Sen. Begich to Host Health Care Town Meeting Saturday Morning

Alaska's junior U.S. Senator, Mark Begich, will be holding a town hall meeting on health care reform Saturday morning:

Health Care Reform Town Hall Meeting
Loussac Library, Wilda Marston Theatre
10:30 a.m. - noon

This is an important issue that is getting kicked in the nuts by many U.S. senators and representatives. A good example of how this is starting to come down is the current proposal being offered up by Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Essentially, Baucus' current plan looks like this:

Lower the medicaid coverage rate from 150% to 100% of the Federal poverty line, 133% for kids and pregnant women (once you have the baby, too bad for you)

Subsidies stop at 300% of the poverty line (was 400%)

No Public Option mentioned

Insurance exchanges at the State level

Must buy insurance unless it costs more than 15% of your income

A fine if you don't buy insurance unless you're below the Federal poverty line

No public option mentioned. Over half of the American people want a single-payer health plan. Far more than half want a government-sponsored alternative to privately-owned insurance companies, available to anyone. Letting Sen. Baucus determine what we get should raise concern. He has received, after all, financing like this over the years:

Here’s why Baucus is not doing the peoples business:

According to OpenSecrets.org over his career he has taken donations from:

The Insurance Industry: $1,170,313

Health Professionals $1,016,276

Pharmaceuticals/Health Products Industry $734,605

Hospitals/Nursing Homes $541,891

Health Services/HMOs $439,700

“THAT IS A GRAND TOTAL OF $3,902,785

We need to hold Sen. Begich accountable on this issue. Here's a good site for keeping up on his votes on all important issues.