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)

Sherrod Brown lambastes GOP health care plan

From The Dayton Daily News:

U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown called for increased access to affordable health care Friday while blasting Republican legislation he said could undermine health coverage for millions of Ohioans.

Speaking at the Drew Health Center, 1323 W. Third St., Brown, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, said the American health-care system too often forces families "to choose between their medicine and their food."
The "Enzi" bill named for Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., and aimed at making insurance more affordable to small businesses -- would make things worse, Brown said.
Joined by Dayton physician Richard Wyderski, Brown said the Enzi bill could potentially allow insurance companies to increase premiums and drop coverage for an array of essential services, such as maternity care and mental health care; breast, cervical and prostate cancer screenings; immunizations, and basic health care for children.

"It pretty much undercuts the patient protections we've built in this country," said the Cleveland-area Democrat, surrounded by health-care practitioners and advocates.

Click here to read the full article.

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

Critics blast DeWine for health-care vote

From Columbus Dispatch:

Republican Sen. Mike De-Wine is taking heat over his vote yesterday for legislation allowing small businesses to more easily band together to seek lower-priced health coverage.

DeWine joined the Senate Health Committee's other Republicans in the 11-9 party-line committee vote.

Some consumer and healthcare advocates had been lobbying DeWine to vote against the final bill, saying it allows insurers to drop a number of benefits, such as cancer screening, mandated by Ohio and other states.

DeWine last week was the sole Republican to vote for a Democratic amendment requiring those benefits. The amendment failed 10-10 because the GOP committee chairman gets to break ties.

DeWine said in a statement yesterday that he voted for the final bill because while it "is not a perfect bill . . . it provides insurance options for small businesses which they don't have right now."

Critics of the legislation were not appeased.

"DeWine's vote means that the special interests who finance his campaign are one step closer to raising insurance premiums for seniors and ending coverage for things like diabetes, mammography and cancer screenings," said Phil Singer, spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Democratic Rep. Sherrod Brown, of Avon, is running against DeWine this year.

DeWine also was criticized by the American Cancer Society.

"While we appreciate Sen. DeWine's votes for amendments to protect cancer screenings, the American Cancer Society is extremely disappointed that he did not continue this support by voting against this legislation," said Wendy Simpkins, spokeswoman for the group's Ohio division.

"This bill jeopardizes statemandated cancer screenings -- including mammography -- that are key to saving lives."

03/16/2006 / Permalink / Enzi Bill, Health Care, (all tags)

Calls for Drug Enrollment Extension Grow

From AP via ABC News:

Calls for Medicare Drug Enrollment Deadline Extension Growing Louder

Older Americans and the disabled should be allowed to sign up for the prescription drug benefit without penalty after a May 15 enrollment deadline, Democratic lawmakers told the top Medicare official Wednesday.

The theme of delaying the deadline became almost a mantra for the Democrats during a congressional hearing. A couple of Republican lawmakers on the House Energy and Commerce Committee said they were inclined to agree, indicating growing bipartisan support for the idea.

"How can anyone blame seniors if they've been either too perplexed or too wary to enter the fray," said Rep. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.

Click here to read full article.

03/02/2006 / Permalink / Health Care, Medicare Part D, Seniors, (all tags)

Rx for confusion

From Cincinnati Enquirer:

...But U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown, D-Avon, a longtime program critic and U.S. Senate candidate, said Medicare drug coverage "does nothing to bring drug prices down." He wants to scrap the legislation and start over.

Brown advocates two major changes. First, he'd allow seniors to enroll directly through Medicare, rather than trying to make sense of the dozens of individual plans now available.

Second, he'd allow Medicare to negotiate prices with drug companies - something prohibited under the existing legislation.

"The Veterans Administration does it. The insurance companies do it. Why shouldn't the government use the buying power of 40 million customers to do it?"

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02/22/2006 / Permalink / Health Care, Medicare Part D, Seniors, (all tags)

Bush Health Plan Abandons Ohio Families

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, February 15, 2006

AMHERST, OH--As President George W. Bush visited Columbus, OH, today advocating for the privatization of health care, Congressman Sherrod Brown (D-Lorain County) criticized the president's proposal for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Currently, more than one million Ohioans are without health insurance.

"The president fails to acknowledge that America is in the middle of a health care crisis," said Brown. "Every year, we pay more for health care. The president's answer is to make it more expensive for Ohio families to visit the doctor."

02/15/2006 / Permalink / Health Care, (all tags)

DeWine opponents skewer drug plan

From Dayton Daily News:

DeWine opponents skewer drug plan
Brown, Hackett want to run against GOP senator

By Jim Bebbington
Dayton Daily News

VANDALIA | U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown, D-Avon, visited Hock's Pharmacy on Friday to skewer the Medicare prescription drug benefit plan and call for changes.

...Brown is calling for two ways to fix the logjam. He wants the federal government to be allowed to negotiate bulk discounts with drug companies for drugs purchased through Medicare.

Brown also said he wants the program replaced with a system in which Medicare recipients have a portion of their prescriptions paid for directly by Medicare, rather than third-party insurance companies.

Click here to read the full article.

02/11/2006 / Permalink / Health Care, Medicare Part D, Seniors, (all tags)

Rx Plan Needs Own Rx: Brown Calls For Change In Medicare Part D

DAYTON, OH--Congressman Sherrod Brown (D-Avon) called for immediate changes to Medicare Part D, the prescription drug program, this morning at a press event in Dayton. A group of local pharmacists and senior citizens joined Brown to express their concerns about the plan, which came into effect earlier this year.
Brown was an outspoken critic of the GOP bill in 2003, which passed in the middle of the night, and only after the vote was held open for nearly three hours.  

"Medicare Part D isn't as bad as I predicted -- it's worse," Brown said.

02/10/2006 / Permalink / Health Care, Medicare Part D, Seniors, (all tags)