Utopia Talk - Politics - Democrats Issue Gag Order

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Utopia Talk / Politics / Democrats Issue Gag Order

Hot Rod
Member Sun Sep 27 15:45:53

Democrats Gag the Health Insurance Industry Over Obamacare
September 24, 2009 05:28 PM ET | Peter Roff | Permanent Link | Print

By Peter Roff, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Lest there be any doubt, congressional supporters of healthcare reform have joined the White House in playing "hard ball" against its opponents. Montana Democratic Sen. Max Baucus, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee and is currently preoccupied with writing a healthcare bill of his own, recently asked the U.S. government's
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to investigate a mailer sent by the Humana healthcare company to senior citizens that it insures.

Baucus's complaint was that the mailer, which warned that efforts under way by Democrats to change healthcare in America could result in cuts to their benefits, constituted a disingenuous effort to frighten seniors. And CMS, as Roll Call reported Wednesday, was more than happy to oblige, launching an investigation at the "direction" of Jonathan Blum, a former Baucus Senate aide whom President Obama recently appointed to be acting director of CMS' Center for Drug and Health Plan Choices.

The investigation resulted in a letter being sent to Humana and, say sources on Capitol Hill, other health insurers who have a fiduciary relationship with CMS that imposes an industry-wide "gag order" ordering a halt to any additional mailings and effectively prevents companies from communicating with their customers about the impact of any pending healthcare reform legislation.

The news that almost an entire industry had been muzzledâ??it still being unclear whether the AARP, which is also a health insurance provider but one somewhat more friendly to the idea of Obamacare was also being silencedâ??hit Capitol Hill with considerable force. Senate Republicans, who are thought to be universally opposed to Obamacare, hit back, and hard.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell took to the chamber floor to attack the move in, what for Kentucky's senior senator, are strong words. Here's what he said, according to Roll Call:

"It appears that a particular Senator has encouraged the administration to use its powers to clamp down on an opponent of the administration's healthcare policy. What's more, the administration snapped to attention at the Senator's request. It followed the Senator's advice, and almost immediately the government clamped down on a private healthcare company in my home state that had been sharing its concerns about the administration's healthcare proposal with seniors on Medicare . . . This is so clearly an outrage it's hard to believe anyone thought it would go unnoticed. For explaining to seniors how legislation might affect them, the federal government has now issued a gag order on that company, and any other company that communicates with clients on the issue, telling them to shut up â?? or else."

What's more, the entire GOP Senate leadershipâ??along with Iowa Republican Sen. Charles Grassley, of the Senate Finance Committee and Wyoming Republican Sen. Mike Enzi, of the and Senate HELP Committeeâ??wrote Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius Thursday to inform her they would block the confirmation of any departmental nominees unless and until HHS "rescinds its gag order and allows seniors to receive information about matters before Congress."

On Capitol Hill, short of a threat to cut off funding, blocking a nomination or group of nominations is about as serious as it gets.

http://www...e-industry-over-obamacare.html

Jeddediah Wilkins
Member Sun Sep 27 15:53:25
Where my Liberals at?

Rugian
Member Sun Sep 27 16:21:05
Spam. This identical thread was already posted and deleted at Hot Rod's request.

The Zero Identity
Member Sun Sep 27 16:22:22
This is true.

Hot Rod
Member Mon Sep 28 16:08:48

Why do you people oppose Freedom of Speech?

Why do you think it is fine and dandy for the government to tell an entire industry ti shut up, they do not have the right to communicate with their customers?

WHERE IS YOUR OUTRAGE?

The Zero Identity
Member Mon Sep 28 16:11:08
I'm still pissed about the Gaddafi Foundation thing. One outrage at a time.

show deleted posts

Hot Rod Member	Sun Sep 27 15:45:53 Democrats Gag the Health Insurance Industry Over Obamacare September 24, 2009 05:28 PM ET \| Peter Roff \| Permanent Link \| Print By Peter Roff, Thomas Jefferson Street blog Lest there be any doubt, congressional supporters of healthcare reform have joined the White House in playing "hard ball" against its opponents. Montana Democratic Sen. Max Baucus, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee and is currently preoccupied with writing a healthcare bill of his own, recently asked the U.S. government's Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to investigate a mailer sent by the Humana healthcare company to senior citizens that it insures. Baucus's complaint was that the mailer, which warned that efforts under way by Democrats to change healthcare in America could result in cuts to their benefits, constituted a disingenuous effort to frighten seniors. And CMS, as Roll Call reported Wednesday, was more than happy to oblige, launching an investigation at the "direction" of Jonathan Blum, a former Baucus Senate aide whom President Obama recently appointed to be acting director of CMS' Center for Drug and Health Plan Choices. The investigation resulted in a letter being sent to Humana and, say sources on Capitol Hill, other health insurers who have a fiduciary relationship with CMS that imposes an industry-wide "gag order" ordering a halt to any additional mailings and effectively prevents companies from communicating with their customers about the impact of any pending healthcare reform legislation. The news that almost an entire industry had been muzzledâ??it still being unclear whether the AARP, which is also a health insurance provider but one somewhat more friendly to the idea of Obamacare was also being silencedâ??hit Capitol Hill with considerable force. Senate Republicans, who are thought to be universally opposed to Obamacare, hit back, and hard. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell took to the chamber floor to attack the move in, what for Kentucky's senior senator, are strong words. Here's what he said, according to Roll Call: "It appears that a particular Senator has encouraged the administration to use its powers to clamp down on an opponent of the administration's healthcare policy. What's more, the administration snapped to attention at the Senator's request. It followed the Senator's advice, and almost immediately the government clamped down on a private healthcare company in my home state that had been sharing its concerns about the administration's healthcare proposal with seniors on Medicare . . . This is so clearly an outrage it's hard to believe anyone thought it would go unnoticed. For explaining to seniors how legislation might affect them, the federal government has now issued a gag order on that company, and any other company that communicates with clients on the issue, telling them to shut up â?? or else." What's more, the entire GOP Senate leadershipâ??along with Iowa Republican Sen. Charles Grassley, of the Senate Finance Committee and Wyoming Republican Sen. Mike Enzi, of the and Senate HELP Committeeâ??wrote Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius Thursday to inform her they would block the confirmation of any departmental nominees unless and until HHS "rescinds its gag order and allows seniors to receive information about matters before Congress." On Capitol Hill, short of a threat to cut off funding, blocking a nomination or group of nominations is about as serious as it gets. http://www...e-industry-over-obamacare.html
Jeddediah Wilkins Member	Sun Sep 27 15:53:25 Where my Liberals at?
Rugian Member	Sun Sep 27 16:21:05 Spam. This identical thread was already posted and deleted at Hot Rod's request.
The Zero Identity Member	Sun Sep 27 16:22:22 This is true.
Hot Rod Member	Mon Sep 28 16:08:48 Why do you people oppose Freedom of Speech? Why do you think it is fine and dandy for the government to tell an entire industry ti shut up, they do not have the right to communicate with their customers? WHERE IS YOUR OUTRAGE?
The Zero Identity Member	Mon Sep 28 16:11:08 I'm still pissed about the Gaddafi Foundation thing. One outrage at a time.
	show deleted posts

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