American health-care industry is currently spending $1.4 million a day on lobbying the Congress to prevent health-care reform, writes the Washington Post.
For the campaign, the health-care industry "has hired more than 350 former government staff members and retired members of Congress in hopes of influencing their old bosses and colleagues."
Nearly half of the lobbyists have previously worked for the "key committees and lawmakers."
At least 10 new lobbyists for the health-care industry have been members of US Congress.
The lobbyists are both Republicans and Democrats. Many of them worked on health-care reform in the past but are now "employed as advocates for pharmaceutical and insurance companies."
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Comments: 22
We have to let those Representatives and Senators know that we'll fire 'em if they cave on this. We've proven we can do it, and we need to make 'em believe we'll do it again. I am SICK TO DEATH of the selfishness and greed that drives the American health care industry. It's shamefull, and it's KILLING our fellow citizens!
Amen bother man.
Well Said Chuck! Me too!
Wow, this is really not good.
And how much, also, on prime time tv ads ???
Isn't it ironic that so much money is being spent to keep insurance and medical costs out of reach for so many.
More like cruel and greedy.
If they can spend that much, it's proof they are raping the clients they have. Why aren't consumers who have insurance hollering about the way "their" premiums are being mis-spent?
They are hollering but they are blaming it on those without insurance.
True dat, Brother.
So if I'm uninsured and not receiving any treatment to identify and prevent a major medical blow up, how can I be driving up costs? If I do have a medical castastrophe, I am going to lose my small retirement savings and possibly my home.
Blame the damn companies that can afford to spend billions to prevent me and others in my situation of having affordable care. We're not asking for free care, just affordable. I would like to know that IF I were rushed to a hospital it wouldn't benefit my family more if I died on the way because it would cost less.
Exactly EM JAY!! My children are in the same boat. I have insurance and can't always go to the doctor because so much of my money goes to pay for the insurance!!!!
I know an adjunct professor who has medical needs. He bought into the "deal" the college arranged for parttime employees with an outside company. (Not the company they do business with for fulltimers.) He had to drop it because it wouldn't cover anything short of serious illness. No preventive, no assistance with his medications that he takes to prevent a serious health crisis. He needed the couple hundred bucks a month to pay for his needs NOW. This is a person with many years teaching experience and a masters degree!
And we wonder why people get depressed?
That's just the "lobbying" money. Anyone care to guess on how much is being spent on national television ads designed to scare dumb Americans? Hint: It's in the Billions!
It's not just the stupid ones who fall for this. There are smart people that see this as validation that they are insured and "better" than "slackers" who don't have health insurance. They can't feel proud of their accomplishments unless they're putting someone else down at the same. They believe that if everyone without health insurance worked harder, they would be worthy of care.
We must contact our representatives in Washington instead of just talking among ourselves.
THis is true, Leo, but it is much less frustrating to talk about it amongst those who care. One of my senators is making a big fuss about health care reform and won't respond to emails, letters, or phone calls. Or at least mine. Suck it Grassley!!!
And where do all those people who think this is the 'best health care system in the world' think that money is coming from? It's all coming from THEIR PREMIUMS!
People who think that universal health care wouldn't be cheaper and better by far than the system we have right now are just plain ignorant of math, IMO. Or, they work for the insurance and pharmeceutical industries and stand to make profits off the citizens of this country.
Amen Sheryl!!!
I just signed up to attend a health-care rally at Senator Dodd's office in Hartford to let him know that we demand a universal health-care option for all. I'm sick of sending emails and letters and not getting any real response.
These people are not going down without a fight. The ones who are supposed to fight on your behalf are not going to do it. Take the fight in your own hands. We can have an impact if we pressure those who represent us. Whether they are for it or against it, we have to let them know that we are following them.