GOP Health Bill Would Gut Patient’s Rights

Brown, Ohioans Call On DeWine To Choose Children, Not HMOs

LORAIN COUNTY--Congressman Sherrod Brown (D-Lorain County) and more than one hundred doctors, nurses, social workers, and other concerned residents from across Ohio wrote to Senator Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tennessee), and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt today to express concerns about legislation under consideration by the Senate that would threaten health care coverage for more than 3 million Ohioans.

Senate bill 1955, which passed a Senate committee last month after a tie-breaking vote from DeWine, would override Ohio consumer-protection laws ensuring coverage of critical health care. It could be voted on by the full Senate as early as next week.

"This bill represents an assault by the insurance industry on the hard-earned patient protections that benefit us all," Brown said. "With this letter, we are putting the Republican leadership in Washington on notice--our health and safety must come first."

04/06/2006 / Permalink / Enzi Bill, Health Care, Seniors, (all tags)

Senate Bill Could Limit Health Care Coverage, Sherrod Warns at Weekend Events

Youngstown Community Health Center

News conference in Lima

Sherrod speaks with patients and health care professionals in Lima

Health professionals and patients join Sherrod to oppose Enzi Bill at Toledo event

Joined by health care professionals and patients, Sherrod spoke out in Youngstown, Lima, and Toledo last weekend against a Senate bill that would override Ohio laws ensuring coverage of critical health care.

Senate bill 1955, proposed by Senator Michael Enzi of Wyoming, was approved by a Senate committee last month with support from Ohio Republican Senator Mike DeWine.

"We need legislation that will help employers and workers afford health care, not divert billions in tax dollars to industry coffers," Sherrod said. "And we can do that by curing Washington of its addiction to insurance industry money."

The bill would allow health insurers to drop coverage for health care needs including maternity care; breast, cervical, colon, and prostate cancer screenings; kidney dialysis; physicals, immunizations and other basic health care for children; mental health treatment; and emergency care.

Families USA, a national health care advocacy group, called the Enzi legislation one of the "most harmful anti-consumer bills in recent memory."

Sherrod co-wrote legislation that would help Ohio small businesses afford health care through tax credits, and enable them to buy into the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP).

"2006 is about change in Ohio," Sherrod said. "Do you stand up for Ohio families, or do you succumb to the temptations of Washington lobbyists and the insurance industry? Ohioans know where I stand."

04/03/2006 / Permalink / Enzi Bill, Health Care, Seniors, (all tags)

Congressman Sherrod Brown speaks out about health insurance

From Lima News:

LIMA -- Congressman Sherrod Brown spoke up against Republication legislation that he believes will cut out health insurance coverage for millions in Ohio at a news conference Sunday.

  Brown, D-Lorain County, spoke at Medi-Lab East on Bellefontaine Avenue. About 12 people attended to listen.

  "Congress wants to pass a bill that they say will help small businesses but, it will take away the patient protections in health insurance. So, you could buy health insurance and find out with the small print that you don't have maternity care, you don't have emergency room care, you don't have mental health treatment and you don't have breast, cervical and prostate can-cer treatment," Brown said.

What he proposes instead is a plan that will benefit both the small business and its employees.

"What we want to do instead is pass legislation to allow small businesses to buy into the fed-eral employee benefits plan, the plan available to federal employees, and give them a 25 per-cent tax credit so the insurance for all of their employees will be accessible and affordable," he said.

Brown said he chose to speak at Medi-Lab because it has serviced many low-income people who don't have health care coverage.

Connie Miller, who owns an insurance company that specializes in small business and indi-vidual health insurance came in support of Brown's plan.

"If we want to maintain the current system, and I think the majority of people do, we have to do something to be able to provide coverage for the people with the chronic illnesses. They can't buy health insurance coverage at any cost," she said.

Brown is running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Mike DeWine, who is Republican.

04/03/2006 / Permalink / Enzi Bill, Health Care, Seniors, (all tags)

Opponent criticizes DeWine’s vote on health-care issue

From Toledo Blade:

The bill eliminates coverage for cancer screenings and more

By JOSHUA BOAK
BLADE STAFF WRITER

U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown attacked Sen. Mike DeWine yesterday for casting a decisive committee vote for a bill that would allegedly reduce health-care costs for small employers.

The bill would actually limit health-insurance coverage, charged Mr. Brown (D., Avon), who hopes to unseat Mr. DeWine, a Republican, this year.

"It simply cancels out the consumer protections that state legislatures have built up over the years," Mr. Brown said.

Mr. DeWine supported the Health Insurance Marketplace and Affordability Act of 2005, which passed out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on a party-line vote of 11-9.

A study by human resources consultant Mercer Oliver Wyman, concluded that the bill would cut health-insurance costs for small businesses by 12 percent, or about $1,000 per employee, according to Sen. Michael Enzi (R., Wyo.) the committee's chairman.

In a speech outside the Cordelia Martin Health Center in Toledo, Mr. Brown said the bill would let health insurers profit by eliminating coverage for maternity care, emergency care, physicals, immunizations for children, mental-health treatment, and screenings for breast, cervical, colon, and prostate cancer.

"The need for care doesn't go away because coverage for it does," Mr. Brown said.
Medical professionals who met with Mr. Brown said that a lack of health coverage ultimately costs more money because it keeps doctors from diagnosing illnesses before they become life-threatening.

"These are preventive services that all of us should have," said Johnathon Ross, a Toledo doctor who favors nationalized health care. "They save lives and dollars."

Judith Winhoven, a nurse practitioner at the Cordelia Martin Health Center, claimed that if the bill reduced insurance coverage, it would further exacerbate health problems for African-American and Hispanic women.

"Cancer does not discriminate," Ms. Winhoven said. "The fact remains that African-American and Hispanic women are often diagnosed at later stages of the disease, decreasing their chances of survival."

04/03/2006 / Permalink / Enzi Bill, Health Care, Seniors, (all tags)

Health Issues Raised in Youngstown

From Warren Tribune-Chronicle:

Health issues raised

By RAYMOND L. SMITH Tribune Chronicle

Brown was at the Youngstown Community Health Center to tell a small audience of health professionals and supporters that he has been fighting for many years to make sure low-income residents can obtain prescreening examinations. Brown is seeking the Democratic nomination to run for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Mike DeWine.

"Today, we have more than 46 million people who do not have insurance,'' Brown said. "We have even more underinsured people. What is Congress doing? They are considering a bill that will make it worse.''

Brown was criticizing a bill sponsored by Sen. Michael Enzi, R-Wyoming, that is designed to provide insurance for small business.

"However, it will strip away all the consumer protections that exist in many state bills,'' Brown said. "In states around the country, residents know that if they have insurance, they will be covered with general emergency room care, dialysis and cancer screenings, and some mental health treatments.''

...Dr. Ron Dwinnells, chief executive officer of the Youngstown Community Health Center, also criticized the Enzi bill Saturday, saying that it appears to promote a reactive form of medical treatment, instead of proactive care.

"This is a health care facility that provides a lot of proactive care,'' he said. "We provide a lot of screenings and a lot of test to ensure our patients do not have a lot of illnesses.''

"If the federal government cut the funding for these proactive tests, we will go backwards and become reactive to illnesses,'' he said. "We believe that will cost our consumer and tax payers even more money, adding more burden.''

Click here to read full article.

04/02/2006 / Permalink / Enzi Bill, Health Care, Seniors, (all tags)

Brown offers criticism of health insurance bill

From Youngstown Vindicator:

Brown offers criticism of health insurance bill
Brown also is supporting a grass-roots campaign to raise the minimum wage.

By DEBORA SHAULIS

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN -- A Republican-backed U.S. Senate bill that's supposed to help small businesses buy affordable health insurance also would disregard current state insurance laws, says U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown of Lorain, D-13th.

That means health providers could discontinue coverage for maternity care, many cancer screenings, kidney dialysis, basic children's health care, mental health treatment and diabetic supplies, Brown said.

Brown met Saturday at Youngstown Community Health Center with doctors, nurses and patients as he criticized Senate Bill 1955, the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act, that cleared a Senate committee last month.

Youngstown was one of six campaign stops Saturday for Brown, who is challenging incumbent U.S. Senator Michael DeWine, R-Ohio.

"This Congress is one that first of all thinks about its interest group supporters," Brown said, citing the insurance industry.

What approval would mean

Sen. Michael Enzi, R-Wyoming, is lead sponsor of the bill. If it's approved, small businesses could form associations, regardless of state lines, to buy health insurance.

04/02/2006 / Permalink / Enzi Bill, Health Care, Seniors, (all tags)

Brown Says Republican Health Bill Will Devastate Ohio Families

DAYTON, OH--Congressman Sherrod Brown (D-Lorain County) today joined with local health care experts and area residents at the Drew Health Center to speak out against legislation approved by the Senate that would threaten health care coverage for more than 3 million Ohioans.

S. 1955 -- known as the "Enzi" bill -- passed the Senate earlier this month. Supported by Ohio Republican Senator Mike DeWine, the bill would override Ohio laws ensuring coverage of critical health care.

"This bill is part of the pay-to-play system plaguing Washington," Brown said. "The drug industry wrote the disastrous Medicare Part D program, and oil companies wrote an energy bill sending home heating bills through the roof. Now the insurance industry wants its turn at the trough."

03/25/2006 / Permalink / Enzi Bill, Health Care, Seniors, (all tags)

Brown Says Republican Health Bill Will Devastate Ohio Families

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sunday, April 2, 2006

REPUBLICAN BILL IS MASSIVE GIVEAWAY TO INSURANCE INDUSTRY BROWN SAYS MEASURE WOULD DEVASTATE OHIO FAMILIES

TOLEDO--Congressman Sherrod Brown (D-Lorain County) today joined with health care experts and area residents at the Cordelia Martin Health Center to speak out against legislation approved by the Senate that would threaten health care coverage for more than 3 million Ohioans.

Senate bill 1955, proposed by Senator Michael Enzi of Wyoming, was approved by a Senate committee last month with support from Ohio Republican Senator Mike DeWine. The bill would override Ohio laws ensuring coverage of critical health care.

"This bill is part of the pay-to-play system plaguing Washington," Brown said. "The drug industry wrote the disastrous Medicare Part D program, and oil companies wrote an energy bill sending home heating bills through the roof. Now the insurance industry wants its turn at the trough."

03/25/2006 / Permalink / Enzi Bill, Health Care, Seniors, (all tags)