Another Ridiculously Busy Day

Good for campaign. Bad for blog.

Meanwhile, go to doihavetheswineflu.com

Water Mains, Trains, and Automobiles

We just made it back to DC safely and relatively easily considering the circumstances. When we discovered Amtrak wasn't letting trains travel south of Baltimore, we decided to re-rent a car and drive home from Philly. Yours truly chauffeured the crew back in record time. I'm totally bragging. The over under with soggy weather and rumors of traffic backups was four hours. I had us here in two.

In an unrelated anecdote, on the way to Philly yesterday, I got an email from one of our organizers that cracked me up. Here's what he wrote:

Someone responded to a blast email we sent today saying that “if we adopt the Canadian system, some people will not receive good care or might even be euphemized.”

That's a new one. Canadian health care forces people to be spoken of more delicately.

Off The Rails

We're delayed in Philly this morning due to a water main break somewhere in Maryland. Looks like it might be this one. But travel snag aside and without getting into trade secrets and campaign details, I can say this trip has been very productive and successful.

I did have a couple of random thoughts this morning, and knowing how much you all appreciate my scattered ruminations, here goes:

1. I don't think former presidential candidates (especially Republicans) from the 2008 election should be allowed to "grade" President Obama's first 100 days in office. He won. People believed he could do a better job than anyone else. He is. You don't get to judge him. Especially you, Rudy Giuliani. Let it go.

2. The news is chewing on itself with this swine flu story. The media blew it out of proportion. Now the news is reporting on doctors and pharmacists having to calm people down and reassure them that we're not going to all spontaneously drop dead from the flu.

3. We should pay close attention to how many people are getting sick from the flu because it's that contagious versus how many people are getting sick or sicker because they cannot afford to go see a doctor.

4. There IS such a thing as too many pillows. My bed at the hotel last night had twelve. Yes, I counted. Don't ask.

Happy Wednesday.

Meet Market

Morning. Just a heads up that I am going to be out of pocket most of the day today. I have meetings from 8:30am until I get on a train to Philly this afternoon. (There are actually a couple of hours where I'm booked for two meetings at the same time.)

I'm not exactly sure when I am supposed to do the things we talk about in all these meetings, but I do know I am getting very good at making lists of all the things that need to get done.

I think I'm going to have to put my foot down or stage a mini sit-in or something one of these days just to demand some dedicated work time. Maybe I'll block off my calendar and designate a whole day something like "Meeting-Free Friday."

Actually, that's not a bad idea.

I'm putting it on the list.

Low Carb Backlash

America's got bigger problems than swine flu. Saw a commercial for this tonight:



It's pasta. Served in bread.

And not to belittle swine flu if it's a real thing, but as someone who had to cover bird flu-related stories ad nauseam, I'm skeptical. Even more so after seeing a news report tonight that said it's no different than the regular flu, and you can avoid it by washing your hands and not letting people cough on you. How novel. And newsy.

Too Busy To Blog

I'm buried. Read this:

The Private Health Insurance Industry is Killing the U.S. Economy

If You Need Me...

...you know where to find me.

Have a great weekend!

FBI Calling

Literally. The FBI just called and said they had a message to call me. About what, I have no clue. The woman said she was from the Employment Verification Division so I can only guess someone I know is applying for a gig with the FBI. He/she would probably want to let me know that if I'm supposed to be a reference.

Makes me wonder whom the not-so-bright bulb on the tree could be.

It also reminds me of the time my American boyfriend came to visit me in London and got stopped by the cops at Heathrow who called me at 6am to ask what he was doing in the country and how long he was planning to stay. They peppered me with questions and then hung up the phone without explaining what was going on. Turns out the steroid trade was on the rise, and since my guy was a personal trainer and only staying a few days, they suspected he had ulterior motives.

He didn't, and eventually, they let him go.

Coincidentally, after a lousy weekend together, so did I.

It Doesn't Take Much

Apparently I am having a good hair day. I would not know this other than the fact that three people have stopped me to say "Nice hair" in the past 15 minutes. I haven't done anything differently than I normally do, and yet...compliments!

What an unexpected, pleasant surprise.

p.s. I am fully aware this is absolutely a girl thing. Indulge me.

p.s. again: The image above is of "Totally Hair Barbie" which Business Week says came with her own tube of Dep hair gel and holds the record for the best-selling Barbie ever.

Friday Funny

Andy cracks me up:



In case you didn't know, he's the same brilliant guy who created Insurance Company Rules for us:

Speaking the (sort of) Truth

Before you read on, know President Obama and most Democrats in Congress didn't run on nationalizing health care. President Obama ran on giving everyone the choice of keeping private insurance or joining a new public health insurance plan, and most Democrats in Congress support that approach. And many Republicans in Congress don't like what looks like the outcome because if Democrats pass health care reform, some believe it's game over for the GOP for a long, long time.

That said, here's ABC's Rick Klein:

Rep. Paul Ryan, the top Republican on the House Budget Committee, joined his party’s leadership in calling on President Obama to bring bipartisan cooperation to Capitol Hill.

But at the same time, Ryan said that Obama’s victory and Democrats’ expanded majority in Congress give them the “right” to push their healthcare plans through -- and said they will probably be able to do so using a procedural process known as “reconciliation” that makes it easier to pass bills in the Senate.

“It's their right. They did win the election,” said Ryan, R-Wis. “That’s what I tell all my constituents who are worried about this. They won the election. They did run on these ideas. They did run on nationalizing health care. So, you're right about that. They have the votes with reconciliation. They nailed down the process so that they can make sure they have the votes and that they can get this thing through really fast. It is their right. It is what they can do.”

“They hold the power, and they're probably going to exercise it. We don't like it because we don't like what looks like the outcome,” he added.

Amen.

Semi-Handy

Sears came to fix my broken washer the other day, and even though the tech wasn't supposed to dismantle the laundry closet, he had to in order to get the washer out. For those of you who don't know, my apartment* is a little bit of an adventure in and of itself. It's not at all surprising someone thought to build a closet around the washer and dryer (because those appliances never break).

Anyway, when the tech left, he put the closet back together incorrectly, and there was about an inch gap between the door and the wall. I'm not sure why he didn't say anything before he took off (or why I didn't notice), but this meant the closet no longer closed.

I - being the resourceful woman I pretend to be on occasion - decided to dig out my kind of girlish drill and get to work on fixing the door. I'd watched the tech take the frame apart so I assumed it wouldn't be terribly tough to do it again and then put it back together properly.

Let's just say the door closes now...barely...but I wouldn't put money on the whole ensemble staying together for the long haul. It's all a very delicate balance of screws and nails and strategically maneuvered framework. The good news is that it totally fits within the creative design scheme of my apartment which I lovingly refer to as Creaky Chic.

* It's a rental.

Sine of the Times

I was not aware. Were you?

Overtaking AIM

Apologies to everyone on my Buddy List who got the little IM worm/virus/bug from me today. Allegedly changing your password helps stop it from propagating.

Also, one additional suggestion. When a friend calls you to ask if you know what's going on, it's not a great idea to pick up your cellphone and say, "Yes, I know I have a virus."

It makes your coffee companion raise an eyebrow.

Power of the Pen

Or the "send" button, actually. My brother had a problem with his new used car and got the runaround from the dealer and its service department. He composed the following and ended up with an apology and the repairs paid for in full. Proof it can't hurt to put a true complaint in writing typing:

April 15, 2009

Dear Mr. XX,

We spoke briefly by phone a few months ago when I was in the market for a new car. My name is Dan Schechner, and I was referred to you by Jeffrey XX.

After a visit the day prior, I purchased a black, used 2006 Mercedes Benz C230 from House of Imports on Feb. 15, 2009. I was treated extremely well by everyone, especially your sales manager Garrett XX. What could have been a lengthy, tedious process was made comfortable and easy. I was both relieved and proud, and happy to share my experience with anyone I knew.

About 10 days ago I was leaving the parking garage beneath my office building when I noticed the ‘check engine’ light had come on. Not wanting to take chances with a new car (and knowing it was still under warranty) I made an appointment at Calstar Motors in Glendale for the next available day.

I was informed by the service department that the lower panel of the right front fender well had been removed; the right front fog lamp connector was missing and cut (not sure how it can be both, but whatever); and the outside temperature sensor was missing and the connector was cut off.

I was told the damage did not fall under warranty because I had caused it. I was quoted $900 plus tax.

Now let’s be clear about something. If I had hit anything, driven over anything outside of a speed bump, or been struck by anything in the last seven weeks, I would be fully aware. Not a single person – including a valet – drives it besides me. It is my most valued possession, and I treat it as such.

If I had hit something I would have fixed it myself or called my insurance company. I have a low deductible, and I’m not in the practice of blaming others for my mistakes.

Nonetheless, and despite my chagrin, I figured I had an alternative. I told Calstar I would take it to my dealer.

By phone I was directed to Javier XX in the House of Imports service department, who told me to bring the car in as soon as possible. Which I did, on April 13.

When I met with Javier he arranged for a rental for the day while he inspected my car. He called a few hours later to tell me that wires had been torn from the bottom of the car, that it was not covered by my warranty, and that I was responsible for the damage, which he quoted at $530.

I explained that I hadn’t done anything unusual with the car in the seven weeks I’d had it. I asked if it was possible that a part could have come loose and broken off, or a wire might have caught on something and been pulled out. No, he said, the wires had been pulled out by someone, or maybe I drove over a turtarrier in a parking space. Whatever it was, the damage was my doing.

I then asked to be connected with the service manager, Ryan XX, with whom I spoke for a few minutes. I explained that I felt like my only crime was driving my new car. I couldn’t have been more careful with it.

Mr. XX was very understanding and said he absolutely agreed with me, but that he couldn’t authorize the work to be covered under warranty. That would have to come from the sales side.

At that point I left a message on Garrett XX's direct line. The afternoon of April 13.

I didn’t hear back from Garrett until late the next morning. By that point I had left him another message, and was already headed down to Orange County from my office in the mid-Wilshire area of Los Angeles. The rental car had to be back by 1 p.m., and LA to OC traffic can be sluggish.

On the ride down I received a call from Garrett. I explained to him my dilemma, and he assured me he would take care of it.

Ten minutes later I received another call from House of Imports, this time from Javier. He was calling to tell me my car was not covered under warranty and that I would in fact be responsible for the repairs. It was as if my conversation with Garrett had never happened.

Shortly after I arrived at House of Imports I was greeted by Garrett. “What’s happening?” I asked him. “Well, I’ve been enlightened a little,” he replied. “Let’s go talk to Javier.”

So we walked to Javier’s office, at which time both men stood across the room from me and repeated what I had heard before. That there’s no possibility this could have been caused by anything or anyone but me.

I explained that I was now concerned, that I didn’t feel it was right that parts were coming off so easily during the course of normal driving.

Perhaps this used vehicle, which was sold to me certified pre-owned, wasn’t in mint condition when I received it. To illustrate my point, I asked if Garrett was aware that the rearview mirror in the cockpit was inoperable, and that the Glendale dealer had even confirmed that it was broken but should be fixed under warranty.

Garrett’s response: “You’re gonna throw that at me now!”

We had been in Javier’s office less than 5 minutes.

At that point Garrett said he would take us all to see the car and that he would show me exactly what he was talking about. And that’s when I gave in.

“Look, it’s not worth anyone’s time to keep doing this,” I said. “Let me just get my car, pay for it, and leave so I don’t ever have to deal with this again.”

And that’s when Garrett wheeled around, stood in the doorway, and shouted: “So that’s what you want! I went to bat for you, I put my neck on the line for you, and this is the thanks I get?!? You know what, get your car and take off, and don’t ever come here again. It was your choice, your choice!”

“Garrett, wait a minute,” I said, but he had already stormed off.

I have no doubt that every employee and customer on that side of the building heard this. And I’m now standing in Javier XX’ office. (It did take a moment to process what just happened.)

So here I am: Two months ago I’m a valued customer, and today I’m told I’m ungrateful, and that I should leave and never come back. I was just berated, demeaned and abandoned by my dealer. And all after I agreed to pay, after I just wanted the whole ordeal to end.

Forget that I came to you as a referral. Forget the days of work I had to miss to deal with this. Forget the hours I spent in your customer lounge. Forget the inconvenience of driving to and from Buena Park. And forget that I’m stuck with a $532 bill for, yes, driving my new car.

There’s something that transcends all of that, and it’s human decency. I would never in a million years speak to a customer, an acquaintance or even a stranger in the manner I was spoken to on April 14. It was unprofessional, insulting and completely uncalled-for.

Not that it should matter anymore, but I had acquiesced – there was no more discussion needed.

So now how do I feel? I feel like my warranty is a sham. I feel like everyone who warned me about Mercedes Benz was right. And I feel like everyone who told me not to buy used was right.

But I also feel like people show their true colors in times of adversity, not when times are easy. How you handle difficult situations truly reveals your character and spirit.

I could have left House of Imports today feeling disappointed in the bill, but gratified that someone was on my side, that someone I had a special relationship with understood where I was coming from. And even if he couldn’t offer me any financial relief, that maybe there was a shred of compassion or empathy there.

Instead, I was verbally abused and dismissed by someone I looked to, and trusted, for help. And I’m still out $532.

How do you think that feels?

In light of the situation, the treatment I received, and the countless hours of aggravation and frustration I underwent as a result, I feel that some financial compensation is appropriate.

I had no choice but to pay my bill in full yesterday. I simply could not afford to miss more time at work waiting for an adequate resolution. Having left you my business card with my mobile number included yesterday, I was hoping to hear back from you.

As yet there has been no response. I would appreciate one.

Sincerely,

Dan Schechner

Real Reform

Joe's got a post up at AMERICAblog this morning about health care. I swear I had nothing to do with it. He had an emergency appendectomy not too long ago, and he's just now starting to see the bills roll in. So as you can imagine, he's got health care reform on the brain, and today, he makes an excellent point:

If members of Congress had to miss doctor visits because they couldn't afford to pay or if members of Congress spent days trying to get coverage for their kid's pre-existing condition, I have a feeling we'd have real health care reform.

Read the whole thing here.

In the News

We launched last July, but some reporters are just now starting to pay attention:

Virginia Health Reform Campaign Begins

“We believe that everyone should have comprehensive benefits that meet their needs with the choice of keeping private insurance if they have it or joining a new public health insurance plan,” said Jacki Schechner, spokeswoman for Health Care for America Now, which is sponsoring a series of events across the nation this spring to connect people with their legislators.

“We can’t fix the economy without fixing health care,” Schechner said. “It’s bankrupting our families, it’s bankrupting our local governments and it’s bankrupting our businesses. We have to get this fiasco under control once and for all.”

Schechner says she sees the idea of a government health plan as competition for private health insurance and an opportunity to end the cost-shift that happens when people with no preventive care turn up in the emergency room for what began as a minor illness but went untreated because they couldn’t afford to see a doctor.

Got Plans?

What are you doing tonight? C-SPAN's carrying Rep. Steny Hoyer's health care town hall live at 5pm. HCAN partners will be there. You can watch it online here.

Midafternoon Catblogging

Attempt to Blend: Fail

Cost of Living

This is pretty astounding considering how obscene rent is in Manhattan:

Report: NYC health insurance costlier than rent

According to a New York Post analysis of new data from the state Insurance Department, it now costs more to buy health insurance than it does to rent a two-bedroom apartment.

The newspaper found that the average monthly premium for family health coverage is $4,354, up 13% from last year. That's more than the $3,947 monthly rent for a place in a no-doorman building downtown

Here's the original article from the NY Post.

Monday Musings

Good morning. A little business and a little pleasure to start you off this week. First, a great write from the Politico on the Republicans' lack of a health care plan:

Republicans look across the health reform battlefield and see the Democrats organized, energized and flush with cash — with several groups lined up to promote the president’s plan, and a message honed by years of preparation.

Then they look into their own camp — and get nervous.

There’s no Republican plan yet. No Republicans leading the charge who have coalesced the party behind them. Their message is still vague and unformed. Their natural allies among insurers, drug makers and doctors remain at the negotiating table with the Democrats.

So Republicans now worry the party has waited so long to figure out where it stands that it will make it harder to block what President Barack Obama is trying to do.

HCAN gets a small nod:

The organizational strength behind Obama’s plan is enormous. The House speaker, the Senate majority leader and the committee chairmen have agreed to work together, minimizing the turf wars that doomed former President Bill Clinton’s effort in the 1990s. The major labor unions have teamed up with business groups. An umbrella group for liberal organizations, Health Care for America Now, is spending $40 million on the fight.

And second, Garrison Keillor read the following poem from Tennessee Williams on NPR this morning. I found it amusing and worth reposting. It's called Life Story:

After you've been to bed together for the first time,
without the advantage or disadvantage of any prior acquaintance,
the other party very often says to you,
Tell me about yourself, I want to know all about you,
what's your story? And you think maybe they really and truly do

sincerely want to know your life story, and so you light up
a cigarette and begin to tell it to them, the two of you
lying together in completely relaxed positions
like a pair of rag dolls a bored child dropped on a bed.

You tell them your story, or as much of your story
as time or a fair degree of prudence allows, and they say,
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,
each time a little more faintly, until the oh
is just an audible breath, and then of course

there's some interruption. Slow room service comes up
with a bowl of melting ice cubes, or one of you rises to pee
and gaze at himself with the mild astonishment in the bathroom mirror.
And then, the first thing you know, before you've had time
to pick up where you left off with your enthralling life story,
they're telling you their life story, exactly as they'd intended to all along,

and you're saying, Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,
each time a little more faintly, the vowel at last becoming
no more than an audible sigh,
as the elevator, halfway down the corridor and a turn to the left,
draws one last, long, deep breath of exhaustion
and stops breathing forever. Then?

Well, one of you falls asleep
and the other one does likewise with a lighted cigarette in his mouth,
and that's how people burn to death in hotel rooms.

What's To Come

I'd say now is the calm before the storm, but it hasn't really been all that calm.

Health care: Deal or no deal? Senators begin work

...Senators get down to work this coming week on turning ideas into legislation to cover some 50 million people without health insurance and contain costs for everyone else. Hopes are high that Democrats and Republicans can find common ground for a bill to emerge by summer...

Buckle up. We're in for a heck of a ride.

Eye On Ohio

Excellent HCAN coverage out of Cleveland:

Sen. Sherrod Brown stumps for health care reform

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown stumped for national health care reform at a Cleveland Heights church Friday morning, joining a growing chorus of local leaders demanding that more coverage for the uninsured and underinsured.

"We together are going to see this Congress pass national health care reform by the end of the year," the Ohio Democrat told the crowd of about 500 community organizers and activists that packed the sanctuary of Forest Hills Presbyterian Church.

Several activists told their own stories about going without insurance and many held up an array of signs, such as "Fix it now" and "Caution: Pre-existing condition."

Brown said that while he supported a single-payer system, that isn't going to be passed by Congress. So, he's campaigning for the next best thing: A mix between private and public health coverage for the nation.

Miscellaneous

A trio of random thoughts for this gorgeous Friday:

1. Get a bell: If you're a biker and you choose to frequent jogging paths, invest in a bell. I don't mind your letting me know you're coming up on my left with a discreet little ding. I do - however - really really mind your whizzing up behind me and screaming at the top of your lungs "ON YOUR LEFT!" (especially if I'm not wearing headphones). I'm already as far over as I can and am going to be. All you do is scare me to death and take my properly elevated heart rate and send it skyrocketing. Not cool.

2. Twitter isn't news: I know it's fun. I get it. I have it. But Note To CNN: Your Twitter contest - whatever that is - is not worthy of a Breaking News Alert in the middle of the night:



Unsubscribe!

3. Take a Break: CVS needs to give their cashiers time out to eat. Either that, or they need to say something about the snacking while transacting. Seriously. Enough. The cashier eats. She halfheartedly wipes her fingers. And then she handles my purchases and my money and hands me back my change. I suspect it's not sanitary. I know it's gross. At one particular CVS, they all do it, but I've seen the counter-snackers at others too.

On a much more pleasant note, the ridiculously fabulous weather means happy hour outside this evening. That makes me happy.

Twitter Done Right

If you're not reading Chez regularly, you should be.

Nationwide is on Whose Side?

Wouldn't it be nice to have an alternative that wasn't in the business of trying to rip you off?

Attorneys on Wednesday filed a class-action lawsuit against Nationwide Insurance, claiming the company sold Washington consumers illegal health plans that left them without sufficient coverage.

The suit, filed in Seattle's U.S. District Court on behalf of more than 400 plaintiffs, says Nationwide "unfairly and deceptively" sold insurance plans to Washington residents without authorization from the state insurance-commissioner's office.

(...)

While some plans pay a percentage of medical expenses — for example, an 80/20 split between provider and consumer — or set out-of-pocket maximum expenses for consumers, fixed-payment indemnity plans set lump-sum payout limits on the amounts that insurers will provide.

But those limits often aren't nearly enough to cover medical expenses, said Joshua Welter, of Washington Community Action Network, a grass-roots organization supporting issues such as health-care reform.

"Even though you think you're covered, you're not," Welter said.

Joshua and Washington CAN are part of Health Care for America Now, and during today's press conference, Joshua plans to point out scams like this are exactly why we need a public health insurance option.

Remember, for more information on insurance company bad practices, you can take a look at InsuranceCompanyRules.com.

Who Does That?

I realize this post constitutes my admitting I watch The Real Housewives of New York City. I do. Get over it.

Anyway, last night Kelly - the newest of the group - went running in NYC traffic. Now I've been a part of enough TV productions to know how this went down behind the scenes. There was a car in front of her with a camera shooting her jog. And there were cars on all sides of her making sure she was safe. But her voiceover during this casual jaunt in traffic was one of the most absurd I've ever heard. She went on and on about the liberation of being amongst the cars in the streets of NYC.

As a runner and a former New Yorker, I have it on good authority that no one does that.

You go run in the park or you run on the sidewalk or you run along one of the rivers on either side of the island. You don't run through traffic in the middle of the street. You certainly don't do it wearing tight short spandex, full make-up, and perfectly blown-out hair.

I know there's more unreal than real in most reality TV, but whoever allowed this little scene to air advocating jogging in NYC traffic should be forced to try it. Just once. See how that works out for you.

UPDATE: Ok, so now it makes more sense. This was obviously a ridiculous stunt. Look at the "sweepstakes" question on the Bravo website:

I Love My Job

Our press release just went out calling on AHIP to stop the phony senior LTE scam:

The Eagle Tribune – a Massachusetts newspaper – has uncovered a health insurance industry scam designed to exploit senior citizens and protect industry profits. In his article entitled “Elderly used as front in letter-writing campaign,” Editorial Page Editor Ken Johnson details how he received several suspicious Letters to the Editor and then took a phone call from someone impersonating a senior’s grandson. Johnson pursued his gut instincts and uncovered an intentionally orchestrated fake grassroots campaign commissioned by America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) and carried out by primarily Democratic lobbying firm Dewey Square Group.

“The health insurance lobby says it’s all for health care reform this time around, and yet it’s already engaged in deceptive tactics – exploiting seniors, impersonating grandchildren, and hiring high profile consulting firms to do their dirty work,’ said Richard Kirsch, National Campaign Manager for Health Care for America Now. “Why would we expect anything less from an industry that’s beholden to Wall Street and that puts corporate profits before people’s health? How many other firms has AHIP hired? What other scams and scare tactics do they have up their sleeves?”

Read the whole thing online here.

UPDATE: Jason's companion blog post is up here and here.

When It Rains...

It's one of those super-rainy, soggy days here in DC. Even though I am exhausted (couldn't fall asleep last night), I refuse to start out cranky. So let's not say bad hair day. Let's say excuse to wear a cute hat day.

Speaking of spin, you must read this if you haven't yet. I posted it late yesterday, and my hope is that we can get some more media attention for it throughout the day today. The insurance industry is just as shady as it's always been, and no self-respecting communications firm should be doing the lobby's bidding no matter how big the bucks.

I'd like to see both AHIP and Dewey have to squirm through this one.

Teed Up

Look how good the new shirts look out in the field. These are from some of our events around the country so far:

Using - then Blaming - the Elderly

This, my friends, is AHIP and the operatives they hire. I'm posting the whole thing because it's that outrageous (emphases mine):

Elderly used as front in letter-writing campaign

By Ken Johnson

—

Across Massachusetts, senior citizens are writing letters to newspapers demanding that their representatives in Congress protect a form of health insurance called Medicare Advantage.

At least that's what newspaper editors are supposed to think.

Some of those seniors are unaware that they have sent any such letters to newspapers. Some of them hadn't even heard of Medicare Advantage.

"I did not write a letter to the editor. It's not from me," said Gloria Gosselin, 75, of Lawrence.

Gosselin's name was on one of three strikingly similar letters touting the Medicare Advantage program that were sent to The Eagle-Tribune.

Writers of letters to the editor are routinely contacted by newspapers to make sure letters are legitimate. In this case, they weren't.

All three of the purported authors of the letters said they had no idea their names were being used to advocate for the health insurance program.

The letters were, in fact, composed and sent by the Boston office of a national political consulting firm attempting to create the appearance of a "grass-roots" movement for Medicare Advantage.

Such campaigns are referred to in the news industry as "Astroturf" — that is, phony grass roots.

Usually, such letters come from people who simply click a "Take Action" button on a political Web site, which results in a form letter being sent to their local newspaper. Few newspapers will knowingly publish such letters.

"There are several things wrong with it," said David Holwerk, president of the National Conference of Editorial Writers, a newspaper industry group. "Most newspapers get more letters than they can print. You want to print the ones that people have gone through the effort to write themselves."

But those people are at least aware that a letter will be sent in their names. The Medicare Advantage campaign is unusual in that the "letter writers" said they weren't aware they were participating in political advocacy at all.

One of the letters came from William Morin of New Bedford and was addressed to the "New Bedford Eagle-Tribune."

No such newspaper exists. The street address on the letter was that of The Eagle-Tribune's North Andover office.

"I wonder who did that. New Bedford Eagle-Tribune — I've never heard of it," said Morin, who is 88 years old.

A letter supposedly from Ana Abascal of Lawrence said she "wanted to express how important my Medicare Advantage health plan is to me and other fixed-income seniors in my community."

But when contacted by The Eagle-Tribune, Abascal was shocked and concerned to learn someone was using her name on a letter to the editor. She did not know what the Medicare Advantage plan was.

The tip-off

A tip-off to the true origin of the letters came when The Eagle-Tribune received a call from a man who turned out to be an intern at the Boston office of the Dewey Square Group, a national political marketing and consulting firm.

The man, who identified himself as Noah, wanted to know if Gloria Gosselin's letter had been published. Asked what interest he had in the letter, Noah replied that he was Gosselin's grandson.

Gosselin does not have a grandson named Noah working in Boston. Her only grandson is a student at Central Catholic.

The Dewey Square Group was founded in 1993 by three veteran Boston political campaigners with Democratic ties. One of the founders, Michael Whouley, was a strategist on John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign.

The Dewey Square Group specializes in grass-roots campaigns, building such overwhelming support from ordinary citizens for a public policy position that politicians are brought into line. America's Health Insurance Plans, an industry trade group, hired Dewey Square to defend the Medicare Advantage program.

Medicare Advantage is a government funded, private alternative to Medicare. Seniors can opt out of traditional Medicare coverage in favor of a range of health plans offered by private insurers. Seniors pay a premium for the private coverage but in return, supporters say, get more extensive health coverage than provided under traditional Medicare.

Government payments to insurers supplement the cost of providing the insurance.

Critics of Medicare Advantage argue that it costs much more to treat patients with the private plans than under traditional Medicare. And that, they say, is a poor and inefficient use of taxpayer dollars.

Democrats in Congress and President Barack Obama have proposed slashing funds for Medicare Advantage and using the savings to expand health care coverage for all. Obama's budget has $680 billion targeted for health care reform; $177 billion of that would be taken from Medicare Advantage.

Insurers fight back

Health insurers are fighting what would be a huge hit to their bottom lines. Their strategy: Get seniors talking to members of Congress about the importance of Medicare Advantage.

Under the banner of "The Coalition for Medicare Choices" (www.medicarechoices.org), Dewey Square operatives are bringing seniors to "Medicare Advantage Community Meetings," featuring "free food" and "door prizes," with congressmen and senators, and offering them sample letters to Congress or local newspapers.

Two spokeswomen for the Dewey Square Group insist the campaign is legitimate, even if the seniors have no recollection of sending or signing such letters.

Perhaps, suggested Dewey Square's Mary Anne Marsh, the time that elapsed between the meetings when the seniors saw the letters and the letters' arrival at the newspaper may have clouded some memories.

"No one's trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes," Marsh said.

So how can there be legitimate grass-roots support for Medicare Advantage when some of the seniors involved say they've never heard of the program?

Lynda Tocci, who is managing the campaign, said the seniors may only recognize the name of the health plan they joined under Medicare Advantage.

"They don't know what Medicare Advantage is but they know their health plan and they like it."

Those who oppose the spending of public money on Medicare Advantage question the legitimacy of the Dewey Square Group campaign.

'An outrage'

Judith Stein of the Center for Medicare Advocacy said using the elderly to advocate for a program without their full awareness and consent is "an outrage."

The Connecticut-based group would rather see taxpayer money put into an expansion of traditional Medicare.

"It's a misuse of the trust these plans have with their enrollees," said Stein, who has 30 years experience advocating for Medicare clients. "It borders on being fraudulent. It calls into question the good will and intent of those Medicare plans that are launching such an effort."

Stein said she has seen no true grass-roots effort to support Medicare Advantage.

"Are there individuals who are helped by Medicare Advantage? Sure," she said. "But the vast majority of individuals are better off in traditional Medicare than in a Medicare Advantage plan."

Marsh said the support for Medicare Advantage is there. Working with seniors to express that support is difficult.

Seniors fearing scams may be distrustful of outreach efforts. They face financial, health and other challenges that make it difficult for them to advocate on their own behalf.

"That's why it's important we get them these benefits," Marsh said. "Perhaps this effort is not perfect. But it is a transparent, honest and truthful effort. To have it portrayed as anything else is disingenuous."

Conference Call Blog Break

Yes, I'm still on the phone and still totally paying attention, but with the TV on in the background (I do communications. It's always on) I have been slightly annoyed all day by CNN's obsession with the pirate story. I recognize I could be alone in this sentiment, but I don't get it.

The network seems to have gone off the rails with the pirate news, the pirate sidebars, the pirate-related web content.

It all seems ridiculously overblown to me. Kind of like the Summer of the Shark.

And So It Begins

Morning. Happy Monday. Just a heads up that I am buried in meetings and conference calls most of the day today so posting shall be on the lighter side.

Meanwhile, HCAN got some press coverage over the weekend worth sharing. Here's the Associated Press on organizing the uninsured:

The grass-roots group Health Care for America Now plans to bring as many as 15,000 people to Washington this year to lobby Congress for guaranteed coverage. Campaign director Richard Kirsch expects most to have health insurance.

"We would never want to organize the uninsured by themselves because Americans see the problem as affordability, and that is the key thing," he said.

Besides, added Kirsch, the uninsured are too busy scrambling to make ends meet. Many are self-employed; others are holding two or three part-time jobs. "They may not have a lot of time to be activists," he said.

And here's Politico on advocacy ad spending:

Even before Obama moved into the White House, a handful of groups were up on the cable airwaves, mostly in the Washington market, trying to lay the groundwork for their public relations offensives.

The Obama-allied Health Care for America NOW! and the power industry-backed American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, for example, used excerpts from Obama’s campaign speeches in ads advocating an overhaul of the nation’s health care system and the incorporation of so-called clean coal technology into its energy portfolio, respectively.

This is the HCAN ad he's talking about:

Dress for Success

Happy Friday. We've got new t-shirts.

I suppose I could have put mine on for the picture, but that would have meant changing, and I didn't have the motivation so I made Levana hold one up instead. I'll try and get a shot of me in the shirt next week.

In the meantime, you too can own an HCAN original. We're asking for at least a $10 donation.



It's like reallocating your copay to a good cause.





p.s. We got new signs too.

Weight Gain

I've always been fairly athletic, but my arms have never been particularly strong. Even when I was a gymnast a thousand years ago, I was better on floor and beam than bars. Running and lifting legs come easy, but taking the time to go through biceps and triceps and the rest of it just bores me to tears. There was one summer I did manage to get my upper body into impressive weight-lifting shape, but I was dating a trainer so you do the math.

Anyway, I've very recently decided it's time to do something about this and have started taking cross-training classes at the gym. Earlier this week, a friend and I ventured into a new class which can only be described as intense. The music was fast, the moves were fast, and the focus shifted from one muscle group to the next in rapid succession. The crowd was slightly intimidating too - 50 fabulously fit gay men, a couple of ripped women, and us. It was fun but humbling. Then yesterday, I flew solo into a similar class at a different locale. It was slower and more deliberate. It was more about repetition. The instructor wore a Metallica t-shirt and played an hour's worth of 80's and 90's hard rock.

I know it's highly improbable, but I do feel stronger already. I'm also incredibly sore. But it's definitely fun to have a new focus, and I'm looking forward to seeing real results.

I may also try to talk teacher #2 into better taste in music, but for now, it's one challenge at a time.

Press Play Again

The Nation's out today with a cover story about HCAN and the fight for reform. Here's how it starts:

Two security guards in dark suits towered over Mary Carol Jennings, a spiky-haired medical student wearing a white doctor's coat, as she and some fifty others tried to enter DC's Ritz-Carlton Hotel one morning in early March. The contingent included representatives of the AFL-CIO, MoveOn and the Campaign for America's Future. Jennings was flanked by two members of the National Nurses Organizing Committee who held a giant certificate for the head of America's Health Insurance Plans, the trade group meeting inside the hotel.

"We hereby present Karen Ignagni, CEO [of] AHIP, with this award for Best Protector of Health Insurance Industry Profits at the Expense of Our Health," read the mock certificate, which they decided to leave on her car after being denied entrance to the Ritz. "We are confident that Karen Ignagni will continue to protect profits while paying lip service to 'health care reform.'"

This showdown was organized by a nine-month-old coalition known as Health Care for America Now, which claims more than 850 affiliate organizations. Having learned from the mistakes made by reformers in 1993 and '94, HCAN is launching an early assault on the organization that led the crusade against President Clinton's proposal. According to HCAN spokeswoman Jacki Schechner, "There was no organization on the left" during the Clinton fight, a time when insurers "talked nice about reform until it got down to the nitty-gritty" details of the plan.

"What we expect [from AHIP] is that there's going to be a lot of yes up front and a lot of no behind the scenes," she says. "We know [what] we're seeing this time around is a coordinated effort to say we're not going to buy it--this is not to be left in the hands of DC lobbyists and special interests anymore."

Read the whole thing here.

Hour Caveat

Something about this made me laugh out loud this morning so I took a photo.

The store is called Hour Eyes. Here's one of the signs:



But look closely at the upper righthand corner: