Press-release puppet Pat Powers makes himself and his sponsor Senator John Thune look like an idiot with today's repost of a letter from Senator Thune and 16 Republican Senate colleagues. These hardy Republicans are calling for Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to extend the Electronic Health Records Incentive Program, the program that paid anti-government GOP Senate candidate Annette Bosworth $21,250 to use computers in her clinic. Senator Thune and his GOP colleagues want more doctors to have more time to qualify for more government money.
Whu-whu-whu-whuzza-fuzza?
Let me repeat that:
Senator Thune and his GOP colleagues want more doctors to have more time to qualify for more government money.
Put that hot coffee down. It gets better.
The EHR Incentive Program comes to us courtesy of the HITECH Act, which was enacted under lucky Title XIII of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. You know, the stimulus.
Senator John Thune voted against the ARRA. So did all 13 of his fellow letter signers who were in Congress in 2009 (see the ARRA final roll calls in Senate and House on Feb. 13, 2013). They weren't voting against the stimulus because they thought the Stage 2 EHR adoption deadline was "artificially aggressive." They were voting against EHR incentives and the rest of the bill because they said President Barack Obama was spending money we didn't have on things that wouldn't work.
Now they say EHR incentives work great:
The Electronic Health Records (EHR) Meaningful Use Incentive Program has played a significant role in advancing the adoption of health information technology across the country [Senator John Thune et al., letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, 2013.09.24].
I don't know if Pat Powers even reads the press releases his sponsors tell him to run, but Senator Thune sure doesn't read them in the full context of history and his own voting record.
I am still wondering why hospitals did not adapt the free VA records system which had been working well for several years. Seems like an awful lot of money went to re-invent a few hundred wheels.
Am I to assume that the Pat Powers press release did not include John Thune's initial opposition and voting record?
This so typical Republican, give money that we supposedly don't have to those that already have plenty. At what point will John Thune demand that doctors accept financial responsibility?
What word is there for beyond hypocrisy?
Doug, the VA system is getting the upgrade as well. I hate our hospitals EMR but I love what we did here in our Multispecialty clinic. If you can navigate the computer, you can make your life soooo much better in the clinic. No more prescriptions that pharmacist can't read, no more lost dictation. I have my notes done and from a business standpoint, I have my invoice sent to the patients insurance. So, good for anyone who see's a good thing working. I just hope Sen. Thune can see the good in the ACA, but don't think his wheel will ever spin this way.
Thune and Powers are people who count on not being accountable. They think they can put this stuff out and no one will catch it.
Women's health resources here.
Here is another cool little nugget that is in Obamacare. I think that this is also very important to help throw the bums out that have lied to the American people for the last couple of years about healthcare. Americans are dumb, that is for sure, but we are not stupid and we don't particularly like to be lied to over and over again. The White House has said this today: Americans will be able to register to vote when applying for insurance through Obamacare, a White House official told TPM (Talking Points Memo)Tuesday, despite reports to the contrary and outcry from congressional Republicans.
Can you hear the lying liars heads explode, kinda cool.
There's nothing to stop conservatives from starting a petition to repeal Obamacare, and including a voter registration option at the signing stations, is there?
Clever, yes. Fraudulent, I think not.
Conservative Republicans need to get more clever, that's all.
As time goes on, I have to say that my opinion of Barack Obama has improved gradually. He's a pretty good President, I think.
But this endless stimulus and easy money policy scares me. Will this thing explode someday and make the dollar worthless? I'm no economist, but spending beyond one's means has never appealed to me. My close-to-the-vest personal fiscal policy is the only reason I'm not on the street right now.
Hard to say clever and republican in the same sentence. Try lying liars, works for me every time. You can stand by the voting booths and offer pie and ice cream for someone to sign up for your empty shell. Republicans have nothing to sell, you don't buy a product nor do you sign up for something whose shelf life has expired. So goes with your thoughts of endless stimulus like that is the truth or something. You guys just don't get it yet, we are on to you and soon the rest of the voters will be as well.
Mr. Gibilisco!!! You are a genius in more ways than 3!
The referred law route! Brilliant! If it's good enough for the libbies in South Dakota to tout as good policy, it's good enough for them to back having RLobama on the ballots soon! And initiated measures to set budgets and other items that the Congresses cannot get done!
This, my friends, would be good public policy.
Congressional Republicans have been caught saying they want to kill "Obamacare" before people find out the good that it does.
It would do a lot more good in SD if Daugaard would get his head out of his ass and decide that South Dakotans deserve the same benefits as other states are getting from picking up the medicare option money.
Mr. Wiken, I thought you were against pounding more federal money down the proverbial hole in the ground infested with animals.
Won't this Obamacare hurt a whole bunch of people is South Dakota (and on the reservations)?
The first of October will speak for itself. No words can describe how this will work for the betterment of all. This Obamacare will save lives and moolah, lots of both. The exchange is ready to go, the insurance companies will have the rates at the ready and the people will get signed up. As they do, they will not forget who brought this to them and who is still trying to take it from them. Good luck with your sign ups, there will be a reckoning on the right wings hatred. Be careful with those clipboards as you may need to use Obamacare to get them removed from where the sun don't shine.
Pie and ice cream won't buy me at all ... But offer Cajun catfish and smoked oysters, and I'll sign just about anything.
You may have something there Stan, toss in some hush puppies and I'll be your huckleberry.
The GOP has never been the party of context.
The two guiding ideals: 1) say no to ANYTHING Obama says yes to; and 2) say yes to ANYTHING that puts more money in the pockets of contributors, are simply resolved in order - say no, then ask for what you said no to.
It all works.
Excellent nutshell, Steve.
EHR incentives to cover mandated upgrades to maintain current workloads and contracts. Gotta love gov't extortion at the cost of valuable doctors/practices........and the pocket book of those starting out their careers. I should prolly say thanks to our parents and grandparents for screwing this country up so bad. Don't worry, us young folks will gladly pay for all your mistakes, along with generations to come. /s
Hey, DB! How do you feel about John Thune and 16 other Republicans promoting what you see as the continued screwing up of our country?
Don't forget that former Veep candidate Paul Ryan was also one of those requesting Obamacare dollars (i.e. The Nation).
Just as older people have paid for the upbringing and mistakes of the young, they should may to take of our mistakes and care. Young people often neglect the fact that they won't be young forever.
It is still in mind when Noem was campaigning for her house seat, she had a chart showing the national debt and how much her children would be responsible for and that she was going to Washington to fix that.
Instead of fixing the national debt, she became a part of it.
Sen. Thune has never been against welfare per se. He loves it when it's for corporations and the rich. He's just against helping the poor. His record is very consistent in that regard.
There will come a day when filibuster Ted Cruz will be advocating that Obamacare should be called Romneycare or Reagancare.
"Data show that premiums for a low-level plan for a family of four with an income of $50,000 will be $141 a month after tax credits. The national average is $95 a month."
http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/south-dakota-exchange-insurance-above-national-average/article_cbec0ba1-3abf-54f8-86e6-3db086084983.html
"How do you feel about John Thune and 16 other Republicans promoting what you see as the continued screwing up of our country?"
Their campaigns to end obamacare are turning into fleeting attempts to stay alive with the evolving system. My brother won't have a job in under 3 years because his partners are all retiring instead of spending a minimum of 1.3 million on upgrades. Why would a few 50 yr old docs want to stick that much cash into a business that is going to have it's profits cut exponentially? They will be dead before they see a return. Obamacare will be the end of private practice, and imo, it didn't address costs because it wants to pave the way for single payer and keep costs high until then. I think that is the most viable option, but people need to understand that even with that, our costs will still be high compared to other civilized countries. We don't use our resources wisely and we will try to maintain the same level of care across the entire country when that simply won't be possible.
"Sen. Thune has never been against welfare per se. He loves it when it's for corporations and the rich. He's just against helping the poor. His record is very consistent in that regard."
This is far from welfare for corporations.
don Juan Thune lost a big vote to Sen. Tester today on the Monsanto Protection Rider:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/09/25/1241315/-Sen-Tester-Kills-Monsanto-Protection-Rider
DB, private practices have been dropping like flies long before Obamacare was first proposed. The closest thing now is very large group practices that are affiliated with a major health provider. Small solo practices may continue in a few very rural areas. A good example of this consolidation in SD is the burgeoning Avera and Sanford systems.
DB, I have to weigh in on this thread as I am a physician, um…50 something of age, in private practice and I love my EMR. I have been waiting for this technology since my early days in life, watching re-runs of Star Trek and Mr. Spock talking to his computer. Our private practice clinic received the incentive payment so we could implement the EMR. I have to say that it was the best thing for my clinic, my practice, and more importantly, my patients. With Thune’s proposal, your brother’s partners can receive the incentive payment and not die before they see the return. They may want to retire if they suffer from “LOW T” ….er….Low technology. I see the frustration with my partners with low T, but our I. T. Department are rock stars and they are very willing to assist and train.
The newer Docs coming into practice today are already trained with EMR in their residency’s. Our private clinic would never be able to recruit new physicians without our new EMR.