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Another Threat to our Healthcare Currently Being Proposed in Washington

By Benjamin, on Jan 18, 2012

By C. Steven Tucker

If you thought Obamacare was the only assault on our healthcare system seeking to get in the middle of your relationship with your healthcare providers, think again. There is a dangerous consolidation of government power being considered by the Obama Administration through the merging of two mega health care companies that could lead to price spikes and reduced patient care for prescription medicines. A proposed merger between Express Scripts and Medco, two of the largers Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM) if approved by the Obama Administration would dominate the market with control over 30% of annual prescriptions processed - both retail and mail order and about 80% in the private sector market, according to certain analysts. This mega-PBM will have tremendous market power and growing political influence, enabling them to squeeze the health care system at the expense of patient choice, access and service.

If you get your prescriptions filled at your local Walgreen's drugstore then you already know that on January 1 Walgreen's dropped their relationship with Express Scripts, a pharmacy benefit manager that administers prescription benefits for insurance companies, large employers, federal and state government. Walgreen's is using a free market solution to keep the customers who had used Express Scripts by dropping the annual fee form their own prescription savings club. Over 200,000 Walgreen's customers have signed up so far in 2012. This should only come as a surprise to a Washington bureaucrat because we know the free market is the best solution to meeting people's healthcare needs.

The merger would result in fewer choices for employers, in an already consolidated market, seeking a pharmacy benefit manager and cost savings for their health care plans. It would also mean fewer choices for patients who prefer – and depend on – community pharmacies for their prescription medication and other health care services. As we can see with the Walgreen's example, patients don't need pharmacy benefit managers making their decisions for them.

Exposing the Lies Behind Obamcare

By Anonymous, on Jan 6, 2012

By C. Steven Tucker

This is a picture circulating on Facebook in support of Obamacare. I'm going to post a formal response here. Please share it. To the uninformed this picture seems like something "no one can argue with". Well, I'm going to argue against with facts. They are as follows:
Firstly, a 34 year old without health insurance is acting grossly irresponsibly. Her premium would be about $100 monthly. Had she purchased and maintained health insurance like the vast majority of Americans who purchase and maintain health insurance, she would not have a pre-existing condition. It also most likely true that she spends more than that on entertainment per month. You know, like these people.

Secondly, since she did not purchase and maintain health insurance, she now has a "pre-existing condition". However, she does not now, nor did she ever need Obamacare to solve that problem. State run High Risk health insurance pools existing for nearly 2 decades BEFORE the new Federal Obamacare High Risk Pools which are now referred to as the "Pre-Existing Condition Plans".

Thirdly, unlike the new Obamacare "Pre-Existing Condition Plan", the existing State Risk Pools provide coverage for pre-existing conditions immediately whereas the Obamacare "Pre-Existing Condition Plans" require you to be uninsured for 6 months.

Fourthly, the new Obamacare "Pre Existing Conditions Plans" costs the American Tax Payers $5 Billion in order to provide her with a "get out irresponsibility card." Worse than that, come 2014 if Obamacare is not repealed, 47 million more irresponsible people will be getting tax subsidized health insurance in the new Obamacare "exchanges". Many of them here illegally. More than half of them will be automatically enrolled into our already bankrupt Medicare rolls. Why is that bad? Because according to a lengthy study completed and published by the American Academy of Cardiology completed in 2005 people who have surgery on Medicaid are 50% more likely to die after surgery (due to low reimbursement ratios paid to the few remaining surgeons who still take Medicaid) The follow up study completed by the University of Virginia completed in 2009 found that Medicaid surgical patients are now 97% more likely to die after surgery. Read the study details here. Remember, these results were published before we flood our Medicaid system with 23 million more Americans.

Fifthly, in order to provide tax subsidized health insurance for 47 million more Americans, Obamacare will cut Medicare (the program our nation's seniors rely on and that they paid into their entire lives) by $4.95 Trillion over the first 20 years alone, according to Medicare's chief actuary. Read the details here. Cutting Medicare by these draconian amounts in order to provide free, to nearly free, health insurance for 47 Million more Americans will do nothing but provide lower quality care and far fewer doctors for our nation's senior citizens. As it is now, Doctors around the country are already going broke already going broke

I exposed the lies told by the Obama, Kathleen Sebellius (the HHS secretary) and the U.S. attorney general Eric Holder regarding Obamacare and pre-existing conditions in a recent article I wrote published at American Thinker. Read it here: http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/06/obamacare_a_health_care_reform_for_all.html

For more truth visit www.TruthAboutPreExistingConditions.com

Danielle Rowe files for State Representative - collects 1000 signatures in a week

By Benjamin, on Dec 7, 2011

By Lori Diversey

Accompanied by former State Representative Penny Pullen and small business owner Lori Diversey, Marketing Executive Danielle Rowe of Island Lake filed her petition signatures for State Representative 52nd district in Springfield Monday afternoon. Rowe, a community leader and small-business champion, submitted 1,000 signatures to the Board of Elections, solidifying her place on the March 20, 2012 Republican primary ballot.

I am running for state representative because the quality of life issues facing families in McHenry, Lake and northwest Cook County are not being addressed by the Springfield political class. We need new, conservative leadership for our community that does more than empathize with people's struggles. We need leaders with the smarts and commitment to translate common sense conservative principles into sensible policies that reward our small business job creators, reduce the burdens on taxpayers, and restore a belief that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can build a comfortable life for your family in Illinois. We can do this. With your help, we will do this,” said Rowe.

The Citizens for Danielle Rowe campaign originally intended to file on November 28, the first day petitions could be submitted. A common error, according to the Board of Elections, was discovered regarding the wording of unincorporated areas on the petition sheets. Rowe decided to start the signature process over instead of chancing a challenge to her petitions and wasting taxpayer dollars.

“Republican voters want to know that the campaign they are supporting is organized and capable of winning,” said Rowe. “My staff put together an incredible petition gathering drive – organized my volunteers – gathering over 1,000 signatures in just over a week. There is no doubt I have the team that will win in March.”

Small business owner Lori Diversey was one of Rowe’s volunteers who spent countless hours over the past week obtaining signatures. She joined Rowe on her journey to Springfield.

Danielle Petitions

“My small cookie business, CaveChick, Inc., may not survive the anti-business climate in Illinois,” said Diversey. “I need Danielle and her pro-business and pro-jobs ideals in Springfield or I might as well start looking at Wisconsin or Indiana to operate my business.” Diversey also feels it's getting too expensive just to live in Illinois. She agonizes over higher and higher taxes with fewer services. Something Diversey believes would be solved with reform of public sector pensions.

Business owners such as Diversey are backing Rowe and her ‘Road Map for Economic Revitalization’ plan, which consists of:

* Repeal the Democrats' Tax Increase
* Reform Public Sector Pensions
* Reduce Runaway State Spending
* Restore a Business Climate that Respects the Entrepreneur

Lake County GOP Chairman Bob Cook offered his congratulations to Danielle Rowe for getting on the ballot.
“I congratulate Danielle Rowe for getting the required signatures and submitting them in Springfield. The primary process is always best when the voters have options to choose from. Grassroots activists are the backbone of Lake County and I look forward to good spirited campaign for this important seat.”

Herman Cain's Departure Unfortunate

By Benjamin, on Dec 5, 2011

Eric Kohn of the Chicago Tea Party spoke to NBC 5 Chicago regarding Herman Cain suspending his presidential campaign on Saturday:

Eric Kohn of the Chicago Tea Party said the decline is unfortunate.

"We're not innocent until proven guilty. We're guilty until proven innocent, and there's really no way to prove your innocence if you're Herman Cain," said Kohn.

Many Tea Party supporters gravitated toward Cain for his fiscal and socially conservative views, dubbing him the antithesis of Mitt Romney. Cain's departure from the race gives the remaining candidates a golden opportunity to secure their status as the authentic conservative that many GOP voters seek.

"I think in that sense the Tea Party is optimistic to getting back to having a conversation -- an adult conversation -- about the direction this country is going right now and the direction this country needs to go in the future," said Kohn.

Read the complete story from NBC 5 here.

When Does the Mainstream Media Uncover Scandals?

By Benjamin, on Nov 15, 2011

BY W.C. AUGUSTINE

Herman Cain has categorically denied any actions of sexual harassment in the face of accusers: two anonymous, plus one named but non-specific and one with allegations. Politico, an offshoot of The Washington Post, broke the story using anonymous sources with CNN piling on citing evidence from an anonymous friend of one of the anonymous accusers .

Specific harassment allegations have been brought forth by Sharon Bialek who out of nearly 10 million residents of Chicagoland occupied one of 700 condos in the same building as David Axelrod Co-incidence? Maybe, as sexual deviances brought down Obama’s Senate primary candidate Blair Hull and the most daunting potential Republican challenger, Jack Ryan , were a co-incidence.

Whoever is right in the “he said, she said” Cain has painted himself into a corner and any substantial evidence of sexual harassment will destroy his candidacy. Some conservatives have disagreed with me, believing since Clinton survived lying to the public in matters of the flesh Cain could also. NOT SO, a successful black conservative will not be allowed to get away with it; that’s the rules whether we like it or not.

Research on the source of stories uncovering scandals proves interesting. The chart below identifies scandals and the source, mainstream or alternative media.

Scandal	Accused		Media Source
	Right	Left	Mainstream	Alternative
Watergate	Nixon		Washington Post
Iran-Contra	Reagan		AP/Newsweek
Lewinsky-gate		Clinton		Drudge Report
Travel-gate		Clinton		Insight-on-the-News
Thomas/Hill	Clarence Thomas		Newsday/NPR
Plame/CIA affair	Bush		Many newpapers	Robert Novak*
Bush National Guard	Bush		CBS-whoops this was raud	FRAUD
Foley sex scandal	Rep Foley		ABC News
MSP restroom scandal	Senator Craig		Roll Call
Edward/Hunter		Sen Edwards		National Enquirer
Ayers/Obama		Obama		Laurie Roth
Rev Wright/Obama		Obama		Sean Hannity
Rangel scandal		Rep Rangel	New York Post
Acorn		Obama		Breitbart
Solyndra		Obama	Washington Post
Weiner Sexting		Rep Weiner		Breitbart
NPR fundraising		NPR		James O'Keefe
Cain harrassment	Herman Cain		WP/Politico

*Robert Novak was a token conservative writer for many mainstream papers

The chart reveals two obvious realities. The mainstream media exposes primarily scandals of conservatives, the exceptions being the conservative New York Post exposing Rep Rangel and the Washington Post’s exposure of the Solyndra scandal.

Also apparent is the conservative alternative media’s exposure of liberal scandals. Left-leaning alternative media doesn’t expose, perhaps leaving the work to the mainstream media.

Given the resources of the mainstream media relative to the alternative media it is a stretch to believe the disparity is a co-incidence.

W. C. Augustine is the author of Atlas Rising and member of the Chicago Tea Party.

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