Breast cancer section of the Senate's health care bill

gsg

Hi, everybody.   

 It was pure happenstance that when it was my turn to read a portion of the Senate's health care legislation into the record in December, before the vote, we were just getting to the breast cancer section dealing with young women's breast health.  As a breast cancer survivor, I was very moved to read it into the record.   I actually read for 30 minutes...this is a 9-minute clip of my reading.  As a nonpartisan employee, I have no public opinion about what I read or the legislation...it was just my job to read it into the record.  It was crazy that my section covered breast cancer.  I start about 30 seconds into the video.  Anyway, here it is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sthmSZ6PxB8

Harley44

Hey Patrice,

Havent' seen you around much lately... guess you've been very busy...

Hey, isn't it ironic that you were chosen to read that part about breast cancer?? 

You were wonderful!!

Harley

swimangel72

You read very well - more clearly than the woman before you - and if that had been me, my voice would have cracked and broken with tears! Great job Patrice!

otter

Wow.  Are you sure that was coincidental???

I watched the YouTube clip and then googled the legislation.  The focus of the act was on breast health education and breast cancer "awareness" in "young women."  "Young women" were defined in the act as women from 15 to 44 years of age.  That range was a bit wider than in a companion bill introduced in the House last spring.  In the House bill, "young women" were considered to be 15 to 40 years of age.

Here's the text of the bill (S 994 IS) as it was originally introduced in the Senate:  http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:S.994.IS:

Or, if you'd prefer, here's the text of the companion bill (HR 1740 IH) that was introduced in the House last spring:  http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.1740.IH:

Way to go, gsg!  You have very good style and technique.

otter 

P.S.: I, too, am trying to be non-partisan about these bills. I was going to mention some pro's and con's of parts of the "Early Act"; but that discussion doesn't need to go in this thread.

Harley44

Otter,

 Me, too...   I was going to post some pros and cons, but I wanted to remain non-partisan.

Patrice,

You did a very good job reading that....  I would have been in tears...

Harley

lovemyfamilysomuch

I had no idea that you had anything to do with this kind of stuff, but YOU WERE AWESOME!!!

vivre

WOW, you rock! I do not believe that was purely coincidental. You were meant to read that part of the bill. How did you get that job anyway?

As for the bill, we shall see if something comes of it. It was great to hear there seems to be some will to turn the attention to prevention. I think they throw all this stuff in there to please this or that group, but in the end, it is unfunded so it is a lot of words. Let's hope not.

Anonymous

Hey, Patrice!  You keeping them Senators straight? 

You did good, girl!  I would have been crossed eyed reading that stuff.  But, what about Old Women....LOL

Did your "kid" ever come back home?  Mine did but moved to Denver, Colorado.  They might as well be in Africa!

Good to see ya!

Shirley

Octobergirl

I was moved to tears to see you read breast cancer legislation into the Congressional record. I shared your YouTube clip with my husband...he served in a past administration and was honored to testify before Congress...and was again deeply moved to see tears in his eyes as he watched. For us, it was a powerful  convergence of his past work  and passion  to effect legislation and our present work and passion  to fight breast cancer.

Congratulations, Patrice. I'm so proud a fellow member of this discussion board had the distinction of reading the passage into the record. 

TenderIsOurMight

Nicely read and delivered.

A special day in your and our life. Congratulations.

Tender

gsg

Sorry for the delay in my response.  I'm off work right now and have had lots of company.

Thanks to everybody for all their sweet words...really.  It definitely was an honor for me to read this portion and while reading I was thinking of all the women on this board.  

Hey Shirley:  My son is still living and working in China.  He was home for Christmas and just went back.  So now I'm in deep mourning.  It's hard having him live so far away...you certainly know what that's like.  He's been out of the country for 3 years now....the first year spent traveling...the last 2 years in Shanghai teaching.   It must be wonderful having your daughter and SIL at least living on the same continent!   As a side note, I want you to know how sorry I was to read that you are battling this beast once again and hope you are having success with your treatment.

gsg

also, i wanted to address each person, but i have to be someplace in a little bit and haven't even showered...it's been several days and i wanted to post at least *something* on here to you all.  i've missed this place!

  

gsg

bumping for judy1992.

Ezscriiibe

And THIS is why it is so important:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63L2LS20100422

Exclusive: WellPoint routinely targets breast cancer patients

(Reuters) - One after another, shortly after a diagnosis of breast cancer, each of the women learned that her health insurance had been canceled. First there was Yenny Hsu, who lived and worked in Los Angeles. Later, Robin Beaton, a registered nurse from Texas. And then, most recently, there was Patricia Relling, a successful art gallery owner and interior designer from Louisville, Kentucky.

None of the women knew about the others. But besides their similar narratives, they had something else in common: Their health insurance carriers were subsidiaries of WellPoint, which has 33.7 million policyholders -- more than any other health insurance company in the United States.

The women all paid their premiums on time. Before they fell ill, none had any problems with their insurance. Initially, they believed their policies had been canceled by mistake.

They had no idea that WellPoint was using a computer algorithm that automatically targeted them and every other policyholder recently diagnosed with breast cancer. The software triggered an immediate fraud investigation, as the company searched for some pretext to drop their policies, according to government regulators and investigators.

Once the women were singled out, they say, the insurer then canceled their policies based on either erroneous or flimsy information. WellPoint declined to comment on the women's specific cases without a signed waiver from them, citing privacy laws.

That tens of thousands of Americans lost their health insurance shortly after being diagnosed with life-threatening, expensive medical conditions has been well documented by law enforcement agencies, state regulators and a congressional committee. Insurance companies have used the practice, known as "rescission," for years. And a congressional committee last year said WellPoint was one of the worst offenders.

But WellPoint also has specifically targeted women with breast cancer for aggressive investigation with the intent to cancel their policies, federal investigators told Reuters. The revelation is especially striking for a company whose CEO and president, Angela Braly, has earned plaudits for how her company improved the medical care and treatment of other policyholders with breast cancer.

You can read the rest of the article at the above link.