Why Health Care Costs So Much – Interview with Dr. G. Keith Smith

OK-SAFE, Inc. – On July 15, 2013 we had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. G. Keith Smith (Anesthesiologist) of the Surgery Center of Oklahoma on America in the Balance on Truth in Focus Internet radio.

The Surgery Center of Oklahoma was established in 1997 by two doctors (Dr. Steven Lantier and Dr. G. Keith Smith) fed up with how hospitals were treating both the patients and the surgeons.

Right away they decided they would do two things very differently:

1. They would never take a dime of government money.  “We just decided that the federal government is not a reliable, or an honest or a trustworthy partner or payer in any capacity.  And we did not want to take the leverage that went along with taking their money.  We also increasing saw, philosophically, accepting federal money as an act of theft.” Taking money from one neighbor to give it to someone else was unacceptable to them.
2. They would engage in what they called “price honesty.” They decided their own prices and communicated this beforehand to the patient.  “This is what we charge and mean it.”

Soon, the Surgery Center of Oklahoma (SCO) became a haven for not only the uninsured, but people who lived outside of Oklahoma.  Patients from as far away as Canada come to the SCO, as well as from Massachusetts and Alaska.

Apparently this success dismayed the insurance establishment, who made multiple attempts to throw down roadblocks in their path – i.e., by steering patients away from them.

Dr. Smith provides a history of the health care system (see the Hill-Burton Act of 1946, for one), and goes into the specifics of why health care costs so much; the role “not-for-profit” hospitals play in distorting the costs of health care, and the manipulative pricing tactics employed by the insurance companies.

Those Privacy-Killing Electronic Health Records

At the bottom of the interview be sure to listen to the “The Four Buckets of Meaningful Use” audio, as a woman explains Stages 1 through 4 of the “Meaningfully Use” requirements for electronic health records.  Stages 1-4 can be summed up as, 1) adopt electronic health records technology, 2) capture data, 3) move the data, 4) report the data. All that “data” is about you, the patient, so it can be sent hither and yon, including to CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services).  In a nutshell, you are getting naked for more than just the doctor.

The Surgery Center of Oklahoma does not use electronic health records, recognizing their inherent risks, and belongs to no “network” of information sharing about their patients.

Options?

What can we in  Oklahoma do to avoid the pitfalls of “ObamaCare”?  One recommendation Dr. Smith makes is to avoid seeing a doctor attached to a hospital.  Independent providers are still out there – these are the ones to frequent.  Toward the end of the interview Dr. Smith provides a list of other options for health care, including options if you need a hospital.

About the Surgery Center of Oklahoma

“The Surgery Center of Oklahoma is a 32,535 square foot, state-of-the-art multispecialty facility in Oklahoma City, owned and operated by approximately 40 of the top surgeons and anesthesiologists in central Oklahoma.Soon, the Surgery Center became a haven for uninsured and more – people from as far away as Canada started showing up at their facility.”

“It is no secret to anyone that the pricing of surgical services is at the top of the list of problems in our dysfunctional healthcare system. Bureaucracy at the insurance and hospital levels, cost shifting and the absence of free market principles are among the culprits for what has caused surgical care in the United States to be cost prohibitive. As more and more patients find themselves paying more and more out of pocket, it is clear that something must change. We believe that a very different approach is necessary, one involving transparent and direct pricing.”

Government interference in health care is the problem.  Entities like The Surgery Center of Oklahoma are the solution.

Link to the Surgery Center of Oklahoma:  www.surgerycenterok.com

Address: 9500 N. Broadway Extension, Oklahoma City, OK 73114

Phone: 405-475-0678

Dr. Smith’s email: Ksmith@surgerycenterok.com
Be sure to check out Dr. Smith’s blog.

Rep. Doug Cox – Planned Parenthood? And he’s a Republican?

OK-SAFE, Inc. – Dr. Doug Cox is a Republican first elected in 2005 to represent HD 5.  This House district is in Delaware and Mayes counties in the northeast part of the state of Oklahoma.

Rep. Doug Cox, (R-HD 5)

Most folks think of Republicans are being pro-life, limited government types.  Apparently, Dr. Doug Cox is neither.

Dr. Doug Cox, Planned Parenthood event

The following was posted May 3, 2013 on Planned Parenthood of Central Oklahoma’s Facebook page at this link:

“Planned Parenthood of Central Oklahoma
Friday near Oklahoma City, OK
“I unequivocally believe access to birth control has emancipated women to control their own destiny.”
Oklahoma Representative Doug Cox, M.D. (R)
(Quote is from his acceptance speech for the 2013 Barry Goldwater Award at the PPFA National Conference)”

Cox serves on the following committees:A&B Public Health and Social Services, Chair
Appropriations and Budget
Common Education

Rep. Doug Cox is the House author of SB 640; Senator Brian Crain is the author in the Senate.  The proposed language for this bill expands Medicaid coverage in the state of Oklahoma, using Insure Oklahoma’s existing framework, and puts the already over-funded Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) in charge of this system.

The proposal provides the means to connect the payer (in this case the state) to the patient and the providers.  Linking together the patient, provider and the payer into one connected system (data collectors all) is the heart of universal health care’s “health care reform”.  It is the stuff of Obamacare.

So much for “pro-life, limited government” Republicans.  Apparently, for Rep. Cox and Sen. Crain, that’s only the stuff of re-election campaigns.

ObamaCare: NY Court Deals a blow to one mandate

OK-SAFE, Inc. – On December 5, 2012, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York rendered it’s decision on the complaint filed by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese and associated entities on the issue of mandating coverage for contraceptives, including abortifacients.   

This Court “concluded that the suit was both fit for adjudication and that there would be significant hardship to the plaintiffs from withholding judicial review…”

CatholicCulture.org report on this story begins by saying, “A US district court judge has ruled that the Archdiocese of New York’s lawsuit against the HHS mandate may proceed. Other courts have dismissed similar lawsuits on the grounds that the Catholic plaintiffs had not yet suffered injury from the mandate.”

The website Mirror of Justice reports the details of the decision here.

“The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York has denied in part and granted in part the federal government’s Rule 12(b)(1) motion to dismiss the complaint of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, Catholic Health Care Systems, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre and Catholic Charities, and Catholic Health Services of Long Island (CHSLI).”

Significant comments made by District Judge Brian Cogan included this statement:

“Moreover, the First Amendment does not require citizens to accept assurances from the government that, if the government later determines it has made a misstep, it will take ameliorative action. There is no, “Trust us, changes are coming” clause in the Constitution. To the contrary, the Bill of Rights itself, and the First Amendment in particular, reflect a degree of skepticism towards governmental self-restraint and self-correction . . . . Considering the extraordinary political passion surrounding the Coverage Mandate from all sides, there is simply no way to predict what, if any, changes to the Coverage Mandate will be made, even if some policymakers favor certain changes.”

NewOK reported this story on 12/12/12 here.

It looks like challenges to the Patient Protection and Affordable Act will continue for quite some time.  The NY District Court decision on one of the PPACA mandates is encouraging to those of us who are striving to reverse this government overreach. 

May the people continue their fight.

Letter to Governor Fallin – Just Say No to an Insurance Exchange in Oklahoma

OK-SAFE, Inc. – The following is a copy of the email letter OK-SAFE’s Executive Director sent to Governor Fallin on the issue of whether the state of Oklahoma should establish an “ObamaCare” exchange or not.

The short answer is Not.

We encourage all those concerned about the further implementation of the government overreach known as “ObamaCare” to contact the Governor and let her know that the answer is still “No” in Oklahoma.

The Governor’s contact information is:

• Phone: 405-521-2342
• Comment line: 405-522-8857
• Email: info@gov.ok.gov

[Earlier today the first phone number went to voice mail, the second voice mall box was full. We suggest folks keep trying and also contact your elected officials. Go to www.oklegislature.gov and click on Legislators to see contact info.]

11/12/12 Letter to Gov. Mary Fallin re: Insurance Exchange and Medicaid Expansion

Dear Governor Fallin,

Two recent newspaper articles brought to our attention that your office may be considering whether or not to establish some sort of insurance exchange in the state of Oklahoma, possibly a state-based insurance exchange or a federally-partnered insurance exchange.

OK-SAFE opposes either option.

We contend that:

• Since you campaigned in 2010 against the implementation of the PPACA (“ObamaCare”) in the state of Oklahoma, and won on that platform;
• And since an insurance exchange is the cornerstone of the PPACA, and thereby will create a system of “market-management” that is contrary to the free enterprise system;
• And since via SQ 756 the citizens of Oklahoma made clear their opposition to PPACA with their 65% vote;
• And since the state legislature has twice been stymied by the people in its’ attempt to establish an insurance exchange;
• And since several incumbent Republicans drew primary opponents due to the attempt to create such an exchange, causing many people to be disgusted with the Republican party;

We therefore demand that you make the obvious happen in Oklahoma.

Specifically, we expect Oklahoma’s elected officials to demonstrate true leadership and integrity by publicly announcing that there will be no health insurance exchange created/established/implemented in the state of Oklahoma.  Period.

Further, we agree with Sen. Tom Coburn’s contention that there should be no further expansion of Medicaid; we ask that you demonstrate fiscal responsibility by opposing such an expansion in the state of Oklahoma.

With hopes that you do the right thing…

Sincerely,

Amanda Teegarden

Executive Director

OK-SAFE, Inc.

918-633-2020

The List of Injuries and Usurpations – Speech at Rally for Healthcare Independence, 7-7-12

OK-SAFE, Inc. – The people of Oklahoma held a Rally for Healthcare Independence on Saturday, July 7, 2012 on the steps of the Oklahoma Capitol in response to the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA, aka “ObamaCare”).  Organized by the OK Tenth Amendment Center and several other grassroots organizations, the people in attendance made it abundantly clear – regardless of the Supreme Court’s decision, the people of Oklahoma want no part of ObamaCare.  Nor do they want any part of the health insurance exchanges.  (Video of the seven speakers at the rally is available here.)

Declaration of Independence excerpt, read by Reid Mullins:  “The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.  He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.  He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.  He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.  He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.  He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people…  He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.  He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.  He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.”

What follows is the transcript of the speech given by Amanda Teegarden, Executive Director of OK-SAFE, Inc., in response to the above reading by Reid Mullins.

Rally Speech Transcript:

“Thank you, Reid.  Good morning.  What follow is a partial list, and only a partial list, of injuries and usurpations suffered by the people of Oklahoma:

1. We have experienced the refusal by our elected officials to hear and advance legislation requested by “We the People” of their own home districts.  Instead, these same officials have chosen to ridicule the people of their districts, manipulate the legislative process, make false statements about time constraints, ignore their own House rules, all the while justifying their actions.

2. Our Elected officials have advanced only that legislation which is advantageous to the interests of an elite group of corporations and organizations, particularly the members of the Chambers of Commerce and the Business Roundtable. These agents are actively engaged in directing the focus and intention of the state legislature, and it has become evident that the outcome of the legislative session is determined before the session even begins.

3. Our Elected officials, while claiming to be for limited government and reduced taxation, have worked to increase the size and scope of state government by implementation of something called Public-Private Partnerships.  This corrupt ménage-a-trois is the model for the so-called New Economy – it marries Government with Industry and Academia.  This European model is exclusionary in practice and is funded by the backs of the people in the form increased government spending and taxes, bonds, and tax credits for the government partners.

4. Our Elected officials have increased the financial burden of the people of Oklahoma by approving ever-increasing state budgets – now at a whopping $6.8 billion for 2012.

5. Our Elected officials have levied taxes in a stealth manner – calling them fees instead.  One such fee increased by 300% in one fell swoop. Officials justified this action by stating that “the fee had not been increased in a while”.

6. Our Elected officials have continued to grow government by the establishment of an ever increasing number of A, B, Cs – Authorities, Boards, Commissions, and Trusts.

• These unelected bodies consist of people appointed from a small pool of political insiders. These entities meet in private, make rules that govern the rest of us, favor their friends with contracts.  They are accountable to no one, and do not represent or serve the People of Oklahoma.
• These unelected bodies can solicit and receive federal grants, award contracts, issue bonds, and incur debt that the rest of us have to guarantee.
• One such entity is the Oklahoma Health Information Exchange Trust, or OHIET. Have you ever heard of the OHIET?   They’re busy laying the foundation for “ObamaCare” in the state of OK, using Stimulus money and federal grants to do so, awarding contracts to companies their members have vested interests in.
• Authorities, Boards, Commissions, and Trusts are the unelected “fourth branch of government” – advancing the interests of the rich and powerful, not the people of Oklahoma. 

7.   Agents and Agencies of our State Government are busy Reinventing that traditional institution – transforming the state of Oklahoma from a representative Republic -a government of, for, and by the people – toward a “Governance” model.  The state and its agencies are to be managed by a “technocratic elite” for the use and benefit of certain corporations and the progressives in both parties.

• This reinvention is being spearheaded by at least one recently instituted cabinet position – namely the Office of the Chief Information Officer. This agency is busy consolidating and concentrating power into the hands of a very few agents. Welcome to Government 2.0!  Welcome to Technocracy! Governance by “Experts”!

8. This state has entered into information-sharing compacts that allow the transmittal of highly personal information about you – your health, school, and work, your life and lifestyle choices, how many fruits and vegetables you eat and whether or not you exercise.  This information is being shared across jurisdictions, across state lines, with the federal government, and with others unknown to us.  All without the people’s informed consent.

The assaults on Liberty continue with:

9. The stealth implementation of the REAL ID Act, creating a de-facto national – no,  international -identification card, one that requires:

• The collection of personally identifiable biometric information
• Facial recognition quality photos on our drivers licenses and IDs
• And by refusing to pass the legislation that would have prohibited RFID tags in the OK drivers licenses!

10. The forced installation of Smart Meters on our homes, in furtherance of the global Smart Grid

• These meters serve to monitor every activity inside our homes.

11. Oklahoma State officials have now allowed DRONEs to fly over Oklahoma – for surveillance of its own people.  This is an inappropriate use of the military’s war fighting surveillance technologies.  We are not the enemy! Those same officials are praising the deployment of drones on U.S. soil as evidence of “job creation! “

12. Our Elected officials just this year put a cap on the use of freshwater in this state.  Called the Water for 2060 Act, this law says that “the public policy of this state is to establish and work toward a goal of consuming no more fresh water in the year 2060 than is consumed statewide in the year 2012”;   How are we to live, grow and prosper with such an egregious and arbitrary cap on freshwater usage?

13. Finally, our elected officials have been implementing, while denying that they are doing so, all the provisions of “ObamaCare” in the state of Oklahoma.

• They have allowed for the creation and advancement of an electronic health record on every single person, whether they wanted one or not.
• This electronic health record begins at birth with an electronic birth certificate, tracks us through school, into our work, and makes record of our lifestyle choices – virtually our every activity.  This record continues until we’re dead, making “health care reform” truly cradle-to-grave.
• Health care reform allows for “human subject research” without the knowledge or the informed consent of the person.
• These electronic health records link the patient, the provider and the payer together – in a nationwide – correction! In a global health information network.
• Our Elected officials have continued to work to establish an “ObamaCare” insurance exchange in Oklahoma.  These insurance exchanges completely redesign the insurance industry market and insert a middle man into the traditional business model.  The end result will be increased costs for all of us.
• Our Elected officials have claimed that they can establish a “state-based exchange”, one that is different from the federal government’s version.  What they are not telling the people is that there is only one way an exchange will work – and that is the federal way.  Oklahoma has been laying the groundwork for this for years – is it likely they’ll abandon that now?
• Despite the people saying NO to the exchanges, there are still those who continue to press for their establishment in this state.

Conclusion – The burdens on the people of Oklahoma are already great – we can carry no more.  Whether by Compact or by Tax we must not implement ObamaCare!”

Letter To Governors – Don’t Build An Exchange!

OK-SAFE, Inc. – This was forwarded by a friend in Idaho.  A few key legislators have signed a letter urging the state Governor’s to reject Obamacare State Exchanges.  Twelve Senators and 61 Legislators have signed the letter already – don’t you think OK Governor Mary Fallin should sign this letter, too?

See below for details and a link to the letter.

DeMint, Bachmann, Jordan Urge Governors to Reject Obamacare State Exchanges.

Twelve Senators, 61 Representatives join them in sending a letter to all 50 governors

(Washington, D.C.) Senator Jim DeMint (SC), Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (MN-06) and Congressman Jim Jordan (OH-04) sent a letter to all 50 governors urging them to oppose the implementation of the state health care exchanges mandated under President Obama’s health care law.  Twelve Senators and 61 Representatives joined them in writing in opposition to these exchanges, which could cost businesses up to $3,000 per employee.

“Now that we know the courts will not save us from this harmful and unsustainable law, we urge all governors to join our fight full repeal by stopping its implementation,” said DeMint. “Americans have loudly rejected this law because it raises costs, lowers quality of care, and hikes taxes. The President’s health care law will not reform anything, but will hurt state budgets, destroy jobs, and reduce patient choices. States should reject these complex and costly exchanges. We cannot build a free market health care system on this flawed structure of centralized government control, we must repeal all of it and start over with commonsense solutions that make health care more affordable and accessible for every American.”

“While Republicans in Congress will continue to push for a full repeal of Obamacare, the states can take immediate action to reject these exchanges that will increase health care costs and add more layers of bureaucratic red tape. I encourage all 50 governors to do what’s best for the American people. They should refuse to implement an exchange and instead work towards common sense solutions that lower costs and return important health care decisions to patients and their doctors,” said Bachmann.

“The harmful impact on jobs is just one of many reasons we remain committed to fully repealing this law. If governors want to raise the cost of hiring people in their states, they should create an Obamacare exchange. If they want more jobs in their state, they should not. It’s that simple,” said Jordan.

The text of the letter is included below, and a list of signers is available here.

Dear Governors:

The Supreme Court has ruled significant parts of the Medicaid expansion of the President’s health care law unconstitutional as well as ruling that the individual mandate violated the Commerce Clause and will therefore be implemented as a punitive tax on the middle class. This presents us with a critical choice: Do we allow this reprehensible law to move forward or do we fully repeal it and start over with commonsense solutions? The American people have made it clear that they want us to throw this law out in its entirety. 

As members of the U.S. Congress, we are dedicated to the full repeal of this government takeover of healthcare and we ask you to join us to oppose its implementation. 

Most importantly, we encourage you to oppose any creation of a state health care exchange mandated under the President’s discredited health care law. 

These expensive, complex, and intrusive exchanges impose a threat to the financial stability of our already-fragile state economies with no certainty of a limit to total enrollment numbers. Resisting the implementation of exchanges is good for hiring and investment. The law’s employer mandate assesses penalties – up to $3,000 per employee – only to businesses who don’t satisfy federally-approved health insurance standards and whose employees receive “premium assistance” through the exchanges.  The clear language of the statute only permits federal premium assistance to citizens of states who create a state-based exchange. However, the IRS recently finalized a regulation that contradicts the law by allowing the federal government to provide premium assistance to citizens in those states that have not created exchanges. The IRS had no authority to finalize

such a regulation. By refusing to create an exchange, you will assist us in Congress to repeal this violation which will help lower the costs of doing business in your state, relative to other states that keep these financially draining exchanges in place.  

State-run exchanges are subject to all of the same coverage mandates and rules as the federally-run exchange. Clearing the hurdles of crafting an exchange that complies with the 600 plus pages of federal exchange regulations will only result in wasted state resources and higher premiums for your constituents.

Implementation of this law is not inevitable and without the unconstitutional individual mandate it is improbable.  Join us in resisting a centralized government approach to health care reform and instead focus on solutions that make health care more affordable and accessible for every American. Let’s work to create a health care system of, for, and by the people, not government or special interests.

Sincerely,

(Signers include Jim DeMint, Michelle Bachmann, Tom Coburn (yes, Coburn), and more.)

Say NO to any insurance exchange in Oklahoma, whether state-based or otherwise.

Supreme Court Decision on the Affordable Care Act

OK-SAFE, Inc. – On June 28, 2012 the Supreme Court of the United States struck down the “individual mandate” contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, (PPACA), aka “ObamaCare”.

At least, some of the Supreme Court Justices struck down the individual mandate, others did not.

The Court’s Opinion is divided into Parts I through IV, each with a decision, with the opinions rendered via different pairing of Justices.  Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, and Alito, JJ., filed a dissenting opinion.  The dissenting opinion is where the controversial exchanges are cited.

Justice Roberts wrote that the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution cannot be used to compel an individual to purchase something, whether that something is a product or a service.  This includes health insurance.

Roberts went on to render an opinion that the “penalty” described in the Affordable Care Act is in reality a “tax”.  The Court did affirm that Congress does have taxing authority under the Constitution – and taxing us is apparently what Congress aims to do.

The opinion reads, in part, “The Affordable Care Act’s requirement that certain individuals pay a penalty for not obtaining health insurance may reasonably be characterized as a tax.  Because the Constitution permits such a tax, it is not our role to forbid it, or to pass upon its wisdom or fairness.”[1]

The U.S. Congress is now in the uncomfortable position of being caught in a very big lie about the true effect of “ObamaCare”, which was never really about caring for health.   What the Affordable Care Act has done is set out the parameters for a complex series of interconnected information technology systems; insurance exchanges (voluntary, by the way) that fundamentally redesign the insurance industry; and (apparently) set up an onerous taxing mechanism.

The Court also seems to have struck down the penalty to States that choose not to participate in the Medicaid expansion program “by taking away their existing Medicaid funding.”  The Government argued that this expansion was a modification of the existing program, but Justices Roberts, Breyer and Kagan disagreed, stating that the “expansion accomplishes a shift in kind, not merely degree. The original program was designed to cover medical services for particular categories of vulnerable individuals.  Under the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid is transformed into a program to meet the health care needs of the entire non elderly population with income below 133 percent of the poverty level. ”[2]  (Bold and italics added throughout.)

Roberts further declared, “A State could hardly anticipate that Congress’s reservation of the right to “alter” or “amend” the Medicaid program included the power to transform it so dramatically. The Medicaid expansion thus violates the Constitution by threatening States will the loss of their existing Medicaid funding if they decline to comply with the expansion.[3]

Health Insurance Exchanges and Their Federal Subsidies

The Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, and Alito dissenting opinion contains roughly 22 mentions of the insurance exchanges.[4] The dissent links the exchanges to the federal subsidies (again, voluntary) and reads, in part, “The ACA requires each State to establish a health ­insurance “exchange.” Each exchange is a one-stop mar­ketplace for individuals and small businesses to compare community-rated health insurance and purchase the policy of their choice. The exchanges cannot operate in the manner Congress intended if the Individual Mandate, Medicaid Expansion, and insurance regulations cannot remain in force. The Act’s design is to allocate billions of federal dollars to subsidize individuals’ purchases on the exchanges.”[5]

Regarding the insurance exchanges, these are intended to plug into the health information exchange “network of networks” currently being established in the states, including Oklahoma.[6]

The dissent continues, “Individuals with incomes between 100 and 400 percent of the poverty level receive tax credits to offset the cost of insurance to the individual purchaser. By 2019, 20 million of the 24 million people who will obtain insurance through an exchange are expected to receive an average federal subsidy of $6,460 per person. See CBO, Analysis of the Major Health Care Legislation Enacted in March 2010, pp. 18–19 (Mar. 30, 2011). With­out the community-rating insurance regulation, however, the average federal subsidy could be much higher; for community rating greatly lowers the enormous premiums unhealthy individuals would otherwise pay. Federal subsidies would make up much of the difference.”

“The result would be an unintended boon to insurance companies, an unintended harm to the federal fisc, and a corresponding breakdown of the “shared responsibility” between the industry and the federal budget that Congress intended. Thus, the federal subsidies must be invalidated.”

Further, “Without the federal subsidies, individuals would lose the main incentive to purchase insurance inside the exchanges, and some insurers may be unwilling to offer insurance inside of exchanges. With fewer buyers and even fewer sellers, the exchanges would not operate as Congress intended and may not operate at all.”

The insurance exchanges continue to be a problem, but despite the warnings and the evidence of their failure (Utah), proponents continue to advocate for their establishment.  Perhaps this is due to the expectation that an insurance exchange would result in “an unintended boon to insurance companies”?

OK-SAFE maintains its’ position against the establishment of an insurance exchange in Oklahoma, state-based or otherwise.

Endnotes:[1]National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, page 44. Page 50 of the pdf.

[2] Ibid, page 5

[3] Ibid, page 5

[4] Ibid. pp. 52-63 of the Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, and Alito, JJ., dissenting. Pp. 178 – 189 of the pdf

[5] Ibid, page 59 of the dissent.  Page 185 of the pdf.

[6] The information exchange works via information technology (i.e. computers) systems that connect the patient, the provider and the payer, where the payer means the insurer. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or ARRA, which passed in 2009, was the real health care reform law, funding the creation of an electronic health record on everyone, and the necessary information exchanges for data sharing.  Oklahoma took $8.8 million to set up Oklahoma’s exchanges.  Created in 2010, the Oklahoma Health Information Exchange Trust, or OHIET, is busy setting this up in this state The insurance exchange detailed in PPACA fits into this “network of networks”, linking the patient, the provider, and the payer into one interconnected system.  There is only one exchange system and it i the federal system.  There is no such thing as a state-based exchange that is functionally different than the one designated in ObamaCare.  See the Model is the Message diagram at http://www.exposinghealthcareform.com

Rally at the Capitol for Health Care Independence – Oklahoma’s Response to ObamaCare

OK-SAFE, Inc. – Join Liberty Loving Oklahomans at the Oklahoma state Capitol on Saturday, July 7, 2012 from 9 am to 11 am for a Rally for Healthcare Independence.

From the Rally Press Release:

“Oklahoma City, Oklahoma- On Saturday, July 7, 2012, 9-11 am, The Oklahoma 10th Amendment Center, in conjunction with numerous other like-minded activist groups and individuals, will gather for a Rally for Healthcare Independence on the south steps of the Oklahoma State Capitol.

Following the Supreme Court’s decision last Thursday that upheld the most onerous portions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), including the individual mandate – liberty-loving Oklahomans once again find themselves at the losing end of Washington, D.C.’s continued big government policies.  Now that the Federal Government has been given the power to force individuals to buy health care insurance, into what other actions will individuals be coerced under the guise of a tax?

…….

In 2010, Oklahomans overwhelmingly supported State Question 756– The Oklahoma Health Care Freedom Amendment – which, among other things, prohibits making a person participate in a health care system.  Our state has spoken on this issue.

Last spring, Oklahoma, along with the states of Louisiana, Florida, Nebraska, Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Michigan, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin refused to implement the Health Insurance Exchange plans inherent in the PPACA.  Again, our state has spoken on the issue.

Attendees of Saturday’s rally will have an opportunity to hear speakers who can educate them in some of the many ways Oklahoma citizens and legislators can band together to continue defending individual liberties.  All Oklahoma legislators are invited to attend in order to assist and address their concerned constituents.

Please join us for this important rally on the south side of the Capitol steps, Saturday, July 7th, from 9am to 11am, and find out what you can do to prevent Oklahoma from succumbing to ObamaCare – and other unconstitutional federal overreaches.”

End of press release.

Join us, won’t you?  And invite your legislator and ask them to commit to opposing  “Obamacare” in Oklahoma.

 

Kansas State Sovereignty Rally – State Capitol, January 13-14, 2012

If you live in or near Kansas, be sure to mark your calendars to attend the upcoming Kansas State Sovereignty Rally and “Making of America” seminar, to be held on Friday and Saturday, January 13-14, 2012 in Topeka, KS.

This event is sponsored by November Patriots.

Friday – The Kansas State Sovereignty Rally will be held from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm on Friday, January 13th, at the Kansas state capitol in the old Supreme Court chambers. Address for the Capitol is 10th and Jackson, Topeka, KS, 66612.

Saturday – The “Making of America” Seminar will run from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday, January 14th, at the Kansan Grill, 705 South Kansas Ave., Topeka, KS, 66603.  Presentation will be by Dr. Earl Taylor, President of NCCS.

This is the fourth annual rally sponsored by November Patriots, set to coincide with the beginning of the Kansas Legislative Session.

Friday’s Rally Speakers and Topics:

• Dr. Earl Taylor, president of the National Center for Constitutional Studies (NCCS) – The U.S. Constitution: The States’ Safeguard Against a Rogue Federal Government
• Jeff Lewis, National Director of the Patriot Coalition – Original Jurisdiction, State Sovereignty & the U.S. Constitution
• Amanda Teegarden, Executive Director, OK-SAFE, Inc. – Health Care Reform – IT, Privacy and Security Issues and Concerns
• Dr. George Watson, former President, American Association of Physicians& Surgeons – The Physicians’ Charity Project: Budget Relief Without ObamaCare
• Ken Dunwoody,  NOlathe’s Blog – Agenda 21 & ICLEI
• Rep. Pete DeGraff, Kansas House Appropriations Committee –Kansas Budget Gimmickry: A New Look at State Accountability & Transparency
• Dave Trabert of the the Kansas Policy Institute – The Truth About Kansas’ Financial Conditions & Implications of ObamaCare for Kansas
• Larry Pratt, Executive Director, Gun Owners of America – The Feds Out of Control, Sheriff’s Pushing Back, Operation Fast & Furious, and other 2nd Amendment Issues.

Saturday’s “Making of America” Seminar

This day-long event runs from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Kansas Grill, 705 S. Kansas Ave., in Topeka, KS.  “Making of America” will be presented by NCCS President, Dr. Earl Taylor. Donations of $10.00 to NCCS (National Center for Constitutional Studies) for the seminar workbook are requested.

Contact:

For information about both events, contact Richard D. Fry at 816-853-8718 or by email at richard@novemberpatriots.info

See Rally flyer below for all these details and more.

Neurosurgeon’s Call to Levin show – HHS refers to People Over 70 as “Units”

On Tuesday, November 22, 2011 a neurosurgeon named “Jeff” called in to the Mark Levin radio show , and said he had just returned from a seminar in Washington, D.C. where a group of surgeons were reading over what the Obama administration’s plans would be for those over 70 who needed advanced neurosurgery.

Basically, the health care plan for “advanced neurosurgical care” for those over 70 years of age is “not generally indicated”.

If someone over 70 goes to an emergency room, and is on a government-supported plan, that person will get what is called “comfort care”  instead of the more advanced life-saving care.  These people are not referred to as patients, but as “units”.

Mis-named “ethics panels” will make the decisions about whether a patient over 70 should receive advanced surgical care.  In general, they will not.

To hear this call, follow this link to the 11/22/11 show. Audio of the caller begins at minute marker 44:34.

To Oklahoma’s Republican leadership – are you listening?  Can you say death panels?