Scot Rumery's Lifestream

Filed under: politics

Domestic violence as a pre-existing condition! Are you fucking serious?!?

From the moment I saw my first insurance rate sheet that showed women pay more for health care coverage I thought it was outrageous.  It’s still an issue and it’s wrong.  On top of that, insurance companies in some states can deny women health care coverage by citing domestic violence as a pre-existing condition.  There are so many things wrong with that it makes me sick.

Being pregnant is also a pre-existing condition … don’t get me started.  What a fucking joke!

From: Nancy-Ann DeParle, The White House [mailto:info@messages.whitehouse.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 9:49 AM
To: scot
Subject: 9

The White House, Washington

 
 

Good afternoon,

9 -- that's  number of states and the District of Columbia where there is still no specific law that makes it illegal for insurers to reject applicants who are survivors of domestic violence by citing the history of domestic violence as a pre-existing condition.1

Unfortunately, the gender inequalities across our broken heath care system don't end there.  In many states, insurance companies can still discriminate on the basis of gender -- charging women higher premiums than men simply because of their gender or denying coverage because of so-called "pre-existing conditions" like being pregnant, experiencing a prior pregnancy complication, or having undergone a C-section.  And health plans in the individual market often do not cover basic maternity care.

President Obama's proposal for health insurance reform would end the days of discrimination based on gender.  Insurance companies would be banned from denying coverage because of a pre-existing condition and would have to cover preventative care like mammograms.

For America's women and families, the time is now for health insurance reform.

Learn More

9 is the latest number in ‘Health Reform by the Numbers,' our online campaign to raise awareness about why we just can't wait any longer for health insurance reform.  Help spread the word by sharing this message with your family, friends and online networks.

Let's get it done.

Nancy-Ann DeParle
Director, White House Office of Health Reform

P.S. Still have questions about what reform means for you and your family?  Tune in tonight at 5:15 p.m. EDT and get your questions answered live by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

1 National Women's Law Center, Still Nowhere to Turn 

Visit WhiteHouse.gov

  
 

 

The White House • 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW • Washington, DC 20500 • 202-456-1111

 

 

Making history

-------- Original Message --------

From: President Barack Obama
Subject: Making history
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 2009 01:00:46 -0500
To: Scot Rumery

Scot --

This evening, at 11:15 p.m., the House of Representatives voted to pass their health insurance reform bill. Despite countless attempts over nearly a century, no chamber of Congress has ever before passed comprehensive health reform. This is history.

But you and millions of your fellow Organizing for America supporters didn't just witness history tonight -- you helped make it. Each "yes" vote was a brave stand, backed up by countless hours of knocking on doors, outreach in town halls and town squares, millions of signatures, and hundreds of thousands of calls. You stood up. You spoke up. And you were heard.

So this is a night to celebrate -- but not to rest. Those who voted for reform deserve our thanks, and the next phase of this fight has already begun.

The final Senate bill hasn't even been released yet, but the insurance companies are already pressing hard for a filibuster to bury it. OFA has built a massive neighborhood-by-neighborhood operation to bring people's voices to Congress, and tonight we saw the results. But the coming days will put our efforts to the ultimate test. Winning will require each of us to give everything we can, starting right now.

Can you donate $25 or whatever you can afford so we can finish this fight?

https://donate.barackobama.com/History2

Tonight's vote brought every American closer to the secure, affordable care we need. But it was also a watershed moment in how change is made.

Even after last year's election, many insider lobbyists and partisan operatives really thought that the old formula of scare tactics, D.C. back-scratching and special-interest money would still be enough to block any idea they didn't like. Now, they're desperate. Because, tonight, you made it crystal clear: the old rules are changing -- and the people will not be ignored.

In the final phases of last year's election, I often reminded folks, "Don't think for a minute that power concedes without a fight," and it's especially true today. But that's okay -- we're not afraid of a fight. And as you continue to prove, when all of us work together, we have what it takes to win.

Please donate to OFA's campaign to win this fight and ensure that real health reform reaches my desk by the end of this year:

https://donate.barackobama.com/History2

Let's keep making history,

President Barack Obama

STAND UP FOR HEALTHCARE REFORM | LIVESTRONG Action

The debate over health care is critical to all Americans and cancer survivors are no different. As members of LIVESTRONG Action, we petition Congress to ensure that the needs of cancer survivors are addressed.

Too many cancer survivors today are denied new coverage or have their current coverage revoked when they need it most. This is inexcusable and must change. We demand that any healthcare reform bill passed by Congress address these urgent problems and include the following:

No American should be denied health insurance coverage because of pre-existing conditions.

No American should lose their insurance due to changes in health or employment.

via livestrongaction.org

If you agree with this Campaign from LIVESTRONG, take action and sign the petition. Please.

A Call to Action

-------- Original Message --------

From: President Barack Obama
Subject: A call to action
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 2009 17:24:14 -0400
To: Scot Rumery
Scot --

This morning, Michelle and I awoke to some surprising and humbling news. At 6 a.m., we received word that I'd been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009.

To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.

But I also know that throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes.

That is why I've said that I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations and all peoples to confront the common challenges of the 21st century. These challenges won't all be met during my presidency, or even my lifetime. But I know these challenges can be met so long as it's recognized that they will not be met by one person or one nation alone.

This award -- and the call to action that comes with it -- does not belong simply to me or my administration; it belongs to all people around the world who have fought for justice and for peace. And most of all, it belongs to you, the men and women of America, who have dared to hope and have worked so hard to make our world a little better.

So today we humbly recommit to the important work that we've begun together. I'm grateful that you've stood with me thus far, and I'm honored to continue our vital work in the years to come.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

  


Ted Kennedy's Letter To Obama

And so because of your vision and resolve, I came to believe that soon, very soon, affordable health coverage will be available to all, in an America where the state of a family's health will never again depend on the amount of a family's wealth. And while I will not see the victory, I was able to look forward and know that we will – yes, we will – fulfill the promise of health care in America as a right and not a privilege.
via huffingtonpost.com

If you have not read the entire letter yet, I encourage you to do so.  The above link will take you there.
Posterous theme by Cory Watilo