NHDP - NHGOP Continues Attacks on Women's Health Care

Concord, NH - House Republicans voted to make further cuts to health care services for New Hampshire women last week.  The House Commerce Committee passed HB309 [Bill Text] which will allow insurance providers to refuse to cover midwife services.  Midwives can often be the most accessible safe way for many women in New Hampshire to give birth.

"HB309 will cut access to affordable health care for women and limit individual control over how women choose to give birth to their children," said Harrell Kirstein, press secretary for the New Hampshire Democratic Party.  "This bill isn't about cutting costs.  It is part of a reckless agenda aimed at cutting access to affordable health care for New Hampshire women and killing New Hampshire jobs."

Earlier this year state Republicans eliminated preventative health care services from thousands of New Hampshire women through their efforts to defund Planned Parenthood.  HB309 would force nearly two dozen birthing facilities and midwives in the Granite State out of business.

HB309 was voted out of the Commerce Committee and will now head to the full House for a vote. [gencourt.state.nh.us] New Hampshire was the 9^th state in the nation to legalize and license midwifery and requires significant training, experience, and testing to become a certified midwife. [nh.gov]

"From the job killing budget to relentless attacks on health care for women, the reckless Republican agenda has been an unmitigated disaster this year," added Kirstein.  "That is why for the third straight time, polls have shown that voters view the Republican legislature as one of the top three problems facing the state."

Perry for President - Romney Twice Approved Free Non-Emergency Health Care for Illegal Immigrants

Romney's 2004 rules defined free benefits for illegals, 2006 Romneycare maintained them

Mitt Romney's tenure as Massachusetts governor not only resulted on anemic job growth that ranked the state 47th nationally, but Romney twice approved free health care for illegal immigrants -- benefits above and beyond what federal law requires and what most states provide. 

"Mitt Romney approved free non-emergency health care for illegal immigrants in Massachusetts, and when he signed legislation mandating the purchase of health care, he made sure that illegal immigrants continued to be eligible for free health care," said Perry spokesman Ray Sullivan. "Mitt Romney's newfound criticism of illegal immigration magnets flies in the face of his providing free non-emergency health benefits to illegals."

Rules adopted by the Romney administration on May 1, 2004, for the state's "Free Care" health care program defined eligibility as residency in Massachusetts with no requirement for citizenship. The rules clearly state "a Hospital or Community Health Center shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, citizenship... in its policies, or in its application of policies, concerning the acquisition and verification of financial information, pre-admission or pretreatment deposits, payment plans, deferred or rejected admissions, or eligibility for Free Care." [1]

The "health care albatross" known as Romneycare, signed into law April 12, 2006, overhauled the Massachusetts health care system, and a recent investigation by the Los Angeles Times revealed, "There was broad understanding when Romney signed it that at least some people who would benefit would be in the country illegally." [2, 3]

In fact, eight days before Romneycare was signed into law, NPR reported on April 4, 2006, "The people that wrote the bill assume that there will always be some who fall through the cracks, you know, the recent arrivals or people who don't file taxes, undocumented immigrants and so on. And for them, the states Free Care Pool will pay." [4]

Romneycare, which President Obama's health care takeover was modeled after, killed 18,000 jobs in Massachusetts last year and resulted in $8 billion in additional cost to taxpayers, including almost $4 billion in federal funding, a cost spread across American taxpayers in all 50 states. [5, 6]

The L.A. Times also reported John McDonough, a former consumer advocate who worked extensively on the healthcare effort in Massachusetts, said: "There is no question that lots of different kinds of people, including undocumented immigrants, obtain medically necessary services as result of this program." [3]

SOURCES

[1] 114.6 CMR: Division Of Health Care Finance And Policy, 5/1/04, http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/dhcfp/g/regs/114_6_10.pdf

[2] "Mitt Romney may be haunted by Massachusetts health care costs," Politico, 10/26/11,  http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/66957.html

[3] "Gov. Romney OKd healthcare for illegal immigrants." Los Angeles Times, 10/23/11,  http://www.latimes.com/health/la-na-romney-healthcare-20111024,0,6849099.story

[4] "Massachusetts Law Requires Health Insurance for All," NPR, 4/4/06,  http://www.scribd.com/doc/70663966/Massachusetts-Law-Requires-Health-Insurance-for-All-NPR-4-4-06  

[5] "The High Price of Massachusetts Health Care Reform," The Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University, June 2011,  http://www.beaconhill.org/BHIStudies/HCR-2011/BHIMassHealthCareReform2011-0627.pdf

[6] "The Economic Effects of Massachusetts Health Care Reform," The Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University, Sept. 2011,  http://www.beaconhill.org/BHIStudies/HCR-2011/BHIMassHealthCareEcon2011-0915.pdf

NH DHHS - October Is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Free Screenings Offered in New Hampshire to Eligible Women

Concord, NH – National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an annual campaign

organized by major breast cancer charities and other organizations to

increase awareness and to stress the importance of early detection. The Let

No Woman Be Overlooked Program at the New Hampshire Department of Health

and Human Services (DHHS) provides free breast and cervical cancer

screenings to women who meet recommended screening guidelines, live in New

Hampshire, are between the ages of 18 and 64, are uninsured or

underinsured, and have a limited income. The Let No Woman Be Overlooked

Program would like to remind all women that October is a great time to

schedule a mammogram. Since beginning screening services in 1997, the Let

No Woman Be Overlooked Program has enrolled more than 22,000 women.


“The earlier breast cancer is found, the easier the course of treatment and

more likely women are to have a good outcome,” said Dr. José Montero,

Director of Public Health at the New Hampshire Department of Health and

Human Services. “Women should talk with their health care provider to

schedule regular mammograms as appropriate for their risk.”


According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), breast

cancer is the most common cancer among adult women in the United States and

the second leading cause of death from cancer among women. Breast cancer

can be diagnosed early, when it is more likely curable. New Hampshire

breast cancer screening rates are one of the highest in the U.S. In 2010,

83.2% of women in the State over the age of 50 reported having a mammogram

within the past two years. That is a great achievement, as mammography can

detect breast cancer at an early stage, when treatment is most effective;

and consequently contributes to decline in mortality.


Many women are not aware that if they meet age and income criteria they can

receive FREE breast and cervical cancer screenings in New Hampshire through

the Let No Woman Be Overlooked Program. To determine if you or someone you

know is be eligible, please call 1-800-852-3345, x4931 or visit

www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/cdpc/bccp/index.htm

CTSCHC NEWS - CARITAS CHRISTI AUDIT PROVES SALE OPPONENTS’ CLAIMS

2010 Figures Reveal Profitability – Not Financial Doom            

            The long-delayed release of the Ernst & Young LLC audit of financial data for the Caritas Christi Health Care system for FY 2010 showed the 6-hospital chain of the Archdiocese of Boston was healthy – not “struggling” or in dire financial straits.

            The figures posted on the website of AG Martha Coakley, which were publicly delayed for close to a year, show a $16,787,000 excess of revenue over expenses for the period – even with some expenses increased considerably, thereby reducing the amount of the profit.           

            “CEO Ralph de la Torre’s meeting in California back in Nov. 2009 with wheeler-dealer Robert Nardelli of the controversial Cerberus venture capital giant, which ended with a handshake deal to sell Caritas, was a disgraceful abuse of fiduciary responsibility to donors,” said R. T. Neary, Chairman of the Coalition To Save Catholic Health Care.            

            “And it paved the way for a series of inaccurate statements and now-proven untrue assertions of financial woes for the Catholic hospital system,” he added.            

            The independent audit conducted by Ernst & Young revealed not only Caritas’ profitability, but also significant changes in financial data previously released to authorities and the public. The Coalition has challenged the perfunctory governmental oversight throughout the process. At least one of the Caritas statements has been shown to be off by tens of millions of dollars.            

            “Caritas officials took deductions to reduce their profitability, including substantial double-digit increases in both depreciation and the provision for bad debts”, stated John O’Gorman, the Coalition’s Director of Media and Research.           

            Caritas Christi Health Care transferred its assets to Steward Health Care LLC, a new entity created as a subsidiary of Cerberus Capital Management L.P., on November 8, 2010.    

National Healthcare Advocacy Group to Co-sponsor Presidential Forums with "We the People"

“We the People, A First in the Nation Issues Forum” is proud to announce that “Defend Your Healthcare” will co-sponsor the groups series of town halls featuring Presidential Candidates.  Jennifer Horn, President of “We the People,” says the partnership will begin with this Saturday’s meeting in Hampton with Texas Governor and Presidential candidate Rick Perry.

“We are very excited about joining forces with Defend Your Healthcare.   This group understands that the Obamacare disaster doesn’t just affect our healthcare, it destroys our economy and kills job and job growth,” Horn sad.  “With the assistance and co-sponsorship of this organization, we will better be able to promote the events so that everyone has a chance to discuss these and other issues.”

Dr. Betsy McCaughey, former Lieutenant Governor of New York is the founder of the Defend Your Healthcare which advocates for the repeal of Obamacare.

“The Obama health law lowers your standard of medical care, puts your job at risk, and takes away something as precious as life itself, your liberty,” McCaughey said. “The Obama health law's mandatory coverage rules and thousands of onerous regulations are disincentives to hire and expand a business.”

People interested in attending Saturday’s forum may register online at www.wethepeoplefreedomforum.org.