http://www.factcheck.org/politics/obamas_health_care_news_conference.html
So that 41 thousand that you claim will only be cut down to 25 thousand or so. Less than half.
Mike26Jul 29th 2009 5:21AM
If you think heath care is expensive now, just wait until its free...
Robin RobinsonJul 29th 2009 7:41AM
Does anyone else have a problem with this auto filling out that you want it. Instead of giving you the option to tell your true feelings.
Plus, the link points to www.barackobama.com, so it isn't even an official .gov site. I don't care which party you are, doing it this way is just WRONG.
BoBoTheChimpJul 29th 2009 8:23AM
I seriously doubt that if Bush was still in office and he was pulling a stunt like this it would even be MENTIONED on this site...
Just sayin ;)
Adam MarasJul 29th 2009 8:29AM
Actually, I would have written this one up regardless of what administration was in office. As far as national politics are concerned, it's a new approach to spreading a message, regardless of who's spreading it.
StevenJul 29th 2009 11:32AM
I doubt my senators use twitter, but twittering the simple fact that rights cannot exist at the expense of others helped me feel a little better.
Eric J.Jul 29th 2009 11:45AM
I clicked the button, and rewrote the tweet to ask my senator to vote against the current proposals.
RocketboyJul 30th 2009 9:55AM
"My numbers are from pretty decent sources. If you're going to call them wrong, why not back it up?"
"Our current system is so great that medical debt is the #1 cause of personal bankruptcy in the US."
From http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6895896/
"Out-of-pocket medical expenses covering co-payments, deductibles and uncovered health services averaged $13,460 for bankruptcy filers who had private insurance at the onset of illness, compared with $10,893 for those without coverage. Those who initially had private coverage but lost it during their illness faced the highest cost, an average of $18,005."
So, really, the issue is when and how people lose insurance when they have an illness. And people with health insurance who filed for bankruptcy ended up having more out-of pocket costs than people who didn't have health insurance to begin with.
It looks to me that if that issue is going to be corrected, the first thing to look at would be to investigate WHY people are losing health insurance during care for major illnesses. Not to create an entire gov't bureaucracy with taxpayer funded health insurance.
You have an approx right number here, but are finding the wrong solution to the wrong problem.
"Less people=smaller line, pretty simple."
Pure speculation. You are also not taking account of the fact that it's a crime to deny medical coverage. When is the last time you had to cut a check to a hospital before they let you in?
"And let's see, Ireland insures everyone but has 41,000 on the waiting lists. The US has 45 million uninsured... Well no wonder there's no waiting lists here!"
What? Again, not having insurance does not exclude you from getting health care in this country. You are really cool with 41 THOUSAND people waiting in line for care?
Also...
"The plan Obama campaigned on last year would have covered fewer than the House bill, according to analyses from two groups. The Lewin Group and the Tax Policy Center estimated last year that Obama's plan would leave 26.9 million and 25.2 million uninsured, respectively, in 2018."
http://www.factcheck.org/politics/obamas_health_care_news_conference.html
So that 41 thousand that you claim will only be cut down to 25 thousand or so. Less than half.
MVD88Aug 7th 2009 8:57AM
It is inherent that insurance companies are doing everything to kill the reform.
The only reason is fear of loosing the profit. That is why I suggest to rename the "public option " to a "NON-PROFIT OPTION". It is immoral and inhuman to make profit on peoples sickness!. (To make a living-is another thing).
I sexpect gotherment to publish list of biggest health ins, companies along with their profits for the last ten years (including amout of money recieved as premium and amout of money paid for health care or their members.
Look at Japan: They have non-profit health insurance industry, and spend per capita half of that is spent in USA, with twice better medical outcome!
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