Does anyone honestly see S.1955 failing?

[Craig3410]

Please give me some hope, please.

[Kutjara]

1. Not really...

...it will just be one of the hundreds of pieces of legislation passed during the Bush Hegemony that will have to be repealed when sanity returns to the land.

[acmejack]

6. You are retain hope that sanity will return!

I become less trusting by the day. Call me a fool, you won't be alone. I have a sense of increasing unease about this entire situation.

[Kutjara]

7. I'm trying to retain my last shred of optimism...

although I realize it's becoming harder to do with every passing day.

[blondeatlast]

2. I wish I could, but some Dems are crossing the aisle to vote

for it.

My hope is that more principled Rs will cross to defeat it--a few have pledged to.

God help us if it does; many state legislatures are already drafting bills to pony onto S. 1955.

[usregimechange]

3. No but here is some hope.. Domenici may vote against it.

as he sponsored the federal mental health parity law that this bill will destroy.

[ncrainbowgrrl]

4. Didn't Smith's son committ suicide?

Did the son have clinical depression? If so, would the father vote FOR this piece of crap legislation?

[blondeatlast]

5. Making yet another call then--I know I've called him with my

prepared spiel once, but this will be personal.

[caligirl]

8. I'm wondering about the extent lawsuits can help stop this if it

passed.

[durrrty libby]

9. When Patrick Kennedy was on his way to rehab, after the press conference,

he yelled into the microphone…..call your reps and tell them to support my parity bill

Bless him.

[caligirl]

10. What Kennedy said about the mental health crisis, facts are staggering ...

Congressman Patrick Kennedy: "These figures give us a sense of the breadth of the problem, but statistics alone do not speak to the importance of this legislation. If this Congress passes our parity bill, we will save lives. I don't mean figuratively. Lives are lost every day because teenagers, seniors, and others can't get the treatment they need. For every two homicides in this nation, there are three suicides, and in 90% of those cases, the victim had a diagnosable mental disorder."

[mrreowwr_kittty]

11. Is that suicide stat true?

Not that I'm accusing Rep. Kennedy of making it up. I'm just saying if so, that's shocking!

[caligirl]

13. don't know, just a quote from him.

[caligirl]

12. doing some google searching and found this opinion, good for us maybe!

Washington notes...



Small Group Association Bill Near Dead,

Health Week Blitz Plan Starting To Slip



Nobody is admitting it yet but our published report of just a few days ago about the dim small group bill outlook was probably optimistic. If you’re betting anything on the outcome, time to assume that there will be no bill.

The situation today is that key Senate sponsors of the Enzi bill are scrambling to work out a compromise with 4 Democrats leaning to support the bill, and 2 Republicans leaning against it. The compromise is incredible: adding state mandates. You read that correctly. Enzi is trying to round up votes to make small group insurance just as expensive as all other coverage. The Chamber of Commerce is unlocking the gun rack as we speak.

The one good thing about this turn of events is that nobody will blame health plans, which are battling each other over the impact of having national carriers selling fully-insured products without mandates in local markets (they must offer one option that includes the mandates). When the bill is finally declared dead this summer, blame will fall on the medical providers and state officials and not insurers. But a new market will be cut off and there may a residue of bad feelings across the carriers.

The “Health Week” idea is also slipping into oblivion. It’s now been delayed by at least a week in the Senate, and the leadership is dropping big hints it’s a low priority. No surprise really, with it following a GOP plan to give all Americans a paltry $100 to ease the pain at the gas pump. What’s next – Gerald Ford’s WIN buttons? Going down with the ship: malpractice reform, HSA expansion, and all other recent GOP initiatives. Huge mess.http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:HHKkAYJyRpIJ:www.hsamarkets.com/+enzi+bill&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=168&client=firefox-a

better link, http://www.hsamarkets.com/

[incapsulated]

14. So, there is some hope.

I hope.

[caligirl]

15. Not sure yet.........

:shrug: I'll be watching cspan to find out.:tv: