Thunder196, Tulsa (8/1/2009 4:00:47 AM)

I see drug prescriptions was not mentioned in this. I think he probably knew not to mention it.
...
"The panel handed the drug industry a victory, voting 45-11 to grant 12 years of market protection to high-tech drugs used to combat cancer, Parkinson's and other deadly diseases."
...
Last year my prescription cost me $62.00 and my insurance paid $4.00. Is there anyone out there that the drug companies don't own. Rep. Frank Lucas can watch all he wants, but I don't think its going to do much.

Carl, Henryetta (8/1/2009 8:15:48 AM)

You identified the problem with inappropriate use of the Emergency Room accurately, but you offered no solution. Getting insurance will only INCREASE inappropriate use of the ER.

At present, the only obstacle to people going to the ER is its high cost. Responsible people don't want to owe $500 for getting their minor ailment seen. With insurance, it'll be less of a problem.

Hobbs, Tulsa (8/1/2009 9:26:12 AM)

"However, most people have argued the answer is not a federal government-run health care system in this country. Instead, they tell me their biggest concerns are cost and access." THAT'S A LIE. MOST Americans are insisting we have a gov't option! The republicans who attend your town hall mtgs aren't MOST AMERICANS.

"While our health care system is not perfect, they argue, it is still one of the best in the world." THATS A LIE!! While having the most expensive health care in the world we rank near the bottom in many areas...for instance we rank 37th in the world in infant deaths. We are being held for ransom by Insurance companies,for profit hospitals, the drug companies, and republican congressmen

""Sen. Tom Coburn's legislation, the Patient's Choice Act, proposes a refundable tax credit of $2,300 per individual and $5,700 per family. This would be one way to help Americans cover their health insurance costs without a complete federal government takeover of the system." What a crock!! Why is the only solution republicans can ever come up with is tax cuts??? We need affordable, immediate and inclusive care now! Exactly what we don't have.

People you can't have government haters in charge of our government...you've seen what's happened to our country under Republican leadership. Line the pockets of the wealthy and convince everyone to vote against their own best interest by using wedge issues to propagate a system that benefits no one but the wealthy.

THINK- IT'S NOT ILLEGAL YET!!

richard waddell, Bartlesville (8/1/2009 9:33:27 AM)

Three keys? Lucas must have spent at least 45 minutes thinking about health care problems -- Fifteen minutes for each key.

richard waddell, Bartlesville (8/1/2009 9:59:52 AM)

Key 1: Solution for the uninsured. What are tax credits going to do for people who don’t have enough income to pay taxes? Lucas obviously has no concept of the problems poor people have with cash flow. What if I can’t afford to see a doctor in January? Even if I have taxable income, how are tax credits coming to me next year going to help me now?

richard waddell, Bartlesville (8/1/2009 10:01:09 AM)

Key 2: Lowered costs and maintained choice: Lucas writes: “We need to lower the cost of medical procedures and the cost of health insurance. The best way to do this is to ensure transparency in the system.”

How exactly will “transparency” help lower costs? The only thing transparency will do for me is to tell me whether I can or cannot afford a treatment. I haven’t found hospitals or clinics willing to negotiate. Besides, most people who really need help wouldn’t even think of trying to negotiate.

richard waddell, Bartlesville (8/1/2009 10:02:26 AM)

Key 3: Access for all Americans: Lucas writes: “One way to address this issue would be to expand the use of telemedicine technologies.”

Rep. Lucas, I thought this was supposed to be a key for “access for ALL Americans?” Most Americans don’t live in rural areas. Your “key” says nothing about access for the vast majority of Americans.

Loophole, (8/1/2009 10:29:00 AM)

Do you suppose there's a reason why many lower income folks don't have insurance? Ever look around at these sold out concerts where people spend $50 - $125 a seat? Ever notice the number of these folks with cell phones that do everything from receive ball games to transmit photos? Can you imagine the number who have more expensive flat screen televisions with HD cable or satelite? Have you noticed that more of these folks smoke? Add it all up. A pack a day at $4.50 - $135/month. HD cable - $100/month. A concert for two per month - at least $100 - 200/month. High tech cells, with texting, photos, internet, etc. $100/month. Bingo, you have the cost of medical insurance.

richard waddell, Bartlesville (8/1/2009 11:04:07 AM)

Loophole, Are you suggesting people who go to concerts, etc. are the people who don’t have health insurance?

A lot of the people you’re talking about are young and single and probably think they don’t need health insurance, and probably most of them don’t. So what’s your point.

Carl, Henryetta (8/1/2009 11:47:34 AM)

Hobbs: "We need affordable, immediate and inclusive care now! Exactly what we don't have."
And how do you propose a system with the existing number of doctors is going to give IMMEDIATE and INCLUSIVE care - when faced with an influx of 47 MILLION new "customers"?????

Senator Jim Wilson, Tahlequah (8/1/2009 11:54:02 AM)

I have never seen so much effort and self sacrifice for the sole purpose of placating the insurance and health care industry. We have an industry, which according to OMB, could cut health care costs by as much as a third (saving the citizens of Oklahoma $7 billion annually) if health care providers coordinated patient care for quality and efficiency (resulting in better outcomes). In Oklahoma we would save $3.2 billion by reducing the percentage of our administrative costs to that of Canada. We could save $750 million by reducing adverse effect in outpatient care. We could save $165 million in preventable and shorter hospital stays, admissions and readmissions. we could save $800 million and 700 lives per year with electronic medical records. In addition, fraud costs Oklahomans at least $750 million per year in the health care industry. These savings total $5.6 billion or $1,600 for every citizen of Oklahoma.

Instead of trying to save money and improve outcomes for the current system, policymakers try to justify the current system - a system where a hospital can generate an accurate bill only 20% of the time.

When people criticise the move toward government regulation they are suggesting we should do away with Medicare and the VA delivery system - both of which are better than any private system.

Medicare will pay for any "medically necessary" malady. When the legislature tried to require the same of private insurance the insurance lobby beat it back. The VA is a completely socialized system and has better outcomes at a 20% savings than any other provider with the possible exception of Mayo and Cleveland Clinic.

I amazes me that we are willing to spend more money and shorten our lives by supporting a system which we know is broken and we know how to fix - but we would rather risk the health and well being of our loved ones because we're too gullible to do our homework or too afraid to buck the special interests.

Carl, Henryetta (8/1/2009 12:51:10 PM)

Senator Wilson - sounds GREAT. But it also sounds like the same, tired old politician's doubletalk.

What, EXACTLY, does it mean when you say:"... if health care providers coordinated patient care for quality and efficiency (resulting in better outcomes). "

What does this mean? It makes no sense on the face of it.
"We could save $750 million by reducing adverse effect in outpatient care."

NICE! How do you propose we accomplish this?
"700 lives per year with electronic medical records."

Are you aware that there are already PLENTY of doctors' offices and hospitals that USE electronic records? Trouble is, they are NOT all compatible. Too many corporations started up their own versions BEFORE anybody could come up with a comprehensive plan to integrate them. Now, chances are - it'll all have to be retooled and (re)built from the ground up.

Here's a comment that has as much substance as yours does.

"What we need to do in our country is to trim unneccesary expenses and streamline the bureaucracy so that it'll be more efficient and cost-effective. Our elected officials need to be honest and put us before their own interests. Everyone needs to be kinder and gentler and then it'll be better for everyone."

There, problem solved!

richard waddell, Bartlesville (8/1/2009 3:51:54 PM)

Jeez, Carl. Why don’t we all just not get sick?

Senator Wilson, Thank you for your intelligent comments. Three syllable words and big numbers just seem to overwhelm some.

52favoriteteacher, Washburn--used to be Broken Arrow (8/1/2009 5:27:02 PM)

Come on Frank

Your 47 million figure is an abused number.

The true number is 9 million when you subtract the

illegals now isn't it!

Carl, Henryetta (8/1/2009 5:36:06 PM)

Yup, three syllable words confound the heck out of me. It's a wonder I ever was able to make it through medical school, what with all them fancy-dancy medical words.

Carl, Henryetta (8/1/2009 5:37:28 PM)

It never ceases to amaze me how people can listen to politicians say absolutely (four syllables) nothing at all, yet be impressed by it at the same time.

Bullhead, Nicut (8/1/2009 6:10:29 PM)

The Indian hospital in Tahlequah has what they call a 'fast-track clinic' now. All of those patients who used the E.R. for their general clinic needs are now directed to fast-track. This clinic starts at 5pm and ends at 10pm. It has cleared the way for the E.R. to be used for emergency/trauma only. I think this is a good deal because fast-track moves patients in and out a lot faster than sitting for 5 or 6 hours trying to be seen in E.R. for the common cold. FT will get you in and out in around a couple of hours unless you need time consuming tests.

Carl, Henryetta (8/1/2009 6:43:27 PM)

Most hospitals these days have a Fast Track model. It definitely helps keep non-emergencies out of the emergency department and speeds non-urgent care.

BL, (8/1/2009 6:54:00 PM)

Doesn't look like he has read the bill. Page 16 has a provision that says you can keep your private insurance, but if you change jobs you cannot sign up for private insurance at the new company. The only option is to go into ObamaCare government insurance plan.

If you read towards the end of the bill around page 900 it says ObamaCare can tell you whether you can have chidlren. What about the provision for government paying for abortions?

zzx375, BA (8/2/2009 7:24:19 AM)

"When they become ill, they go to an emergency room where treatment and tests are dramatically more expensive"

Why is the treatment and test dramatically more expensive in an ER?

Carl, Henryetta (8/2/2009 10:21:27 AM)

It's dramatically more expensive because:

The uninsured or "self pay" patient uses the ER for minor or major problems and the majority NEVER pay.

Being a BUSINESS, the hospitals lose money hand over fist, so in order not to go bankrupt, they charge much higher prices so that those that DO pay or have insurance make up the difference. Otherwise only not-for-profits with HUGE deep pockets could survive. All the for-profits would go out of business and close - making limited access a BIGGER problem.

Imagine a hospital as a grocery store. Certain people have a card that allows them to shop for all they want, but at checkout time, you only collect pennies on the dollar, or other customers bring a loaded shopping cart, ring up $200 bill and then they say - I don't have ANY MONEY at all, so if you let me take these groceries home, I'll bring back a check later - and, of course, they never do.

The only solution is to either close down because you're broke OR charge actual paying customers $10 for a loaf of bread.

OR - make it so that the government (translated = working peoples' TAX MONEY) will pay the bill. That way, ANYONE can come in a fill their carts with as much as they want - because it's FREE.

Problem solved!

wardog, Miami (8/5/2009 7:50:55 AM)

What a bunch of BULL, people listen to this and believe its real. It might as well be a fairy tale book. I don't know how those elected even come up with these ideas. They must be directed by a wierd-O who afraid to say things himself, so they get these 'yes' men to do their dirty work. 'Cut out' people running things yeah thats what we need!!!!

Popeye, T-Town (8/8/2009 6:43:01 AM)

Our leaders are liars. They're twisting facts and statistics is noteworthy; remember it next time you vote... You DO VOTE, don't you?

Lucas states:

""" A solution for the uninsured: There are approximately 47 million Americans without health insurance coverage in this country. When they become ill, they go to an emergency room where treatment and tests are dramatically more expensive, driving up the cost of health care. We must address this problem."""
Of the 46 million people without health insurance:

* 18.3 million are under 34 years of age and may simply not thinks it's necessary,

* 14 million are eligible for Medicaid or SCHIP and would be signed up in the emergency room,

* 10 million are non-U.S. citizens who aren't even eligible for the proposed programs,

* 17.6 million (est) make over $50,000 per year (10 million of those made over $75k).

* According to the Congressional Budget Office, almost 30% of the "uninsured" will be offered, and decline, coverage from an employer and...

* 17% will have family income above 300% of the poverty level.

A large segment of the Democratic Party has come to realize that to exist, Democrats have to appear to represent the "have-nots". They have to sway as many minority, entitled, subsidized and unproductive people as possible to their side and then make sure they vote.

What better and more reliable voter is there than one that gets something for nothing -- and believes they will continue to get it -- if they vote for someone?

wardog, Miami (8/9/2009 11:20:37 AM)

This article is just plain stupid. If you truly believe all of these guys arenot in this for the money then I feel sorry for you. If Tom Colburn has anything to do with this...we're a goner. I don't believe he can even speak in a complete sentence any more. He turned into Bush. It its signed by Colburn and makes any sense...he didn't say it or write it. Its somebody else just using his name. I think its all he has left. The naysayers are behind changing anything. They wish BIG MONEY MEN to KEEP THE POWER, just as in the election. NO IDEAS, NO CHANGE, KEEP THINGS AS THEY ARE, we're not happy but they sure are. Don't be fooled again. We must start someplace NOW..no later NOW

Titonwan, (8/14/2009 9:44:25 AM)

Mr. Lucas,
A quote from your post. "I will continue to monitor all legislation being considered in Congress regarding health care.." How about monitoring some real healthcare facts. You have a computer, and it's hooked to the WEB. If you knew any facts, you wouldn't talk about how the USA has one of the world's best healthcare systems, when we rank 37th. Our ranking in healthcare outcomes, is 72nd, yes, thats seventy second. But we are ranked #2 in the total percentage of the GNP that we spend on healthcare. We only miss first place by two tenths of one percent.
Healthcare insurance options for me and my wife start at twenty four thousand dollars a year, which only cover 80% of the actual cost. A five thousand seven hundred dollar tax credit is inadequate, and almost laughable.
The VA and Medicare are ranked numbers one and two in satisfaction, health outcomes, and efficiency of resources used, when compared with all private health insurance companies. Those programs are “government run”. How can there be any question that another government run program would not do as well.
Please forget the re-election contributions and help your constituents