11/6/2009 10:01:00 PM Kirkpatrick mum on health care vote
Les Stukenberg/ The Daily Courier, file "We need a uniquely American health care plan, so we need input from the American people," Kirkpatrick said during a Nov. 3 telephonic town hall.
Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick still has not stated how she plans to vote on the health care bill (H.R. 3962) that could come to a House floor vote as early as this weekend.
"We need a uniquely American health care plan, so we need input from the American people," Kirkpatrick said during a Nov. 3 telephonic town hall. She gathered comments from citizens at a tele-town hall in October and meetings around her district, although she never conducted any meetings in the Prescott region as she earlier said she wanted to do.
"People want something done," she told The Daily Courier during an interview last month. "They want children and veterans covered, they want plan portability if they move and, most importantly, they want people with pre-existing conditions to be able to get health care insurance."
The bill under House consideration would require companies to accept people with pre-existing conditions, and include a government health care plan option.
Kirkpatrick said the inclusion or exclusion of a government health care plan option is not a deal-breaker for her vote.
However, she doesn't believe a public option would put private plans out of business. She noted that Medicare isn't putting private companies out of business now.
Dr. Susan Wilder of Scottsdale, who traveled to Washington last month as part of the "Doctors for America" event, agrees. She pointed out that public university systems don't put private schools out of business, either.
Wilder said she's been watching this country's health care system deteriorate for 20 years, and now the U.S. has only the 28th-best mortality rate, just ahead of Africa. She worked for the military and the Mayo Clinic before opening her own practice.
"We pay more and more for less and less," she said. "There is no other nation on Earth where people go bankrupt because of a medical condition.
"People don't realize how tenuous their insurance is."
Coverage for pre-existing conditions should be balanced with a requirement for everyone to have health insurance, just like they must have car insurance, Wilder said. The House legislation requires most people to have coverage, and requires large businesses to provide it to employees.
The bill also would largely expand Medicaid, and eliminate a gap in Medicare drug coverage.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates it would cover 96 percent of all eligible Americans within 10 years.
Wilder estimated that it costs more than $740 million annually to provide emergency room health care just for Arizonans who have no health care insurance. The Office of Management and Budget does not include figures like that, or the current costs to businesses, in its $1.2 trillion estimate of the costs of the House health care legislation.
Kirkpatrick said a pilot project in Safford has shown that people with insurance reduce overall costs because they seek help before their conditions deteriorate.
The bill's costs would be covered by cuts in future payments to Medicare providers, and a surcharge of 5.4 percent on people with incomes of $500,000.
A former health care executive recently admitted to Congress that the industry is participating in scare tactics, Wilder said. Others see opposition as a way to take down President Obama.
Posted: Monday, November 09, 2009
Article comment by:
Oh Get off your rightous horse already
What happened to paying your own way. We are teach our children that they don't have to work, succeed or even try to take care of themselves. If this passes into law, I would love to just have everyone quit their jobs and hop on the dole. I'm considering it. Why work? You get all these great benefits for free if you don't. I pay $12,000 a year in taxes and only bring home 22K. If the government would let me keep the $1000 a month they take, I could afford my own retirement plan, healthcare and house payment. I work to support MYSELF! Why do I have to support all these other folks who don't. In the past, that was the motivation to WORK. If you didn't earn a living you were SOL. I'm tired of paying for people who don't have to pay into the system. I say, if you don't pay taxes, then you shouldn't be able to reap any of the benefits of it unless you are disabled. This is so taxation without representation! I live in America not a socialist country. Why don't these takers move to France or something.
Posted: Sunday, November 08, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
anyone interested in Kirkpatrick's voting record can find it on line. MISSED VOTES - Ann Kirkpatrick has missed 7 votes (0.8%) during the current Congress. See a list of his missed votes since 1991 or see a full list of vote missers. VOTING WITH PARTY - Ann Kirkpatrick has voted with a majority of her Democratic colleagues 87.4% of the time during the current Congress. This percentage does not include votes in which Kirkpatrick did not vote.
Posted: Saturday, November 07, 2009
Article comment by:
easy brown
all democrats want to do is social justice. i.e. steal from those of us who work and give to those who do not. i will gladly give to whoever will run against her next year if she votes to raise and raid our hard earned money. this bill hr. 3962 will turn us into a cuban style of health care. don't grow old america...
Posted: Saturday, November 07, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Sat 12:42 --- There is an announcement on her website that she will vote for the bill.
Posted: Saturday, November 07, 2009
Article comment by:
Nathan in Prescott
C'mon Ann, come out in support of this bill. This is a tough district, I know, but we elected you to do something. This is a reform that most people want. Don't let the ill-informed (see other comments here) and absolutist voices dominate the debate. This is about our children's future. This is about the continuing leadership of our nation on the world stage. This is about how we, as a nation, look out for "the least of these." This is about ratifying the American dream for a new century. Don't let the loudest voices win out over the majority that elected you. Take your stand! Vote YES!
Posted: Saturday, November 07, 2009
Article comment by:
Adam L. Rowling
Ann's web page has posted her support of the health care bill. I think district one will have a new congressperson after the next election.
Posted: Saturday, November 07, 2009
Article comment by:
Joe D from Prescott
Ann, We need to know ; how your constituents are recommending you vote ? At last count you were voted in by the people , for the people to be mum at this critical time is Not acceptable .
Posted: Saturday, November 07, 2009
Article comment by:
Publius
While Kirkpatrick states above that they need public input, there is never an answer at her local office. Sometimes a staffer will answer the Washington number. Politely they say they will report the comments. I'm sure they keep a tally.
No doubt though that the vote will be driven by Pelosi and power rather than by what AZ wants. In fact all this does is force us into the clutches of AARP and the AMA who will become the only approved providers. How many Doctors will quit rather than comply? Once we are dependent on government for coverage and treatment we are obliged never to oppose He who pays our bills. That dear friends is slavery, nothing less. The master is in control and we are serfs of power.
Posted: Saturday, November 07, 2009
Article comment by:
Lee in Prescott Valley
"Profiles in a Lack of Courage" hit it right on the head when he (or she) said: "Ann seems to lack a certain intelligence along with lacking the courage to admit what she plans to do one way or the other." These people who are suppose to represent us in Washington have long ago lost touch with the fact that they are actually supposed to be working for us, not for the likes of Nancy Pelosi, and not for themselves. I'm glad to see the voters are starting to wise up and become aware of this. I've never been very politically active, but have started and intend to do whatever I can to help get rid of the mess in Washington that we've allowed to happen. There seem to be many others who have been shaken out of their lethargy as well. It would be really great to see a clean-up in 2010 and the following years!
Posted: Saturday, November 07, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Ann, if you read this, you will NOT have my vote come your re-election....
Posted: Saturday, November 07, 2009
Article comment by:
Judy
Ann Kirkpatrick is a total disgrace. Of course she hasn't said how she'll vote because Nancy Pelosi hasn't told her yet how to vote. Her comment that Medicare isn't putting private companies out of business shows how totally ignorant she is. EARTH TO ANN KIRKPATRICK: No one over 65 has any other choice BUT to go on Medicare. Her recent Town Hall narrative about how she understands the need to cut spending is a total crock. If she was sincere in that mindset she would be shouting from the rooftops that she will vote NO on this bill because it will bankrupt the country. That we don't hear a peep out of her speaks volumes. Her pathetic noises about wanting to hold a town hall here but not having time is truly arrogant and insulting. She never intended to meet with constituents here. The fact that she found time to have TWO town halls in Holbrook - population 5300 - but has dissed the quad-city area with a population close to 100,000 says it all. She doesn't have the integrity or guts to face us. One term is more than enough for her. Pay attention to the unemployment rate Annie my girl. You'll be joining those lines yourself soon enough!
Posted: Saturday, November 07, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Ann is trying to protect herself and her job by not speaking up. That's why she's going to lose it next time around. It's obvious she hasn't read the bill (who has!!) and has not taken note that the federal government has done a terrible job trying to run anything it has its hands on. She needs to get on board with Shadegg's proposals which are to be able to buy insurance across state lines, provide for a high-risk pool, allow small businesses to join together and get helt coverage and finally, address the doctor's liability. Get with a good program PLEASE, Ann!
Posted: Saturday, November 07, 2009
Article comment by:
Bart
Uniquely American Ann? Yea, it's called freedom, it's called FREE MARKET! It has nothing to do with a Marxist takeover over of private industry. YOU Ann are a buffoon! If you can't come out and stand for the Constitution, you are violating your oath! You should be tried for TREASON!
Posted: Saturday, November 07, 2009
Article comment by:
Dave in Dewey
Lets try some logical math, trying to help out Dr. Wilder from Scottsdale and the rose garden, if we round our numbers up to 1 Billion annually for each of the fifty states. Of course some will be more than her 740 million and some less, so it should be right, according to Dave in Dewey's estimate, thats only 50 Billion. Over ten years thats only 500 Billion. If I can count all those zeros right thats less than half of the Dems propsal without changing anything.
Of course theirs is going to cost more than that, beacuse they still leave 15 million people uninsured. I pay my way, expect other people to do the same.
Posted: Saturday, November 07, 2009
Article comment by:
Tom Steele
As a one term freshman Democrat; Kirkpatrick is in a catch "22". Her vote will be either "for" by pressure from Pelosi or, if Pelosi has enough votes Ann Kirkpatrick will be given a "pass" to vote "no" to please her peasants in Arizona. Either way, she is out in 2010 as she does not represent the people she is supposed to work for.
Posted: Saturday, November 07, 2009
Article comment by:
Diane
HOW can you NOT say how you are voting when YOU are representing the people who put you there? Have a nice Washington vacation, Ann, cause you are out next election. count on it!
Posted: Saturday, November 07, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Ms Kirkpatrick's tele-town halls are a joke. The elephant in the room is the healthcare bill. If she wants to understand what voters want she should open these call in opportunities to any question and allow follow ups. As they are now structured, the call ins limit the topic and do not allow follow up questions. Ann is telling us what is most important to us and not listening to us.
Posted: Saturday, November 07, 2009
Article comment by:
Paul F.
Kirkpatrick is supposed to represent you and me, yet she won't share with us how she's going to vote? Is that how they do business in the ACLU, Ann? Who voted for this loser?
Posted: Saturday, November 07, 2009
Article comment by:
Don't be fooled by Ann
If the Democrats need her vote for 218 to pass she will vote for it otherwise she will vote against it. It's all politics. She will do the same for Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) and Cap and Trade.
Posted: Saturday, November 07, 2009
Article comment by:
mum's the word for Ann
I'm sorry I voted for Ann. I won't make the same mistake next year.
Posted: Saturday, November 07, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Ann,
I made $7200.00 last year. This bill has language in it that says if I don't purchase a $15,000.00 Health policy I will be hit with a $25,000.00 fine or 5 years in prison. You need to read the bill, Ann.
Thank you.
Posted: Saturday, November 07, 2009
Article comment by:
Steve in Prescott Valley
I'd be mum, too if that witch Nancy Pelosi controlled my future!
Let's here it for one term congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick.
Posted: Saturday, November 07, 2009
Article comment by:
Profiles in a lack of courage
Of course she is not saying. Nancy hasn't told her how she'll be allowed to vote yet. And as for this quote: "She noted that Medicare isn't putting private companies out of business now.", well
given (with few exceptions perhaps), Medicare doesn't cover anyone under 65, is that really saying anything? Ann seems to lack a certain intelligence along with lacking the courage to admit what she plans to do one way or the other.
