Green Options » health care reform

Cap-and-Trade Depends on Obama’s Health Care Success

Joe Walsh — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:49:36 +0000

The Sunday talk shows were full of talk about the health care reform fight: are there 60 votes in the Senate? is the public option off the table? are illegal immigrants covered? And, while consensus on any health care answers has been fleeting, everyone agrees on what is the most important question: how is President Obama going to PAY for health care reform?

The White House still lists climate change legislation as one of its priorities, but with Senate action on a bill getting pushed deeper into September - and closer to oblivion for 2009 - greens cannot help but worry that their cause will not only be eclipsed by health care, but also by the economy generally, unemployment specifically, and even foreign policy issues like the escalation in Afghanistan.

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When Climate Change and Health Care Reform Collide (cartoon)

Joe Mohr — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:41:43 +0000

Mean Joe Green #73: When Climate Change and Health Care Reform Collide

Can “We the People” who got us into this mess be counted on to get us out of it?

…not looking good.

Mean Joe Green Cartoon Archive

Follow Mean Joe Green on Twitter @GreenCartoons

Can the Financial Crisis Help Lower the C-Section Rate?

Cate Nelson — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:50:33 +0000

Money and C-sections. They go together like, uh–well, they don’t really go together. Unless you notice that cesareans cost a lot more than vaginal births. Add to that recovery time in the hospital for mama and babe, medications, and follow-up care, and you can almost hear the cha-ching!

Washington state has a new cost-cutting program that may also dramatically lower the rate of C-sections.

They’re going to start paying the same amount for an uncomplicated C-section as they do for a vaginal birth.

And because C-sections in that state cost on average $5000 more than vaginal births, this will help make sure the motive for the surgery–the most common in the United States besides circumcision–are the best interests of the patient.

We are choosing to improve quality mostly by using carrots rather than sticks.

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Give A Midwife Some Love: 2-Minute Activism

Cate Nelson — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:33:44 +0000

Having a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) could help you have an empowering birth experience. No, they won’t make your birth beautiful. But most CPMs believe in the ability of women’s bodies instead of the medicalization of childbirth.

That’s why you should join The Big Push. This consortium of birth activists and midwives is fighting for a voice in the health care debate. From the press release,

All women deserve access to midwives no matter what their economic status, and adding Certified Professional Midwives to the Medicaid Providers list will help expand access to those who otherwise could not afford it.

A key member of Congress has said that 10,000 signatures for their petition would make a big difference. We’re about halfway there. Read on to find out the particulars of the campaign and pass it on!

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Democrats Want To Force YOU To Give Birth Naturally

Cate Nelson — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:29:48 +0000

The United States has a C-section rate of 31.8%. Yep, a third of babies born in the States are born through the belly.

But don’t worry. Because according to Dick Morris, if we somehow manage to pass a comprehensive health care reform bill, the government will force you to give birth naturally.

MORRIS: What controlling costs means is –
O’REILLY: – is competition.
MORRIS: No. It means denial of services…. And that’s what — just as right now the government is telling people, cut back on cesarean sections. Go through natural childbirth; it’s a lower cost.

Wait, the government is currently telling women they can’t have C-sections? Just where does Dick Morris live?

Check out the video:

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Health Care Reform Boondoggle

Derek Markham — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:08:15 +0000

Universal health care.

Health care reform.

Socialized health insurance.

There are a lot of ideas floating around right now about what’s wrong with our health system, and what we need to do to make it work. We probably all know someone that either got hit hard financially because of medical expenses, or they got hit hard physically, because of malpractice or negligence in our health care system.

I have some serious doubts about any real change any time soon in our system. Here’s why.

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